At 38 weeks and 6 days at 10pm, I went into the hospital to get checked. I had reduced movements, but bubs started kicking when I was there.
They called in the obstetrician on call as I had been in quite a bit. I was very nervous and scared my whole pregnancy as we had a miscarriage before this pregnancy. She did an ultrasound and said all is well then decided to book me in for induction at 39 weeks and 3 days. My obstetrician told me if I go into natural labour on my own between now and then and if my waters break I have to go straight in as I was GBS positive and needed antibiotics before this baby is delivered.
All my nerves and worries went out the window as I had a date this baby was going to be born and I could be organised. My husband (Jason) and I went home and went to bed. I woke at 1:30am, I was 39 weeks exactly, I don't even know why I woke I just woke up sitting in bed. I thought I may as well go to the toilet as I would wake soon anyway to go like every other night going multiple times during the night. I stood up out of bed and felt a 'pop'! I was in shock. I ran to our bathroom, my waters broke, and it was like in the movies a big bucket splashed everywhere. I went to the toilet and realised it was my waters as the consistency and it was slimy all the things I was told to look out for. I then yelled out for Jason, and he jumped out of bed quick smart and thought I was joking that my waters broke.
My adrenaline was going through the roof, and I was excited, Jason then was freaking out and didn't know what to do. I hopped in the shower and was on the phone to my mum and sister telling them to hurry and come. I want them to be here for the birth of the first grandchild in the family because they live a 3-hour drive away. Jason kept telling me to get off the phone and get organised.
I got out of the shower, while my waters kept leaking. I had to mop my bathroom floor before I left for the hospital, which made Jason freak out more as he thought we were going to have the baby right here right now haha. I started to get a sore lower back which was the start of my contractions.
We got in the car. It was a 15 to 20 minute drive up the freeway to the hospital. I got to the hospital and stepped out of the car, and another big gush of my waters poured out again. I went into the emergency department and was put into a wheelchair to be taken up to the maternity ward. I stood up from the wheelchair, and again my waters poured out, I was shocked how much was in there.
I was in active labour at 2:30am. I laboured really well, and it was all going to plan until around 6 hours in it all stopped, no more contractions. The midwives decided to put the oxytocin drip on to kick start it all again. All went well again, turning the drip up every 30 mins, contractions were getting stronger, and I felt more pain.
I remember Jason checking out the CTG machine and rating all my contractions saying "WOW look how high that one went". Hours and hours went by, my mum, sister and mother in law were at the hospital most of the time coming in and out. It's amazing if you focus on your breathing through the contractions and rest when there isn't any, how you can get through them.
The midwives attached a heart monitor to the top of bubs head as they couldn't read her heart rate clear enough of the tummy monitors, they did it 3 times as it wouldn't stick! Now that was uncomfortable.
After around 16 hours of active labour, I started to get back to back contractions and just couldn't breathe through them anymore. I needed pain relief. I went in with the mindset of having no pain relief only if I was desperate and needed it. I requested gas, and I couldn't cope with it as every breath in and out I was using the gas and getting no downtime.
My body then went into shock, and I couldn't stop shaking; it was the strangest feeling I had ever felt. The midwives checked to see how far dilated I was, I was only 4 centimetres. My heart dropped, all that pain, contractions and time and I was only 4 cms!
I decided I needed something more so I could breathe and relax. I requested an epidural. 10 minutes went by, and the doctor came and gave me the epidural. It took 3 goes as I couldn't sit in the correct position as the contractions weren't stopping to give me a break. Finally, when it went in, I clicked the little button twice and ended up nodding off for 20 mins only to be woken by the midwives saying you're at 10 cms now time to push! I could still feel my feet and my upper stomach but took 99% of the pain away.
All my body needed was to relax a little bit so it could do what its suppose to do! I was pushing for about 10 mins, and bubs heart rate kept going down each time I pushed.
They stopped me and got the head midwife in. I remember looking around, and there were about 5 midwives. One head midwife, my obstetrician, Jason and my mum. They were keeping an eye on her heart rate while I was pushing, the obstetrician decided to get the vacuum and came back. We decided to see if I pushed once more if bubs would come out. The obstetrician decided to give me an episiotomy. If bub didn't come, then use the vacuum straight away as she was getting distressed during the pushing.
My daughter came straight out with the first push after getting the episiotomy. 8:36pm my daughter was here, straight onto my chest.
I can honestly say as soon as your baby is out and on your chest, it's the most amazing un-describable feeling you will ever feel. All the worries, stress and pain throughout my pregnancy and my labour was worth every second!
After birth I was a bit out of it as I was so tired and drained, I remember I kept on passing out and after skin to skin asking someone to take my daughter as I didn't have the strength to hold her anymore, proud dad was more than happy to give her the first cuddle!
I remember the midwives jumping and pumping my stomach, which hurt, but they had to stop my postpartum hemorrhage. I ended up losing two litres of blood.
Even after 18 hours of active labour, I said straight away I could do it all over again. It's the most amazing experience ever!
