My Labour Story... My Birth Story

Continued from How My Labour Started...

Established Labour...

Having not given birth in the taxi, as I had genuinely feared I would at one point, I arrived at the hospital and was taken into an examination room to see how far into labour I was.

I am not gunna lie... I felt like an utter fool when she said I was 4cm and only just in established labour.

Are you for real?? This is a joke... it has to be!! It was now 3.50am.

Moved into a delivery suite with my own loo and shower, I was pleasantly surprised when the head of midwives came in and declared that she was happy to reduce me from high risk so I didn't have to be on the bed hooked up to monitors. BOOM! This is exactly what I needed as my contractions were stronger and closer together when standing. I didn't want to drag this labour out. Anything that I could do to speed it up... the better.


Pain relief...

Gas and air was my saviour at this point. Hocking hard on that mouth piece was almost therapeutic, it gives you something to concentrate on. Just a warning though - don't lose your breathing rhythm because the faster you go the more light headed you get and I lost count of the amount of times I reached for the sick bowl. Was never actually sick though! Oh, and breathing the gas and air too hard burnt my throat a little - plus made me sound like a man (briefly!) if you talk too quickly after inhaling. You know when you get a bubble at the back of your throat and it makes your voice go weird? It's like the opposite to helium hahaha!

I opted for the epidural. I couldn't shake this back/bum pain. They were trying to tell me it was pressure of the baby coming down, but I was adamant it wasn't. It was like grinding against my spine/tail bone, not at all how I remembered the first time. Oh it was horrendous.

I had an epidural, but just like last time - it didn't work. They tried to re-site it and it managed to numb my right side, but the left was untouched. With hindsight, I wish I never had the epidural - I think it made it worse as the incredible back pain was now channelled into one small section of my body making it more intense psychologically. I dunno, it could just have been than the contractions where stronger?

With every contraction I was trying my best to lift my body weight up off of my left side. I can't explain in words how strong this pain was. If I was to say that it felt like baby was about to burst out of my bum cheek... it wouldn't do it any justice!

The anaesthetist came back in and gave me something else. To this day, I don't know what it was other than "stronger stuff" and to be honest, I don't care. It didn't numb the pain but it made me kind of zone out, almost doze/sleep between contractions. I don't even know how it was administered!

I remember looking at the clock at 10.40am adamant that NOW I was feeling the pressure that they said I was feeling earlier (which, I knew I wasn't!)

I was examined and told I was ready to push... I was also told my baby was bald!


The birth... 

The fact that the midwife said I was to have a bald baby, scared me a little. Only one week prior had I seen on the scan that he has lots of hair. Weird.

Anyway, I pushed with all my might, bursting lots of facial blood vessels in the process - I wanted this baby out of me! Established labour had only been 7 hours so far - a far cry from the 23 hours with Carson just five and a half years' previous.
The pain in my arse was, sincerely, incredible. The midwife was telling me it was normal - it most definitely was not. It was excruciating. Made me push all the more so maybe it was a good thing.

Anyway, it was 11.10am and the midwife was getting her disposable pinny and gloves on - oh my lordy, it was going to happen in minutes!

Being a One Born Every Minute fan, I had said throughout this pregnancy that I would feel the head if I had the option to, as I never had the option to do with Carson. When asked if I would like to when the time came though, I was horrified! Good God No! That was my response. Isn't it strange that we can change our minds so easily, quickly and defiantly at any given moment in life!! Carson's Daddy was given the option of looking if he liked, he politely declined at this point.

But then we heard a gasp. "He's facing the wrong way!"

My heart nearly exploded, I was completely over whelmed with fear. What?? Breech??

Nooo... Direct OP (Occiput Posterior), also known as back to back. Babies spine against my spine. Facing the sky when he emerges.

Immediately, Carson's Daddy looked. Why, I'll never know!! It's the nosey side of us I reckon. He said it was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. The first thing Finley ever saw was Daddy - whilst he was still half inside of me. Surreal!! This is also why midwife thought he was bald, she had been feeling his forehead not crown. It also explains that back pain I had been feeling, and why labour was quicker/more intense when standing.

Finley was born without any help at all and I didn't require stitches. I came away with just 2 slight "grazes". The midwife said it was a huge achievement and had it been my first I would have needed a forceps delivery as my pushing would not have been as focused/strong.

I am so pleased with the birth. Despite the epidural not working and that awful back pain. It lasted 7.5 hours in total and I can, hand on heart, say that I actually enjoyed the experience. I remember that intense area of back pain like it happened two minutes ago, but I got through it. And I would so do it again!!

If any 1st time mums reading have any questions by the way... I'm happy to answer as best as I can.


#BabyBabble

12 comments:

  1. Fab story, and well done you for doing it back to back! x

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  2. Lovely to read. Though I'm pleaded I didn't have any of the labour pains etc.

    Cat
    www.rockandrollpussycat.co.uk

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  3. oh wow. something i won't be doing for a few years but great post for mummys x

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  4. I agree with Chloe - not something I'm planning on doing any time soon but congratulations!

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  5. Wow, what a story! Shows how you know your body better than anyone else. Well done you for managing through the pain, he's so gorgeous!xx #BabyBabble

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  6. I love reading birth stories - this is the first one I've read when baby's been back to back - ouch!! Glad all turned out ok in the end :)
    you'll have to add it to my birth stories round-up for other mums-to-be http://yummyblogger.com/2014/05/01/birth-stories-round-up/
    #BabyBabble

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  7. Fab birth story. I did exactly the same with my second, was sure I wanted to touch the head until I was asked then swiftly changed my mind. Ha. #BabyBabble

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  8. Thanks for sharing- I love reading birth stories, hoping to get around to writing mine soon! My first son was back to back- but I ended up with a c section! Well done for managing through the pain!
    Anneka x
    www.mamaandthree.blogspot.com

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  9. Oh I do love reading birth stories, especially as they are all so different. Finding out he was back-to-back must've been scary but you did it! Well done, mumma! x #babybabble

    www.tinyfootsteps.co.uk

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  10. Ooh congratulations, I know exactly what you mean when you said you enjoyed it, I never thought I'd say it but I quite enjoyed mine too. I was told a few days before I gave birth that my baby was back to back - and I did have all the contractions in my back - but when it came to it, no-one actually told me if she was and I didn't even think to ask!
    #BabyBabble

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  11. Thank you for sharing your story. Bump due anytime now and love reading other people experiences x

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  12. My daughter went back to back after I dealt with over a day of pre-labor and a few hours stuck at 5 cm dilated. That was the point I decided to go for both the epidural and the drip. It was a pain I never knew could exist.

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