Amelia is here - birth story (PIP)

fish000 · February 2012

Also a Team Green gone Pink story!

I had my baby Amelia last Thursday 23 Feb after a 28 hour labour. She was 9 days overdue (due Valentine's Day).

I was booked in for an induction on Friday 24th Feb but baby Amelia had other plans. I woke up on Wed morning at 1am feeling like I had a bad stomach ache, but couldn't go. I couldn't fall back asleep either so sat on the couch to check out what the pain was. It just felt like a bad stomach/bowel ache with some discomfort in the front of my pelvic area (like period pains). It slowly over about an hour felt worse, and I started feeling it in my lower back too. At about 2am I woke H and told him I thought something was happening. I didn't feel right. He got up and helped me time them. They were irregular but averaging 5-6 mins apart. The problem was that they were 5 mins apart, but some were 9 mins, others were 3 mins. It was all over the place. I called L&D and they said to just wait at home until they were regularly 5 mins apart, and to just check in with them every couple of hours. My contractions started getting stronger but still not regular. So frustrating for me because I was starting to get really really uncomfortable. By about 4pm on Wed I called L&D again and said I really felt like I needed to come in. I mostly wanted to be around people who knew what to do! Because I was getting pretty nervous with the unknown. Contractions were getting longer and stronger, so L&D got me to come in. Just as I was getting ready to get into the car to head down there, I had my bloody show. Lucky I was still at home.

Once at the hospital my OB came to see me and broke my waters for me. He said that would regulate my contractions, but also bring the contractions on stronger. I was 3cm dilated.

Boy, did the contractions sky rocket then! They were much stronger and painful. I was in serious discomfort and started on the gas. After a few more hours on the gas, my OB came to check me again and I was only 4cm. Hardly any progress for all that pain.

I tried to bear it all for another couple of hours until about 11pm when my contractions were so severe and right on top of one another that I was starting to hallucinate (the midwife had cranked the gas for me) and lose touch with reality. It was unlike any pain I had ever experienced. I asked for an epidural. My OB agreed it was best because I just wasn't dilating very fast and getting exhausted. The anaesthetist came in about 30mins later and within about 10 mins I had the sweet relief of that epidural. OMG ladies, do yourselves a favour and get the epidural. I am asking for it straight away for any future babies, that is for certain. I even got 2 hours sleep after that...while dilating!

The epidural actually then sped up my dilation. By 4am I was at 9cm. My OB came back at 4.30am and I started pushing. I was getting a fever and my heart rate was high and so was baby's, so my OB decided to assist the delivery with the vacuum. It only took about 3 contractions to push her out with the help of that vacuum. She was born at 5am.

She was a whopping 8lb15. 54.5cm long and head circumference of 37cm. Ouch.

She is doing great. I'm just a little sore down there, but other than that feeling great!

Picture in my signature is Amelia 1 day old.