Saturday, April 16, 2016

My birth story


I promise I won't spam you all with too much baby talk but I did want to share my birth story as I feel we spread the negative horror stories and not the positive ones! 

I was 5 days overdue and my waters broke before my contractions started, this means that I had 24 hours to get going otherwise I'd have to be induced which I was dreading. 

I really wanted to go to the local birth centre and have a water birth. I'd tried some hypnobirthing and felt like I would be able to stay calm and relaxed. 
Unfortunately my contractions didn't get going fast enough and I had to go to the hospital to be induced. 

Gary had a little snooze on a beanbag on the floor and I asked the nurse for something to eat at 3am. I was absolutely starving and the Angel that she was she brought me some toast! Best thing ever. 

When they inserted the canular I was really upset because although I never had a birth plan I had always heard inductions were more painful and I was admittedly terrified. 

However! This is where my birth story turns positive, yes the induction was more intense but there is pain relief there for a reason. I can be quite stubborn and planned to give birth without pain relief which is all well and admirable but you don't get a medal for it!

I managed on gas and air for a while but once my drip was increased I asked for more pain relief. I was given pethidine and it totally spaced me out! Not to the point that it didn't hurt but so that I couldn't concentrate on the pain as much I just had to go with it. I even remember thinking this is an amazing experience! At one point my body just totally took over and the incredible urge to push came over me. It was so involuntary! I said to the midwife I need to push she not yet to which I replied I can't, I'm not doing this! That's how much my body took over. 

From the start of being induced to pushing her out was 4 hours! Not too bad all in all. We didn't know the gender before hand so to see her pop out and then hear "it's a girl!" was incredible. My first thought was I knew it! Aha. From about 15 weeks I thought she was a girl but I wasn't sure because I didn't have much sickness which you usually do with girls. 

When she was born I still stared at her on the bed in amazement. She was here!
She didn't make much noise when born and I asked the midwife if she was okay and breathing to which she replied I think so!? She cut the cord and whisked her over to the resuscitation bay but she was absolutely fine just a little quiet. Finally I got a cuddle! 
After being stitched up I had some more toast, wow. Hospital toast is the best thing ever! 
Despite not having slept for 3 days after our first lot of visitors left we just stared at her in awe. She was finally here and she was a girl! I was filled with such an overwhelming feeling of love that every time I looked at her I cried. 


I love being a mama it's the best (and hardest) thing ever!

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing Amy, I'm due any day and the docs are wanting to induce me as baby is on the small side. This is my second baby, I had a good experience with my first child and the thought of having an induction is a little daunting to me. I love reading positive birth stories and I really appreciate you sharing this today xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for sharing Amy, I'm due any day and the docs are wanting to induce me as baby is on the small side. This is my second baby, I had a good experience with my first child and the thought of having an induction is a little daunting to me. I love reading positive birth stories and I really appreciate you sharing this today xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're very welcome! I was terrified of being induced and it was all fine. I think I would've been in labour for days otherwise! I hope all goes well and you meet your little boy soon xx

      Delete
  3. It sounds like a wonderful positive experience for all three of you! Like you I always thought being induced meant tons of pain so I'm glad it wasn't the case for you. Emily is such a little peach! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think Gary would agree with me, he hated it!! That's one benefit of all the drugs aha x

      Delete