Ok so I am going to post Joel's birth story - mainly for my benefit so I don't forget, so if you don't want the details then don't read on!! Beware, it'll be a long one.
Sunday 1st July - went to church in the morning as usual. Joked with people that we wanted this bub to come some time this week (even though we weren't due for another 10 days) as Andrew was on school holidays. We even had a curry for lunch that day - more of a joke really than a method to induce labor!
Fast forward to 2am Monday 2nd July - I made my way back to bed after one of my numerous overnight toilet breaks. As i got back in, I thought I must have wet myself but seriously doubted it as I'd just emptied my bladder. I went back to the loo and after 5-6 minutes of steady trickle, I knew that this was my waters breaking and not a severe lack of pelvic floor strength!
I went back to bed and told Andrew but assured him that it could still be a day or so before anything happens. We tried to go back to sleep!!
3:30am - i started getting what I can only describe as slight period pain and wondered whether this was the start of contractions. I realised the pain was coming and going at fairly regular 6 monute intervals and realised that I was indeed in labor. I knew that it would still be awhile so we decided to rest up and assess how things were going when we got up later.
8:30am - the contractions had started to get a little more painful now and where coming a lot closer together. I called the hospital to see what I should do and they said I could make my way in whenever I liked and they see how things were progressing.
The car trip to the hospital was interesting and exciting - it was dawning on us that we could be meeting our bub today. We started stressing about names - we were still to decide on a girls name. We got to the hospital around 10:ooam and made our way to the delivery suite where we were ushered into a tiny assessment room. A midwife came in and hooked me up to a CTG machine to assess baby's heart rate and movements. I continued to have contractions whilst hooked up to this machine and they were really starting to get painful. A doctor came in and did an examination (yowsers!!) and declared that I was only 1cm dialated. AHHHHH!! The decision was made that due to a few reasons - my high BP, bubs not behaving, my waters broken, that they would induce me but I'd have to wait till tomorrow as they were too busy today. They would keep me on the ward overnight and I'd be induced first thing the next morning.
This was not what was supposed to happen - I started getting upset, worried for the baby and still in pain, very scared. If this was what only 1cm dialated felt like, I was seriously worried about what 10 would be like.
By this time, it was around 11:30am and the contractions were getting more and more painful. I asked if there was anything I could do for the pain. The midwife suggested I have a bath as it was being used so I decided to give it a go. It was great. Although the contractions were extremely painful, I felt a lot more relaxed between them. I was in the bath for about 1 hour - 12:00pm -1:00pm. I was starting to want something more for the pain - I was so sure I would only be 2-3cm dialated by now and was really starting to get scared that I wouldn't be able to do this. I got Andrew to get a nurse as I was really hurting. The nurses were awesome. They said they'd assess me and then work out what pain relief options I had. They discovered that I was 10cm dialated already. From 1-10 in 1 hour. I was almost relieved cause I knew that the pain I was feeling was worth it. The got me out of the bath and told me it was time to have this baby. From thinking it was happening today to this was totally overwhelming and very exciting.
The nurses couldn't believe how fast it all happened. Of all the women in the delivery rooms, I went from being the one not expected to deliver that day, too the only one they thought that eventually would!!
They took me into a delivery room (around 1:00pm) and got me on the bed. I so thought I would be one of these chicks that gives birth on the floor or on a ball or something but all I wanted to do was lie down. Contractions were excruiciating now. They offered me the gas but I took two sucks and couldn't work out how to use it so I just bit down on the mouthpiece. I kepts asking the midwife how much longer she thought it would be. She just kpet saying "not long now, you're doing great!"
After about 45 mins, Andi (our midwife) told me she could see the baby's head with lots of dark hair. I couldn't believe it. I reached down a felt this little squishy head. That made me so determined to keep going. I was pushing with all my might and after 2 massive pushs, Joel arrived at 2:32pm. They put him straight on my tummy and it took me a couple of seconds to realise he was even there - i was concentrating so hard. But there he was - the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I asked Andrew if it was a boy or girl and we lifted his little leg and let out a sigh of relief. We didn't have to decide on a girls name after all. Andrew cut the cord and then Joel and I snuggled for awhile, while the placenta delivered and they checked me over. Andrew and I were both so overwhelmed and both had a little cry. We were so happy.
They checked Joel over too - he got 9 and 9 on his APGAR tests - so proud of him!!
I was in total shock - I had just given birth, drug free, intervention free and with no issues downstairs!! No stitches needed. Andrew got to have a cuddle as well and I took some piccies of them and then Joel had his first feed. It was a bizarre but beautiful feeling.
After awhile, Andrew went off to make the necessary phone calls and Joel and i spent some time alone together.
Later that day, my parents and sisters came to visit as did Andrew's parents. They were all a little shocked at his early arrival too but totally besotted with him!
Almost 3 weeks later and it's still so fresh in my mind. Some days it still doesn't feel real that I have a child. I feel like I am looking after him for awhile and expecting someone to come and get him any day now - weird huh!!
We are all still doing really well. We have been so blessed by people's generosity towards us - presents for Joel, meals for us, cards galore, flowers. We really are blessed with gorgeous friends and family.
Better wrap this up as the little dude will wake any moment for a feed and it's too hard to type one handed!
If you've got this far, congrats and thanks for letting me share my birth story. Overall a positive experience for a first timer.
Hopefully I can get some newer pics of the little man later and I shall share soon. He's changed so much already in only 3 weeks.
Till next time
