"The Birth of Ruben – Friday 13th November 2009
Ruben’s birth and labour couldn’t have been any more different to Freddie’s...
DH went to work at 7am Thursday morning and literally as he turned the key in the lock I had the first ‘Braxton Hick’ of the day (although soon proved to be proper contractions!). They came every hour until about 10am then started coming every 30 minutes. They weren’t painful at this point but were definitely noticeable although I just kept telling myself not to get excited. So I patiently observed them without actually getting my hopes up that this was it.
At midday I had the first mildly painful contraction and they carried on like this, every half hour right up until about 5pm. Sat watching Christmas DVDs with DS to pass the time, still not thinking anything would come of it – I knew I was in labour with Freddie as I was woken up by really painful contractions so had no idea what early labour felt like.
DH got home around 6pm and we had tea. Contractions still weren’t very painful so we all went to bed. Thankfully Freddie dropped off to sleep without too much hassle, DH and I passed the time watching TV until about 11pm when I was getting restless after having irregular, quite painful contractions (anywhere between 1 minute and 40 minutes apart!). We went downstairs to have a cup of tea and the contractions started causing quite a bit of pain and I had to breathe through them. They were 15 minutes apart, then went to 10 minutes, then eventually got to every 4-6 minutes at about 2am. Had a bath but stayed in for about 5 minutes maximum as I couldn’t sit due to pain on my cervix from the contractions – by now I was getting the bearing down feeling too.
Rang the hospital at about 2:15am and explained the contractions were irregular but I was starting to need some pain relief and they said I could go in to be checked but to be aware I would be sent home if I wasn’t in established labour – they were thinking that as the contractions were so irregular, I wasn’t in proper labour. How wrong could you be!
DH went and got the car and loaded the bags and car seat. I had a massive contraction while just getting in the car and I’m sure the neighbours must have thought something bad was happening out in the street – I was sounding like a distressed cow! The journey takes half an hour and I had strong painful contractions every 4 minutes all the way there but with no pain relief, I just mooed through them. Had another in the car park in front of a car of teenagers (!) and another in the corridor of the maternity ward. Got to the ward at 3am and thankfully the midwives now took me seriously – they thought I was about to give birth any second and wanted me in a delivery suite immediately. Had to give a wee sample first and the midwife asked me if I’d had any further contractions since coming in – yes, but only a mild one while on the loo. So she now wanted me in the side ward to be examined first. (Make up your mind!)
Got ushered into the ward, with all the other ladies breathing and moaning through contractions and was shown to the same bed I had when in labour with Freddie. Midwife came after a very short wait and examined me – 7cm dilated! DH and I couldn’t believe it. Got moved immediately to a delivery suite at 3:45am and got stuck into the gas and air... heaven!
Contractions started getting really strong at about 4:30am and by 5:30am I was breaking poor DH’s hand! The midwife was feeling my stomach as I was contracting and getting DH to do the same to feel the strength of them – it was lovely as she really involved DH in the labour and the birth whereas last time he was pretty much ignored through the whole thing. Midwife kept asking if I wanted any more pain relief and I kept declining – biting on the gas and air mouthpiece was giving me something to focus on through the pain!
I agreed to be examined again at 5:55am but I was still only 7cm although the head had come right down. I had my waters broken at 6:05am to move things along but the head was so far down, hardly anything came out. Contractions got stronger though and midwife wanted me to try and go for a wee and keep upright. DH left to get a ticket for the car parking (which thankfully was only 30 seconds from the ward) and then midwife left the room. I managed to get off the bed, intending on going to the loo as requested but a powerful contraction took over and all I could do was hang onto the bed for dear life – my body pushed, taking me by surprise, and my bladder and bowels opened for themselves while I dropped the gas and air and fell backwards to the floor. It was dark as I had the lights low, midwife and DH had just left and I was on my own with baby coming and no stomach muscles to be able to scream for help – to say I was petrified is an understatement. After three attempts to call for help I managed somehow to literally scream ‘help me, help me’ and midwife and DH came rushing back in with another midwife to help with the delivery. I was pulled onto the bed and within about 4 more pushes at 6:19am Ruben’s head was out. DH was watching, telling me he could see his head while midwife was telling me to push to get the rest of him out. Well, what a great time for my contractions to seem to disappear! Felt like forever (but was actually only 1 minute) before I got a hint of one and forced his body out on it, along with the rest of the waters. Ruben pooed just as he came out and his head and face was all swollen and grazed from my pubic bone and his super fast dive through my birth canal!
7cm to 10cm dilated in 15 minutes.
The placenta was delivered three minutes later and I ended up with a 1st degree tear which only needed stitches as I had torn into a blood vessel which wouldn’t stop bleeding. Only lost 400ml of blood this time as opposed to 800ml with Freddie, so felt much better after the delivery and could breathe.
So all in all, I couldn’t have wished for a better labour and birth.
1st stage: 2 hrs 45 mins
2nd stage: 5 mins
3rd stage: 3 mins
Total labour: 2 hrs 53 mins
Onset of established labour (since admission): 03:30
Fully dilated: 06:15
Pushing commenced: 06:15
Head delivered: 06:19
Baby delivered: 06:20
End of third stage: 06:23
Ruben was born weighing 7lb 12 oz, 55cm long and head circumference 33cm. Apgar scores of 8, 9 and then 9."
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