Tim's Birth Story

Tim's Birth Story

For the Birth story carnival hosted by greenstylemom Kristen

Tuesday 16^th September, 12.30am: Waters break while getting back into bed following a visit to the bathroom. I can’t sleep so get up and go into the lounge for a while.

Tuesday 16^th September, approx. 2.30am:Contractions start irregularly at first, and not very close together. The Swiss ball helps to deal with the contractions, but I still can’t sleep.

Tuesday 16^th September, 4.00am: Wake up DH to put on the TENS machine since the contractions are getting stronger and my back is hurting. Both of us are too excited to sleep now so Rod reads his magazine while I rock on the Swiss ball.

Tuesday 16^th September, 9.00am: Contractions are coming regularly now, about 5 minutes apart and lasting for about 60 seconds. I ring B (my midwife) to tell her what is happening. I really would like to go to hospital now because I am feeling like it's getting out of control already and need the moral support but she persuades me to wait until 11.00am.

Tuesday 16^th September, 11.00am: Arrive at the hospital. The nurse greets me by name which makes me feel welcome and we go into the delivery room where B waits. I am only 2cm dilated which I find disheartening since I had hoped to be further along.

The Swiss ball and TENS machine are helpful in dealing with the contractions, and I now start using the gas as well. B administers an IV with antibiotics since it is now 11 hours since my waters broke.

Time starts to blur from now on: 4cm dilation and starting to have real trouble dealing with the pain. I try the spa, it doesn’t help with pain relief. The pain is all in my back. B is concerned about my fluid levels so I am given some through the IV line. (I end up getting 5 bags of fluid). I try pethidine for the pain but it just makes me sleepy. Sometime after this the anaesthetist administers an epidural. My contractions aren’t coming as fast and as strong as B would like I am also given syntocin. I reach 9cm dilation and the epidural is wearing off on one side, so I have a “re-insertion”.

Tuesday 16^th September, 11.50pm: Fully dilated. More antibiotics administered which makes me vomit – or maybe it’s the gas since I’m onto my second cylinder. I start trying to push the baby out. It is hard work, and I can’t feel anything to help me know if I am getting anywhere. Firstly B wants me on my back with legs up by my chest but that is so uncomfortable I ask to change. I lean over the elevated bed head and try that way. It's better but I can't feel a thing and B keeps telling me not to bend my hand because of the cannula in it. So annoying!

I keep thinking B is lying to me when she says that there is something happening, even when she uses a mirror to show me the top of the head which has dark hair! I push for about an hour and then run out of strength and motivation. I'm so hot and fling off the hospital gown to be naked. The obstetrician is RK called and appears beside my bed wearing white gumboots! I'm so glad to see him even though I'm starkers and not in the most charming position.

Finally things are set up and RK uses the ventouse. I push and he pulls. Part way through he says "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to make a cut". My heart sinks because I wanted to avoid this but by this stage my main concern is to get this baby out!!! Finally with one last push our baby is born by ventouse delivery at 2.19am Wednesday 17^th September. The reason for the long labour, inefficient contractions, and my difficulties pushing is revealed – he is completely posterior. His cord is loosely around his neck and slips off easily - a long cord according to B. He starts crying almost immediately without any need for suctioning. His APGAR scores are 8 and 10.

The nurses lay him on my tummy and I savour the strange feeling of the baby outside my stomach! I lift him up to see if we have a boy or a girl and tell DH that “It’s Timothy!” And then he poops on me. Nice!

Timothy Royston Dugmore

Born: 17^th Sept 2003 (EDD: 25^th Sept)

Weight: 3.43kg (7lb 9oz)

Length: 51 cm

Head circumference: 33cm

Just born - his poor mis-shapen head from the ventouse is quite obvious

Tim and Mum the next day... I look as awful as I feel! But his head is now round although still bruised. He had fairly bad jaundice and nearly had to go under the lights but fortunately his numbers stabilised.

Lydia' Birth Story

Lydia’s Birth Story

For the Birth Story Carnival hosted by Kristen (GreenstyleMom)

Lydia’s due date was the 29^th December 2006. This day came and went with no sign that she was intending to grace us with her presence. I saw K (my midwife) that day and she monitored us for a while, then did a membrane sweep. I was already about 2 cm dilated. She booked me in for another appointment a week later for the same procedures, fully expecting that we wouldn’t need the appointment. The week went by so slowly. We went for lots of walks and tried to keep ourselves amused while we waited. DS went to stay at Nan’s house just in case.

At the next appointment the monitoring showed that baby and I were both fine and because I had had a “show” K didn’t do another membrane sweep. From the ultrasound we did find out the good news that Lydia was facing the right way for a normal delivery. K consulted with the obstetrician and I was booked in for an induction Monday 8^th January at 8am. I was feeling despondent about having to be induced and quite uncomfortable with such a large baby to carry around.

On the 7^th January we went to the Sunday morning meeting fully expecting to have a "normal" quiet Sunday. After the meeting we went to Mum & Dad’s for lunch. Around 2.30pm I realised my waters were leaking over Mum’s kitchen floor.

We came home and I rang E (my sister) to let her know things were happening. Meantime, we went for a walk in the hot sun around the block. My skirt got soaked from all the amniotic fluid; there was no doubt to anybody who we passed what was going on but frankly I didn't care. E arrived and we went for another walk. While we were walking, I estimated the contractions were around 5 minutes apart though not lasting very long. We came home and I sat myself on the birth ball in order to time the contractions properly so we could let the midwife know our progress.

K was not on call that weekend so we called B (her back up) who for various reasons I'd never actually met. By bizarre coincidence she had noticed us in Mitre10 the previous day and had thought to herself, “That lady is going to have her baby very soon!” We rang her first around4.30pm and her advice was to call her when I wasn’t sounding so happy! At this stage the contractions were about 3 minutes apart and lasting longer. They weren’t particularly painful and I could still talk through them normally.

Soon after this I had to breathe through the contractions and E or DH administered acupressure to my back. I had the TENs machine put on. Around 6.30pm I wanted to go to the delivery suite. Things were getting more painful and intense. It felt good to hum or let out noises during these contractions. We got to the delivery suite at 7.00pm. I had no idea about my progress and asked for an epidural because I felt I couldn’t cope with too much more. B checked me and said, "The good news is you're 9cm, the bad news is, its too late for an epidural!" I had mixed feelings about this. On one hand I felt triumphant I’d got so far without drugs, but on the other hand I wasn’t sure I could handle much more pain!

B bought in the gas for me which took some of the rawness out of the contractions, but they were still very intense. After a bit, B had me get up on the bed on my hands and knees. I wasn't there long and I started pushing involuntarily at the peak of the contractions. E, B and DH encouraged me by telling me they could see hair. Pushing was hard work.

Finally I managed to push her head out! What a relief! I didn’t have time to relax because then her shoulders got a bit stuck. DH pulled the emergency cord and the room filled with four midwives. I got flipped onto my back and with one final push, Lydia was born into the world at 8.19pm. Her cord was quickly cut and she was whipped over to the newborn station to have a bit of oxygen. DH called out, “It’s a girl!” as she went by. Within seconds she had “pinked up” and I heard a little cry.

I lay there stunned and amazed that I had given birth so quickly, with no major analgesia apart from some local for the three stitches I needed.

Finally I got to hold my little girl. She was so alert and looked around at her surroundings. We hadn’t totally decided on what name we would choose for a girl baby, but when I turned to DH and said, “Lydia?” he agreed. Our daughter was born.

ROM: 14.30 hrs

Labour Established: 18.30 hrs

Full dilation: 20.00 hrs

Delivery: 20.19 hrs

First gasp: 1 minute

Breathing Established: 2 minutes

AGPGARs: 7/10

Birth weight: 4270g

Head circumference: 35 cm

Length: 53 cm

Just born..

Lydia and Mum

First Bath