Hi Jo!
Just a quick email to say Phoebe Alice Coughlan arrived nice and safely… ON CHRISTMAS DAY!
I’ll share my birth story with you and the yoga class-it was actually quite a nice and positive labour-never thought that could fit into one sentence but there you go!
On Christmas Eve at 7pm I sat down on the couch. I jumped up as quick as I had sat down-My shorts were soaked! Had I just wet my pants?! I briskly walked to the bathroom hoping my family who were up for Christmas were not looking at my behind… Yup pants were wet definitely. I announced to my family I may have wet my pants… My husband who had previously sat through ‘what to expect when you are expecting’ said that was a normal sign of pregnancy at this stage as she was sitting on my bladder… Mmmmm. I ran upstairs for a shower and to recover from my leaky bladder… My mum told me to lie on my side on the bed-if it kept leaking it was my waters broken. (I was convinced It was not my waters as
* A) I heard no pop (I really thought there was some sort of tell tale sign)!
*B) It was way too close to Christmas for my liking this was not happening now!
Sure enough it kept leaking. Wow this is really happening! I grabbed a pad and started putting any last minute things in my bag. My bag was full-I had packed like I was going on a resort holiday-I was most looking forward to my spa bath and the stars in the ceiling. I re-read my hypno-birthing book and listened to my CD-Yup I was cool calm and collected… I rung my midwife and she said to come in the next day for antibiotics and stated I may not actually go into labour on my own and that they would induce me on Boxing day (I was 4 days late). I was not keen on being induced.
At around 2am I started having contractions but they were irregular-I let Barry sleep but when I heard him turn over I told him I was having action! Never thought I would want a bit of pain so badly! The next day I danced around the living room (badly). I did a lot of belly dancing actually and yoga poses trying to bring on labour. My family drank their Christmas wine (sob) and laughed at me. I didn’t want a Christmas baby but I didn’t want to be induced even more!
At three pm after a day of irregular contractions I went into hospital for my antibiotics. I told the midwife I was having contractions. (It was a bummer-my midwife had gone on holiday! I had her partner midwife who was lovely-but when you have built up a relationship for 8 or so months you feel a bit cheated)! She put me on a monitor and for the full half an hour I had NO contractions. Would you believe it?! She asked me if I had heard of Braxton Hicks! HA! She said they were a severe Braxton Hicks and that I would come in in the morning for an induction. She would not do an internal but I am positive if she had she would have seen I was in labour!
I got into the car at 5pm and burst into tears. I had danced all day. I was exhausted and if they were Braxton Hicks how on earth was I going to handle a real contraction? They were not without pain-but it was the sort of pain you thought ‘I am getting closer to seeing my child’ so I could handle it. I now felt deflated and nervous about the induction. (I am one of those people who don’t like drugs-I am just scared of them…)!
We got home and I was able to eat Christmas dinner. I ate between *severe Braxton Hicks… I did not have a panadol, shower or use my tense machine as I did not want to waste pain relief options on Braxton Hicks. At 9:30pm I’d had enough-I wanted to go into hospital! I was not having 3 contractions in ten minutes-they were still here there and everywhere. I told Barry to tell the midwife they were regular as right now I was fantasising about taking every drug possible (yes the girl who is afraid of drugs and had in her birth plan no drugs). I was in the transitional stage-although did not know it.
At ten to ten I was in the hospital-hooked up to a heart monitor. I told the midwife I wanted the works-every drug possible please and more. She did an internal and I was 7cm dilated. She also said I could not have any drugs till they had taken my bloods and sent them to the lab-this would take 30 minutes. I could use the gas if I wanted. I tried it but it did not appeal to me. It didn’t make me sick but I like my head feeling unfuzzy! I hate that floating feeling… I used my yoga breathing and went into my own wee world. Barry asked me if he could do anything and I said, ‘yes stop talking’. I heard the midwife laugh… I had this HUGE urge to do a big poo. Sorry about the too much information thing but man I needed the loo. The midwife assured me it was labour pains. I argued with her to and fro but she was convinced I was having a baby not a poo. (Why did she not believe me a few hours ago)?! At ten thirty my body started convulsing and pushing on its own! I was not ready for this! My contractions were not even regular! Where were my drugs? Where was my resort spa bath? My massage from Barry? Where was my walk around the room to get into yoga positions etc? My midwife said it was too late for pain relief and the baby’s head was already in place so another position wouldn’t be of any benefit. She now started to tell me to push with every contraction-at one stage the midwife asked me to touch the baby’s head-I am so squeamish-that did not go down well with me. She said I would regret it if I didn’t-however I have no regrets about that-I think it would have made me more fearful! Phoebe was born after an hour of pushing-7 pounds 11 ounces. After a 7 hour labour-I was in hospital just short of two hours. My bag of snacks etc did not even get opened! I could not believe I had had a baby! It is such a weird feeling.
I was surprised how crazy your thought patterns go in the transitional stage and that the actual pushing part was less painful than expected! Once you start to push it is nearly a relief and the contractions don’t hurt any more. It still felt like I was having a giant poo though. I am happy to say I only had a baby that day though!
I did require quite a few stiches as Phoebe tried to come out with a sideways superman arm. I did not feel a tear at all. (Something I was so fearful of)! And now 8 days later I have just taken Phoebe on a 45 minute walk around my neighbourhood. You heal so fast! I am also glad I managed to have her without even a panadol. Even if I did ask for drugs and lots of them! The next day I was wide awake and Phoebe was also drug free.
I look forward to bringing Phoebe to Mum and Baby Yoga classes this year! She is a wee cutie!
Love Jo and Phoebe x
