To say that my labour and birthing experience went smoothly and without drama would be a total lie. I gave the staff in the delivery suite of my local hospital quite a scare, not that I remember it.
At 41 weeks and 3 days I went into labour in the wee hours of a Monday morning, starting with mild contractions and the mucus show. There had been concerns as the previous Friday when I had a scan the amniotic fluid around my baby was low and only just within the acceptable range. The decision was made that we would see how things went over the weekend and if no baby to do another scan on Monday. Monday rolled around and no labour though there were possible contractions. Another scan was done and this time the amniotic fluid was even lower and no longer deemed acceptable. The doctors at the hospital wanted me to go in for an induction, but I resisted this. My midwife, partner and I decided to wait and see how things went as a few minutes after an internal exam by my midwife my waters broke (an interesting sensation), and the contractions were getting stronger.
Waters breaking in a gush like mine did was a little like I peed myself but no muscle movement that usually accompanies peeing oneself.
By midnight I was finally ready to birth this baby and we rushed to the hospital, a very tense ride with every bump in the road seeming to appear with each contraction. I did not particularly enjoy the labour experience, and the birth itself, well that is another thing all together.
After hours of painful contractions I had given up and was begging for an epidural. I had tried the gas and it did nothing for me. I was so exhausted that I stopped pushing with the contractions and just gave up, I could no longer take it. I was given two options, c-section or assisted birth, I originally asked for a c-section, but was persuaded to try going for an assisted birth to make future vaginal deliveries easier. Here I was with this birth plan to deliver naturally with no pain killers but fate decided otherwise.
I went through the risks of the spinal block and signed the consent form, then I felt the need to use the bathroom at this point and went in by myself, I needed to retain some dignity. I remember sitting on the toilet and possibly trying to get up off the loo but things after that are a blank and others had to fill me in. All I remember next is the anaesthetist cracking jokes as he gave me the spinal block, and mention of forceps, pushing with the contractions that I could no longer feel and watching as the doctor steadied himself against the delivery table to pull my son out with forceps.
I have vague disjointed memories after that of my son being placed on my chest then being taken away, my partner crying and being asked about being shaved down below(not exactly sure when I was asked that.).
I have been told that while on the toilet, before being taken into the operating room, I fell on the floor and had a fit. When one of the staff pressed the emergency button the room was suddenly filled with nurses, doctors and midwives(apparently it was handover time for the next shift). I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2006 and when the staff saw me on the bathroom floor it was assumed that I had a seizure, that is yet to be confirmed. The neurologist who saw me later on that day discussed that I did not have an epileptic seizure but a Vasovagal episode(fainting fit). So the epilepsy diagnosis is still to be confirmed with tests occurring later on this year.
So the dramas surrounding my sons birth started with low amniotic fluid levels, possible induction followed by me becoming so exhausted I no longer had the energy to push with my contractions. Then after a failed attempt at using the ventouse(suction cup) my son was pulled out with forceps. After the birth I was then nil by mouth for 24 hours due to the medication given to stabilise me after the fit. I also caused the machines around me to beep in alarm as I was suffering from tachycardia(accelerated heart rate). So overall the birth experience was not without its dramas and my memory is quite foggy about bits. But at 9.24am on 13/08/13 my son was born weighing 3350g or 7lb 6oz. He is a happy healthy baby with a powerful set of lungs on him and is the most gorgeous baby I have ever laid my eyes on, but that could just be me being bias.
What were your labour and delivery experiences like? Dramatic? Easy? Out of your control? Leave a comment below and share it.
For those of you who are pregnant with your first child/children, fear not the birthing experience is not always like mine and most often quite natural and not necessarily easy but something you can cope with. I had full confidence in my midwife that she would know what was best for me and my son, and if it required interventions well so be it.
At 41 weeks and 3 days I went into labour in the wee hours of a Monday morning, starting with mild contractions and the mucus show. There had been concerns as the previous Friday when I had a scan the amniotic fluid around my baby was low and only just within the acceptable range. The decision was made that we would see how things went over the weekend and if no baby to do another scan on Monday. Monday rolled around and no labour though there were possible contractions. Another scan was done and this time the amniotic fluid was even lower and no longer deemed acceptable. The doctors at the hospital wanted me to go in for an induction, but I resisted this. My midwife, partner and I decided to wait and see how things went as a few minutes after an internal exam by my midwife my waters broke (an interesting sensation), and the contractions were getting stronger.
Waters breaking in a gush like mine did was a little like I peed myself but no muscle movement that usually accompanies peeing oneself.
By midnight I was finally ready to birth this baby and we rushed to the hospital, a very tense ride with every bump in the road seeming to appear with each contraction. I did not particularly enjoy the labour experience, and the birth itself, well that is another thing all together.
After hours of painful contractions I had given up and was begging for an epidural. I had tried the gas and it did nothing for me. I was so exhausted that I stopped pushing with the contractions and just gave up, I could no longer take it. I was given two options, c-section or assisted birth, I originally asked for a c-section, but was persuaded to try going for an assisted birth to make future vaginal deliveries easier. Here I was with this birth plan to deliver naturally with no pain killers but fate decided otherwise.
I went through the risks of the spinal block and signed the consent form, then I felt the need to use the bathroom at this point and went in by myself, I needed to retain some dignity. I remember sitting on the toilet and possibly trying to get up off the loo but things after that are a blank and others had to fill me in. All I remember next is the anaesthetist cracking jokes as he gave me the spinal block, and mention of forceps, pushing with the contractions that I could no longer feel and watching as the doctor steadied himself against the delivery table to pull my son out with forceps.
I have vague disjointed memories after that of my son being placed on my chest then being taken away, my partner crying and being asked about being shaved down below(not exactly sure when I was asked that.).
I have been told that while on the toilet, before being taken into the operating room, I fell on the floor and had a fit. When one of the staff pressed the emergency button the room was suddenly filled with nurses, doctors and midwives(apparently it was handover time for the next shift). I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2006 and when the staff saw me on the bathroom floor it was assumed that I had a seizure, that is yet to be confirmed. The neurologist who saw me later on that day discussed that I did not have an epileptic seizure but a Vasovagal episode(fainting fit). So the epilepsy diagnosis is still to be confirmed with tests occurring later on this year.
So the dramas surrounding my sons birth started with low amniotic fluid levels, possible induction followed by me becoming so exhausted I no longer had the energy to push with my contractions. Then after a failed attempt at using the ventouse(suction cup) my son was pulled out with forceps. After the birth I was then nil by mouth for 24 hours due to the medication given to stabilise me after the fit. I also caused the machines around me to beep in alarm as I was suffering from tachycardia(accelerated heart rate). So overall the birth experience was not without its dramas and my memory is quite foggy about bits. But at 9.24am on 13/08/13 my son was born weighing 3350g or 7lb 6oz. He is a happy healthy baby with a powerful set of lungs on him and is the most gorgeous baby I have ever laid my eyes on, but that could just be me being bias.
What were your labour and delivery experiences like? Dramatic? Easy? Out of your control? Leave a comment below and share it.
For those of you who are pregnant with your first child/children, fear not the birthing experience is not always like mine and most often quite natural and not necessarily easy but something you can cope with. I had full confidence in my midwife that she would know what was best for me and my son, and if it required interventions well so be it.
