date: 6/10/2021
location: wollongong hospital
care provider: sophie & bec
This is the story of my second birth, 16 months a part.
At 40 weeks and 1 day, I waltzed into the antenatal clinic still very pregnant. My anxiety around birth was high after my first and I was happy to still be pregnant. After physical examination that showed 3cm of dilation and a consult with the head OB, I was offered an induction spot for the morning. Something about that offer, funnily enough, was perfect. Start the whole process in the place with the drugs? Absolutely brilliant! See you tomorrow!
My fiancé Josh and I arrived at the new birthing unit for 7am. We met our girls: midwife Sophie and student Bec. We were c-vid tested, I was given a canular, ctg attached, bloods taken and breakfast given. We settled in to suite 5.
My waters were broken at 8am and the syntocin drip started at 8:05am. At this time I was 4cm dilated and having (what I considered) painless contractions.
We were left alone in 30 minute intervals, in which they’d check in and up the drip level. However, it didn’t take long for the contractions to pick up traction. I was breathing through the waves and while pretty intense, I was okay. At 9 o’clock: I asked Josh to attach my TENs machine, I asked Sophie to leave the gas out just incase and she also put me on a portable ctg incase I wanted to use the shower. I’m sitting on the side of the bed, legs dangling. The contractions were pretty decent now and full disclosure? I was panicking.
From 9am the waves meant business, Josh subject to a few fingernails in the shoulder and me seriously regretting not working the TENs machine out before now! When I can keep myself calm, I am okay.
We are alone again. ‘What time is it?’ I ask Josh. ‘It’s 9:30, he says.’ I can’t believe his response, we’re only just getting started!
As the next contraction comes, it is no joke. ‘I’m pushing! My body is pushing!’ I yell at Josh. ‘Call Sophie!’ As she comes in, I explain to her that I think my body is trying to push and with that she suggests an internal to check. But the next contraction comes and I’m ruined by it, ‘I want the epidural!’ I scream at her. She tries to talk me down but I’m not being talked out of this one, get me the drugs! The anaesthesiologist comes in quite promptly and starts telling me all the check list things they have to tell you. I’m having contraction after contraction, yelling allowed, mainly in her face. The pressure is so intense and before I can even realise I’m weeing all over the bed, that’s all you need right? Sophie is convinced there’s no time for the epidural and Josh helps her flip me over to physically check. ‘5-6cm, epidural might be a good idea!’ She says. I think she’s got to be joking! I clamper back up the bed, which has the head up, like a rat up a drain pipe. I’m kind of on my side, right knee in the bed and the left kind of hovering. The anaesthesiologist has stepped back and Josh has stepped in near my head to try and calm me. ‘Maybe you need to go to the toilet?’ Sophie ponders. ‘Well I’m going right here!’ I screech back at her, she must be kidding if she thinks I’m moving from this position. The pain is constant now and the pressure is like my body is going to pull into two halves. My hands are crawling up the bed and I’m pretty sure I’m just trying to crawl away from the whole thing.
‘I’m pushing, you’re not understanding!’ I scream and it feels like I’m so loud but no one is understanding. I can feel this mass coming between my legs and my left leg lifts further into the air. ‘What is happening?’ I scream up at Josh, desperate for someone to help or something, anything! ‘You’re having the baby!’ He elated back at me, his eyes so wide.
Sophie smacks the emergency buzzer and slaps on one glove, all while somehow pulling me down flat on the bed, so as not to lose the baby over the edge. ‘Quick dad!’ She yells to Josh, who doesn’t quite make it to the danger zone before the baby delivers. Luckily Sophie was ready and catches them! I collapse back on the bed, let out the biggest sigh of my life and look to the heavens for clarity! I just keep repeating ‘what just happened? What just happened?’ Josh hands the baby up to me, he tells me and I see ‘it’s a girl!’ It was hard to care, I was in such shock. ‘What time is it?’ I asked Sophie. ‘9:45,’ she said.
A completely hands off, drug free birth that resulted in zero swelling, grazing or tearing.
Daisy Adelaide. Roared to Earth.
