Hi Ann,
Hope you are well! Sorry my story is a bit delayed. We had to spend a week in hospital after Rocco was born due to breast feeding issues and a potential cord infection so Rocco was put on antibiotics.
Here it goes:
Rocco was due on 15th January but my contractions began one hour after midnight that night. At first I dismissed them as with it being my first baby I had no idea what a contraction felt like. My partner, Mario, got home from work at about 1:30am and not long after that they started to get stronger……I think these are contractions I told him. He ran me a bath and I spent about 30 minutes in there practising my breathing in preparation for when they got stronger. After the bath I went to the lounge and got onto my birthing ball and bounced through them while using my tens machine and taking deep breaths in and longer ones out. It got to about 7am and things had kicked up a notch so we called the hospital and we were told to come in. Unfortunately I was only 2cm and was promptly sent home much to my disappointment.
Once home, I continued to bounce on the birthing ball while using my tens machine. Things got so intense by 11:00am that the hospital told us to come back. By the time we were ready, we arrived back there at midday. I have to admit that the pain got so strong that my breathing went out the window and panic set in, disappointed in myself that I couldn’t maintain my calm! We got to the hospital and unfortunately I was only 3cm but they saw how much pain I was in and decided to keep me there. I was sent to the maternity section where I asked to have a bath. I stayed in the bath for 1.5 hours after I met my midwife. This slowed down my contractions and the midwife helped me get back on track with my breathing.
After 1.5 hours in the bath I was taken to the room I would be having my baby in. A nice suite with a huge bathroom which contained a large birthing pool. The midwife checked me and I was only 4cm. Contractions were back in full swing now so I got back on the birthing ball and was begging for pain relief (wasn’t in my original plan) but as I wasn’t far enough along, I couldn’t have any but was given gas & air. I bounced on the ball until the contraction kicked in then I was hanging around Mario’s neck or bent over the top of the bed with the gas & air and I would march as it just felt right….then I would do some squats and then run to the bathroom to sit on the toilet (just felt right with all the pressure in my lower back). I continued this mad assault course throughout my labour. My breathing was back on track with the help of the gas & air. My waters just trickled throughout the whole time instead of gushing. I was so in the zone that I forgot about asking for pain relief once my assault course began and I barely said a word. Mario was expecting a load of abuse which he didn’t get in the end! Also, I was doing my assault course completely naked…. all dignity out the window but you just don’t care when you are in the moment!
2 hours passed of my crazy routine and I asked the midwife to check me. She said it had only been 2 hours since she last checked me and I had to wait another 2 hours. I told her that she had to because something had changed, I could just feel it. She checked me and sure enough I was 9cm already! She said “Oh…I’d best start filling the pool!” I lent over the top of the bed on the gas & air and I felt like I needed to push. She wanted me to hold off but said if I had to then just go ahead. The pool was still filling but I asked her could I get in and she let me. The water was so comforting and really took the edge off the contractions.
I spent the next 2 hours pushing in the pool with the help of gas & air but wasn’t as intense as it had been. I was exhausted by this point and kept nodding off. Baby didn’t seem to be coming until the midwife noticed that there was a pocket of water blocking the baby’s exit. On my next contraction I pushed while she used a stick to pop the water and down came baby’s head. The burning sensation wasn’t pleasant as the head came out but was bearable. On the next few pushes his head was fully out and the next push brought out his whole body. I was told to scoop him out the water and put him to my chest. His cord was round his neck and he did n’t appear to be moving but the midwife said he was fine. Then the screams came and I was relieved to know he was ok.
I was proud of myself for just doing it on gas & air in the end and had my water birth as planned. He weighed 7lb 6oz, born 6:42pm on 16th January and was just perfection. What an amazing experience! I had stitches in 2 places and 2 places with grazing.
Sorry it was quite long! Was a long experience!
Thanks Ann. I really loved the yoga classes will miss coming! Thanks for all your help.
Anna xxx