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Delilah's birth story 15th April 03
I was woken at 7.45 am by mild contractions 5 mins apart, I assumed they were just more of the usual Braxton Hicks and would soon stop.
I got up and was standing in the kitchen eating my breakfast when I felt a gush of fluid down my leg.
After the initial denial and assumptions of stress incontinence I decided that yes, actually it probably was my waters and that maybe I was going to have a baby quite soon.
Having taken 32 hours to go from waters breaking to birth with Oscar I didn't get my hopes up that it would be particularly quick this time but decided to phone the midwives and let them know things were happening, and also to phone the friends who would be looking after Oscar to make sure they didn't go off for the day or anything.
The contractions continued at about 5 mins apart lasting 20-30 secs and did seem to be getting stronger. I think I started needing to breathe through them by about 9.30 which was when the midwife first came out.
She felt the bump and was pleased that the baby was well down and LOA so all looking good. She then predicted a time of birth of 4pm as long as I promised not to hold her to it.
She went away and left us instructions to call her back when we wanted entonox or if the contractions got to 3 or 4 in 10 mins and were longer.
Our friends came and collected Oscar at about 10.30 by which time the contractions were still 5 mins apart but longer (45 secs) and stronger.
As soon as he went it was as if my body knew it could get on with it and the contractions were starting to be really painful. Moray had already started filling the pool and started boiling kettles and pans to speed up the process. I decided that now might be a good time to put the TENS on; better late than never!! We also paged the midwife and said "come now and bring entonox!" She took her time and we paged again. I was getting a bit worried and desperate for more pain relief. I also felt sick and threw up once between contractions. Then I think the TENS started to kick in and I changed my position from standing to sitting on the birthing ball which worked for a while.
The midwife arrived back at 11.30 and persuaded me to wait and try the pool before using the gas and air. I agreed although it still wasn't quite full enough at that stage. She talked about doing an internal but decided there was no need unless I wanted one (I didn't have any at any point as it transpired). As soon as the pool was full enough I got the tens off. Moray took it off me but forgot to switch it off, so he was zapped by Labour Mode 2 at full intensity which was really funny Then I got in the pool at 12.00. The first contraction in the pool was much more painful immediately so I think the TENS had been helping! I could feel pressure in my bum and felt that the baby was getting lower. She paged the 2nd midwife at that point and I demanded the entonox.
The gas and air helped take the edge off things as I'd hoped it would and by 12.15 I was getting the urge to push. The midwives were brilliant and let me get on with it; just encouraging me to do what felt right. They never examined me to check dilation but I felt myself to see if I could feel anything; at that point I couldn't at all. They encouraged me to take my time and not push too hard as I had a 3rd degree tear with my first baby. I think I managed to control it a bit!
The first midwife was getting a bit nervous about my position as I was on all fours and as the water wasn't that deep she was anxious about me birthing in that position in case the baby's head didn't stay underwater. She was afraid that she might take a breath and then get dunked under again! I was vaguely aware of this discussion but luckily the 2nd midwife who was more experienced took control and pushed my bum down as the baby's head was born; there was no way I was moving at that point!
The shoulders followed with the next contraction and she was born at 12.30 pm weighing 8lb 11.5 oz.
I then got out of the pool for the third stage. I had planned it to be physiological but wasn't that bothered. They thought my blood loss was a little heavy so I agreed to syntometrine. The placenta came away easily.
I needed a couple of stitches although the midwives debated if they were strictly necessary but decided to go for it. I was happy with that. They gave me gas and air for the examination and a local before stitching. It wasn't that bad at all.
Basically I feel so incredibly lucky to have had such a positive experience of birth this time around. This couldn't be more different to my first birth story and even in my most optimistic moments I never dared hope it would go this well!