It was Sunday 11th April at 2:20am when it all began. I started having tightenings which were very regular and seemed quite strong.
I was imagining a few days of niggles before actual active labour. I waited a hour before I mentioned anything to my husband. I think I woke him anyway with my frequent toilet visits!
He quickly downloaded a contractions app just so we had a record. Contractions were very steady lasting 1 min with 3 mins apart for over a hour. This was our cue to call the midwife.
As most stories go our midwife was away this particular weekend. I had the number of another one to contact and luckily she arrived within the hour. I had never met her before, and had been quite anxious about not having my midwife all weekend. I really didnât want what was happening to happen... but you canât stop labour once itâs started!
Contractions continued and got stronger and stronger. A very long 10 hours story short. After 3 exams at home (first one being 3cms then 5 and back down to 3 again). The midwife was finding it difficult to even find my cervix (what the hell?).
She decided baby was posterior and we had to go to hospital. Needless to say I was feeling very upset. I didn't really want it to happen this way.. but I was having to surrender.
I arrived at hospital after a long 20 minute painful car ride. It was midday by now so there were a fair few cars on the road. Finally arrived at Christchurch Womenâs Hospital and settled in.
I rode the waves of contractions for a few more hours. Each one got stronger and stronger yet I could see my body adjust my oxytocin levels as I went on. I was still so focused on a natural birth!
We tried to keep the hospital room as less clinical as possible. Minimal lights on, and we brought our diffuser from home, comb and spiky ball. Which I had been squeezing in my hand to distract from the intensifying waves of contractions. I also used the medicine ball that was in the room.
From what I remember doctors would constantly be in and out to see how I was progressing. They kept offering me synthetic oxytocin drug and also an epidural. The first few times I was offered I said no straight away.
As the hours rolled on and contractions kept intensifying my body was getting more and more exhausted! My cervix still wasnât dilating...
In between all of this my real midwife had actually decided to pop in and see how I was getting on. This was such a relief for me. My husband could see the difference in me straight away as soon as she arrived.
We worked through a few more hours of contractions. She helped me with a few positions and movements to try and bring babyâs head down. (Btw baby wasnât posterior, I believe the secondary midwife just wasnât confident in birthing at home or couldnât be bothered. Sadly this made me so annoyed).
The first intervention I allowed was for them to break my waters. After this things still didnât really progress much...a few more hours rolled by and the next shift of midwives rotated through. I ended up agreeing to go on the wait list for an epidural after talking to hubby and my original midwife.
She could see how exhausted I was and in the end did support me having a epi although she wasnât epi certified. It wasnât what I was wanting at all! But I had to surrender.
I was exhausted and could hardly stand anymore. After 4 hours of waiting for an anaesthetist to be available. There was also a communication breakdown somewhere along the way.
They didnât know I had agreed to it... eventually I had the epidural. And what a relief that was!!
I wanted to wait a few hours to see if my body would relax enough. To let baby come down some more before we tried the synthetic oxytocin. But nothing was happening so we went ahead with the oxy. Another thing I never wanted but surrendered too.
I was able to have a rest and was in and out of napping for a few hours. While my body and baby did the hard work of coming down.
5am Monday the 12th of April rolled around, midwife checked me and I was fully dilated! So it was time to get ready to push.
The next thing I was worried about was the position I was going to be pushing in. I did not want to be on my back.
I asked if I could be on all fours / kneeling on the bed while leaning over the back of bed, she said that wonât work as I wonât be able to feel my legs and was very dangerous!! I kept asking and hubby apparently spoke to her too.
So next thing I was up on all fours and I could still feel the contractions enough that I was able to work with them and push at the right times. This felt amazing.. baby Aria Ocean was born at 6:32am on the 12th of April.
The placenta came away a few mins after with a small push.
Baby Aria was in my arms after a marathon 28 hour birth and years of battling with fertility issues. The feeling was indescribable!
Lea x
