My due date was the 25th of August, again I had a pretty good pregnancycompared to most & my Midwife was happy to let my baby come when he wasready. Simon had been working most nights till about 4 in the morning, as weneed all the money we could get so he was doing all the overtime that hecould get. Lying in bed on Tuesday night, the day before I was due. I sentSimon a text message telling him that I thought it would be a good idea tocome home early tonight as I was getting back pains every 20 minutes andwhile I didn't think anything was going to happen that night I thought itbest that he get a good night sleep. I finally fell asleep around 1 am andwhen I woke the next morning nothing was happening. I stayed close to homethough, as I thought things where going to start happening. But I was wrong.Soon Wednesday became Thursday and Thursday became Friday. I had another midwife appointment at lunchtime so we plodded about till then and thenwent in. I told her about Tuesday night and that I thought I had a show onthe Wednesday, she told me that it was likely just my body getting in somepractice and to expect things to happen soon. She offered to do an internalto see if it helped to get things happening, but I said I was happy tojust wait and see. She popped me on the monitor for half an hour to justcheck on things and then gave me a referral for an ultrasound on thefollowing Thursday if I had not had the baby by then and said to come backnext Friday. As much as I was happy to let things happen on there own, I wasgetting a little sick of waiting for the baby to arrive. I didn't have towait long though. That night around 8pm I had more of a show, I was surethis time that that is what it was. My mum called that night telling me thatthey were going out and also that she had to go to a work thing inparramatta in the morning so I wasn't to go having the baby. Later I wastalking on the phone with a friend and telling her about the pains I had onTuesday when they started again. We timed them at less than 10 minutes apartbut as far as pain went it was nothing at all really. As the night went onthese pains hung around and by 1 am I got out of bed as they were becomingrather painful & I didn't want to disturb Simon or Evan, both asleep next tome. I watched some TV and timed the contractions. By 3 am they were justunder 5 minutes apart and hard to talk through. I thought it was best togive the hospital a call and see what they though I should do. The Midwife Ispoke with told me it would be a good idea to call my support team as bothmy Mother and Sister lived a little bit away. The idea was to have my mumthere for me and Simon, and My older sister Elizabeth there to look afterEvan during the actual birth. I really didn't want to call anyone at 3 inthe morning so I hung tight. I was getting pretty tired so I tried to sleepand somewhere around 5 or 6 am I managed to sleep for about an hour, but Iwas still getting contractions. I called my mum at 7.30 and when sheanswered the phone she just said "your kidding right?" I told her that Iwas pretty sure I was going to be having a baby before the end of the day.She said to call her back in half an hour and she would ring around to seeif she could get out of going to her work commitment. In the mean time Icalled Elizabeth, a phone call I wasn't looking forward to, as she is wellknown for her bad moods if you wake her in the mornings! I had sent her afew messages during the night warning her I was going to call. She said whenshe heard the phone ringing she looked at her mobile and saw my messages, soluckily she knew I was only waking her at this early hour for a good reason.She said she was going to go back to bed for an hour then organise herlittle man and then would head over. I called the hospital and the midwifesaid it was best to come in and get checked so I woke Simon and told him toget ready. I then called my Mum back and told her that she would probably befine to go to her seminar and still be back before I had the baby but shesaid no I'm coming with you. I was glad to hear this. Its the only time Iamhappy to admit that I need my mum! I floated about the house getting the last few things together in myhospital bag and getting lunch and snacks ready for Evan while Simon gotready and Evan woke up. We headed off at 8.30am. On the way to the hospitalMum calls my mobile asking were I am, she actually beat me there! Once wegot there we headed up to the birthing suits & buzzed to let them know I wasthere. I said over the intercom "Its Fiona Fuller, you're expecting me asI'm expecting". We got settled in and at 9 I had my first internal and wasover the moon that I was 4 cm. I was so happy that I was already dilating.My midwife sent me off to do some walking. I gathered my support team and weheaded down stairs to the hospital courtyard. I hate walking so it was hardto keep walking about. Simon constantly had to tell me to stop talking andstart walking! Lunchtime soon arrived and things were still pretty early.Ihad another internal only to find that I was still only 4 cm. My midwifesuggested that I go home for a few hours and then come back but Elizabethwas already on her way and it was a long trip for everyone to go home onlyto have to come back again later. So off we went to do more walking. Thehospital had a fate on that day so Mum took Evan down to have a look around.Simon and I headed down stairs to have a look too but I didn't want to walkanymore and I was still in my PJs so I just hung about near the hospitaldoors. Elizabeth arrived soon later and we all headed back up to thebirthing suits. I was getting pretty hungry and wanted to eat. As the daywent on my contractions become more painful but still nothing I couldn'tcope with. Simon decided to take Evan for a drive in the car to get him tohave a sleep; it was looking to be a long day. Me, mum and my sister satabout talking about this that and the other thing. Simon and Evan came backabout an hour or so later. In the late afternoon Elizabeth took Evan forwalk up the street and bought him some toys to help keep him occupied. Mumand me decided to try and do some more walking, as my contractions seem tohave slowed down some. Simon stayed in the room to put his feet up as he wasgetting tired. He actually fell asleep so we left him there until Elizabethcame back with Evan and then stayed in the waiting room where the TV was fora bit longer while Evan played with his new cars. At 5pm there was shiftchange and my nice and understanding midwife was swapped for one who on myfirst impressions was going to be a cow. She gave me another internal andalthough my contractions had become more painful and we all thought that Iwould be at least 7 or 8 cms, I was still only 4cm!I couldn't believe it. Iwas so disappointed and started to cry. The midwife soon realized that I wastruly upset and softened up towards me and turned out to be rather nice andunderstanding, to me at least. She explained to me that even though I washaving contractions they were not constructive, the way one minute it wouldbe a long painful one and the next a shorter painful one meant that I wasnot actually getting much of a rhythm happening and not dilating. Shesuggested I hop in the spa for a while and see how things go.Once I was in the spa things did seem to become more intense and after anhour it was getting hard to cope with the pain. The pain seem to changeafter awhile and I was rather uncomfortable being in the spa but was soscared of getting out. My midwife suggested that seems the pain had changedthen I should try changing my coping technique. I said I was scared that IfI got out and nothing helped I would need a caesarean, I think she had totry and not laugh at me as she asked where I had gotten that idea from.Theyfinally convinced me to get out and try leaning over the gym ball. I foundin hard to get comfortable because the ball was not big enough for me, itwas meant for a short person! I was getting frustrated at being told to dothis and to try that. In the end I got up on the bed on my knee's leaningover the back of the bed. The nurse came in to give me another dose ofantibiotics and questioned what had happened to my catheter and wasdumbfounded when I said I didn't get put in as the first midwife just put inmy vein, as she couldn't get the catheter in. Off she ran to find a doctorwho could get a catheter in. It hurt so much and I cried. I was reallygetting to the point of not being able to cope with pain any more and hadsaid to my mum that I didn't want any drugs but I think I was going to needthem. She told the midwife who told me to hang in there for another halfhour and she would do another internal to see how I was going. Elizabethcame in and said she had to leave but wouldn't be far away if I needed her.So mum went and stayed with Evan so Simon could be with me. I didn't wantEvan to see me anymore, as it would have upset him to see his mum in so muchpain. Finally I had another internal and HOORAY I was 8 cms and the midwifesaid not to worry about the pethiden, as I would be having the baby soon. Iwas happy, this gave me the energy I needed to get through the rest of thebirth. Before long I felt I needed to push so the midwife said with thenext contraction to push, but being up on my knee's with my back to everyoneI was so self conscious of passing more then just a baby I could feel myselfholding back. I said I needed to change position. I couldn't stay that way.They tried talking me into staying in that position as it was a better way,and I know that it was but I couldn't help the way my body was reacting. Igot down and on my back. With each contraction as I tried to push I wouldget a shooting pain in my right hip that would stop the contraction, I laterlearned that a nerve was being pinched. Soon my baby's head was making hisits way down but it seemed forever. The midwife said that she thought he wasfacing the wrong way up, I panic and said "can't they get stuck that way"she said that yes they could but really didn't think it would be a problemwith me and made no mention of it again. As I pushed my waters started tocome out as they had not ruptured as of yet and the midwife nicked the bagto help them break. Now my boys head was just there, ready to enter theworld but he sat there for a while and thought about it. My god it waspainful I said to push him back up for a bit as I needed a break from thepain, but of course this wasn't done. The midwife stretched my leg up intothe air with the next contraction as I tried again to push my baby out butthe pain that caused in my hip again brought the contraction to a halt.Simon tried hard to encourage me but he couldn't put a word or foot right asfar as my midwife was concerned, she was so belittling towards him but Iappreciated his words of encouragement nonetheless.Someone stuck the head inthe door and said your sister is here and wants to come in, YES I said shecould come in here. Elizabeth was about to head home but thought she wouldcheck in to see if I had had the baby and made it just in time for thebirth. With Simon in one hand and Elizabeth on the other I finally pushed myboys big 38cm head out. The feeling of relief was a good one. With anotherpush his body was born and he was out. "Thank god" I said. I looked at Simonand said my god its Evan! Elizabeth ran to get mum and Evan so they couldmeet our new baby. Glenn Joseph. Evan was a little upset and confused butsoon came round. Simon cut the cord and then mum went with Glenn while hewas cleaned up and weighed and checked over. Evan and I had a cuddle andthen I got cleaned up and dressed. Another successful birth with out anytears or need for stitches and I did this one with out any drugs. Glennweighed a healthy 8 pound 3 and the midwifes where all amazed I managed topush his head out with out tearing. I later learnt that he was born facingup instead of down and that he had become a little stuck on the way, whichexplained why it took so long to get the head out. He took a few goes to getthe hang of breastfeeding but when he finally got the hang of it he was anold pro at it and never missed a beat. Hopefully I can go into my next birthwith a bit more under my belt and get through the next one with a bitshorter labor seems my first two wherevery similar and I know what I could do better next time to help them along,but I said that with this one too!
Glenn went onto breastfeed untill just past his 2nd birthday. Again he also self weaned as I was pregnant with Isla.
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Thanks for writing this.
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