Grace Shares Her Birth Story with #1
I was 40 weeks and 3 days when I started getting irregular contractions. These lasted for 3 days and 3 nights getting progressively closer together and more intense. Finally, my partner and I decided to head to the birth centre around midday on September 26th. It was an hour drive.
Despite having regular contractions at home lasting about a minute with 2-3 minutes between, the car ride stalled my labour hugely. At the birth centre midwife checked me and I was only 4cm dilated so we were sent away. We went to a friends place just out of town, once settled my contractions picked up the pace again. I tried to get some rest on the couch but this seemed to lengthen my contractions. After a couple hours of really painful labour I decided I wanted to be back in the birth centre. I was very emotional at this point because I knew the short drive would upset my labour again, I just wanted to be in the right place and in the right hands to have this baby.
Back at the birth centre I laboured on the Swiss ball in the shower for quite some time and eventually got into the pool. My midwife offered me gas and air but I refused. In the pool I felt the urge to push right away. I spent an hour pushing until my midwife made the call for me to get out and let gravity do some of the work. Baby’s heart rate was fine all this time, there was no sign of distress and although I was tired after 3 sleepless nights I was still managing okay.
My midwife and my partner helped me out of the pool and I made my way to the bed. Baby was born after only a few pushes but the cord was around the neck and there was no sign of life. The resuscitation team were swiftly on board and soon baby was breathing and had some colour. Our baby girl was born at 1.35am on September 27th.
An ambulance from Waikato Hospital was called to take baby to NICU, we followed and were reunited with her at about 4.30am the same morning. My partner couldn’t stay at the hospital with baby and I, so he stayed with friends until we were discharged later in the day. We spent the next 3 nights back at the birth centre where we were extremely well looked after. Baby put on weight well in the weeks following, she’s now a very cheeky 18 month old.
Amelia Rose, 6lb 1oz
I’m currently 40 weeks with our second baby. We are very excited to do it all again, hopefully more smooth sailing this time.
