Warning: Birth Story Time
Hi fellow Mummas, I know many of you love reading the beautiful and the ugly birth stories of other Mums. If you can't handle the graphic-ness of it all, stop reading now!
I wanted to record the birth stories of my 2 boys because they were both such different experiences and I don't want to forget them (already starting to forget the details!)
Tobias
My husband and I were living in a little 2 bedroom city town house. It was a mild Autumn evening and I had just lied down for the night. I was now 10 days overdue and had been into the hospital for checks multiple times. I was well and truly over being pregnant and wondering if this baby was ever going to arrive! The plan was to induce me at 2 weeks past my due date, but I was hoping bub would come before we had to do that. Most nights as we went to bed my husband would say 'you should put a few towels underneath you in case your waters break in bed' to which I replied 'I doubt that is going to happen, that sort of thing only happens in the movies!' This particular evening, I had just gone to sleep and then woke again about an hour later. I sat up in bed to discover a leak was started to happen. I remember sitting there, frozen, as the water trickling began to gush out, getting heavier and heavier. I hit Hugh and exclaimed 'I think my waters are breaking, quick grab some towels'. Hugh threw me some towels but by that point the bed and mattress were already soaked!
As a first time Mumma I felt excited, energised and of course a little nervous. I naively thought it would be all stations go from this point. What I didn't know is the many looooonnng hours of labour I had before me. Once my waters broke, I called the midwives at the birthing unit. They told us to come into the birthing unit to check up on bub and have a check up (due to risk of infection once waters break). Hugh was not so keen to head into the hospital at just after midnight as he had been warned by many to labour at home as long as possible until heading into the hospital. Regardless we followed the midwives advise of course and drove through the quiet city streets to the Wollongong hospital. Bub was monitored (hardly any movement there, he was having a big snooze I think, not planning on going anywhere!) and all was well so we were sent home. From about 3am I tried to sleep although I only dozed briefly as I started to have mild contractions and found it hard to get any rest. We laboured at home, using the exercise ball, listening to music, had a warm shower. The contractions were getting more intense and more frequent (4-5 minutes apart, some more intense than others). After many phone calls with the midwives and being unsure as to how this labour was progressing or how much more painful the contractions would become (was I close to having this baby?), we went back to hospital around 3pm (Sat).
Once we got to the birthing unit, bub and I were monitored again and checked (I was only 2 cm dilated). The midwives told me I need to be 10cm dilated before pushing. I remember thinking 'they can't be serious'. I already felt so tired and the contractions were already quite painful! Little did I know how painful they could possibly be and will be! So we were set up in our own room and continued to labour. Hugh rubbed my back during contractions for hours and hours, we listened to worship music and Hugh tried to get me to eat banana and drink gatorade. Night time approached and reinforcement arrived, my Mum. The midwives continued to check on me and I hadn't dilated much more. Mum came with me while I had a warm bath (Hugh tried to have a nap) and I spent over an hour in the bath (the warm water helped with pain management a little). Midnight approached and I was starting to feel extremely fatigued with little progression in labour. The midwives decided to give me some morphine to try and allow me to get some rest. I managed to lie down for a few hours, but couldn't get any sleep as I could still feel the contractions (although not as much).
By 4am (Sun) the pain relief started to wear off and the intense contractions started again. I remember the midwives sounding a little concerned when they told me I was still only 3 cm dilated. I was already on a fluid drip so by 6am I was put on an syntocin (oxytocin) drip (to force my cervix to dilate). Ok wow, now I was in labour! The contractions got yet again even more intense (I didn't think this was possible) and so I started to use gas for pain relief. Thank the Lord for gas! Although it didn't take away the pain, it definitely helped take the edge off. I remember telling one of the midwives how beautiful she was.. multiple times. Hours went by and I was starting to feel more and more like giving up, wondering if this would ever ever EVER end! Thankful for worship music and the prayers and encouragement of my hubby and my Mum that helped me push through.
By 10.30am the contractions were on top of one another. I started to feel the urge to push. So far I had mostly been kneeling on the bed with my arms resting on the head rest, and standing when I could. I continued to kneel during the pushing stage, leaning on the back of the bed (I found this position the most comfortable). It was a semi relief to feel like something was changing although the pain become excruciating. The next 2 hours I think my mind has erased from my memory. I went into some far away place in my mind and all I can remember thinking is 'I think I am dying'. It felt like my body was ripping into two. The gas was no longer helpful. The midwives kept saying 'you need to push harder!' and although I couldn't even speak, I remember thinking 'I can't push any harder you bloody idiots!'
Time wore on and I remember hearing the midwives saying something about the head being stuck, although I was barely in the room (mentally). I was told I had to turn onto my back which felt absolutely impossible. Somehow I managed to turn over, doctors and reinforcements arrived. I could hear everyone saying the baby was distressed, mother fatigued, and the baby heart rate was decreasing. Tobias was then vacuumed out, leaving me with a nice big tear and Toby with a cone head. At 12.32, Toby was born! I lay my head back on the bed in sheer exhaustion and semi unconsciousness, totally oblivious to the fact that Toby was bright blue all over and not breathing due to the cord being wrapped around his neck three times (hence why I couldn't push him out, he was stuck up there!). The midwives worked on him and he began to breathe. They put him up to my chest and that was the moment I felt like my brain re-entered the room a little. It was the best moment of my life. My little man was here and he was perfect. I will never forget his dark blue eyes staring right into mine, blinking occasionally, finally meeting face to face. He was longer, bigger, more muscular and had a darker skin tone than what I had imagined.
Tears fell down my face as my Mum stood beside me on the left, utter happiness and relief showed on her face. I was totally smitten with my little boy, feeling so many emotions all at once. I looked to the right and Hugh had disappeared. I could see him sitting on the chair to the side of the room, head in his hands. The nurses were asking him if he was OK. He had held it together so well but now needed a moment to gather himself (he isn't the best with blood etc). Once he felt a little normal again, we cuddled our little man together and thanked God he was here safe and sound. God had brought us through, he had protected bub and I through it all and no harm had been done to Toby (apart from some bruising and a slight cone head). God is Good!
Then came the afterbirth. I hadn't heard much or been told much about this part so it was rather unexpected for me when it happened, especially how painful it was! I thought it was all over, but I was so wrong. After the placenta was out, then came the stitches. Although the doctor put in a local anaesthetic, I could still feel quite a lot of pain as the doctor (rather roughly) tugged at the needle and string for what felt like many very long minutes. The gas helped a little at this point.
Once it was over, the drama continues with the longest wee in history, trying to stand up with totally frozen muscles, many sleepless nights & days. The recovery begins...
As the time goes on, I remember less and less, especially the last few hours which I have very vague memories of. I don't remember at all a phone camera being shoved between my legs by a midwife or my Mum to 'document the birth.' Mum had a great time showing off some of these extremely graphic photos to some close friends (thanks Mumma.. NOT!), but I can barely look at them!
It's sometimes hard to believe I had such a long (36.5hr) and traumatic birth experience. I am eternally grateful for all the staff at the Wollongong hospital birthing unit. The midwives were amazing and if it wasn't for their quick thinking and interventions, it may have been a very different outcome. I left this birth feeling somewhat uninspired to go through this whole process again. Then (thankfully) there was Finley....
I wanted to record the birth stories of my 2 boys because they were both such different experiences and I don't want to forget them (already starting to forget the details!)
Tobias
My husband and I were living in a little 2 bedroom city town house. It was a mild Autumn evening and I had just lied down for the night. I was now 10 days overdue and had been into the hospital for checks multiple times. I was well and truly over being pregnant and wondering if this baby was ever going to arrive! The plan was to induce me at 2 weeks past my due date, but I was hoping bub would come before we had to do that. Most nights as we went to bed my husband would say 'you should put a few towels underneath you in case your waters break in bed' to which I replied 'I doubt that is going to happen, that sort of thing only happens in the movies!' This particular evening, I had just gone to sleep and then woke again about an hour later. I sat up in bed to discover a leak was started to happen. I remember sitting there, frozen, as the water trickling began to gush out, getting heavier and heavier. I hit Hugh and exclaimed 'I think my waters are breaking, quick grab some towels'. Hugh threw me some towels but by that point the bed and mattress were already soaked!
As a first time Mumma I felt excited, energised and of course a little nervous. I naively thought it would be all stations go from this point. What I didn't know is the many looooonnng hours of labour I had before me. Once my waters broke, I called the midwives at the birthing unit. They told us to come into the birthing unit to check up on bub and have a check up (due to risk of infection once waters break). Hugh was not so keen to head into the hospital at just after midnight as he had been warned by many to labour at home as long as possible until heading into the hospital. Regardless we followed the midwives advise of course and drove through the quiet city streets to the Wollongong hospital. Bub was monitored (hardly any movement there, he was having a big snooze I think, not planning on going anywhere!) and all was well so we were sent home. From about 3am I tried to sleep although I only dozed briefly as I started to have mild contractions and found it hard to get any rest. We laboured at home, using the exercise ball, listening to music, had a warm shower. The contractions were getting more intense and more frequent (4-5 minutes apart, some more intense than others). After many phone calls with the midwives and being unsure as to how this labour was progressing or how much more painful the contractions would become (was I close to having this baby?), we went back to hospital around 3pm (Sat).
Once we got to the birthing unit, bub and I were monitored again and checked (I was only 2 cm dilated). The midwives told me I need to be 10cm dilated before pushing. I remember thinking 'they can't be serious'. I already felt so tired and the contractions were already quite painful! Little did I know how painful they could possibly be and will be! So we were set up in our own room and continued to labour. Hugh rubbed my back during contractions for hours and hours, we listened to worship music and Hugh tried to get me to eat banana and drink gatorade. Night time approached and reinforcement arrived, my Mum. The midwives continued to check on me and I hadn't dilated much more. Mum came with me while I had a warm bath (Hugh tried to have a nap) and I spent over an hour in the bath (the warm water helped with pain management a little). Midnight approached and I was starting to feel extremely fatigued with little progression in labour. The midwives decided to give me some morphine to try and allow me to get some rest. I managed to lie down for a few hours, but couldn't get any sleep as I could still feel the contractions (although not as much).
By 4am (Sun) the pain relief started to wear off and the intense contractions started again. I remember the midwives sounding a little concerned when they told me I was still only 3 cm dilated. I was already on a fluid drip so by 6am I was put on an syntocin (oxytocin) drip (to force my cervix to dilate). Ok wow, now I was in labour! The contractions got yet again even more intense (I didn't think this was possible) and so I started to use gas for pain relief. Thank the Lord for gas! Although it didn't take away the pain, it definitely helped take the edge off. I remember telling one of the midwives how beautiful she was.. multiple times. Hours went by and I was starting to feel more and more like giving up, wondering if this would ever ever EVER end! Thankful for worship music and the prayers and encouragement of my hubby and my Mum that helped me push through.
By 10.30am the contractions were on top of one another. I started to feel the urge to push. So far I had mostly been kneeling on the bed with my arms resting on the head rest, and standing when I could. I continued to kneel during the pushing stage, leaning on the back of the bed (I found this position the most comfortable). It was a semi relief to feel like something was changing although the pain become excruciating. The next 2 hours I think my mind has erased from my memory. I went into some far away place in my mind and all I can remember thinking is 'I think I am dying'. It felt like my body was ripping into two. The gas was no longer helpful. The midwives kept saying 'you need to push harder!' and although I couldn't even speak, I remember thinking 'I can't push any harder you bloody idiots!'
Time wore on and I remember hearing the midwives saying something about the head being stuck, although I was barely in the room (mentally). I was told I had to turn onto my back which felt absolutely impossible. Somehow I managed to turn over, doctors and reinforcements arrived. I could hear everyone saying the baby was distressed, mother fatigued, and the baby heart rate was decreasing. Tobias was then vacuumed out, leaving me with a nice big tear and Toby with a cone head. At 12.32, Toby was born! I lay my head back on the bed in sheer exhaustion and semi unconsciousness, totally oblivious to the fact that Toby was bright blue all over and not breathing due to the cord being wrapped around his neck three times (hence why I couldn't push him out, he was stuck up there!). The midwives worked on him and he began to breathe. They put him up to my chest and that was the moment I felt like my brain re-entered the room a little. It was the best moment of my life. My little man was here and he was perfect. I will never forget his dark blue eyes staring right into mine, blinking occasionally, finally meeting face to face. He was longer, bigger, more muscular and had a darker skin tone than what I had imagined.
Tears fell down my face as my Mum stood beside me on the left, utter happiness and relief showed on her face. I was totally smitten with my little boy, feeling so many emotions all at once. I looked to the right and Hugh had disappeared. I could see him sitting on the chair to the side of the room, head in his hands. The nurses were asking him if he was OK. He had held it together so well but now needed a moment to gather himself (he isn't the best with blood etc). Once he felt a little normal again, we cuddled our little man together and thanked God he was here safe and sound. God had brought us through, he had protected bub and I through it all and no harm had been done to Toby (apart from some bruising and a slight cone head). God is Good!
Then came the afterbirth. I hadn't heard much or been told much about this part so it was rather unexpected for me when it happened, especially how painful it was! I thought it was all over, but I was so wrong. After the placenta was out, then came the stitches. Although the doctor put in a local anaesthetic, I could still feel quite a lot of pain as the doctor (rather roughly) tugged at the needle and string for what felt like many very long minutes. The gas helped a little at this point.
Once it was over, the drama continues with the longest wee in history, trying to stand up with totally frozen muscles, many sleepless nights & days. The recovery begins...
As the time goes on, I remember less and less, especially the last few hours which I have very vague memories of. I don't remember at all a phone camera being shoved between my legs by a midwife or my Mum to 'document the birth.' Mum had a great time showing off some of these extremely graphic photos to some close friends (thanks Mumma.. NOT!), but I can barely look at them!
It's sometimes hard to believe I had such a long (36.5hr) and traumatic birth experience. I am eternally grateful for all the staff at the Wollongong hospital birthing unit. The midwives were amazing and if it wasn't for their quick thinking and interventions, it may have been a very different outcome. I left this birth feeling somewhat uninspired to go through this whole process again. Then (thankfully) there was Finley....
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