Well, it all started a week early to be exact on Saturday the 5th August at (off all places) the Pine Rivers Show.
I was taking my 20 month old daughter to the Show because I was due Ekka Week. My waters started trickling at 5pm which ended our Show Day. I waited at my Mum’s place for hubby to finish work and drive me home as I had no contractions yet. I had a good night’s sleep and woke up Sunday morning as normal.
Nothing was happening so at around 9am I rang the North West Private Hospital to let them know that my waters were trickling but nothing was happening. They told me that they would inform my obstetrician and call me back. When they called me back they told me that my doctor had the weekend off and they couldn’t contact him. The doctor that was on duty wanted me to come in, I agreed but hung up the phone very confused about going in or not. I knew that if I went into the hospital that the doctor was likely to induce me and I would end up with the spiral of intervention I had for my daughter (waters broken, gas, epidural, vacuum, and forceps).
I had spent 6 months preparing for a normal, natural birth through pregnancy yoga classes and the Childbirth Education refresher class so was not happy about going in early, but what do you say to justify not going in as the doctor ordered???? Ring Sharon was my first thought (thanks Sharon). Sharon sent my hubby, Colin, and I some research on premature rupture of membranes so we could make an informed decision.
After reading the research I bravely (with hubby on the phone too) rang the hospital back and explained that I did not want to come in yet as my water was clear, few blood spots which I knew was the cervix softening and bubby was still moving. The doctor was put on the phone to me and I explained that I didn’t feel the need to come in yet. He told me that infection may set in. However, I explained that from research read I believed that infection would set in when I was given an internal check to see how things were progressing, and that while my water was still trickling it was sterilising the area continuously.
After a little heated discussion the doctor told me he would write on my chart I disobeyed medical advice and I said that was fine, the phone was then hung up. This didn’t impress my husband or me. On Sunday 6th August at 8:30pm contractions were approximately 10 minutes apart, sitting on a Pilates ball, rocking my pelvis in figure 8’s, relaxing my lower jaw which we all tense up in pain and focussing on my breathing (not the pain) my contractions progressed to 5 minutes apart by 10:30 Col then began massaging my lower back during contractions. The challenge here was our daughter was really sick with a temperature as well so Colin was running between me (massaging my lower back) and soothing and giving water to our daughter.
By midnight they were 3 minutes apart. From the class with Sharon, Col knew it was time to go.
We then did the mad dash from Ningi (near Bribie Island) to Everton Hills, flying (literally) down the highway. We arrived at North West Private Hospital at 1am. I had previously put my birth plan into my folder at my last obstetrician appointment. So when I got there the midwives knew exactly what I wanted. The lights were turned down, the oil burner put on and the relaxation cd was put on at some point too.
The midwife wanted to do an internal to check how far I was dilated (4cm I heard her say). The midwife promised it would be the only internal I would have and that they knew I didn’t want a monitor on, they left us alone – checking in occasionally and helping Colin with when to move me to new positions etc. The doctor who I had previously spoken to was still on duty and therefore had to oversee my birth.
My Mum whispered to me as she left with my asleep daughter in her arms, “Don’t worry about the doctor sweetie, concentrate on all that you have learnt, it’s your baby and your labour you do what is right for you”. Colin got me into the shower and I sat there on the birthing ball with one nozzle on my back and the other in my hand to spray my lower tummy during contractions.
The really painful ones I stood up and lent onto the sink. It was while I was in the shower that Col and I knew the natural drugs had kicked in. I was in labour land and felt really sleepy. I forgot about the fact that I was only 4cm dilated and focused on my breathing and talking (sub consciously) to bubby.
Col got me out of the shower to a new position. I knelt on my knees onto a piece of foam (purchased from Clark rubber and wrapped in plastic and tea towels) at Col’s feet. He sat on a chair and let me lean into his lap during the contractions while he massaged down my back. It was in this position that the pain of the contractions got worse; I was really fidgety and thumped Colin in the thigh with my fist telling him I couldn’t do it anymore, it hurt too much.
Col told me I was nearly there and was doing really well. He got the midwife to come in and spoke to her for me. The midwife offered me a hot pack for my lower back which was in my birth plan too. I told her I felt like pushing, by the next contraction I really felt like pushing. She got me up on the bed to check how dilated I was. She said that I was fully dilated and could start pushing when ready.
I remember thinking I’ve progressed this labour myself, I couldn’t believe it. The second midwife went to inform the obstetrician that I was pushing. The midwives said to me, “Come on Trace, we can have this baby out in a few pushes if you concentrate and push here.” I was on all fours, top of the bed tilted, holding onto the top bed rail (the position I wanted to give birth in – forward leaning to naturally open up the pelvis 30% more). The “ring of fire” came and Colin lent down and said to me “Push through the pain, breath Trace, Push through the pain”. Something my yoga teacher had told him to do on our partners’ night. His praise and encouragement gave me all the strength I needed.
Two good pushes and bubby’s head was out, with a hand on his head (ouch!). At this point I had to stop pushing and start panting as the umbilical cord had got stuck around the baby’s head. Sometimes happens in this birth position. The midwives cut the cord and one more push and the body flopped out.
That feeling of the body flopping out is indescribable, it is truly an amazing feeling. At 4:35am I had given birth to a healthy boy. Our baby boy was passed up through my legs and placed in front of me. He was a little blue and got rubbed vigorously. I got to pick him up and roll over onto my back with him on my chest skin to skin. I had a button shirt on, unbuttoned, so photos with coverage could be taken straight away. The placenta was then delivered with an injection in my leg to help it along.
The midwives had delivered our baby boy, Dominic Robert, 7 pound 6, 52.5cm long with a 35cm head. Only 3 and a half hours at the hospital. All I could think about and talk about was that I had done it – all by myself, normal, natural birth, listening to my body, no drugs just nature’s way!! The obstetrician came in to do the stitching and then we were left for 3 hours to bond with him. This is a very precious time. The midwives came in a couple of times to check on him (because of his colour).
After 2 hours Dominic had his first breastfeed. The midwives didn’t want to bath him until he had his first feed. Colin then got to give him his first bath while I had a much deserved shower. I would choose this birth over my daughters 20 hour labour all interventions used, any day.
If I can give any advice to a new Mum about to give birth it would be - Listen to your body, focus on your breath and your body’s signals (not the pain). Your body knows what to do, it was created that way and its creation and ability to give birth is an awe inspiring miracle. Do what is right for you when you are in labour and remember just because the obstetrician tells you something doesn’t mean you have to do it. Ask lots of questions (Sharon taught us that valuable lesson), get your birth partner to find out why they want to do something; what will the effects be (positive and/or negative).
I wish all first time Mums to experience the birth that I did giving birth to Dominic. I would like to thank Sharon Gavioli and Meredyth Sauer for giving me the confidence, strength and encouragement to experience and give birth the normal, natural way.
I’d also like to thank the midwives at North West Private Hospital because they do an awesome job and are very obliging to your needs and wants, they are also an endless source of information during and after the hospital stay too!!
Now 10 weeks later (where did that time go!) I’m enjoying my smiley, healthy little man who is successfully breastfeeding.
