Josie's welcoming

[Jasper]

I was six days over due according to my dates and was getting very very over it. It was so hot, I was in constant pain due to SPD, and I just despiratly wanted to meet my baby.
I had been given an appointment to book in for induction (although I had stated that I didnt want this to happen) and my wonderful midwife Richard gave me a few pointers on how to try and bring about labour naturally, so I decided to try them that day.
My sister came over with her birthing oil (lavender, clary sage and Jasmine) and gave me a long belly massage which felt sooo wonderful. The baby must have liked it to as I could feel her wriggling around in there like she was presenting parts of her for massage too! Later that night I had a bath in the same oil and took some Evening Primrose Oil tablets hoping that something would happen that night.
By the time I went to bed, I had some stomach pains but as it felt like a constant pain rather than waves of contractions or anything I put it down to constipation or something and went to bed. I woke up a few times that night with the pain, but it was exactly the same as when I had gone to bed and really not that bad at all. When DH left for work in the morning (4am), I said to him that I thought maybe we would have a baby today, but I dont think he heard me as he didnt seem to register what Id said....or I was not really awake and only mumbled something unintellagable to him which is pretty likely!
By the time 7am rolled around, I needed to get up and go to the toilet but as I stood up my waters broke. I ran to the toilet with the biggest grin on my face as I knew that finally I was going to meet my little girl ( I had always known I would only have two girls).
By the time I had fixed myself up, checked on Elora who was sleeping on my bedroom floor, and walked into my lounge room the contractions had started to get really painful. I was walking around and around in circles when I figured I should time them as they seemed pretty close together but I had been expected a long labour so I was a bit thrown. I timed them for about ten minutes and they were already one minute apart and lasting for 20ish seconds. I figured that I should make my calls now, so I tried Dh first who of course wasnt answering his work mobile. I rang and rang and left text messages but still didnt hear from him so I called my Mum and sister and told them that they should probably hurry up and come over.
Mum thought she would have time to walk down to the coffee shop, have a coffee and read the paper before coming over (she lives in Brisbane, I live in Ipswich), I had to tell her that there would be absolutly no time for that and she would just have to meet me at the hospital. I finally got hold of DH who raced home. My sister beat him to me and she packed up clothes for Elora and took her off to her house so that DH and I could go to the hospital.
The hospital was only 10 minutes away from my house, but of course we hit every rotten red light on the way there. I was still counting through my contractions as they were sooo painful and the only way I could get through them was to count and breathe.
We finally got to the hospital and was taken straight into the birth suite. I was checked over and Mum walked in very surprised that I was in full on labour so quickly. It turns out that I was already 4cm dilated.
Unfortunatly I was not allowed to labour or bith in water due to shoulder distocia written on my previous birth chart (very untrue, but I couldnt convince them). I was offered the gas but it just got in the way and irritated me so I threw it away and continued to lean over a basin swaying and counting through contractions. It was so hot that I was dripping with sweat and thankfully DH and Mum figured that it would be a good idea to put icey wet cloths on me to try and keep me cool.
The only thing I could do through the contractions was to sway, count, breathe and moan. I was totally unable to talk and whenever anyone asked me a question I would either ignore them or answer with one word when I was able. The contractions were so strong and forcefull that I started to doubt my ability to handle them and started to beg for help and for an epidural which I knew I didnt really want, but I was despirate. Even though all this was going on and I had that little negative voice saying that I couldnt cope, a new one came which reminded me that of course I could cope. I started to listen to that one more than the other one.
The midwife was not really doing anything for me in the way of coaching and more often than not we were left on our own which in hindsight I guess was much better than being bothered by her during a time which was difficult for me.
The nurse checked with me that I was sure I wanted the epidural and I told her yes as I still wasnt completly confident in myself and I was hurting so much, so she put a drip in my hand (it took a few goes which really angered my DH) and went off to make the call to the anethsitist.
When she had left the room, DH set up a chair on the floor for me and a pillow for me to kneel on so that I could be sort of on all fours. That was a very very good position for me and much easier on my poor legs!
After a few contractions I started to feel pushy and actually disgraced myself a few times by pooing. Soooo not dignified, but although I cared a bit about it, I didnt concern myself too much.
Contractions were getting more and more full on and every time I said out loud that I coudlnt do it and to help me, my inner voice told me that yes I could do it, of course I could. Remember what I had read and learnt. I was kinda surprised by that voice as I have absolutly no idea where it came from, it just started to coach me through the contractions rather than letting me give in.
When the midwife realised what was going on she got me up onto the bed so that she could help me birth the baby. I was still on hands and knees as there was no way in hell I was changing positions.
I was really starting to push now but also let my body take over and do it on its own. I was breathing through the contractions, counting as usual, but letting my body push the baby out on its own. I remembered reading about this and thought it was rubbish at the time, but now I know that your body really does do it on its own and you can help it, but it will do it anyway.
I felt the baby's head pushing against my perinium and did have to help by pushing then, while the midwife held my perinium to help with the stretching. My Mum was taking photos all this time of everything going on, but I had absolutly no idea!
It was sooo hard to push the head out but eventually it did come out. After the head was out I had very little desire to push anymore and just breathed through the contractions. I was quite comfortable doing this, but the midwife wasnt so she told me I had to push to get her shoulders out (I guess she was frightened of that shoulder distocia rubbish).
All it took were a couple more pushes and she was born! Unfortunatly I was stuck on my hands and knees so I didnt see her for a while, but everyone else did. She must have been a bit blue and slow to respond as the nurse went to get the instrument to cut her cord even though I was saying to her to please dont cut the cord, leave it alone until its stopped pulsating and my husband was supposed to do it anyway. My begging meant nothing though as she told me she was sorry but she had to as she needed to get her some oxygen. So there went my first wish.
The midwife wiped her off and wrapped her up in a blanket after giving her oxygen (second wish gone), and gave her to me. I looked into her little eyes and welcomed her to our family. Dh was there staring at her with tears in his eyes and Mum was firing off photos all over the place. We took the blanket off in parts to check out her little bits like arms, fingers, legs, toes and marvelled over all of them like we'd never seen fingers before! We saw to our astonishment that she has a large black birthmark on her left leg, that she has very very dark black hair and olive skin and that she is CHUBBY! We all took guesses at her weight while the midwife gave me that needle to make the placenta come out (another wish I stated in bold on my birth plan that wasnt to happen). She then pulled on my cord (and that would be the final wish that I had stated was NOT to happen on my birth plan) and gave me three stitches due to a tear that followed my previous episotomy scar.
I said I wanted to breastfeed her now so they took the blanket off and we attempted our first breastfeed. It seemed to work as she was a hungry little sucker. We all oooh and ahhed over her wonderful abiltiy to do that straight away and how cute she was and took more photos (digital with no flash so bubs didnt get frightened).
After the feed, Mum left and our little family was left in the delivery room to get to know each other. When the midwife came back Dh took over holding her while I got to get up and have a shower. They weighed her (9 pounds 1 ounce!!!), measured her (37cm head and 53cm long [ and that explains the difficulty I felt getting the head out!]), and dressed her. When I got out of the shower all nicely washed and dressed, we all sat together and my sister showed up with Elora and we all met each other for the first time. Elora was so taken with Josie, she couldnt stop kissing and cuddling her and checking out her feet and hands. She was very impressed.
An hour later and they decided to take me to the maternity ward. Marie (sister), Elora and DH left to go home while I walked myself to the maternity ward while the midwife pushed Josie in her little plastic box.
As soon as we got to our bed, I took Josie out of her plastic bed and took her into bed with me and that is where she has been ever since. Our family is complete.

[Jasper]

Oh, and she was actually born at 10.08 am. three hours of contractions, 8 minutes of pushing.

[lrning2b]

Oh Suzie! Thank you for that story! You did a marvelous job! Lovely!
I want your inner voice!

.

[Jasper]

thanks but you already have it. Every woman does, you just need to listen. I know that now.

[Kasivennt]

luurrrvvvvly

[~sequoia~]

Beautiful Suzie! And you are right, we all do have that voice, some of us are just a bit deaf to her

[bunty]

I loved your inner voice. I think there is one in all of us, but yours was louder than some . Well done Suzie. Sorry to hear your list of wishes wasn't met though.

[Chuckles]

Fab story Suzie u've told it so well i could all most visualize myself being there!

[liamsmum02]

Aww that's so nice Suzie!

[AllySophia]

What a beautiful story..

I'm sorry you're birth plan got mucked around at the end.. its crazy, it really just depends on what midwife you get on the day. *shrug*