arrived exactly 2 weeks early at 8.28am on Saturday 27th July, 2002. She weighed in at 7 pounds 10 ounces and was 49.5cms long.
Well, I was thinking....having my 5th baby was going to be even easier than my 4 previous "easy peasy" under 2 hour labours (they just slid out)....well, this one was my hardest and longest, and this time I had to truly labour and for the first time I had to push.
On Friday the 26th July, I woke up feeling different that day....I put my labour bags etc in the back of the 4WD just in case, as I was going to be running around a lot and knowing how quick things happen, thought I had better be prepared.
I took my Kickboxing Class at 12 noon, (instructed) and did extra stretches and was more energetic (I had been deliberately exerting myself a little more all week).
As the day progressed, my usual BH tightenings came with an extra little ache in my cervix.
By Midnight, I was convinced that things would probably start happening before morning and I predicted her birth time to be 6.15am, (I even did up her astrology chart..LOL)
I was too excited to sleep and told DH that if I lie down things might not progress, so I'm just going to stay up and potter around and play on the 'puter.
At 3.00am I decided to ring my MW, I told her that I wasn't sure if I should come in or not, because the ctx were not painful, just coming closer and starting to feel a little more intense in my cervix area....I think I was more concerned of my past history of worrying if I would make it to the Birthing Centre in time...I sure didn't want to have the baby on the way!
We decided to leave home around 4.00am....I rang my eldest daughter, no answer (she was going to come and take some extra footage and photos) and my eldest son I had already spoken to just before midnight (he was having a sleepover and decided not to come if things were happening).
So at 4.05am Romeo and I piled Jacinta and Julius the two youngest into the 4WD where I had left all my labour bags etc. SIL Maria came too!
We checked into the BC at 4.15am and had first obs done at 4.25am and as expected, I was nearly fully dilated.
It was like once I was relaxed and set up....Oils burning, Music playing, Kids happy and having fun, Maria Videoing and doing the photographs etc (my last belly pic)...things started to happen.
Those ctx were now 4 in 10 by 5.00am, (they just hit all of sudden) I was very relaxed and calm having a wonderful time with my family and the MW. I was sitting on the fit ball riding the ctx, and Jacinta and I were doing her Ballet plie's...we had to laugh, I did a plie with her and then my water broke...LOL that was around 6.30am, by then I was fully dilated.
I had asked the MW to check me, because it seemed like I was in transition....and because I usually don't get the pushing urge, I needed to know if the head was coming down....Well, her head wasn't quite down....MW wanted to check with the portable U/S that her head was still down (and make sure she wasn't breech)...I knew it was....since the ECV I had felt different, I actually thought she was Posterior (face up) The MW checked and sure enough head was down, but she said altho' her HB was good, it was difficult to hear!
Anyway, I was doing a little dance and swinging my hips, nothing was really happening, and I was expecting her to slide out any moment....whooooo hoooo, then they hit, another wave of ctx's right on top of each other....over the bean bag I went on the bed, kneeling over while Romes and MW were rubbing my back and encouraging me to bear down.
I swear I felt like my hips were being stretched apart and the backs of my thighs were shaking in pain....I felt like my baby was going to come out of my bottom....So I used this to focus....I imagined I was doing a big #2 and I started to breath her down.....I could feel everytime I got her head down a little further, when I had to take in more air....her head would come back up again....a little like '1 step forward and 3 backward' all the way...I could hear my DH and SIL and MW encouraging me, I felt inside for her head, they kept saying nearly there, MW got the torch and mirror out to show Jacinta the head coming down....!
Then SIL Maria, said nearly there, keep going, so I was gently panting to keep her head coming out and not popping back in....I just knew I had to work harder, then Maria said 'She has loads of lovely dark hair' and I felt her head again....I decided I was going to give it my all.....and I pushed slowly but deeply until her widest part was out, then her head just slipped out and the rest of her followed with a swoosh.
What a relief, so beautiful....she was covered in vernix.....the MW wrote in her notes Vernix +++++ and why all the pain and longer labour....Well, YES...she was posterior, she was face to pubis. She BF straight away, and you can see her first attempt on the tape....she is bobbing her head up and down toward my boob...LOL
I know I'm extremely lucky, and I shouldn't complain about a 4 hour 25mins labour as I've heard terrible stories of forceps and all kinds of horrid things to deliver Posterior babes.
I'm so glad I didn't have any interference!
I really don't think I'll forget the pain I went through this time....it really was very intense....I remember, leaning over that bean bag saying "HELP ME" "HELP" I had a few moments of "OH NO, this is way too much pain, I want to get off here" ....LOL
I'll post pics soon, still have a few shots left in the camera....Maria took fantastic video footage of the birth, I had to watch it a few times to let it all sink in.
I'm really happy that we got it all on tape, and I managed to look quite graceful and glamorous this time.
I couldn't believe how relaxed and calm and happy it all looked on tape....I still can't believe that's me on video!
Guess What...?
I'm officially naked on the internet...LOL LMAO
I've uploaded birth pics to the photo gallery of Zsabella's Baby Page.
I can't believe I did it.
Well, I guess that makes me an exhibitionist now! LOL
https://www.babiesonline.com/babies/z/zsabella/
Scroll down and click on Photo Gallery!
