Everyone
told me that she was going to come early. I was incredibly
doubtful… mainly because I went 2 weeks overdue with George and
didn’t want to get the expectation into my head that she would
be with us earlier than expected. Things were all ready for her
arrival at home though. We had the birth pool set up plus all
the added extras. A week before I was due my wonderful midwife
Ruth visited George and I at home. Baby was really engaged now
and I couldn’t quite believe it. I had been having lots of
Braxton hicks but because George was never fully engaged until
just before delivery once again it was all new to me. The
following night I started having contractions… they built up
over a few hours and then disappeared after reaching a peak of 6
mins apart lasting 30secs.
Over the
6 days every second night I would have more contractions and
pressure down low. I kept thinking this could be it but they
would always fade away. On my due date, Ruth visited again and
offered me a stretch and sweep which I was keen to try. I
thought that surely with all this action I would be getting
somewhere, and at least if she checked me and it wasn’t
happening I could just forget about expecting a baby just yet.
Ruth checked me and I was already 4 cms dilated, stretching to
5cm! I was so excited. I took some herbal tinctures to help,
plus some castor oil and thought tonight is the night! But no,
once again lots of contractions, not painful but strong but it
all faded away.
The
following day, Thursday I had abit of a show and more pains… but
come Friday morning I had a big show and more tightenings but by
this time I was reluctant to think anything of it. I went off
to playgroup with George and Mum, there was no way I was going
to wait around all day. While I was there I had more of a show
and more contractions but not overly strong and not painful at
all, something in me told me to go home and so we did. I put
George down for a nap and they started getting stronger. I went
outside, brought in the washing from the line, made up our bed
with fresh sheets, cleaned the toilets and tided the house… talk
about nesting! I rang Sean and told him that I think he ought
to come home… the contractions were every 4 mins lasting 45secs
then and something told me that tonight was the night. George
had always said that baby was going to come on Friday… and it
seemed like he was going to be right!
Ruth then
phoned and after talking to me decided to come around, she
advised to get the pool ready. I suddenly felt abit panicky
thinking that this was just another false alarm and I was going
to disappoint everyone. Sean got home and was really excited…he
started lighting candles and oils and got the pool ready. Ruth
arrived and after a bit of observing she checked me and I was
5cms stretching to 6 and looking like it was still going to be
awhile. I felt disappointed as I really didn’t want to have
everyone there waiting on me… I started thinking about asking
Ruth to break my waters but I would wait a while longer to see
what happens.
My Mum
came to take George away for a couple of hours to play and we
were able to focus on the labour and getting these contractions
going. I had lots more show over the coming hours and the
contractions were regular and lasting a long time but not
painful at all for me and I really was getting frustrated… I
wanted some action! At 5pm we decided that we’d break my
waters, after Ruth did this contractions slowed for a bit. I
hopped into the pool to wait for them to get stronger. Evelina
the support midwife arrived and I knew then this was all
definitely going to happen. I started thinking back to the
books that Ruth had lent me on natural labours. I really
focussed on each contraction and kept my mouth relaxed and open
and knelt wide legs in the water until the contraction started
peaking and then went on all fours squatting backwards during
the peak and easing of each contraction. This was my little
routine the whole time.
At around
6pm I needed to go to the toilet. Wow, that was an experience I
don’t want to repeat anytime soon. I had a bowel movement and
contractions at the same time, I had to have Sean in the toilet
with me as I was shaking so much and then he proceeded to put on
the bathroom sucker thingee (that takes the steam out) which
really annoyed me. I rushed back to the pool and vowed that
there was no way I was leaving the pool now.
George
and Mum came back at 6.45pm and George wanted to come into the
pool with me which I didn’t mind. Contractions were coming
every 3 mins lasting 60 secs but I thought I could cope with
George. He was so excited but then he started splashing about
and this frustrated Sean and so the plan was to get George ready
for bed asap so he was out of the way for now. Contractions
were heating up now and I kept doing my visualisation and really
went with each one. Ruth kept checking baby’s heartrate after
every third or fourth contraction and she was doing really
well. Heartrate was strong. Around 8pm I really started to
feel a lot of pressure and pain and was having to grunt through
each contraction on my hands and knees in the water. I remember
thinking that if this kept up for too long I didn’t think I
could do it. Between contractions I’d look up and see Ruth,
Sean and Mum all watching me and silently willing me on. I
really took strength from their gazes and Ruth would often say
to me that I was doing so well and that I was getting closer.
Suddenly
at around 8.30pm I felt this shift inside of me and I could feel
baby’s head move down and push against my perineum. I called
out ‘Oh my god, Ruth’ and she came around behind me (I was on
all fours still in the pool). I knew then that this was it and
I was going to start to push very soon. It was like I was on a
different plain and I could hear everything going on around me
but I was only in tune with my body and its rhythm of pushing
this little being out. I started pushing at 8.39pm according to
my notes. I remember pushing the first time and I felt the head
crown and then it slipped inside at the end of the contraction.
I could hear Sean and Mum both saying ‘Oh my god’, and Mum said,
‘Look at all that hair’. I breathed quickly through the break
in the contraction and urged another one on. It was so painful
but it felt really good to be doing something constructive and
getting so close to seeing our little girl. With the next
contraction I pushed long and steadily and felt the head come
right out. I could hear Mum crying and Ruth was being so
encouraging, Sean was saying ‘Oh wow’. I assume he would have
had his hands on her at this point as he was going to catch
her. The fact that I was on all fours meant that she was facing
them all… oh I wish I could have seen her face. It felt like I
was pushing for around 20 mins and that the break between
contractions was an eternity. With the next contraction I pushed
so hard and knew that this was it. Out she came and with that
feeling it was like I woke up suddenly. Sean and Ruth passed
her through my legs to me and I sat back…and there she was. It
was amazing. She had a head of black hair and was an unexpected
colour. Not blue or purple as I expected but more grey with
vernix but I could see she was pinking up. She took a good
minute to breathe… slowly moving her little face and twitching
her nose. It wasn’t scary at all as I could see she was alive
and just gently entering the world.
She was
born at 8.45pm. 6 mins of pushing…amazing. Our darling little
girl… after a few minutes of watching her cry and then settle
and then cry again we realised that we actually hadn’t checked
to make sure she was a girl! But there they were, all the right
bits in tact. I thought her crying would wake George up and was
hoping it would a little but he slept until the morning and met
her then.
After a
while Sean cut the cord which seemed quite short and then I had
to birth the placenta which was quite painful… that took a good
30-40 mins. A tricky thing to do when you have a baby in your
arms, your legs are numb and it’s bloody sore. But it was a
great achievement to do the entire labour drug free including
the third stage.
I got
out of the pool after the placenta was birthed and lay on the
couch with our darling Rosa Maria Grace. She was squirming away
and tried to latch on the breast but would then not be
interested. She was weighed about 20 mins later after a 10 min
feed and she was 8lbs 13oz, 53.5 cms long with a head
circumference of 37cm. Perfect little girl but a lot heavier
than I thought she’d be. I felt so empowered that I had birthed
this reasonably big baby naturally with just a small graze. It
was such a different experience to my hospital induction with
George. She was born into the world to the Indian Sitar beats
of Ravi Shankar in our home, which is now full of even more love
than before.
Welcome
to the world Rosa Maria Grace… we love you so much.
