19.08.2011 –warning Very Long!
Baby was due on Friday and I was at home working (only out of boredom). Having some Braxton hicks over the past few days but no actual contractions I was totally unaware of the afternoon ahead. It was 2.50pm and I was sitting on the couch and suddenly felt the need to go to the bathroom, when I made it there I realised that my waters had broken. I walked around a little to make sure and yep- this was it! Two pairs of undies later and I tell DH that my waters have broken. I told him not to worry and called the hospital around 3.10pm, they told me to make my way in that afternoon but not to worry as I had no contractions and I should finish packing etc.
So DH had a shower while I tried to pack last minute things but it was too hard because every time I moved more waters would come gushing out! I called my mum for a chat and told her to start praying for me as it was going to happen soon and DH had a coffee and packed the car. I put on my calming childbirth CD and listened contently while I waited for DH to sort himself out and feed the cat. It was a wet miserable day and it took us ages to get to the hospital, well maybe half an hour but it was about 5pm by the time we arrived in nervous anticipation. We were just expecting to be checked and monitored for half an hour and sent home to wait it out. On the way I had had a couple of mild contractions ranging from 4 to 20 minutes apart. DH dropped me off and I waited in the lobby while he parked the car and we walked up together to the birthing suite where we were seated in the waiting room to wait for a midwife. My contractions were about 7 minutes apart at this stage- still expecting to be sent home...
Finally a nurse collects us and puts us in a birthing room, and straps on the monitor and everything looks sweet, no sign of the midwife yet. Once I sit on the bed the contractions start coming at 5 minutes apart, then 2-3 minutes apart so I ask for some sweet sweet gas. Nurse heads off to check if it’s okay. She asks me to press a button whenever baby kicks but I can’t hold the button thing because of the pain. I tell DH I don’t think we’re going home tonight and the contractions make me groan. Finally the lady comes back and gives me the gas and another nurse comes in and takes the monitor off. I tried to get up and sit on a chair but soaked my pants! Lol! DH shoots out to get our bags from the car while I jump in the shower, which I didn’t love so I got out and got back on the awful bed, it was so so uncomfortable!!
This is when I think to myself ‘I sound like that lady from the beginning of One Born Every Minute’!! I asked for more pain relief and the midwife shows up and asks me annoying questions like ‘Are you sure? Is this really in your birth plan?’ I think she is stalling grrrr! It felt like she wanted me to have a drug free birth but that’s not my idea! I get huge contractions about a minute apart now and I start to cry. The midwife does an internal and says I am 3 cm dilated. OMGoodness! I am so disappointed. I actually said ‘you’re fricken kidding me! Give me the morphine!!’. They decide to wait a few more contractions while they think about it and finally say okay. 10 minutes later I get shot in the bum with morphine and can’t wait for it to kick in! It felt like I had taken some strong codine so not that great. Midwife leaves and I ask for an epi as the pain is horrendous! Nurse says ‘Are you sure?’ and I looked her in the eyes and said ‘I have 7cm to go, I am sure!!’
The nurse leaves to call the anaesthetist who thankfully is only 20 minutes away! Yelling through the contractions now, the midwife seems disappointed in me that I won’t go naturally. It was hard to keep still while the cannular went in but I knew it meant epidural was close.
Two women arrive in scrubs and one checks my dilation again... yep still 3cm! She says I am fully effaced and they put a trace on the baby’s head. Then they all start talking in a huddle and I don’t know what’s happening. Suddenly they tell me we are going to theatre right away and they start wheeling me away. They tell me that bub’s heat rate has dropped and we’re heading in for an emergency ceaser.
Once we get to the theatre I have to drink something and everyone looks rushed. Poor DH has to wait outside, and there is some debate about the anaesthetic. They wanted to give me a general anaesthetic and I kept begging for a spinal tap. Thankfully they agreed and I escaped having a general! I sat on the edge of the bed and a man pushed down on my shoulders while I got some local shots before the spinal –which I didn’t even feel. I got some electrodes put on my ribs and I am asking for DH and is my baby okay? They did the ice test and DH came in wearing scrubs!
Midwife says to me I got what I wanted
, and I said I didn’t want this! I am relieved the contractions are painless now! There is some kind of debate and another Dr comes in from his tea break and a few minutes later I hear a cry! Woohoo what a sound! Relief floods my body. They show baby to hubby and he tells me It’s a boy!
They take him to check his breathing and apgar and his heat rate is good! He lets out another beautiful cry and a couple of minutes later they bring him to me for a look and a kiss.
DH gets cuddles and they say they are worried about his colour. DH and baby head over to intensive care ward and I am stitched up and head to recovery. After 20 minutes in recovery I head back to the ward and finally get to meet my baby boy properly and we snuggle for the rest of the night
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Boston Robert Smith was born on his due date 19/08 at 7.43pm weighing 3.8kg, HC of 34cm and 54cm long. The colour they were worried about turned out to be extensive birthmarks which we are keeping an eye on. We are settling in well at home and totally in love. Later the Dr came in to tell me his blood gasses were too low and his head was in a d-flex position.
DH Caleb 33 Me Hannah 30 
