The Birth Of Isla Jewel ~ 6th Of November 2006

Well this i's going to be one of the shortest birth stories around I think!I was 41 + 4 days overdue. I was dead set against making this baby comebefore she was ready. I was delighted when I started to get some tighteningin my back on Saturday evening, yet when I went to bed they all fizzled out.Sunday night I had some more, nothing major. Then at 8.30pm I had a show! Iwas like YAY!!! & thought for sure that things would be happening bymorning. But again nothing much happned.Monday morning rolled around & still nothing major to report. I went intothe hospital for my daily montioring on the CTG machine & also a check withthe Ob. The Ob on duty didn't even look at me, or speak to me! The midwifejust kept going back & forth between us. She said after doign the CTG thatshe wanted to do an internal, to which I agreed as I wanted to know if thetightening I had been getting were doing anything. I was 4cms! Off she wentback to the Ob to report her findings & then back again to me to tell me hewanted her to break my waters. To which I replied with a firm NO!So later that day I had to have an U/S done to check everyone was stillhappy.I went home, We all went for a long walk & I started to get the tighteningsa bit closer together, about every 10 to 15 mins apart. We headed home so Icould have a rest & then off to the U/S. U/s showed that all was well & noreason to rush her. But even the u/s guy sound this will be your last u/s,she is really well down.Mum came around later that afternoon, she planned on sitting up at the localshops till I rang for her to come to look after the boys. But I tol dher notto be silly, if she is keen to be here to just come now. I honestly didn'tthink that I would be needing her to well into the night, early hours ontuesday. So there was no way I was letting her sit at the local takeawaytill then!The tightenings became about 10 mins apart, yet still not what I would callcontractions. I joked with DH that it would be good if it call hold off tilljust after the boys go to sleep & then they will be none the wiser & therewould be no tears when they where left with Grandma.Who knew that this was excactly what happened! Mum pretended to leave justbefore we took the boys to bed so that there was no distraction with gettingthem asleep & as soon as I was able to leave their room, the NOWcontractions started rolling in between 5 & 10 mins apart. DH came out fromthe boys at 9.30 & said he was going to try & sleep. So mum sat up with me &again I joked with DH that I will give him 1/2 an hour & then off to thehospital. Well come 10pm the contractions were now 4 to 6 mins apart, butstill barable. I thought I better call the hospital & find out when I shouldgo in seems I needed IV antibiotics for GBS+ before the birth. The midwifesaid well you are a bit huffy & puffy, you should probably head in now. So Ipottered around a bit getting my bags etc & when in to DH & said well I gaveyou a bit extra but its time to go. We left home at 10.30pm & in the car thecontractions started to hit closer together & while they were more painful Iput it down to the way I was sitting in the car. About 10.45pm we arrived atthe hospital & went in through emergency when the lady at the desk justlooked at me & said Maternity? I smiled & said Yep! She offered me awheelchair but I said Nah, I'm right & even used the stairs over the lift.Once we got to the birthing suit Jenny, the midwife on duty wanted to put meon the CTG machine. I wasn't too keen about this as again I was sitting justlike I was in the car & I couldn't handle the pain the way I wanted in thatposition. I argued & said this is Bull ****! But she basically said too bad,I need you on there for 20 minutes. I kept saying I can't stay like this itsmaking it harder & has changed the pain. She said the babys heart rate wastoo high (around 175 -180 ) & that she needed to see it slow down a bit. Isaid that it was high because of the way I was sitting, she was kickingabout also, so I knew she wasn't comfortable either. Jenny finally agreed toletting me sit on the edge of the bed if the monitor could still get a goodreading once she had performed an internal. I was 5 cms.Sitting on the edge of the bed wasn't alot better but the babys heart ratedid settle back down to 155 - 160 ish. This is when I got all teary & said Ididn't want to do this anymore. Simon said YOU can do this, you have done itbefore you know you can. I said I know I can, but I don't want too! Jennyput in the IV catheter, which she blew the vein on! So then had to use myother hand. Once that was in & she gave me the IV Ab's she let me get offthe monitor & get up. I said I wanted to get in the shower, so headed to thebathroom & leaned on the towel rail while another contraction hit, Simon wasjust coming in to turn the shower on & I said I need to push! Quickly! Heran out & called for Jenny who came running back in & said WHAT, already! Soshe helped me back to the bed & I said I don't want to be on my back. Shegot Simon to raise the bed so I could lean over the side of the bed while Istood on the floor. Jenny was getting her table of things ready when I saidI can't hold this back much longer & She said thats ok, just go with it.Again I said No I think you should be down there! She came over & told Simonto push the yellow button on the wall. I didn't realise he couldn't reachbecause I had his hands. Again Jenny said PUSH THE BUTTON! He said I can'treach it, LET GO OF HER HAND & PUSH THE BUTTON! Simon again said she wontlet go, this is when I realised & let go & started saying Sorry as Jennysaid PULL AWAY FROM HER & PUSH THE BUTTON!I was standing there with my left leg cocked up in the air & there was a pop& a splash on the floor. Jenny told me to put my leg down, but I said Ican't. Jenny had to grab my leg & put my foot on the floor. I felt like thefloor was a good metre below my foot. But Once I had it down I started tobare down. I wouldn't say I pushed, But my body did. I felt that buring pain& thought here we go. There was another sting as my body pushed & then asplash on the floor as more fluid was relased. I asked if the head out yet,to which Jenny replied the whole baby is out! 11.35pm she was born.I hosnestly couldn't believe it! I was just shocked that she was alreadyout. I received my baby from in between my legs & placed her on the bed infront of me & just patted her all over while saying "Oh good girl!" Over &over again. Even Simon said its amazing how I went from the "i'm in pain"mode to giggly & pretty much speach less in a matter of seconds, well in thetime I took Jenny to say "the whole baby is out" . The second midwife in theroom Ila (yep I was just as shocked that the assisting midwifes name wasalso Ila, spelt different but still). Jabbed me with the syntocin to helpwith the placenta. I think if I was aware she was going to do it I would ofasked not to have it. I am not bothered that I did get it, as I had my babygirl. But I said Oh you bugger! you got me good! She snuck up behind me & Ididn't even realise till I felt the sting what she was doing. Actually sheis lucky I was all giddy about the quick birth otherwise I might havepunched her one LOL. 3rd stage happened very quick as well, no pain & littlebleeding.Simon cut the cord & had a cuddle while I got up on the bed. She was put onthe breast & she took to it like any true ABA counsellors baby should! Shestayed there for a good 40 minutes & then some more on the other side. Onceshe was finished she was weighed etc.8lb 4 oz, HC 34.5cm & 51 cm long. Except for head, she went from beingexpected to be my smallest baby yet to my biggest! She also took the longestto decide to come yet the shortest of labours. We aimed for less the 6 hours& I hadn't even been at the hospital an hour! My active labour was recoeded as 2 hours. Well that turned out to be longer then expected but wow she came out quick!I had not even a graze! Who was it that posted about the body naturally"vomiting" the baby out?? Again I don't like the description but I don'tthink I physically pushed her out. My body did all the work on its own. All future babys will born with me standing up! it was so easy!
Isla is now almost 5 months old & breastfeeding like a champ. I dare say she will also breastfeed well beyond 12 months & selfwean with my next pregnancy. Yep I plan on more!