A mothers birth story:
Baby boy born 5am Sunday 11th March 2018
I’d been feeling a bit vague and reflective all day Saturday. I was having Braxton hicks and period-like pain like I’d had for the past two weeks but today they weren’t going away with rest. We got home late after visiting friends and went to bed at 11:30pm.
At 1:35am I woke up and my waters broke. I noticed it was light brown (meconium stained) so I knew I needed to go directly to the hospital to be checked. I cleaned up and fumbled around trying to pack things that weren’t already in the car.
About 6 mins down the road I had my first actual contraction. I started timing and they were about 6 mins apart. The pain increased quickly and I started vocalising after the next few contractions. By the time we got town the contractions were 3mins apart and I was really yelling. I called Cherie as soon as we got into mobile reception.
After an emergency nurse took me to the labour ward I asked straight away for gas (I had planned a drug-free birth). It was a struggle for her to check how dilated I was as I couldn’t stay still because of how short the break was between contractions. I was 4cm.
The midwife that was on was lovely. I asked to use the gas in the shower and asked for more pain relief and was offered morphine, which I accepted. The contractions were very painful and I felt out of control and the visualisations weren’t working. I stayed in the shower until Cherie arrived and then my midwifery group practice back-up midwife. She couldn’t get a heartbeat with the Doppler so I consented to continuous monitoring. When that didn’t work the obstetrician on call came I consented to a fetal scalp “clip” which meant I couldn’t get back in the shower. They told me the baby’s heartbeat was fine and I was 8cm dilated.
I was screaming (which did help with the pain) and mostly ignoring the annoying obstetrician. I tried different positions on the bed but didn’t feel comfortable. Cherie offered me drinks regularly and I drank a lot as the gas made me thirsty. I asked for a birth stool and felt much more stable, dignified and in control sitting there. I pushed with every contraction and baby was quickly out at 5:00am. A boy – 4.13kg, 54cm long!
Baby boy needed a little help to establish regular breathing and I had a post-partum haemorrhage and second degree tearing but we were both quickly sorted out and having skin-to-skin. I was told I’d had a precipitous birth – less than 3 hrs from regular contractions to baby out. I later read that a precipitous birth can make it feel like you’re entering transition very quickly, which was the case for me.
We also had to spend one night in the hospital but compared to my emergency c-section everything was so much better. Having a VBAC (my first vaginal birth) was so much better than a repeat c-section.
From Cherie – This was my last doula baby, after 10 years of working as a doula it is time for me to just focus on teaching Calmbirth Classes. I have loved my work as a doula, and if it wasn’t for that I would not be a Calmbirth Educator today. What a perfect end, an amazing VBAC birth AND a lovely visit from them today. 23/3/18.
