Summer’s Birth.
Started on Monday the 1st with ‘ish’ contractions as the day progressed they got stronger so we thought that it was the day to give birth. Roy and I have experience of rapid childbirth so we rang the hospital DOU and they said to come when we were ready. We went to the shopping centre and got some dinner – fruit and smoothies and stuff. The walk around got the contractions to about 2 mins apart.
At the hospital they said ….. oh ages yet ….. you can stay or you can go home so disheartened we went home.
Next day (2nd) …. Still contraction so I called my ob explained what had happened and she said sounds like spurious labour but come and see me tomorrow of you haven’t made progress and I will help you on your way. Sha also said that perhaps there was a reason why we weren’t progressing, sometimes mother nature (baby) knows best.
3rd – still contracting and exhausted by now ……. No sleep in two days with 2 mins contractions not my idea of fun. Went to see my ob as arranged and she examined me..after all those contractions I was still a 3cm cervix. Crying not understanding she explained we have SPURIOUS LABOUR which is non productive labour often misdiagnosed as false labour. Apparently your uterus does what it needs to but your cervix doesn’t. Also summer was slightly posterior which means her spine is to the back and not the front. She told us then these things happen but she was also angry at the DOU on Monday for not checking us out further as I had been left to suffer the contractions. She locked the door and performed a stretch and sweep – also told us that on that appt she wasn’t meat to that we weren’t to tell any other doctor LOL …said we would be all done that night if not in 24 hours and if not she would give us induction on the Saturday as we still wanted natural birth we were happy to wait.
4th THURSDAY! Woke up feeling tearful as we weren’t done like expected and my contractions 7 mns apart, despite being longer apart they felt different to the 2 mins ones. Roy had a meeting, which was prior booked and debated whether to go or not in light of things going on. I begged him to stay home for extra 30 mins and then I would decide …. After the 30 mins he simply changed his clothes and said ……
“I’m not leaving you like this” and it is just as well he did.
As the day progressed I found myself on my bed on my hands and knees over my pillows. It was easier that way, helped my back and made me contented. About 3pm I asked him to call my mother and father to come and play with the children, I wasn’t coping with all the running backwards and forwards. 4pm they arrived and that was a distraction to say the least. At 4.30 I felt unwell and tearful and indicated to Roy that we should leave. I told my mother and father “oh we will be back in an hour no doubt, more non productive contractions …. Blah blah”
At some point in that hour I felt Summer do a turn, I felt her bottom right in the middle of my front …that meant she was no longer posterior – my body wasn’t failing me she just wasn’t ready for the world I guess.
So going ot he hospital I sat in the back of the car, tinted windows thankfully and I just cried the whole way. Emotional crying not pain, I was very compos mentos and the pains were in control …no probs. Got to the DOU and thinking
we are here its almost over. They examined me – I was only 3cm still OMG I almost about lost it inside. My heart was breaking, 4 days with contractions and 3cm dilated …. SPURIOUS labour my doctor said HUMP I didn’t like it one bit. The nurse debated whether to send me to the ward or home … but I convinced her my labours go fast once I am going and that perhaps someone could rupture my membranes as all I could fell was this incredible burning pain inside low down. On speaking with various people the had to make a room for me – a 39 week gestation first time mom was moved from delivery suite to the ward to make way for me ..she still had hours yet. And I was praying that ‘I would perform’ and not make a fool of myself.
Please note the times, though they are approximate but gosh you will be shocked.
6.20 pm ….. Got to the delivery suite with bulging membranes (at last) and the MW sat to fill out paper work Also agreed to have a student with me – I was her 12th birth!
Roy thought that now was a good time to go to the hospital shop and stock up on mineral water and chocolate bars …..
6.25 I took my trousers off …… sat on the bed …..
6.30 had an exam and my waters broken (roy was still at the shop!). immediately started to vomit
6.32 (ish) Roy returned …he was in shock because I was in pieces ..immediately sucking on the gas&air (entenox). Roy couldn’t believe how ‘bad’ I was as I cope so well in labour … I was only 3cm dilated.
6.34 decided I had an upset stomach and teamed with the vomiting I requested to go to the toilet. The MW was happy as diareah is not pleasant and to do it in the delivery room wouln't be nice for me. Joking with me about not giving birth in the toilet I made her a promise that I wouldn’t. As she waved her finger at me Roy helped me over to the toilet. As I was doing this I requested PETHEDINE! Roy said to her …. “Amanda only ever asks for narcotics as she is giving birth … watch her”. MW laughed …only 3cm Amanda is away on a high with the gas … no worries.
6.36 … sat on toilet ….. Roy came in with me to hold me G&A mouthpiece and I said to him “this is the first and last time you will be present with me while I poopy on the toilet” LOL at me …. Lovely job for Roy.
6.37 I heard a voice saying BABY IS COMING. I looked around ?????? then I heard it again … it was MY VOICE I was saying it. Was I mad … I was out of it, totally bonkers, nuts. I was 3cm and got the runs ..of course no baby. I do remember burning sensation…… surely not?
6.38 next thing the door flew open and a midwife was sitting on the toilet behind me with her ungloved examining me - she was holding the baby in till she got ready???? Someone was yelling ‘birth pack’ and there was 5 of us and the gas canister in a five foot by three foot toilet …
what the hell was goin on? I was leaning on the gas canister sucking the gas so fast my head was spinning. I hear a voice telling me to push – WHAT???? …..
then I had an inner debate, remember I was ‘high’ I argued with myself ‘do I suck the gas or do I push? How could I suck and push?’ I knew about the burning between my legs. so I thought ‘what the heck and I gave a little push’
still 6.38 I heard this crying behind me … crying was a baby, I turned and looked at it. A baby in the toilet with me – NO cant be …but it was. My jaw hit the floor, I asked if that was my baby and the answer was yes. I gave birth standing up and Roy had cut the cord. I never got my birth photos nor did I get the mirror to see my baby being born. Nor did I get to use my MP3 with all my hypno birthing relaxation exercises on it …come to think of it I was covered in water and blood and had a tail between my legs. The fog was lifting. ……. I walked over to my room and there was people, mw, peads everywhere I just stood there while everyone fussed over Summer. I was in shock – my baby OMG I was just saying :’I had a baby’ over and over again.
The poor student just stood there with a look of horror on her face the toilet was a blood bath, my room wasn’t much better and my baby was here.
On my charts my labour time was noted as 2minutes …. Stated from start to finish 12 mins for the placenta to be completely out.
Summer was fine at first then started struggling. Next a flurry but I was too out of it to understand. The birth created the wrong environment for her, she never got the fluid squeezed out and she didng get ‘switched on’ as she would have had she been born normally.
That’s another story ….
NOW the whole maternity unit knows about Summers dramatic entrance and the MW has been teased non stop about her position on the toilet LOL it is so funny everyone was talking about it still today as we left the hospital.
And LOL … in the bay opposite me I was talking to a young mom who just her baby – she was telling me how she wasn’t allowed to use the toilet during her labour and couldn’t understand why her mws were being so cautious with her – I confessed …poor girl had to poop in the room on her bed pan in full view of husband,mvs etc
Summers stats
APGARS were 9 and 9 at the time
Weight 6lbs 11 ½ ounces
birth story & 'birth' photos
Amanda! That is one birth story that I won't forget in a hurry. I know labour is supposed to be quicker the more kids you have, but that is crazy.
to Summer!
