The suprising arrival of Winter

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/08/08/the-suprising-arrival-of-winter/

After telling myself to add on 2 weeks to my due date I was totally ready for my baby to be out by the time I was 37 weeks. My first baby was overdue and induced due to hypertension. I had an epidural and honestly thought I was going to die the pain was so intense. I was very much hoping to go naturally with this baby.






I went to my check up on Friday, at 40+4.Had been having braxton hicks as well as a bit of a pinkish show. The midwife did an internal and informed me that my braxton hicks were doing something and I was 4cm dilated. She told me she would be surprised if I made it to my next appointment on Tuesday. I left that appointment very happy indeed. Went shopping and felt like I was getting contractions, quite reguarly. Went home, called my partner to come home from work and palmed off my 7 year old dd to be looked after by a friend. Wondered around the house clutching the wall every now and then. Called my sister to say I was going to hospital. (she was to be a support person, was unsure how my partner would go)

Got in the car for the 40 minute drive to the hospital. Pains were starting to be a bit intense by then, had my last one as we crossed the road to the hospital. My sister showed up about 10 minutes after we arrived.



We were admitted, then the midwife, student midwife, my partner and my sister stared at me while we waited for the next contraction to come.Which it didn’t. Decided to go for a walk down the street to see if we could encourage contractions again. Got a slurpee from the 7/11, walked for an hour. The only thing of note which happened during the walk was a car full of idiots throwing eggs at us. Thankfully they missed.

Had a vaginal examination, no progress.Talked my sister into going home saying I would call if anything happened. (she had 2 little ones and was 4 months pregnant herself) The midwives talked us into staying the night as it was a long drive home.

Woke up in the morning after a very restless sleep, with still nothing happening other than a red show some time after 11pm. (before we slept)

Against the advice of midwives we decided to go home. It was quite clear to me that nothing was happening.



Bludged around for the rest of the weekend, not doing much. Counted contractions a couple of times but figured if I went to sleep then I wasn’t in labour.

Appointment on Tuesday, midwife did another internal, saying that the baby’s head did not seem as well apllied to the cervix since her last check on the friday afternoon. Went up for a ctg and to check fluid levels. All fine, a couple of contractions showed up, nothing to be interested in though.



Back to midwife who told me induction would have to be booked for 42 weeks, the birth centre could break my waters and syntocinon may not be needed, so would be able to stay in the birth centre if that was the case.



Went home. Decided if baby didn’t come during the night I was going to the hair dressers in the morning.



Woke up next day. Still no baby. Went to hairdressers. Came home and had lunch with my partner and waved him off to work. Went and had a pedicure. Felt one contraction in the chair, not painfull, just noticable. Went home. Had a nap. Talked to my ex who had our daughter for the week. Couple more barely noticable contractions. Organised to go for a walk with my girlfriend later in the evening. Decided to cook dinner. Got a call from another friend, about 730pm. Told him baby was obviously never coming out.

Sat down to eat. Had 2 mouthfulls and didn’t want it any more. Noticed contractions coming a bit more often.

Called midwife. She said not to come in as I could easily talk through them and the way I was describing them, they sounded to be in the wrong spot.

My girlfriend gets to my house, ready for our walk. About 8 oclock. I told her the contractions were a bit closer now and I wanted to time them. Used an online contraction counter which showed them to be 2 minutes apart and 30 to 35 seconds. Decided to go to the hospital, called my partner and sister (again) but first my girlfriend did my dishes and tasted the food I had made. Then we had a quick cup of tea. Grabbed a couple of towels to put under me in the car, just in case my water broke. She also grabbed a wet face washer for me in case i got too hot.

Started the drive. I told her that if I asked her to pull over, she was to pull over and call an ambulance.

Friend asked if I would like some music. Yes. Put radio on. Irritated the hell out of me so turned it off. Pains getting a bit intense now, thinking will definetly have some gas when I get to the hospital. Hope I can make it this time without an epidural. Holding onto the jesus handle when a contraction hits. Had stupidly told my friend that a woman I had supported during labour found counting loudly through contractions helpful. Every time friend saw me breathing heavily and grabbing jesus handle would start counting. LOUDLY. Wanted to punch her in the head.

Noticed that my toes were starting to clench. As a student midwife, this is something we are told to look for, as it means labour is very much “cracking on” (often indicative of 8cm dilation) Decided It must be psychosomatic. 20 minutes from my house, at the height of a contraction i felt a pop and a splash. Let the contraction finish. Told friend my water broke. Sorry. She asked if I wanted her to pull over I said no it’s fine just keep going. About 2 minutes later i felt the baby drop right down and a bulging. I couldn’t believe it. I was going to give birth in my best friends car, on the side of the road, and my partner wasn’t with me. Pull over, you need to pull over I said. She did so and grabbed her mobile to call 000. At this point I was getting myself together. I heard her talk to the operator. “I have a woman in labour here” Couldn’t help but shake my head It was more than labour the baby was almost out!!

Friend cam around to my side of the car and asked me to open my legs. I told her I still had my knickers on. She asked if she could take them off and I agreed. I put my hands down and could feel the baby’s head, there was no burning feeling like I thought there would be, Friend dropped her phone.With panting baby’s head came all the way out was amazing. I ran my fingers around her neck to check for umbilical cord. This helped me to feel in control of the situation. Friend noticed that the baby’s head was squished abit on the car seat, so she grabbed my left leg and pulled it out of the car, I screamed at her at that point “what are you doing!!!” I think this is probably when I got my 2nd degree tear.

Then with one last gentle push which was not consciously done the rest of my baby was born. I pulled her up, with the help of my friend. Baby wasn’t crying at that point so i blew in her face a little. Still nothing so grabbed the wet face washer (all I had to hand) and scrubbed her with it, and then she screamed. I noticed a bit of meconium on her head and the face washer but wasn’t to worried as she was breathing and crying fine now. Friend picked up her phone again to tell operator that the baby was out. She checked between my legs to be sure I wasn’t bleeding to much. I wasn’t. All I wanted to do was call my partner to tell him our baby was born, but my phone was broken, and we had to stay on the line to 000 until the ambulance arrived. They kept asking what sex the baby was. I finally checked and it was a girl. I was so thrilled. Ambos turned up about 5 minutes later. She (ambo) clamped the cord and told me I could cut it. i kept asking if she was sure she had the scissors in the right spot cos I couldn’t see. I finally got to call my partner, and tell him. Him “where are you? ” me “in friends car. The baby is here” And she obligingly cried. Told him would see him at the hospital soon. My sister got to the hospital and didn’t believe him when he told her. My friend went home. Ambos asked if I wanted to deliver placenta but I just wanted to get to my partner and show him our gorgeous baby. They were waiting when I was wheeled out of the ambulance. I remember thinking I felt fine and asking if I could walk in. They told me no.

The midwives came at me with syntometrin (for placenta) and i said no, so they gave me a kidney dish and i went and birthed my placenta in the toilet in the dark by myself.

When they checked my perenium they realised I would need stitches, and at my request found a midwife to do the suturing. I was sitting there with the gas looking at my gorgeous, freshly painted toenails, and i started laughing, I couldn’t stop. Then they took the gas away from me.



I am so disappointed that my partner wasn’t there for the birth of his baby girl but so glad we are both ok. Next time I will be having a home birth for sure, It seems the safest option for me!!

In the end she was 9 days late, but I still can’t decide if the labour was really fast or really slow.



It has certainly shown me how every labour, even in the same woman can be very very different.



Oh and my friend keeps saying she never knew how easy it would be to talk me out of my knickers lol