SAM'S BIRTH STORY:
A THIRD BABY BOY AT WOLLONGONG HOSPITAL
location: wollongong hospital (room 7)
care provider: wollongong hospital mgp
My water broke as I closed the zip on the hospital bag I had been putting off packing “just in case”. The boys were “helping” me pack it and asked if they could light a candle I had next to my bed just as I closed the zip too. Weird... was it a sign? I went and put a liner on then a minute later went and put a maternity pad on. This was the same start as for my first labour. The only difference was that I had a strong sensation of pressure down as soon as the water started leaking - but no contractions. I had full confidence they would start soon. I didn’t tell the boys what had happened because I knew from previous that it could still be a couple of days before they’d meet their sibling.
I went upstairs to tell Joel (it was 4:50pm) and to start cooking dinner and getting the boys ready for bed just like normal. Although I was uncomfortable I was happy and knew that moving was what I needed to kick start labour. I had resolved to rest when I needed as well occasionally leaning on the kitchen bench and swaying my hips to ease the pressure in my pelvis. Still no regular contractions by the time I was putting the boys to bed at 6:45 so I read to them and laid with each of them. Vali fell asleep while I was cuddling him and that gave me a great dose of Oxycontin. I laid and cuddled Arlo and we talked about what would happen when the baby came and that it would be soon - he asked if he could practice his dance moves for the upcoming school disco in the morning and the laughing also helped me along I’m sure. My boys are so intuitive and gave me just what I needed that evening.
Once they were in bed I went and had a bath which relaxed me to the point where contractions were a more regular thing and I was so happy. So excited I was going to get to meet my new baby and I didn’t have to be pregnant anymore. I got out of the bath and wasn’t able to talk properly through them anymore so we got a hold of the midwife who told us we couldn’t have a Homebirth. I was surprised at my calm reaction. I was still so happy and went with this news better than I thought I would. Joel told me later that he was more disappointed than I seemed to be in that moment. Given this news and the knowledge I’d be going to hospital my contractions basically stopped again as we called my parents to come stay the night with the boys and we planned what we wanted out of this now hospital birth. “What will be, will be” graciously floated around my head the entire time. I knew my body and mind were so ready for this.
We got to hospital around 11pm and our beautiful and apologetic MGP midwife met us there. I was monitored for about 45 minutes to check bub was fine and I was happy to see I was having regular contractions that weren’t really affecting me. My body was doing it’s thing and I asked to get off the monitor because I needed to move. We made the choice to stay and not go back and forth between home and hospital so our midwife helped us to settle into one of the beautiful new birthing suites (with a bath!). I honestly was still on cloud nine and walked into the space which I would birth and said “my goodness this is an upgrade!” It was awesome - so much space. I was in the room with Windang Island on the wall and we used to live right near the spot where the photo had been taken from so I took it as another little sign that I am on the right path. Despite feeling settled, by 2am contractions still hadn’t kicked into gear properly. I was beginning to feel a little tired and unsure about how long it was going to take.
Now that I was in hospital I had accepted the fact that I was on their time for intervention. I knew hubby I could argue/stall for at least 24 -48 hours as the only intervention they could do was a Syntocin drip. Thankfully my midwife came in, recharged after having a nap and palpated my belly promptly determining that bub was in fact posterior and that’s likely why I was having a bit of trouble establishing regular contractions. She suggested using a couple of spinning babies techniques and the rebozo for a little while to see if bub would turn. I was very happy with this! I had heard of how helpful these techniques could be and was more than happy to try anything that wasn’t medical intervention.
My midwife tried a side lying twist with my top leg dangling over the bed and an overpressure on the back of my hip. We did this alternating sides for about 20-30 minutes and it certainly brought on contractions. Then she got me standing leaning on my arms on the bed and would pretty gently use a rebozo scarf to jiggle my belly between contractions and then during contractions she and I would dip my hips into kind of like a side lunge/squat and this definitely strengthened contractions and regulated them. By the end of half an hour doing that the contractions had intensified to the point where I wanted to get in the shower to ease the pain a bit. I thought I had hit the jackpot when I realised there were two shower heads - I don’t have this luxury at home I can remember thinking. I continued to try and do the “hip dips” on my own while I was in the shower and I laugh at the video because I wasn’t moving anywhere near as far as what my midwife was making me move but in my head at the time I was. I’d sway through the contractions and rest with my head on a towel pillow on the wall in a squat position in between. I got to the point where my rest time needed to be more restful as the contractions were starting to get the better of me so I’d sit on a fit ball and sway. That didn’t last that long - I had convinced myself that I was done - I needed to lay down. Previously when I would lay down my contractions would go away and I wanted them to go away because I was tired and not coping. Little did I know I was hitting “transition”.
It was 4:15am when I crawled onto all fours on the bed and promptly told hubby that “I had nothing to prove and I wanted an epidural. I hear they relax you”. He laughed and said “let’s try the gas” and called our midwife back in. I asked her to convince me I didn’t need an epidural. I wasn’t opening my eyes much by now but I remember looking at her when I asked her and she promptly replied “if you have an epidural you are much more likely to have an instrumental delivery”. To which I groaned and turned away from her in agreement. It was just what I needed to hear though. The gas on the lowest level was thankfully enough to relax my hips and pelvic floor (and my mind), as it had been in previous births. This was another moment where I was happy to be at the birthing unit - no gas at home. Joel was also doing acupressure on the soles of my feet during contractions that were getting closer and closer together, which was amazing! No less than 20 minutes later I started moo-ing and reached down between my legs to feel a head crowning. The fetal ejection reflex was happening to me again and I was ecstatic.
When I mention the “moo-ing” women who have experienced this guttural sound they smile and laugh in knowing, women who haven’t look at me funny, but it’s the only way I can describe it. It’s primal and it sounds like a moo.
Joel hit the buzzer for the midwife to come back and they joke because it then happened so quick then that they each only had one glove on. I didn’t push at all. My midwife said “breathe the baby out” and he was here in 2 minutes. It was amazing. I had a slight tear that didn’t require stitches (which has made a world of difference to me) and I was allowed to birth the placenta physiologically too, which I believe also made the world of difference.
Bubba boy was so little and perfect and I was so very happy to know finally that I was a boy mama 🥰All was perfect and we were allowed home 4 hours later. Introducing my boys to their brother after such a wonderful birth was possibly my most favourite moment of my life ️️.