L A B O U R
Let’s talk about that process that everyone either dreads or enjoys.. labour.
During pregnancy, I didn’t have too much of an opinion in regards to labour. I was clear minded and fear free because my attitude suggested that if I feared the experience, the more negative it would be.
When the midwife asked me to think about a birth plan, I didn’t really want to because I didn’t want to be let down if it didnt happen that way aaanndd I usually like to just go with the flow. I knew that I didn’t want the epidural and that was my only plan of attack.
March 16 2019- 33 weeks: Corey and I were at a friends house for a BBQ and were playing UNO.. I suppose the game was getting that intense that it flicked a switch inside.. I started to feel off and ignored it.. but then the nausea started and I called maternity. They suggested to come up considering I was only 33 weeks. I took myself up to the hospital and didn’t even tell Corey that I had left thinking I would be back without him even noticing id left. When I’d gotten to the hospital, I started to experienced cramps more similar to a period that had me crippled in the hallway. I was taken into a room where a doctor performed the preterm labour testing and was hooked up to the monitor. The midwife asked the doctors what the results were and got a result of “positive” along with her response of “she is having contractions”. Completely oblivious as to what was going on, the doctor said “do you have a partner? Because you might want to call him. You’ve tested positive for early labour and will be transferred to Sydney” the next day I was transferred to Nepean Hospital via plane to monitor my labour. Thankfully it stopped and I was discharged after 3 days. From here, I could not return to work.
April 7th 2019- 36 weeks: along came the back pain followed by tightening. I called my beautiful doula to ask what my plan of attack should be but found the pain getting more regular. Stacey suggested going for a walk to help keep things regular and even walked copious blocks to make sure I was okay. She called maternity who once again suggested I came in due to already have been TPL. I was once again hooked up to a monitor and told by a midwife “you’re going to have this baby, TONIGHT” and I had begun to dilate (3cms). the hours passed and the pain was still here and there. Around 1am, corey was fast asleep and I could see Stacey was becoming tired. The midwife suggested I got some sleep to save my energy but I knew as soon as I stopped, so would the contractions but I took her advice. Within the hour, my labour once again had stopped. In the morning, the doctor came to see me and suggested I be induced to save the process of going in and out of labour. The date was set and it was going to happen, for real this time.
April 10th 2019- 37 weeks: At 7am, Stacey, Corey and I arrived in Maternity. At this point, I felt nothing.. I mean I was told I was having a baby at 2 seperate occasions so I wasn’t getting my hopes up. At 0830, my waters were broken and I was 4cms and fully effaced. This itself was a strange experience and kind of exactly what I imagined, warm like you’ve freshly peed yourself. The midwife suggested I go for a walk to see if things could be bought on naturally (I was given an hour) so I took this time to go for a walk, get some air and eat as much food as I could. At 9.30, I arrived back in the room. I was cannulated and was given an explanation as to what was going to happen. Once the midwives left to get the Syntocin, the anxiety began.. I didn’t like pain, I didn’t even think about the pain.. fuck, this is happening for real this time.. I looked around at my support, hoping to look like I’ve kept my cool. Once the drip began, it wasn’t long before the contractions started and boy they went from 0-100 REAL FREAKING QUICK and for some reason, all I wanted to do was eat! Although Stacey has to pry a banana out of my hand during a contraction to save it from being smooshed from my grip. When things became intense, the midwife suggested I get off the bed and move around. I got up and went to the side of the bed where I swayed side to side. It was now I started to struggle. The TENNS machine was applied and I was given as much support as I could to get through each contraction. This lasted for about an hour until I started screaming during my contractions for the epidural.. but of course, Stacey and my midwife had no intentions of giving it to me because I was doing just fine. Whenever I came out of a contraction, I was my normal self and completely demonic during one. The midwife even used “so do you want to be catheterised, Sarah? Because that’s what will happen if you get the epidural”.. and that was enough for me. Then the pressure began. Oh the pressure.. it would make me want to drop to the ground and not get back up. I remember yelling “I need to do a poo, there’s so much pressure! I want the epidural” And the midwife telling me she wanted to check me out. It was at this point she said “no epidural for you, you’re 8cms. Time to get in the shower”. It’s from here I have no recollection.. I don’t remember getting in the shower, being on my hands and knees, and I hardly remember what happened during this transitional phase but I remember the burn.. the bloody burn.. Jesus freaking Christ.. towards the end, I remember hearing the words of encouragement and to just do “one more push” and then finally, she was here. I was in a world of shock and didn’t even acknowledge that she had been born. The midwife had to encourage me to pick up Eevie before I even realised she was in front of me.
My little Eevie Alice was born April 10th 2019 at 12.50pm.
I didn’t tare, thankfully, but had 2 stitches for a graze.
When they say once your baby is born, the pain is over. Well for me, that was true.. it was done, and I did it.. and was it all worth it? Ask me when she is 2 ;)
