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My Homebirth Story
Also in September, sorry its quite long.
Well where to start, I had a sweep on Friday the 25th of September and was in agony all that night and lost my plug on the Sunday, I had tried walking, bouncing on my ball to induce labour and took Raspberry Leaf capsules since 34 weeks gradually increasing my dosage every 2 weeks. I hate curry and pineapple so they were never going to happen, castor oil was a big fat NO and sex was tried on numerous occasions but to no avail.
By Monday the 28th I was getting my head around being induced, not having my home birth and staying in hospital. My idea of hell I'll tell ya. But I never thought this little lady wanted to come and couldn't cope with being pregnant any longer (heartburn and sickness was killing me). We had a good clean through the house, put the crib in the bedroom - it had been in the dining room for 2 weeks and generally made sure the house was sorted, why it took us to 41+3 to realise everything was upside down I'll never know. That night we fell asleep with Tess (our dog) on the bed and she isn't normally allowed in the house at night due to toilet training issues but she was a star and just snuggled up all night with us.
L got up for work at 4:45am and I just rolled over and went back to sleep once he had gone with Tess still snuggled up with me. I woke up at 08:40am having a really horrible period pain that built up and then went off and I kind of knew then this was it, but waited for another one while texting Leon to say I think something's happening but not to say anything or do anything yet and I'd let him know. I had another one at 08:50 and 08:58 and then 09:06 lasting 38 seconds on average (contraction master is fab), I still wasn't too sure what was going on but knew something was, I rang L and told him and he asked me to ring midwife so he didn't come home unnecessarily after a couple of hospital false alarms etc. So I rang Ann Marie at half 9 (my community midwife from day 1 who was a little reluctant at first regarding home birth but supported me after explaining my fears and anxieties relating to Rotherham Hospital) she asked me to keep timing them, take some paracetamol (!) and to ring her back if they got to between 3-5 minutes.
Within half an hour they were every 3 minutes and lasting 1 minute and I rang L and told him to come home, he was on the phone to me all the way home and was timing me as contraction master went out of the window at this point as I couldn't keep still during them and kept forgetting to stop the bloody thing. After 2.5 minutes he'd say -your due one in a second' and sure enough I'd have one almost straight away. When he got home at 11 we carried on with contraction master him doing it not me obviously, they were coming more like every 2 minutes lasting 1 minute. I rang Ann Marie back and told her they were every 3 minutes at most and getting worse. I was crawling round the living room floor on a old duvet and leaning over my ball and L rubbing my back when I needed it, oh yeah baby girl was back to back and the contraction were in my back and front!!!! Pleasant - NOT!!!!
She said she'd be 15-20 minutes but was nearly 50 minutes and did my obs, BP was fine, pulse fine, baby's heartbeat was fab and I was 3cm at this point at 12:45pm. She said she'd re-do the internal at 16:45 and I'd probably dilate and 1cm an hour!! I was also loosing some waters with every contraction but not much. Ann Marie said she was shocked at how calm I was, but I was being polite because before she got there I was swearing, screaming and begging L for an epidural during every contraction but was still to aware of everything so was behaving in company.
She then left to get gas and air and sort out with the hospital for homebirth and things, she mixed me some aromatherapy oils for a bath and some massage oil too in case I wanted L to massage my back. I was still a bit prudey at this point and didn't even want to get in the bath with her there lol. Was in the bath and pouring the oily water over me when contracting which was nice for bit, I also spoke to my friend at this point and let her know I was in labour as she was going on honeymoon the next day. But the contractions were still every 2 minutes and getting worse so I got out as the water was doing my head in, and I was all gloopy from the oil.
L got me out and back in my big t shirt and pants and I was on the bed now, and screaming with every contraction as they were agonizing now and I was struggling to manage without anything, the pain in my back was horrendous, I'd had a hot water bottle too since L got home and this was amazing on the back pain but I needed it scalding me to feel it by now. I was also falling off to sleep in between contractions and hadn't eaten anything so was feeling a little weak and dizzy.
I got L to ring Ann Marie at 14:45pm as I was really struggling and needed something to help me through them and knew I wouldn't be long. She arrived around 15:15pm to hear me screaming on the street as we had the bedroom windows open!! Will be staying in for a while not facing the neighbours just yet!!! and got me on the gas and air which was fab for concentrating on and not focusing just on the pain which was now in my bum. Very odd sensation. I was also telling L how much I loved him over and over.
I was starting to bear down with my contractions and Ann Marie was quite shocked how quickly it had come to that and made me concentrate on not pushing just yet and need to check my dilation again at 15:45, L was really helping me concentrate on breathing at this point with the gas and air (first bottle was gone in about 10 minutes lol) the internal was so painful and I was 8cm. So 5cm in 3 hours!! L just said to me that's only 2 left and I was so happy!!
I was really struggling not to push at this point and did poo myself but in all honesty you just don't care and the midwifes just get rid of it, the second midwife arrived and it was the one I'd spoke to when I'd had my car accident and she asked if I remembered her and I was just like yes just get this baby out of me NOW!!!! They asked me how I wanted to have her, on my side, back, or all fours. I was on my side at this point and had been on all fours all morning, the pain had moved out of my back though so went with my back but I just said -as soon as possible' when they asked me how I wanted her!!! I couldn't move though as I was contracting almost all the time but just threw myself onto my back and was ready to push.
This was 16:45, the time I should have been having my internal check thingy but I was ready to push instead, Ann Marie asked me to push on my next pain which I did and she said I was doing it perfectly and to keep doing it that way about 3 big ones with each contraction. So that what I did for the next 3 contractions and listened to her all the way through as to when to push and pant. L was also reiterating what she was saying so that made it easier as sometimes I only heard his voice. On the 4th one she crowned and her head was out, she had the cord around her twice but not tightly and then her body was out and she was on my tummy.
It was the most exhilarating feeling, I trusted my body the amazing people around me and had an amazing labour and birth, I believe the Raspberry Leaf helped to make my uterus stronger and contractions more effective.
I had some small tears around the top part and some internal and grazing but nothing of concern (to anyone else) so no stitches (whoop) I believe listening to the midwife when to push helped a lot. I had the injection for the placenta and L cut the cord even though all along he said he wouldn't. The placenta wasn't coming away and I was panicking they'd have to take me in, so after 20 minutes I had a urge to push, I'd also been given some jasmine oil to sniff to help it too, I pushed and it came out with my waters!!! They never went which was odd as it seems like its one of those things you expect to signify labour.
Baby Elana Jorge Roden was born at 5pm on the 29/09/09 weighing 8lb 3oz, she looks like her daddy and has his temperament too so far very chilled and laid back. I'm so lucky to have had the birth I wanted and the support of the midwifes. My birth partner was fantastic and only annoyed me once or twice when he left to get me more water. Ladies don't forget to have straws handy, couldn't have coped without them. I feel like I've been hit by a bus between my legs but on a total high.
xxxxxx
Well where to start, I had a sweep on Friday the 25th of September and was in agony all that night and lost my plug on the Sunday, I had tried walking, bouncing on my ball to induce labour and took Raspberry Leaf capsules since 34 weeks gradually increasing my dosage every 2 weeks. I hate curry and pineapple so they were never going to happen, castor oil was a big fat NO and sex was tried on numerous occasions but to no avail.
By Monday the 28th I was getting my head around being induced, not having my home birth and staying in hospital. My idea of hell I'll tell ya. But I never thought this little lady wanted to come and couldn't cope with being pregnant any longer (heartburn and sickness was killing me). We had a good clean through the house, put the crib in the bedroom - it had been in the dining room for 2 weeks and generally made sure the house was sorted, why it took us to 41+3 to realise everything was upside down I'll never know. That night we fell asleep with Tess (our dog) on the bed and she isn't normally allowed in the house at night due to toilet training issues but she was a star and just snuggled up all night with us.
L got up for work at 4:45am and I just rolled over and went back to sleep once he had gone with Tess still snuggled up with me. I woke up at 08:40am having a really horrible period pain that built up and then went off and I kind of knew then this was it, but waited for another one while texting Leon to say I think something's happening but not to say anything or do anything yet and I'd let him know. I had another one at 08:50 and 08:58 and then 09:06 lasting 38 seconds on average (contraction master is fab), I still wasn't too sure what was going on but knew something was, I rang L and told him and he asked me to ring midwife so he didn't come home unnecessarily after a couple of hospital false alarms etc. So I rang Ann Marie at half 9 (my community midwife from day 1 who was a little reluctant at first regarding home birth but supported me after explaining my fears and anxieties relating to Rotherham Hospital) she asked me to keep timing them, take some paracetamol (!) and to ring her back if they got to between 3-5 minutes.
Within half an hour they were every 3 minutes and lasting 1 minute and I rang L and told him to come home, he was on the phone to me all the way home and was timing me as contraction master went out of the window at this point as I couldn't keep still during them and kept forgetting to stop the bloody thing. After 2.5 minutes he'd say -your due one in a second' and sure enough I'd have one almost straight away. When he got home at 11 we carried on with contraction master him doing it not me obviously, they were coming more like every 2 minutes lasting 1 minute. I rang Ann Marie back and told her they were every 3 minutes at most and getting worse. I was crawling round the living room floor on a old duvet and leaning over my ball and L rubbing my back when I needed it, oh yeah baby girl was back to back and the contraction were in my back and front!!!! Pleasant - NOT!!!!
She said she'd be 15-20 minutes but was nearly 50 minutes and did my obs, BP was fine, pulse fine, baby's heartbeat was fab and I was 3cm at this point at 12:45pm. She said she'd re-do the internal at 16:45 and I'd probably dilate and 1cm an hour!! I was also loosing some waters with every contraction but not much. Ann Marie said she was shocked at how calm I was, but I was being polite because before she got there I was swearing, screaming and begging L for an epidural during every contraction but was still to aware of everything so was behaving in company.
She then left to get gas and air and sort out with the hospital for homebirth and things, she mixed me some aromatherapy oils for a bath and some massage oil too in case I wanted L to massage my back. I was still a bit prudey at this point and didn't even want to get in the bath with her there lol. Was in the bath and pouring the oily water over me when contracting which was nice for bit, I also spoke to my friend at this point and let her know I was in labour as she was going on honeymoon the next day. But the contractions were still every 2 minutes and getting worse so I got out as the water was doing my head in, and I was all gloopy from the oil.
L got me out and back in my big t shirt and pants and I was on the bed now, and screaming with every contraction as they were agonizing now and I was struggling to manage without anything, the pain in my back was horrendous, I'd had a hot water bottle too since L got home and this was amazing on the back pain but I needed it scalding me to feel it by now. I was also falling off to sleep in between contractions and hadn't eaten anything so was feeling a little weak and dizzy.
I got L to ring Ann Marie at 14:45pm as I was really struggling and needed something to help me through them and knew I wouldn't be long. She arrived around 15:15pm to hear me screaming on the street as we had the bedroom windows open!! Will be staying in for a while not facing the neighbours just yet!!! and got me on the gas and air which was fab for concentrating on and not focusing just on the pain which was now in my bum. Very odd sensation. I was also telling L how much I loved him over and over.
I was starting to bear down with my contractions and Ann Marie was quite shocked how quickly it had come to that and made me concentrate on not pushing just yet and need to check my dilation again at 15:45, L was really helping me concentrate on breathing at this point with the gas and air (first bottle was gone in about 10 minutes lol) the internal was so painful and I was 8cm. So 5cm in 3 hours!! L just said to me that's only 2 left and I was so happy!!
I was really struggling not to push at this point and did poo myself but in all honesty you just don't care and the midwifes just get rid of it, the second midwife arrived and it was the one I'd spoke to when I'd had my car accident and she asked if I remembered her and I was just like yes just get this baby out of me NOW!!!! They asked me how I wanted to have her, on my side, back, or all fours. I was on my side at this point and had been on all fours all morning, the pain had moved out of my back though so went with my back but I just said -as soon as possible' when they asked me how I wanted her!!! I couldn't move though as I was contracting almost all the time but just threw myself onto my back and was ready to push.
This was 16:45, the time I should have been having my internal check thingy but I was ready to push instead, Ann Marie asked me to push on my next pain which I did and she said I was doing it perfectly and to keep doing it that way about 3 big ones with each contraction. So that what I did for the next 3 contractions and listened to her all the way through as to when to push and pant. L was also reiterating what she was saying so that made it easier as sometimes I only heard his voice. On the 4th one she crowned and her head was out, she had the cord around her twice but not tightly and then her body was out and she was on my tummy.
It was the most exhilarating feeling, I trusted my body the amazing people around me and had an amazing labour and birth, I believe the Raspberry Leaf helped to make my uterus stronger and contractions more effective.
I had some small tears around the top part and some internal and grazing but nothing of concern (to anyone else) so no stitches (whoop) I believe listening to the midwife when to push helped a lot. I had the injection for the placenta and L cut the cord even though all along he said he wouldn't. The placenta wasn't coming away and I was panicking they'd have to take me in, so after 20 minutes I had a urge to push, I'd also been given some jasmine oil to sniff to help it too, I pushed and it came out with my waters!!! They never went which was odd as it seems like its one of those things you expect to signify labour.
Baby Elana Jorge Roden was born at 5pm on the 29/09/09 weighing 8lb 3oz, she looks like her daddy and has his temperament too so far very chilled and laid back. I'm so lucky to have had the birth I wanted and the support of the midwifes. My birth partner was fantastic and only annoyed me once or twice when he left to get me more water. Ladies don't forget to have straws handy, couldn't have coped without them. I feel like I've been hit by a bus between my legs but on a total high.
xxxxxx
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Replies
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Im looking forward to my home birth but absoloutely petrified as well! lol
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Thank you for sharing your story!
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