The birth story!
Okay, so if finally happened. I actually managed to write the story down - didn't do it for Zak's birth and I regret it now.
I woke up about 2am on 24 January and noticed a pink discharge when I went to the toilet. Mild cramping started so I put some towels down on the bed. When Zak woke up later that morning and noticed I had towels on the bed he asked if I’d had an accident. I told him that I put them there in case the baby came. He then says “well they need to be hot towels” and walked away. I just chuckled to myself.
When Jason woke up I couldn’t wait to tell him that there was something happening. He didn’t say anything when he noticed the towels so I said “aren’t you going to ask me”. He’d been asking me constantly how my plug was over the last week or so (in typical male fashion). So he asked again and I told him something was happening.
Mild cramps for most of the morning – nothing unbearable though. We drove Zak to his dad’s and got back to Strathpine at about 2.30. By then the cramps were starting to hurt. I hadn’t said anything to Jason at this stage because I wasn’t sure if it was the start of labour. I was induced with Zak so didn’t go into labour myself. Anyway, Jason wanted to stop in at the local music shop so we did. I’m fighting contractions while we’re there and was busting to pee! After that we quickly ducked home to pee and go out again to grab a couple of things from the local shop.
At about 4pm when I’m sure I’m having contractions and they’re becoming more regular I told Jason I might call the hospital and see what they say. He still didn’t know how far along I actually was. The hospital told me to come in and they’d check me out. So I had a shower and finished packing the bag. Jason was casually playing on the computer still oblivious to my contractions.
It wasn’t until the drive to the hospital that Jason realised how far along we were. He could tell when I was having a contraction and realised they were only about 3-5 minutes apart. He politely and calmly pointed it out *babe – that last one was only 3minutes ago*.. For some reason I didn’t feel worried about it – I think he was though. The drive to the hospital was fairly calm – no speeding tickets!
We got to the hospital at about 6pm-ish. They hooked me up to the CTG monitor. This monitored Robert’s heartbeat and my contractions. Jason thought it was great that by watching the monitor he could tell when my next contraction was going to be before I could!
After about half an hour on the machine the midwife (Cheryl-Anne) came and checked on my progress. I was 5cm dilated. The timing for the rest of the labour is a bit of a blur for me. I worked through the contractions leaning against the bed. Jason was rubbing my back and I had a shower at some stage also. They asked me if I wanted pain relief so I asked for a shot of pethidine. I’m still not sure why I didn’t ask for an epidural. Maybe I thought I wasn’t far enough along for that yet. After a while I hopped up on the bed. The midwife said I should start to feel the need to push soon. Wasn’t long till I felt that urge!
I pushed my hardest for I don’t know how long. I don’t remember feeling Robert’s head come out but I do remember them turning me over onto my hands and knees and I could feel his head between my legs. I recall the midwife getting more urgent with her instructions to me to push and counting minutes. Robert’s shoulders were stuck. They called a doctor into the room and rolled me back over onto my back. The doctor told a midwife and Jason to push my knees right back up as far as they could. So they did! (thank goodness I left my dignity at the front door). Apparently the doctor performed a woodscrew manoeuvre.. sounds awful eh! They called the problem shoulder dystocia. Poor Jason was stressed. Apparently Robert was blue at one stage. It took them three minutes between his head coming out and getting the rest of him out. The funny (if you can call it funny) thing is that while I was pregnant we joked about the baby having Jason’s broad shoulders… *shudder*.
Anyway, he finally came out and they put him on my tummy for our first cuddle. We both fell in love straight away with our little man.
I left the hospital after the all clear from the paediatrician on Sunday afternoon.
When Jason woke up I couldn’t wait to tell him that there was something happening. He didn’t say anything when he noticed the towels so I said “aren’t you going to ask me”. He’d been asking me constantly how my plug was over the last week or so (in typical male fashion). So he asked again and I told him something was happening.
Mild cramps for most of the morning – nothing unbearable though. We drove Zak to his dad’s and got back to Strathpine at about 2.30. By then the cramps were starting to hurt. I hadn’t said anything to Jason at this stage because I wasn’t sure if it was the start of labour. I was induced with Zak so didn’t go into labour myself. Anyway, Jason wanted to stop in at the local music shop so we did. I’m fighting contractions while we’re there and was busting to pee! After that we quickly ducked home to pee and go out again to grab a couple of things from the local shop.
At about 4pm when I’m sure I’m having contractions and they’re becoming more regular I told Jason I might call the hospital and see what they say. He still didn’t know how far along I actually was. The hospital told me to come in and they’d check me out. So I had a shower and finished packing the bag. Jason was casually playing on the computer still oblivious to my contractions.
It wasn’t until the drive to the hospital that Jason realised how far along we were. He could tell when I was having a contraction and realised they were only about 3-5 minutes apart. He politely and calmly pointed it out *babe – that last one was only 3minutes ago*.. For some reason I didn’t feel worried about it – I think he was though. The drive to the hospital was fairly calm – no speeding tickets!
We got to the hospital at about 6pm-ish. They hooked me up to the CTG monitor. This monitored Robert’s heartbeat and my contractions. Jason thought it was great that by watching the monitor he could tell when my next contraction was going to be before I could!
After about half an hour on the machine the midwife (Cheryl-Anne) came and checked on my progress. I was 5cm dilated. The timing for the rest of the labour is a bit of a blur for me. I worked through the contractions leaning against the bed. Jason was rubbing my back and I had a shower at some stage also. They asked me if I wanted pain relief so I asked for a shot of pethidine. I’m still not sure why I didn’t ask for an epidural. Maybe I thought I wasn’t far enough along for that yet. After a while I hopped up on the bed. The midwife said I should start to feel the need to push soon. Wasn’t long till I felt that urge!
I pushed my hardest for I don’t know how long. I don’t remember feeling Robert’s head come out but I do remember them turning me over onto my hands and knees and I could feel his head between my legs. I recall the midwife getting more urgent with her instructions to me to push and counting minutes. Robert’s shoulders were stuck. They called a doctor into the room and rolled me back over onto my back. The doctor told a midwife and Jason to push my knees right back up as far as they could. So they did! (thank goodness I left my dignity at the front door). Apparently the doctor performed a woodscrew manoeuvre.. sounds awful eh! They called the problem shoulder dystocia. Poor Jason was stressed. Apparently Robert was blue at one stage. It took them three minutes between his head coming out and getting the rest of him out. The funny (if you can call it funny) thing is that while I was pregnant we joked about the baby having Jason’s broad shoulders… *shudder*.
Anyway, he finally came out and they put him on my tummy for our first cuddle. We both fell in love straight away with our little man.
I left the hospital after the all clear from the paediatrician on Sunday afternoon.
Here I am with my two gorgeous boys.
posted by Shelley at 5:12 PM
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