Our third baby was unplanned. We have decided in two children and after years of assisted conception/IUI and several losses along the way we felt blessed to have our two little boys. So it was a complete and utter surprise when we found out I have fallen pregnant with another baby. Not only was this baby conceived naturally without assistance of any drugs or hormones, but it also happened whilst I was still on breastfeeding out second boy who at the time was 10 months old. Now, I know BFing is not a reliable form of contraception, but who would have thought it would happen like it did especially after having to go through hormone injections and iui the first two times? In any case, it did happen….
From day 1 our eldest boy insisted that he was having a new baby brother. We didn’t tell him about the pregnancy early – he was not even 3 yet and the chances of a m/c were still high considering our history. but he just knew. Funny because as it happened he was also right about the gender (and could not be swayed about the possibility of having a sister throughout the whole pregnancy)
The pregnancy proceeded unremarkably. With the exception of worrying about our higher than expected risk results at 12 week scan for Trisomy 18 (1 in 623) and subsequent wait for 18 week scan to look of soft markers, the remainder of my pregnancy was what my OB would call ‘boring’, which was good as it meant I was allowed to try for another VBAC. We were not 100% certain of due date as early scans showed baby measuring about 4 days ahead of LMP estimated due date (and even further on later scans), but OB was happy to stick to the LMP EDD as it meant I would get extra 4 days to go overdue if needed. Wasn’t really necessary in the end but was nice having that buffer as being VBAC I was not able to be induced so it was either spontaneous labour or c/s.
In terms of VBAC preparation, I wasn’t as organized as with my first VBAC. I knew my body could do it, it has done it with DS2 already and he was a big boy (4.6kg). With two little kids on the loose, I hardly had time to read and research like I did with my first VBAC. I didn’t even get to do any perineum massage. I often forgot to take the EPO in the last few weeks of pregnancy. I did drink RLT but only really cos I liked the taste of it. The one thing I did research was positions for second stage (pushing) as it was looking like this baby was LGA again and predicted to be over 9 pounds during the 36 week growth scan. And I did attend the active yoga classes again for the same reason. I was worried about the pushing stage lasting 2 hours again and shoulder dystocia if baby was bigger than DS2. Even though I didn’t tear last time and only had grazes on my labia, I was worried it may happen. So I decided to speak to my OB about delivering on all 4’s instead of on my back like I did with DS2. Thankfully, he was open to the idea. I also didn’t get a doula this time around – being a surprise pregnancy, it really wasn’t something we had budgeted for so I couldn’t justify spending the extra $1.5K on a doula. I did however find a lovely student MW Sara to help us out.
At 38 weeks pregnant, I was well and truly ‘over’ being pregnant. I was big and uncomfortable and feeling huge and struggling to deal with two kids under 3.5yo. I hated that it was still hot and didn’t like being pregnant over the hottest part of summer. I also despaired as I still haven’t had any niggles that labour might be approaching – by this stage with DS2 I have already had 2 weeks of pre-labour and knew my body was getting ready. Don’t get me wrong – pre-labour is a form of torture and I really hated it, but at least it gives you hope your body is getting ready for birth. This time around, I didn’t have any early niggles which started to worry me. So at 38.5weeks, I started going to acupuncture in hope of inducing the baby naturally and not going overdue.
It didn’t really feel like acupuncture did anything but 2 days after the first session we started getting some pre-labour. Only about 4 hours worth but it was something. The same thing happened for the next 3 nights in a row. Another acupuncture session resulted in having 18 hours of pre-labour contraction on Saturday the 19th. These contractions were between 4 to 8 mins apart and initially I thought it may have been start of labour, getting DH all excited that the baby was coming and he wouldn’t have to go to work on Monday. Until it all fizzled out on Sunday morning despite having a third acupuncture session on Saturday afternoon to keep it going.. Sigh... So on Monday morning after two nights of no contractions, I sent Dh to work. I was having mild period type pains and contractions but they were only 15-20 mins apart and so I knew it was just more pre-labour. All throughout the day I felt ‘off colour’. My tummy felt upset, I felt the need to go to the toilet the whole day. I felt tired and unmotivated and no matter what I did during the day the contractions continued. No rhythm or pattern from 3 to 12 mins apart. Luckily the kids were in childcare as I really didn’t feel like dealing with them and all I wanted to do was sit on the lounge and watch TV the whole day.
I picked up the kids that afternoon, made dinner, Dh came home only to find things haven’t really progressed all that much. We did however put MIL on call to let her know things might be moving and she may get a phone call overnight although considering the variability in strength and spacing of contractions, I didn’t hold my breath anything was going to happen. At about 9 pm I went to bed. I was tired and cranky and figured I might try and get some more rest in case things do ramp up overnight. As expected as soon as I laid down in bed contractions intensified in strength. They continued throughout the night making it very hard work to get any sleep although I did manage to get three or four blocks of about 40 mins long before being woken up with the need t go to the toilet again. Dh was working late, trying to get some stuff finished for a proposal they were doing. Which of course meant he didn’t get to bed till 2 am and was exhausted. At about 4am contractions woke me up yet again and they were 3 to 4mins apart and quite intense. I tried sleeping through but it just wasn’t happening so I came out of the room so I wouldn’t wake Dh and got onto my fit ball in front of the computer thinking that if it’s more pre-labour it will all fizzle out now that I was out of bed. But it didn’t The contractions continued at 3-3.5 mins apart about 60 secs long… At about 6 am, the kids got out of bed and I started getting them ready from childcare. The contractions by now were definitely needing me to concentrate so I was pushing getting the kids ready. Dh got up about 7 am and I told him I didn’t think he’d be going to work today. We decide that he can take th kids to childcare - I wasn’t in a state to be able to drive. The contractions are now 2-3 mins apart and quite painful. And I lose my mucous plug. Whilst he’s gone, I jump online, send a few emails and finish packing my labour bag. I also call the hospital and tell them whats happening. The MW in the labour assessment unit tries to convince me to come in straight away but I don’t feel ready yet. I don’t want to go on the clock to early although I do feel things are moving a lot faster than they did with DS2. I also call our student MW to let her know whats happening.
DH gets home by 8.30am and I comment on how we should be going to the hospital. He suggests waiting another 30 mins to avoid peak hour traffic and also as he wanted to ring his work to let them know whats going on and that he won’t be coming in. He’s on the phone for 30 mins and I keep wishing he’d cut it shorter and we’d go. The contractions have eased a little bit though to about 5 mins apart whilst I’m sitting at the computer and I wonder if it is pre-labour after all. But as soon as I get up and start moving around they intensify in frequency and strength again. Obviously sitting down doesn’t have as good an effect on dilation as standing up and using gravity does! We load the car and head to the hospital at about 9ish. By this stage, the worst of the peak hour traffic has gone. I have a heatbag on my back in the car but I find that during the ride in the contractions have eased off considerably and I only have about 3 in the 20 minute trip in which is kinda disappointing. I comment to DH about how disappointed I’ll be if it’s a false alarm and they tell me I’m only 4 cm dilated. He says not to worry, we can always come back home which is comforting to know.
We arrive at the hospital and DH tries taking us to the drop off area only it’s full there already and we’re not allowed to wait till someone leaves so we’re forced to go to the carpark and then walk back tot eh hospital. I don’t feel like this is an issue due to contractions not being as strong or painful as before, but I should have known that things would change as soon as we walked out to the carpark. The 200m walk from carpark to the ward sees me having another 6 contractions very close together, quite intense. As we walk into the labour assessment area, I have another contractions. We’re asked to sit down on one of the beds and wait till a MW can see us. Our student MW arrives at this time too. We sit there for about 15 mins and wait and I don’t have a single contraction in this time. I think to myself ‘it’s happening again’ – same thing happened with DS2 when we arrived at the hospital – things just slowed down significantly. I don’t know if it’s being out of comfort zone or stage freight or what. My body just stops things when we’re in the hospital environment waiting for assessment. Our student MW suggests that things will ramp up again once we’re in the labour room and I can get comfortable and into my routine again and I am so glad to hear this.
We’re eventually taken into the assessment room by lovely MW Jacquie whom I remember from when DS2 was born. She was the same MW on duty that night in the assessment unit. Pretty cool I think as I had liked her. Our student MW is encouraged to undertake the assessment – BP, bubs HB, position of baby and hook us up to the monitor for 20 mins. Of course, I have to lie down which I don’t want to do but I am a good girl and do as I’m told figuring that if they get a good trace it’s easier for me to negotiate not having continuous monitoring for later stage of labour which is more important to me. I want to be able to move around. The contractions are about 8 mins apart and moderate. We chat for about 30 mins. MW Jacquie comes in again and we agree to do an internal. Our student MW does it initially and says I’m 5 cm dilated, fully effaced and 2/5ths engaged and my heart sinks. Only 5 cm – still a long way to go I think as I mentally prepare myself. It is now about 10 am – we have been at the hospital for about 45 mins and I have been having pre-labour since 6 am the previous morning so total of 28 hours. Although in reality the active labour didn’t start till 4.30am so I can’t really count the previous days work – unofficially I have been in labour for 5.5hours….
MW Jacquie wants to palpitate babys position and as she places her hands on my tummy to do this, I hear a pop and feel a gush of water. Weird as she didn’t put any pressure on it. My waters have officially broken on their own – yay! No need for ARM this time. We agree at this stage to be admitted at the hospital as I say to DH – looks like we’ll be having a baby sometime today. They insist on another 20 mins of monitoring for a trace now that the waters have broken to see if baby is in distress so we stay there until that happens. The contractions start ramping up and they start getting quite intense. Still not regular though – nut are definitely stronger. After about 20-25 mins, another MW, comes in to help us to the labour room. I have just had two contractions in space of 3 mins and I find I have to breathe through them quite a bit. We discuss intermittent monitoring which I had agreed on with my OB and she says she’ll get the equipment once we get to our labour room. She helps me wrap myself up with one of the towels like a sarong and get off the bed and I have another 2 contractions whilst doing that. As soon as I’m off the bed, I feel the need to go to the toilet again. I haven’t been for the last hour and a half. Our student MW asks If I want to wait till we get to labour room or use the facilities across the corridor. I decide I can wait till we’re in the labour room – it’s only 15 m away after all! We walk down the corridor, all the while I feel the baby sliding further down and more pressure in my bowel area. I still can’t believe I’m only 5cm dilated – I feel like I’m further along in this labour than that.
We get into the room, the MW turns around to look for the intermittent monitor and I sit on the toilet. And feel like I need to do a number two. I push a little bit but it doesn’t feel like no 2s coming out and I grunt. Our student MW hears me and asks if I need to push and I say yes, I think the baby is coming. No time to get off and make it to the bed! A towel is thrown on the floor. Our MW asks me to go down on all fours (yes, in my disbelief that it was happening so fast, I have forgotten what the best way to deliver a big baby coming out fast is despite the endless research on the subject!) and as I contract again I feel the burning ring of fire and the babys head crowning. I didn’t even push yet! Quick, DH is told, you can see the baby, but he can’t believe it either (he thought it would take a LOT longer like last time again). Next contraction hits and I find myself pushing without meaning to. The babys head is out and I feel sense of relief. DH comes to my front holds my head, kisses the top of it. He asks something about what I want to do with my glasses and I look at him blankly. Glasses? Huh? I put my hand between my legs and feel the babys head. Another contraction hits and I concentrate on pushing and our newborn baby comes out in one sweeping motion. With the help of the MW I lean backwards into knees on the floor position and swoop our newborn through my legs into my arms. He cries a little and then opens his eyes and is staring at me. OMG, we just had a baby. A second stage of 3 pushes only! And no transition stage – no shakes, no ‘I can’t do this feeling’ like last time.
What did we have, DH asks and I check and announce it’s another boy. He looks so tiny but oh so adorable. We sit there for quite a few minutes waiting for placenta to stop pulsating. It’s the most amazing feeling being able to feel the blood going through the cord whilst your newborn baby is contently sitting skin to skin against your abdomen. I can’t lift him to my breast – the cord doesn’t seem long enough but that’s ok, I am content. On a high, full of adrenaline. In disbelief it had happened so fast. Amazed, thankful, happy. Wondering if the quiet in the contractions intensity when we came into the hospital was in fact the ‘rest and be thankful’ phase before pushing started… If so, perhaps we should have left the house 30 minutes earlier.
The OB didn’t make it in time for the delivery – he walks in several minutes later. I haven’t yet delivered the placenta and they help me get up and carry baby onto the bed. He’s still attached, the cord hasn’t been cut yet. We settle down onto the bed. I’m not getting the urge to push the placenta out so I am given synto. I’m ok with that though considering I had PPH last time and am hoping to avoid it this time. Not even a second after the synto goes in, they pull on the cord and the placenta comes out – does it really work that fast I wonder or was it ready to come out anyway? No matter, it’s out and looking healthy.
They leave us alone for the next hour or so while I try and BF and it’s so lovely to have the peace and quiet in the recovery and reflect on what happened. It was just such a quick labour – from being found to be at start of active phase and 5 cm and waters breaking to delivery was a total of 28 minutes! From leaving the assessment room to delivery it was a total of 3 mins…lol….Amazing considering it was hours with DS2. There was no monitoring in labour, I didn’t even get t pull out my birth plan out of my bag, but even so I got the birth I wanted and I even got to deliver on all fours like I wanted. No drugs, no tears, just some grazes on the labia yet again. It seems that no matter how much I prepare for birth (perineum massage or not) and what position I deliver in I manage to get away with intact perineum and grazes on labia. Oh well. Definitely worth it.
So the details:
Our third gorgeous boy, Blake Thomas was born on 22/3/11 at 10.56am. He weighed in at 4.298kg (9pounds 8 ounces) – so smaller than DS2 was he was also born a week and a half earlier so would have been bigger had he cooked longer. Length of 54cm, his head circumference is only 35 cm (DS2s was 38cm) so it’s probably the reason why he just slid out as quickly as he did. And he’s simply perfect
. I am a little disappointed you didn't get to use Claudia or Natalia but so happy for you with another gorgeous boy. Also in awe of how you carry and deliver such big bubbas!
hehe) 