I wanted to share Gemma's birth for two reasons. Because before she was born I was so nervous about giving birth I wanted to read every womans story imaginable to get a better idea of what I was facing and the second reason is because it was such a life changing amazing event that I never ever want to forget. So here goes.
On her due date Sept 11th at 4:30 am I woke up because I thought the dog had to go and pee. She never normally goes out in the night and regularly waits until around 6:30-7am to go out. But this morning I just woke up and shook Vince and asked him to take her out. When I heard him go out the front door I stood up out of bed and thought I was peeing myself! HA! It was my water breaking! And it sent the most amazing exciting shivers to my stomach! We were gonna get to see Gemma today!
When Vince came back I was bouncing up and down telling him! I went to the toilet to check the color and put a towel between my legs. Unfourtuately the fluid was light greenish. We called the midwife and she said she was so sorry but that means there was meconium in the fluid and I would have to deliver in the hospital. (We had planned an all natural home water birth). She asked us to come into the hospital in an hour and she would take a reading of the baby's heartbeat and make sure everything was okay. Honestly I wasn't scared at all. A little bummed but just so excited that she was coming that I didn't really care where. We called my Mom and Dad who then called my Brother and Britt and headed to the hospital.
When we got there our midwife (Basak) but a band around my belly and I laid still for 30 mins. Basak said everything looked great, the baby is healthy, head home get some sleep, take some homepathic medicine, do some acupressure and pump your breasts and try to bring on labour.
So that's what we did and we waited and waited and waited. My Mom and Dad and Brother and Britt came over and the sun shone and we ate and waited some more. Finally Basak called and said to come back to the hospital at 2:30pm to induce due to the threat of a baterial infection from the meconium. This I was not excited about. I didn't mind giving birth in the hospital but I was still holding out hope I would be able to do it naturally. Pumping my veines full of synthetic oxytocin was not my idea of fun. But whatever! Gemma is coming so off we went to the hospital for the second time.
When I arrived they had a big bright cozy sunny room all set up for me. I was happy but that lasted for all of 30 seconds. All the sudden there was two nurses, an intern and some other people I didn't quite know what they were doing? Janitors maybe? All in a flury in the room around me. They were rushing me and I didn't know really why. The one nurse wanted me to get in the hospital robe but I wanted to wear my jamjams and we disagreed about that a bit. I was begining to think these people didn't read our birth plan at all. (HA! understatement!) Then the intern was stabing me in the hand. I tried to stay calm through it all but in the end she messed it up and 2 other nurses had to come and I got stabed 3 times in different parts of my hand and wrist to get the IV ready. They hooked me up without really talking to me and then left me. Finally when all the people left I cried. I was trying to be strong but I was scared and starting to realize this was not going to be my touchy feely lovey calm water home birth that I had imagined.
Through the afternoon and evening my contractions were building. Vince and I were using our Hypnobrithing techniques of breathing and visualizations. We played calming music and meditated. The doctor and nurse kept coming to check on my progress (vaginally) which was extremly painful. Even though the pitocin was at full force and my contractions were 1-1.5 mns apart I was still only 1-2 centimeters dialated. Aroound midnight the contractions were on top of eachother and Gemma was starting to react negativly to the pitocin. (her heart rate was slowing) So the night time nurse reccomended an epidural and to take me off the pitocin. I followed her instruction. I liked her better than the day nurse.
The Doctor came back in around 4-5 am to tell me thought we might have to have a c-section eventually. The Dr and nurse talked around me and about me and I didn't understand so Vince called the Midwives immediately.
My girls (The Midwives) came straight away and told the Doctors and nurses to back off. Luckily there was another c-section happening and I was left to continue labouring. Around 11am the epidural had worn off and the daytime nurse was back and suggested I start pushing (she did this when my Midwives lef the room) Annnnnyways. So I did. And the Midwives came back. Mom was on my right side and Vince was on my left. There was the nurse and the midwife assistant fighting over my cervix and my other Midwife off the center telling me to breathe and let go. Another nurse came and went. The main nurse kept telling me to GET MAD! GET MADDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE! Acutally I was not mad and I didn't want to be mad. I put a bubble around us and only thought of love and love and more love. I didn't say much and tried my hardest and kept talking to Gemma in my head. I trusted she knew what she was doing and I was only helping her come down.
The Nurse finally gave up the fight over my cervix and backed away and started pacing with her arms across her chest saying the contractions were too far apart and we would need a vaccum or foreceps. I started to feel weary that I wasn't doing such a good job but I just listened to Vince and Mom who kept saying things like, "Wow! You're doing amazing! Oh my god Wow! Look there's her head! Keep going! Great job honey! You're doing it!"
The Doctor on call came in last minute but my Midwife is the one who caught Gemma and handed her to Vince to bring her to me. The Doctor then started poking and proding violently in my nether regions. I kept telling him the epidural worn off and I could feel that. But whatever, he pressed on my belly hard, I delieverd the placenta and he helped the midwife student stitch up my tear.After we were left alone we relaized they had taken the placenta to the trash. I wanted to keep it so Nicole (The Doula) could encapulate it and I could benefit from the hormones. Vince chased it down and got it right before then wer going to throw it out. Thank goodness! Gemma was born at 12:37pm and we were back home and in bed by 4pm.
Honestly the last half and hour of delivering Gemma was amazing. It hurt a lot and I was a little nervous I was doing it right but to tell you the truth it felt really good too like in my lower body area. It felt powerful and kinda like a million light beam stars all shooting out! LOL! I know that is gonna totally weird some people out but I want to write honestly about it for other women. So there you go out of the 32 hours of labour the last 30mins where pretty euphoric and I was just so happy to hold her and see her for myself. And to finally kiss her!!!
Please please leave comments and share your stories or any questions, I love talking about this stuff!
Love and Hugs
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