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Birth Stories - A hospital birth
With modern technology and advances in medicine, women are now given more choice when it comes to how they will deliver their babies.
And even though there are more natural options such as water births, home births and private mid wives, most women still choose to take a more traditional approach when it comes to the birth of their baby and choose to book their birth in with a maternity hospital.
On this page we will share with you a story from a Brisbane mum who wanted the safety and security that comes with having her baby in a hospital under the care of her own private obstetrician.
A ‘Just go with the flow’ Birth
Imogen wanted the safety and security that comes with giving birth in a private hospital with a private obstetrician.
She did her research on all the birth methods available to her, but went into the birth with an open mind and without a specific birth plan in mind. She was happy just to ‘go with the flow’ and wait and see what happened.
However, her open approach to the birth did come with one stipulation.... Unless her and the baby were in serious trouble she did not want a c-section..........
She did her research on all the birth methods available to her, but went into the birth with an open mind and without a specific birth plan in mind. She was happy just to ‘go with the flow’ and wait and see what happened.
However, her open approach to the birth did come with one stipulation.... Unless her and the baby were in serious trouble she did not want a c-
Imogen’s story
At 3.45am on a Tuesday morning my waters break. Paige has decided to arrive two days early! After 258 days of waiting, I will actually be holding my daughter in my arms before the day is over. By tonight, ready or not, I will be a mother.
Not yet realising what has happened, I wake up to use the bathroom. I notice that my underwear is wet, and that there is a warm slow trickle of fluid leaking down my legs. Thinking it is just a leak I put on a pad, lay some towels down, and try to go back to sleep. 15 minutes later I am soaking wet again. Panic and excitement surge through me “Oh my God! My waters have broken! I am in labour!” I get up and wander around the house trying to let it sink in. I go back into the bedroom to clean up the towels. Brad wakes and asks me if I’m OK. I say “Well yes, I am OK, but my water just broke.” He says “Oh, OK then.” And rolls back over to go back to sleep. I stand there perplexed for a moment, and then just like a cartoon character, he jumps two feet in the air and says “Your waters broke, that means you’re in labour doesn’t it? Oh my God! What do we do?”
We put the kettle on and ring the hospital. They say I should try to get there in the next hour or so, and that they will be expecting me. I sip my tea as I pack the rest of my bag. It is hard to concentrate. My head is spinning and I feel like I am having an out of body experience. Brad is like a hyper bunny racing around the house with no purpose. As the sun slowly begins to rise, and the dark room begins to lighten. I stand for a moment, realising that this is the dawn of my daughter’s birthday. It is the beginning of our new life. I try to take a moment to take it all in, as I prepare myself for the day ahead. There isn’t too much time to ponder, as we take a last minute photo by the pool, grab my bag and race out the door.
The day is just starting. There is a quiet and empty feel to the world. It is early enough for the notorious Moggill Road to be relatively quiet. And any thoughts I had about screaming in agonising pain, whilst being wracked by contractions in the back seat of the car, are quickly diminished as we arrive at the hospital without incident. I appear calm on the outside, but inside I am ‘freaking out!’ I am taken up to the delivery room, asked to change into my birthing robe and to get onto the bed.
I didn’t want a chemical birth, and am upset to find out that I am to be induced. After the drip is in, it isn’t long before my contractions start, and before I have even finished my breakfast, they are already five minutes apart. First I walk around my room, and then start wandering up and down the corridors. I have the drip trolley in one hand, and am rubbing my belly with the other. It feels very surreal; I can’t believe that I am actually in labour, not someone in a movie. Me.
We head back to the room for my internal exam. Now girls, I cannot describe how painful that was. I just closed my eyes, and whimpered, as tears silently fell down my cheek. I wish I had had a leather bit to bite down on, just like you see in the movies, when the action hero is having an arrow pulled out. The good news is that I am one centimetre dilated. The bad, is that I now need an antibiotic. I am pleased that at least this can go in with my drip.
We have set the IPod up in the room. It is quite funny that many of the song words seem to relate to how I am feeling, like.” This is starting to burn”, and “I hate this part right here”. It isn’t long before my contractions are two minutes apart. It is hard to describe what early contractions feel like. It is a cross between very strong period pains, a strong tightening of your abdominal area, and the sort of pain that comes with a very bad case of gastro. Whilst the pain is strong, and ‘almost’ bearable, it is the consistency that starts to wear you down. After a while I decide it is time to try some pain relief. I call the nurse, and she helps me set up my TENS machine, but the rotten thing is broken. Trust me to get a faulty one. I am devastated; I had a lot of hope resting on this machine. With that option gone I decide to try the shower and the birthing ball. All I can say at this point is “My God! Does labour hurt!!
The warm water does help, but it is difficult trying to balance on a wet fit ball, whilst holding onto a drip trolley, and trying not to fall over, as you double over in pain. Brad stands fast and tries to encourage me, whilst keeping the water running on my back. He asks me what I want to do. But at this point the pain is so bad and I am so tired, I don’t know what I want, except for the pain to stop, and for someone to send me home. We are in the shower for what feels like a very long time before I am due for my next check.
So much for my chemical and needle free labour. As my blood pressure is up, I now need blood tests and drugs to try to stabilise it. After my tests I try to walk around, but lay back down as I am just too tired. Unfortunately my blood pressure is dangerously high and needs to be continuously monitored, so the midwives are in and out all morning.
By noon I am already over it, and am laced with even more drugs as my blood pressure won’t come down. I am wondering what I should do. The midwife tells me that I probably have at least another seven hours to go. So far I have been coping without any pain relief drugs, but as I am getting really tired, and everyone is worried about my blood pressure, and warning me of the risks of an emergency caesarean, I decide it is time to call in the big guns. I request an epidural.
I am a little frightened as you always hear horror stories about epidurals going wrong, but I am so tired and in so much pain, I decide to take the risk. Once I make the decision, I feel better in myself. The anaesthetist arrives and the procedure is over in fifteen minutes. By 12.30pm I can feel it working.
Ten minutes later, I feel human again It is wonderful to be able to think again, and to be a part of what is going on. Now it is time for Mum, Brad and I just to sit around and wait.
It is strange watching the machine measuring my contractions. The numbers grow higher each time, and whilst I am glad that I can’t feel them now, I know I am going to be sore tomorrow.
My hope for a natural birth is re ignited when my blood pressure finally comes down and after a quick exam by my Obstetrician, it is confirmed that I am ready to go. At 5.15pm, we get ready to push. (Everyone is happy about this but me). To allow back a bit of feeling, they, to my horror, turn down the epidural drip. But luckily, I am so full of drugs, that I don’t feel a thing. Whilst not being able to feel anything is wonderful, it is a bit tricky trying to work out where to push. I think I nearly burst the blood vessels in my cheeks as I push, but all I can think about, is the quicker I get this baby out the better. So push, baby, push! It may be been pain free but it is still hard work!
I keep labouring away and about an hour or so later, at 6.37pm, our first daughter “Paige Jasmine” is finally born. She weighs in at 3.286kgs, or as I know it, 7 pound 3 ounces.
Brad cuts the cord, my mum cries, and I am just in awe of what is going on around me. I am filled with relief as I hear Paige cry. I don’t even notice the stitches as they lay my beautiful baby girl on my chest. We both just lay quietly looking into each other’s eyes, and I feel the most amazing sense of relief, and overwhelming feelings of love. Just seeing Paige, I now know what they mean when they say “it is all worth it”. Whilst I don’t know if I could ever get through it all again. I know that in my heart deciding to have a baby was the right decision. Once you lock eyes with your baby, there is no way in the world you would ever change a thing.
We are left alone to get to know each other, and the whole family is just quiet and happy. I am so happy to finally meet her. Brad is just in awe of his daughter, and just holds her close and watches her every move. My sister Tori and her husband Dean are so excited they drive all the way up from the coast straight after work. We are lucky and manage to sneak them in to meet Paige. They aren’t allowed to stay too long, but we do manage to get some very special and very memorable moments.
Afterwards I am left to recover for a while. Then around midnight we are finally moved to our room. By the time we get settled, and feed Paige it is 2.00am. We are both absolutely exhausted. Brad has work the next day so has to go home. It is horrible to see him go. I am now all alone; barely able to stand, and have a brand new baby that I had no idea what to do with. I just lie on my bed and watch her sleep, exhausted, but simply in awe of this tiny person that we had created.......
About the Author
The author is Imogen – Proud Mother and Managing Director and in-house writer for Baby Boat
If you would like to share your birth story with us, either positive, negative or a total surprise ...
Then please email me your story... and if you are feeling brave ... Send a photo too ...
Then please email me your story... and if you are feeling brave ... Send a photo too ...