Well, it has been a while since my last post, but who would have thought I would have been so busy with a new baby!? Well the labour story is probably most therapeutic for me to write about first...Funnily enough you mainly read about horrible labours, so here is a nice antidote...
We made it to the 28th February (Induction Day) with no sign of bubba fully engaging, or showing any signs of making a non-medically induced arrival. The Sunday morning (27th) our Dr confirmed via an internal examination that my cervix was favourable for an induction, so we were booked in for the following day.
We went to the hospital for the induction at 7am, and after a few quick tears borne of sheer terror, the Dr broke my waters and began the drip - I was 2cm dilated at the time of induction. Contractions (and I use this term fairly loosely) began by 8am, feeling more like dragging period pain than anything, and progressed slowly to fairly intense short bursts about 45secs long about 3mins apart. All of this was bearable, and in between I was playing Angry Birds...not exactly the insane pain I was expecting!
The Dr made an appearance around 11am to let me know the anaesthetist was on the ward, and now would be an opportune time to order an epidural if I was planning to get one...Having not used anything else, including the bath...I declined and ate my lunch, thinking that if this was what labour was like, the everyone grossly over exaggerates the pain.
I got in the bath shortly after lunch and the pain was increasing with every contraction (Ahhhh...now I see, maybe it does get worse!)...by 1.45pm I was in a fair amount of pain, and making guttural groans, one of our midwives, Jane, decided to do an internal examination. She had estimated that I was about 9cm dilated based on the timing and the noises I was making.
Unfortunately when she did the internal examination, it turned out that I was *still* 2cm, and my cervix had moved to one side and around. The worst bit of the entire labour was when she relocated the opening to my cervix back to where it should have been...All I remember was making a hell of a lot of noise, and her saying "come on now, no noise, no noise". I remember thinking "SHUT IT! I'll make all the freaking NOISE I want WOMAN!!". Immediately after I began vomiting (bye-bye lunch!) and the midwives seemed to think that it was due to the internal examination (no drugs at this stage).
The Dr. made another appearance 15minutes later, bearing the tidings that he would let me labour another two hours, then we really needed to move on to an emergency C-Section. I remember thinking "you bastards are going to let me labour for another 2 hours, then cut me open anyway! Just wheel me into surgery now you cruel bugger!" He suggested I have a shot of pethidine if the pain was too much (AHHH...YES!). So after arguing with the midwife about not wanting the shot in my butt (remnants of a painful childhood memory rearing its ugly head), we compromised and had the shot in my leg. I needn't have worried, with the pain of the contractions, the needle felt like a lovely massage...
Well, let me tell you...I think there is a conspiracy about Pethidine....I reckon that Pethidine in labour is less for the pregnant woman, and more for the birth partners and midwives! It did nothing to me but make me quiet! I was still in increasing pain, I just didn't have the energy to cry out or make any noise. To be fair however, I did fall asleep between contractions (5 minute power naps)...
About an hour later, I felt desperate to go to the toilet, and after going, standing holding on to Mr. Mercenary, sitting, standing (repeat) for about half an hour, I told the midwives I had an overwhelming urge to push. They suggested I get on the bed, which I (semi)-politely declined and was advised that I'd be having my baby in the toilet if I didn't get on the bed! Well, that was enough motivation (who wants to tell their child that they were born into a toilet!!).
I don't remember too much of the details of the pushing, but I now know why after pregnancy and birth, you have no problem with people looking at your more private areas...I really didn't care who was looking! I do remember the "ring of fire" which accompanied bubba crowning (and me tearing). I also remember Mr. Mercenary (who was adamant that he was NOT going to look, because he'd never be able to look again) having a good look at her being born. I was secretly relieved that he did want to look, because it really is an amazing part of life. The Dr arrived at some point, added an episiotomy to my tear, and my beautiful baby girl was delivered at 3.44pm on the 28th Feb.
During some skin to skin contact with a sticky baby, and after the delivery of the placenta, the Dr was working his magic with his sewing needle and a local anaesthetic. She had a breastfeed then weighed in at 8lb 12.5oz or 3.98kg. She was 51.5cm long and my little chubba chops had her first immunisations. During this time I remember feeling very immobile, as I was leaking blood (I think), and a midwife eventually pushed on my abdomen and got a hell of a lot of fluid out...After a much needed shower, we walked (!) to our room on the ward.
In hindsight, I am eternally grateful that I was able to have a natural birth. I am not sure how I would have coped if I were bed ridden...and there was another mother on the ward that I knew through people who was bed ridden after her caesarean. I attribute my natural birth to three factors...the Dr giving me the extra 2 hours to labour (he told us later that he was surprised it worked!), the midwife moving my cervix, and the pethidine for allowing me to relax enough to dilate. All in all I have to say, it was a relatively easy labour...I would categorise the stages as 4 hours of period like pain contractions (7-11am), 3 hours of intense contractions (11am-2pm), an hour and a half of excruciating pain (2pm-3.30pm), 14 minutes of pushing... (3.30pm -3.44pm).
Well...Now the fun really begins!
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