Birth Story #1

Here is the first in my giving birth series. Real birth stories, from real Mums. If you enjoy this I will be posting a different story every Thursday so make sure to pop back each week for a new one.

Thank you to the Mum who wrote this weeks story and congratulations on your VBAC!

Age of Mum: 23
1st/2nd/3rd or more baby: 2nd
Gestation born at: 40+5
Any pregnancy complications: PGP and sciatica and PPROM at 31 weeks which led to a hospital stay and drip to halt labour (luckily it worked and eventually sac resealed)
Type of delivery: VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C – section)
Length of labour: 30 hours
Pain relief: Gas an Air
Any other methods used ie water / hypno birthing: None
Weight of baby: 8lb 7.5oz
Sex of baby: Male
Who was present at delivery: My husband and best friend, midwife and the student midwife
Complications during labour: None
Did you feel informed about your choices during labour: Yes, due to my own research.
Complications after labour: I tore through my urethra during labour and the stitches there were about 1000x worse than giving birth. Due to the location of the tear it still hasn’t fully healed 5 months on and is still painful.

Birth story

So at 5am exactly on the 28th October, 2014, I woke up and felt ‘different’. I waddled to the toilet and realised that I was leaving a trail of fluid behind me. I got to the bathroom where the rest of my waters went with a gush and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry that this was actually happening.

I got my husband to phone my Mum and as he was on the phone, my contractions started but were bearable. My mum arrived and I drove to pick up my best friend. We stayed at the house for a bit but I needed to be up and about, so my friend had me walking to the local park and back.

When we got back I went with my mum to drop something off at another friends house and after that we all went to ASDA. At this point the contractions were coming a lot closer together and I was having to stop in every aisle… and in every aisle I bumped into someone I knew!

At 2pm, my Mum phoned the antenatal assessment unit while I had a shower. They asked me to come in and when they checked me I was only 2cm dilated. I was devastated. They decided to admit me onto the unit as my waters had gone and let me walk about and do whatever I needed to. They checked me again in the evening and I had progressed to 4cm! I could go to the labour ward and have gas and air!!!

I walked, no, waddled to the labour ward and can’t remember too much after that. I know I refused to have the continuous monitoring on. I needed to be up and about and after all the issues with my last labour, I knew unless it was to become a situation in which I needed the monitoring, then it could be hindering my labour! I compromised though and had the clip on the babies head to keep an eye on him.

In the morning, the anaesthetist came in and tried to persuade me to have an epidural and after a lot of arguing with him, my husband came in and told him to get out. The doctor came in and decided to see where I was at. At this point my mum had left due to circumstances beyond her control and I wasn’t progressing too well.

When I was examined, I was told I was only 6cm dilated and if I didn’t progress within the hour, I would need a drip to help things move on. Things seemed to be going backwards but my beautiful baby had other ideas…

That examination was at just before 11am. At 20 past 11, I had a really big contraction and the doctor decided to check again. I was still 6cm BUT as she was checking, I had another major contraction and progressed to 7cm. I needed to be on my hands and knees and got on them. As I turned, I realised that my body was pushing and as I tried to tell anyone who would listen, they assured me it would be the baby moving down as I still had 3cm to go. The student midwife was the one to see his head and by 11.38, my perfect baby boy had been born. Freddie was finally here, all 8lb 7.5oz of him!

I tore and needed stitches, but was home by 8pm.

It could’ve gone better, but to me it was perfect. I got my VBAC and it was an amazing experience.