My contractions (or rather twinges) started on my due date November 21st. I didn't get much sleep Monday night and then Tuesday they were still there. I sent Hubby off to work and told him I'd call him if he needed to come home or meet us at the Birth Centre but that I didn't think it was likely. Mum came over and took one look at me and said she wasn't going to go to her meeting and that she would stay with me.
I knew I wanted to stay home for as long as possible and avoid showing up only to be sent home again! Mum was reading her bible constantly (aka The Birth Partner, not sure of author) and wanted to start writing down the contractions and time. Insert trusty iPhone app here and Mum talking about Generation Y and technology and the whole 'in my day'... one of the funnier moments of the day. Steadily the contractions started to get harder to ride out, I highly recommend if you're labouring at home to invest in a fit ball. Luckily I'd bought one for Hubby last Christmas (because he's a bit of an exercise nut) and it was my saviour when I was in the middle of a contraction, I could just drape myself over it and push into it as well (my poor knees got roughed up though). Through pretty much every contraction I was either on my knees over the fit ball/on the couch or leaning pressed into a wall/door frame.
At around 1 I asked Mum to call Hubby and get him to come home (at least I think it was 1 it could have been later!). He had to catch the train back and Mum was a bit worried about leaving me alone to go and get him from the train station but there wasn't much she could do anyway. When they got back I was most likely in the midst of another contraction, they kept coming and getting closer together but we still didn't have anything following that whole 4/5 minute rule. I managed to have a shower and it did help a little bit with the pain but more made my vain side feel better being washed and 'pretty'. The contractions kept coming and were pretty painful by this stage but they weren't fitting the 4/5 minute rule. Thankfully Mum said she thought it would be a good idea to page the midwife. Hubby was kind enough to do that, it's silly but that was one of the things I was most nervous about doing, I guess because I didn't want to be told not to come in. The midwife was fantastic (& continued to be throughout the entire birth, I was very lucky) and Andreas put her on loudspeaker so that she could listen to me through some contractions. After 3 and telling me how to breathe better the midwife told me that if I wanted to come in I could. I thought about it for a few minutes and made up my mind that I wanted to go in (despite being scared they'd want to send me home again). It took a long time to get to the Birth Centre, not only because we didn't live close but more so because I had 3 contractions which decided to piggyback each other just before I left and I had to manage stairs as well!
The car ride wasn't too bad and I kept wondering what passing motorists must be thinking of me. I couldn't really focus on anything else other than pressing a pillow against my belly, especially each time we took a corner. When we finally arrived to meet our midwife I found out I was the only one there which was great, not that I spent any time wandering the halls! We went into our room and I didn't use any of the music I'd planned on using, instead I relied on their CD which was the kind you usually hear playing in beauty spas etc... Except the CD was broken so it didn't wind up being as soothing for me as I would have liked.
The midwife checked me & I was 3cm dilated - I wasn't happy but they weren't going to send me home. Mum told me after it was all over that apparently the midwife thought I could be 5cm but that she didn't want to say that because of something to do with time & how long you could remain at the Birth Centre. I remember being really disappointed by this because I'd been suffering through contractions the whole day and was really hoping that they'd been working towards something - that seemed to really sum up my whole labour experience really lots of hard work and being disappointed because it didn't seem like it was getting me (or specifically Logan) anywhere.
They tried to get me to eat something and I think I managed a few bits of vegemite toast. I quickly wound up naked and in the bathroom (goodbye vain girl from earlier that day!) and I wound up living in there - it's true, the toilet is a girl's best friend to labour on! Hubby and Mum helped me into the shower at one point and the constant hot water on my back helped lots (although the contractions were still very painful!). I remember pressing myself up into the corner of the shower and gripping on to the rail with all my might as I made it through some - it's definitely one of the weirder experiences, especially the places you find yourself being most comfortable during them!
We all tried to have a bit of a sleep (only Hubby succeeded & I don't think I'll let him live that down) and I think before this the topic of morphine was discussed. This was the one thing (along with an epidural) that I really really didn't want. Morphine always makes me feel disgusting and I knew it wasn't good for bubs. Now this is where I'm slightly confused as the morphine conversation could have happened before getting into the shower because I remember I was close to saying yes because I was so tired but instead I asked to use hot water. I also brought up the topic of using gas, I was surprised that no one had raised this before because it was definitely on my birth plan and I kept holding off asking for it because I thought they would want me to only have it close to transition (something I vaguely remember hearing about during our classes). I fell in love with the gas and I don't know why but I kept thinking about Star Trek and mixing it up with Star Wars and I'm not a fanatic about either of these movies! I wound up entertaining everyone but I think Hubby was still sleeping during this. I think during this time our student midwife showed up, Hubby remembers saying hello to her and falling asleep, I remember saying stupid things due to the gas.
Now I had been asking for the bath on & off but they didn't want to start it too early so I think when she next checked me & I was at 6cm I was allowed into the bath and that was bliss. I'd wanted a blow up pool but apparently they are harder to regulate temperature wise and I still wish I could have used it because the actual bath itself wasn't that comfortable. I writhed around like a whale crossed with a sea snake and I'm surprised I didn't break my Mum or Hubby's hands I gripped on to both of them so tightly.
I'll leave it here because Logan has just woken up and also because it starts to get serious at this point. To be continued...
