Going 6 days overdue was pretty much the last thing I expected in this pregnancy. I was much more concerned about going into labour early (I started to panic when I hadn't packed my hospital bag at 36 weeks). Right up until I hit my due date I thought labour could start at any moment, thinking if Milo was pretty much on time and Henry was 4 days early, there's no way I would go overdue...but apparently third babies are notoriously unpredictable.
So as July 4th (my due date) passed and nothing happened, I started to get more and more impatient - and more anxious as our carefully laid childcare plans for Milo and Henry started to unravel (we were determined not to have a repeat of what happened with Henry). The next few days felt incredibly long and I became more and more uncomfortable while I analysed every little twinge and movement for signs labour was about to start. Finally on Tuesday night (July 9th) from about 10pm I felt some definite contraction-like pains at about 20 minute intervals. I warned Nick that labour could be starting while I alternated between feeling that 20 minutes was far to long between contractions to worry, and knowing how quickly it escalated with Henry so slightly anxious that we may need to go to the hospital at any moment.
While Nick got some sleep I kept timing contractions which became more and more sporadic - from 20 minutes to 7 minutes to 13 minutes... Finally at about 2am they must have subsided and I got a couple of hours sleep. At 4am I woke suddenly with a contraction and after timing a few coming in at between about 6 and 13 minute intervals and feeling much stronger than before, I thought it was time to call the hospital. The midwife I spoke to was fairly non-committal - and probably with good reason (I was still pretty unsure at this stage too). Contractions are generally consistent and become closer together but mine were still pretty random. However given what had happened with Henry she agreed that coming in was probably the best option.
Nick started placing some calls - Andy first as he was closest, and Bron and Sophie second as Sophie best knew the boys' routine for the morning. Andy and Bella arrived soon after and Bron and Sophie just a few minutes behind them. Nick and I then headed off to hospital and arrived a bit after 5.30am (having unfortunately woken Henry who wasn't happy with us leaving but soon got over it with so many people to give him attention.) By 6am (after a bit of Medicare admin) I was in a room in the Family Birth Centre and we were kind of just waiting to see what happened. At 7am the morning shift midwives from the Birth Centre started and given I wasn't looking much like I was in labour, there was a bit of talk about us being sent home again, or at least being sent off to walk around the hospital for a while. I was really not keen on either option.
A bit after 8am the midwife offered me a stretch and sweep hoping to bring on more definite signs of labour. On examination she discovered I was 5cm dilated - obviously far more advanced than she expected (which is consistent with my other pregnancies - with both Milo and Henry I also surprised the midwives with how far along I was). Once I confirmed that we wouldn't be sent home, we got ready for the action to start. At this point they also (after a few attempts) inserted a cannula into my arm for antibiotics (I had tested positive to Group B Strep at 36 weeks pregnant - interestingly a test they don't even do in the UK).
My contractions were still irregular (and actually would never really become regular) and I soon realised it was moving around that brought them on. Of course the midwives were encouraging me to move around to progress the labour and even tried to get me in the shower but I refused. I sat on the birthing ball for a while but that brought on contractions and didn't help to ease the pain. I ended up standing next to the bed and not really moving. At least I was standing up (the Birth Centre is all about 'active labour') but I was moving as little as possible...
Unfortunately there was a baby trying to get out so the contractions continued - irregular in both interval and strength. I had a student midwife with me (I've had one at all 3 pregnancies - although this one, Brenda, was an older women with 3 grown up children) and she was rubbing my back during the contractions which helped a lot, but by far the best thing she did was hold my hips on either side during a contraction which alleviated the pain significantly. From that point on I made Nick do the same (while the midwife rubbed my lower back) - he stood behind me and pushed my hips together and up slightly. Apparently he was using all his strength to do this and was worried about hurting me, but the only thing I felt was some relief from the massive pressure on my hips and pelvis (my hips had been causing me quite a bit of pain for a few weeks, particularly at night).
Just as the midwife started talked about the 'transitional phase', the pain escalated considerably and the transitional phase was upon us. I tried kneeling on the floor but I wasn't comfortable as I was still having to hold myself up so I got back onto the bed...which caused the contractions to pretty much stop. This made me happy, but the midwives not so much. I remember looking at the clock around this time and it was 11am - and I told myself that it couldn't possibly take more than an hour to get this baby out and that's all I needed to get through, so I just had to deal with it for another hour. That said, I was staying as still as I could to avoid bringing on contractions, while at the same time knowing it was only the contractions that would end this agony. Quite the conundrum.
An aside about pain relief: This time around I hadn't even written a birth plan, knowing how far from reality they tend to be. So I hadn't even really considered my pain relief options. It had only been at the 39 week appointment that I had asked about it (not knowing what was available to me in a Birth Centre in Australia) but apart from never considering an epidural (just can't be doing with a big needle in my spine) I hadn't thought about what I did want. During labour no one offered up pain relief but after a few of the first really painful contractions I thought to ask for gas and air. So I used that for a while and it helped a bit. And then I just forgot about pain relief. Bizarrely. Because I was in a lot of pain. I could have asked for pethidine (similar to the diamorphine I had with Milo) but never thought to ask. Like Henry, I wasn't deliberately trying for a natural birth, but I just forgot to request it even when it got really really painful - although at that point I would be have been too far progressed for it to be an option.
So as I laid on the bed trying to avoid the inevitable, Nick and the two midwives stood around waiting patiently for something to happen. My waters still hadn't broken at this point and I asked about them being broken to speed up proceedings, but the midwife wasn't keen. Her concern was if she broke the membranes and there was meconium in the waters (not uncommon in overdue pregnancies) then they would have to transfer me to the labour ward. From my point of view I wasn't going anywhere - I [subconsciously] knew I wasn't far from giving birth and there was absolutely no way I was getting off the bed so I didn't like their chances (and said as much). I found this kind of amusing. Fortunately my waters broke spontaneously soon after (at 11.20 according to the birth summary) and although there was some meconium in the waters, they agreed moving me was not an option.
A few more intensely painful contractions later, and our beautiful baby girl arrived at 11.31am. She was immediately put on my chest and just a few minutes later started to feed. The paediatricians arrived for a quick check (because of the meconium) but seeing that she looked perfectly healthy they didn't have any concerns. While they cleaned me up and gave me a few stitches for a second degree tear, Nick took her for some skin to skin time. The midwives were a bit concerned about the amount of blood I was losing but after a second injection to help my uterus contract (and some very uncomfortable external palpations) they decided I was ok (but unfortunately insisted I had a catheter - something to do with the bladder impeding the uterus from contracting properly - which I had to keep until later that night...)
My contractions were still irregular (and actually would never really become regular) and I soon realised it was moving around that brought them on. Of course the midwives were encouraging me to move around to progress the labour and even tried to get me in the shower but I refused. I sat on the birthing ball for a while but that brought on contractions and didn't help to ease the pain. I ended up standing next to the bed and not really moving. At least I was standing up (the Birth Centre is all about 'active labour') but I was moving as little as possible...
Unfortunately there was a baby trying to get out so the contractions continued - irregular in both interval and strength. I had a student midwife with me (I've had one at all 3 pregnancies - although this one, Brenda, was an older women with 3 grown up children) and she was rubbing my back during the contractions which helped a lot, but by far the best thing she did was hold my hips on either side during a contraction which alleviated the pain significantly. From that point on I made Nick do the same (while the midwife rubbed my lower back) - he stood behind me and pushed my hips together and up slightly. Apparently he was using all his strength to do this and was worried about hurting me, but the only thing I felt was some relief from the massive pressure on my hips and pelvis (my hips had been causing me quite a bit of pain for a few weeks, particularly at night).
Just as the midwife started talked about the 'transitional phase', the pain escalated considerably and the transitional phase was upon us. I tried kneeling on the floor but I wasn't comfortable as I was still having to hold myself up so I got back onto the bed...which caused the contractions to pretty much stop. This made me happy, but the midwives not so much. I remember looking at the clock around this time and it was 11am - and I told myself that it couldn't possibly take more than an hour to get this baby out and that's all I needed to get through, so I just had to deal with it for another hour. That said, I was staying as still as I could to avoid bringing on contractions, while at the same time knowing it was only the contractions that would end this agony. Quite the conundrum.
An aside about pain relief: This time around I hadn't even written a birth plan, knowing how far from reality they tend to be. So I hadn't even really considered my pain relief options. It had only been at the 39 week appointment that I had asked about it (not knowing what was available to me in a Birth Centre in Australia) but apart from never considering an epidural (just can't be doing with a big needle in my spine) I hadn't thought about what I did want. During labour no one offered up pain relief but after a few of the first really painful contractions I thought to ask for gas and air. So I used that for a while and it helped a bit. And then I just forgot about pain relief. Bizarrely. Because I was in a lot of pain. I could have asked for pethidine (similar to the diamorphine I had with Milo) but never thought to ask. Like Henry, I wasn't deliberately trying for a natural birth, but I just forgot to request it even when it got really really painful - although at that point I would be have been too far progressed for it to be an option.
So as I laid on the bed trying to avoid the inevitable, Nick and the two midwives stood around waiting patiently for something to happen. My waters still hadn't broken at this point and I asked about them being broken to speed up proceedings, but the midwife wasn't keen. Her concern was if she broke the membranes and there was meconium in the waters (not uncommon in overdue pregnancies) then they would have to transfer me to the labour ward. From my point of view I wasn't going anywhere - I [subconsciously] knew I wasn't far from giving birth and there was absolutely no way I was getting off the bed so I didn't like their chances (and said as much). I found this kind of amusing. Fortunately my waters broke spontaneously soon after (at 11.20 according to the birth summary) and although there was some meconium in the waters, they agreed moving me was not an option.
A few more intensely painful contractions later, and our beautiful baby girl arrived at 11.31am. She was immediately put on my chest and just a few minutes later started to feed. The paediatricians arrived for a quick check (because of the meconium) but seeing that she looked perfectly healthy they didn't have any concerns. While they cleaned me up and gave me a few stitches for a second degree tear, Nick took her for some skin to skin time. The midwives were a bit concerned about the amount of blood I was losing but after a second injection to help my uterus contract (and some very uncomfortable external palpations) they decided I was ok (but unfortunately insisted I had a catheter - something to do with the bladder impeding the uterus from contracting properly - which I had to keep until later that night...)
After a shower and some lunch, Nick headed home and I tried to get some rest (almost impossible). He then came back with the boys a bit after 5pm and they were both very excited to meet their new sister.
Norma, Bron, Sophie and Max also visited briefly and after they left I had dinner and tried to get some sleep. The next day we were both checked out again and given the all clear. Ivy (who was still unnamed at that point) had a hearing test, Vitamin K injection and a dose of Hep B too. I had been asked to order lunch the day before so I assumed I would be staying until after lunch and so Nick came back about 2.30pm to collect us. By the time they finalised the paperwork it was after 3pm and I had stayed a massive 34 hours in hospital - the longest stay yet! (With Milo it was 21 hours and with Henry, about 18). Despite the pain I feel incredibly lucky to have had a third (and final!) positive birth experience and bring home yet another gorgeous, perfectly healthy baby.
