And Then We Were Four...

If you've read my previous posts you'll know I was dearly hoping not to go overdue with this pregnancy and at 39wks +2days baby Ben obliged!

It all started on Friday morning.  I had booked a last minute hair appointment for that afternoon and Mom, Chloe and I were getting ready to go out to the supermarket beforehand.  I noticed a bit of leaking "down below" and wondered if it could be a trickle of amniotic fluid but I wasn't sure and figured I'd just wait and see what happened.  My waters never broke prior to going into labour with Chloe so I wasn't really sure if this was it or not.  So out we went.  I had some more leaking through the morning and a bit of a "show" but I was still unconvinced anything much was happening as I was just having normal Braxton Hicks (otherwise known as "practice contractions"), and certainly nothing painful.  We got home after lunch and my hair appointment was looming.  I was pretty sure my waters had broken but I figured it was just a matter of waiting to see if I went into labour in the next little while or not.  The contractions, which I was still considering just slightly stronger Braxton Hicks, were continuing but weren't regular.  I thought about cancelling the hair appointment, but then realised that if this was it, then I was unlikely to get a chance to get my hair done any time soon so I figured I'd just go ahead and hope things didn't kick off too suddenly mid-haircut!  Luckily all was fine, I had a lovely hairdresser who was very interested in the pregnancy.  She asked if I thought I was going to go overdue.  I chuckled to myself and answered "No, I'd say definitely sooner rather than later" as I sat there with mild contractions going on. 

I got home and after taking some advice decided to give the hospital a call just to let them know what the situation was and see what they wanted me to do.  They said they wanted to see me to confirm if my waters had broken or not and to check that the baby was ok.  I figured there was no great rush so we got Chloe some dinner while I had a shower in case it was the last chance I'd get for a little while.  I hastily packed a hospital bag, but wasn't planning on needing it.  Mom dropped me off at the hospital at about 6pm and I saw a Midwife who confirmed my waters had broken and put me on a CTG (continuous electronic foetal monitoring machine) for 15mins to check on the baby.  Because I was planning a VBAC (Vaginal birth after Caesarian section) the midwife said she would go speak to the Doctor working that evening to see if they would want to admit me overnight to monitor me to see if I went into labour on my own or not. I expressed my strong desire to go home to see if I went into labour there as I didn't feel the need to be in hospital for that.  Alex had finished his shift in a different part of the hospital by this time and came to meet me.  The midwife came back and we were told they wanted me to stay.  I politely declined saying I was happy to sign a self-discharge form and would return to the hospital in the morning for observations and to make a plan of action had I not gone into labour overnight.  We were told this was fine so she went off to get the form and Alex went to get the car.  The doctor arrived and I got a bit of a lecture about how I could potentially be putting myself and/or baby in danger by not staying.  I stated my position on the matter and why I was making my decision, she stated hers.  In the end I think she reluctantly said "Well, you are obviously an intelligent woman and capable of making your own decisions so there is no point us continuing to go back and forth over this."  I agreed, we both signed the form and, her ass duly covered, I was free to go. 

Alex and I got home about 8pm, I finished putting Chloe to bed and Alex popped out for some Chinese take-away.  I was pretty sure things were going to start happening that evening as the contractions were getting stronger and occurring more frequently.  We put on and figured out how to use the Tens machine to help with the discomfort I was starting to feel and then we sat down to watch some Mentalist episodes while we ate and I timed contractions.  I was surprised to find they were actually occurring quite regularly, about 3-5mins apart and then speeding up to every 2-3mins about 40mins later.  I phoned Mom and asked her to come over to stay with Chloe overnight as the contractions were starting to have a bit of a bite to them and I thought I should head back to the hospital.  We arrived at about 10:30pm, I was examined and found to be fully effaced and about 3cm dilated.  This was very good news compared to my progression with Chloe so I was hopeful things would progress more smoothly this time.  We were moved to a room on the labour ward but there were no rooms with birth pools available, nor did my room have a bath so my hopes for a water-birth went completely out the window.  Luckily there were mobile telemetry CTG machines available (basically wireless machines) so while I wasn't able to be in the water, at least I wasn't hooked up and tethered to a machine for the duration.  I would go so far as to say that I hated having the CTG on me when I was in labour with Chloe - I found the elastic bands they attach the sensor on with to be constricting and  that made my contractions more painful - but I said I was prepared to give it a try this time and if they didn't increase my discomfort then I would consent to having one on continuously.  It didn't make me any more uncomfortable and as I could wander where I wanted in the room, I was happy enough to keep it on.  

I was starting to get more uncomfortable and decided to try the Gas & Air (basically a mix of Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen that you breathe in when you start feeling a contraction coming on.  It doesn't take away all the pain but can reduce it and make the peak of the contractions more bearable).  I had tried it briefly in my last labour but it made me feel light-headed and a bit sick so I wasn't sure about using it this time around.  I gave it a go though as it's on the lower end of the scale of pain relief and has no negative side effects.  Luckily it worked pretty well for me this time.  So I spent the next few hours pacing the room, kneeling on the floor whilst resting on the edge of the bed or standing over the bed and leaning onto it.  I read my Kindle and nibbled on Sesame Snaps and Garibaldi biscuits in between contractions and then started breathing in the gas and air and boosting my tens machine when a contraction came on.  Alex snoozed on a chair in the corner.  That sounds terribly un-supportive of him but to be honest, I didn't feel like chatting and I didn't really want to be touched or distracted at all while going through a contraction so there wasn't really much for him to do.  I figured one of us might as well get some rest.  I even offered him the bed because I sure as hell wasn't going to be lying down on it, but some misguided sense of chivalry kept him on the chair instead.  

I was examined again at 3am and held my breath waiting to hear if I had made much progress.  I was about 6cm.  I had hoped for a bit more but at least we were getting somewhere and I wasn't disheartened.  The rest of the night progressed in much the same way.  The contractions seemed to ease off a bit for an hour or so which made me a bit concerned but the midwife said it can be normal for the body to have a little rest for a while before the really hard work begins.  Not long after that I definitely noticed a change in the intensity of the contractions and much more pressure in my cervical region during them.  From reading Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth (excellent reading for any pregnant woman) I had expected to notice a definite change in intensity and pain as I neared full dilation so I was very conscious to try to relax into and go with it rather than fight against the sensations.  I was asking to be examined again at this point as I wanted to know if I was fully dilated yet or not.  It hadn't been the minimum 4hrs between examinations so the Midwife said she wouldn't do one quite yet.  I got a bit worried and asked what happens if I feel the need to push?  What if I wasn't dilated enough to start pushing?  She said that if I had the urge to push I wouldn't be able to stop myself, so not to worry about it and push if I had to.  I'm not really sure how long the next bit took, the contractions were very intense and I was just concentrating on them.  My notes said I was fully dilated at 7:20am.  When the urge to push came it was most definitely involuntary!  I couldn't have stopped had I wanted to.  The midwife just let me get on with it.  I think the head came out in several pushes/contractions and it was definitely an odd sensation feeling that the head was sticking out between my legs!  Once the head was out gravity pretty much did the rest because I was still standing, and I think he more or less slid out without any extra pushing on my part.    Benjamin Mark Eros was born at 7:32am on Saturday November 24th.  He was passed up to me and I laid down onto a mat and got comfy with him on my chest skin-to-skin and he had a little feed.  We waited for the cord to stop pulsating before cutting it and then we allowed the placenta to be delivered naturally which came out about 30mins after delivery and took just a few gentle pushes from me.  

It was a wonderful birth experience for me.  Considering the circumstances I felt it was as "natural" as I could have hoped for and I am quite proud of how I coped during the labour.  It wasn't drug-free but it was pretty low on the scale of pain relief and I never felt out of control and I never thought that I couldn't do it.  I let out some involuntary grunts during the pushing stages but otherwise I found that just concentrating and managing my breathing and staying as relaxed as possible through the contractions was enough to get me through them and there was no screaming or swearing involved!  But then, I am a bit of a control freak and hate feeling out of control, so maybe that is no surprise to those who know me.  

We stayed in the hospital for 24hrs as they wanted to do regular observations on Ben due to the fact that I carry Group B Strep (a commensal bacteria that isn't harmful to me but that can be picked up by a newborn as they pass through the birth canal and which can cause serious respiratory problems if it is picked up.)  Luckily all seems well and we got home yesterday afternoon.  I'm feeling SO much better than after the C-section I had with Chloe, being mobile and feeling good makes such a difference.  I'm so glad I chose to try a VBAC rather than a repeat C-section,  it was definitely the right choice for me and one I will  be making for any future births.  I'm also very pleased to report that the SPD I had been suffering with seems to have completely disappeared overnight.  I was hoping for it to go after the birth, and expected it to gradually improve but it literally happened instantly so that's another pleasant surprise.  

Chloe seems to be taking the new addition to the family well so far.  She seems to understand that baby Ben is no longer in mummy's tummy and is the wriggling pink thing that is, as she puts it, "drinking milk from mama's boobies."  She is very interested in looking at him, especially if he makes any noise, but has so far declined any offer of touching him.  She is also very insistent that the Bluey Zebra who she bought for him is lying in the cot next to him.  So that's cute.  

And now, here are some pictures...