<back to birth stories belinda: hospital waterbirthMy pregnancy was pretty smooth sailing. Apart from the general aches and pains, 2 weeks of morning sickness at the beginning (which I quickly learnt not to comment on when I heard women complaining of months on end of illness), and the normal tiredness, I progressed through the 9 months relatively smoothly and pain free. I did as much preparation as I could for the birth. I immersed myself in books, calm birth classes, exercise, acupuncture and regular massage and chiro treatments leading up to the birth. I was sure that I would go over my EDD of 9 May (Mothers Day!). Aren’t all first babies overdue? I predicted the 15th of May to be the day. I’m not sure where I got this from, perhaps just assuming I would go over, but that was the date I had in my head and I stuck with it. I had scaled down work for the last month or so, doing sporadic bursts of work that kept me from going insane. I’m not very good at sitting around relaxing and doing nothing but I tried my best in the weeks leading up. For the few days prior to the birth (at about 38+4 days), I noticed an increase in Braxton Hicks. Not increase in regularity, but more the intensity. I remember remarking to hubby that I hoped it meant something was happening, as I didn’t want to endure another week or two of this. Still certain I would be at least a week late, I didn’t think much of it. Sunday 2 May (one week til EDD). The day started like any other. I was feeling good so I met some girlfriends for breaky (riding my bike over some bumps on the way there), had a swim in the ocean and then had my nieces 2nd birthday in the afternoon. That evening, hubby remarked that he was ready for bubs to arrive, as he wanted out of parent teacher interviews the following evening. I told him he should tell that to bubs not me, which he did (lifting my top and having a word to my belly). About an hour later, 9pm or so, I noticed that the BH’s were coming more regularly. Not only that, they had intensified so I had to breathe through them. I counted about 4-5 every hour, so every 12-15 minutes, which was enough to keep me up for a few hours. I was pretty sure this was the start of ‘something’ and at about 1am, gave up trying to sleep between them, and concentrated on relaxing and breathing through them. I carried on like this through til the morning. By about 9am, they were coming every 3 minutes, which is when the hospital had told us to come in. I was still pretty lucid and coherent at this stage, so I knew myself I had a while to go. However, with the contractions being 3 minutes apart, I thought we’d better go up to the hospital (only 5 min drive away) to be checked. Part of me was hoping that perhaps I was in full labour and just dealing with it really really well (wishful thinking!). No, in all honesty, I knew I had a fair way to go.. We got to the hospital and I was offered an internal. All along, I had maintained I didn’t want to be checked as I didn’t want to be either discouraged or in pain (I had heard people say this was worse than the birth!) Whether I had a gentle midwife, or the perineal stretching I had done prior worked well, I was neither discouraged (well, maybe slightly) or in pain to be told I was 2-3cm. This didn’t seem like much progress after having been up all night, but I expected it. We were offered to either stay there, or head home for a few hours. Home it was, via the pie shop for hubby to collect some sustenance. We turned the living room into a little nest of pillows, towels, birth balls, heat packs and the like, and bunkered down to get things going. Hubby, despite me strategically placing the ‘Acupressure in Labour’ handbook around the place for the last month, finally got around to flicking through it and learning the points. A couple of hot baths, back rubs and a few hours passed. 1pm I felt I was starting to loose focus. The contractions had ramped up a notch, I found standing with my arms around hubbys neck and swaying/moaning the best way to deal with it. I got to the point where I needed a change of scenery, as well as the desire to be in the environment I wanted to birth in. Time to go to the hospital (again). It was also time to call Heather who was going to be our second support person. Thankfully a fellow acupuncturist, birth enthusiast, calm birth practitioner, doula and student midwife (could she be any more perfect?) So again, despite having wanted otherwise, I consented to another internal at the hospital as I ‘just wanted to know’. By this stage, I was sure I was at least 8cm. I’d been going at it for a while, and I was even feeling pressure down below (ready to push!?). I knew I could potentially be crestfallen if I wasn’t as far as I wanted, but I just wanted to know. “4-5cm” the midwife declared. “I’m going to call it 4cm’ “I’m going to call it 5cm” I replied, looking at hubby with fearful eyes for the first time. I was devastated. Apparently the baby’s head was ‘right there’ which is why I was feeling the pressure, but the thought of another 6 hours (going on the cm/hour rule) just about killed me. However I think it also gave me new focus. I had to get down to business and stop worrying, only I was going to be able to bring this baby into the world so I’d better get stuck in and do a good job of it. The spa bath was run at my request, and the calming influence of Heather arrived and things changed. Things changed for a number of reasons. I think things started progressing quickly, which took me to a whole new level. I was now quite vocal throughout each contraction, quite primal animalistic sounds that surprised me (I’m not a vocal person, I don’t squeal or scream when I’m in pain or surprised so I guess I presumed birth would be the same). I found I could really deal with each contraction by vocalising through it. I was on all fours or squatting during each contraction, with hubby at my head and Heather using massage/acupressure points during the thick of it. In between I would lie back and relax into the warm water, almost drifting off in the ‘rest periods’. I feel this was my calm birth training coming into play, as at times I can remember being so relaxed and just being jerked back into the moment by the contraction. I was definitely in my own little world at this stage. After a while (I had no concept of time at that point, but I had dilated 6cm in 3 hours in the bath) things changed again and I started to push instinctively during the contractions. Around this time I felt a ‘popping’ sensation and I thought I had given birth to a kidney or some sort of vital organ! No, apparently that was my waters breaking. Being in the water, with the lights dim, I would never have noticed… I was checked again (so much for not wanting even one internal!) to discover I was ready to push. I was offered the option of getting out of the bath, but there was no way I was moving. A water birth it was going to be. I found it difficult to find a position I was comfortable in, so a birthing stool was bought in and put in to the spa for me to sit on. I found the pushing stage to be totally different to what I’d read and expected (no surprises there though!). What I had expected was a decrease in the contraction pain, all the pressure to be focused downtown and a stinging/burning pain. What I got was what I call the ‘triple whammy’ – still the feeling of contractions, lower back pain (so much so I had to have hubby jump in the spa to give firm pressure on my lower back during each contraction) and intense pressure down below. I don’t remember feeling any stinging or burning pain, perhaps the water played a part in that. I found the pushing the most physically draining of the whole event. It was 4pm, I’d been awake since 9pm the night before and I was knackered. I remembered looking at the midwife pleadingly saying “can’t you just pull it out”. I’d wanted a natural birth with no intervention but had she offered the suction (which is what I was trying to convey to her) I’d have accepted in a heartbeat. After an hour of pushing the head was out, and it’s all a little blurry but before long my beautiful son floated/was pulled to the surface by hubby and myself who was standing behind me. I’d done it, and the first people to touch and welcome our son were his parents. From all accounts, my birth was a good one. I’m still not exactly sure how ‘long’ my labour was, I’d probably say 9am – 5pm is a good guide.. I’m proud I was able to achieve the drug free birth I was after and I definitely couldn’t have done it without hubby and Heathers support. To see the change in hubbys outlook of birth along the way – from not wanting to attend as he didn’t think he could ‘handle it’, to looking forward to it after the calmbirth, to being the best support person in the world and being with me every step of the way. He even cut the cord (something he swore he wouldn’t be able to do) and hopped into the bath with me at the business end. It was such a team effort by all and I felt everyone was with me and played a part in his wonderful birth. Now L is here and he’s the most amazing thing in the world. I knew motherhood would be wonderful but I wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming feelings of love I have for my son, or my beautiful hubby. We’re both smitten and life is perfect… | 
