One Mum's Style

Layla’s Birth Story

On the 11th of April at 2:03am, I woke up with irregular Braxton Hicks. I attempted to go back to sleep, which resulted in a lot of tossing and turning. By 3am they started to feel a whole lot more regular and the pain has increased. So, I started to time them. First two were nine minutes apart, the second two seven minutes apart. I decided to wake my husband and suggested that maybe we call my MIL to look after Parker and head to the hospital. He leaped out of bed called his Mum and got dressed. I phoned the midwife to let her know that we were on our way. She asked me to stay home a little longer until I was having three contractions every ten minutes or at least one every four minutes.

I hung up the phone not feeling comfortable with the idea of staying home longer. I felt things were progressing and fast. The next two contractions were five minutes apart. I called her back and said that I was anxious and didn’t want to stay home any longer. She told me to come in but to take my time getting there. I waited for another contraction to pass and then I attempted the walk to the car. As I left my bedroom door a wave of pain stretched across my tummy that crippled me, with me ended up on the floor, unable to move. My husband then carried me to the car. I started to sweat and feel unwell and then proceeded to vomit. We were on our way.

The whole car ride I was completely silent, continually telling myself every pain is a step closer to meeting our baby and every bump in the road is a step closer to getting to hospital.

We arrived at the hospital and I had no idea how I was going to make it up to birth suite. I asked my husband to get me a wheelchair. As I sat in the car I kept telling myself that my body knows what to do, but I was also loosing control of my breathing. He arrived back shortly with a wheelchair. I was in two minds, I wanted to go in but I also didn’t want to move.

I shuffled into the wheelchair and we made our way to birth suite. I stayed in the wheelchair until they were ready to examine me. As I climbed onto the bed, I pleaded for an epidural. The midwife went through the risks and the fact that it can end in intervention but at that time I felt like I was loosing control and the thought of the unknown scared me. I started to doubt whether I could do it without pain relief. She said she would have to wait to determine whether I was in active labor first. There was no doubt in my mind that I was.

They listened to babies heart rate and with every contraction it was dropping quite low. They asked me to move positions and she hit the buzzer for another midwife and Dr to come. She told me that my baby wasn’t happy when I was contracting. So many questions and thoughts ran through my mind but I was speechless. Unable to talk. I just lay there praying that everything would be ok. She then called someone else into the room and proceeded to examine me. I was fully dilated. Her words, ‘well you won’t be getting that epidural your full dilated’. Complete shock ran through my body! I looked over to my husband in utter despair. How on earth could I get through this without an epidural.

The midwife then broke my waters, as baby was showing signs of distress and they wanted to start the process faster. As the waters trickled down my legs, I told myself that this pain was a small price to pay for a baby and I needed to remain focused and in control as there was nothing else I could do. I had hopped onto this roller coaster and whether I loose control or not, I can’t jump off until the ride stops.

They then handed me the gas. Best thing ever. It regulated my breathing and allowed me to focus on listening to my body. With every contraction I breathed as deeply and slowly as I could, while squeezing the crap out of my husbands hand. I was so unsure as to how long this process was going to take. With the next contraction my body started to push. The feeling was surreal and I was unsure whether I should push along with my body. With the next I felt her head come down and then move back. Every time my body pushed, I felt a sense of relief. The next contraction I pushed with my body and her head came down and stayed. It was a bizarre feeling knowing that the pressure and object I could feel between my legs was my baby. With the contraction next her head was out. I couldn’t believe that I was so close to meeting my baby girl and I had done this. That my body guided me through the whole process. The next contraction took a little longer and the midwife asked me to start pushing early. Not long after I started to prematurely push, my body contracted I gave it my all and she came out. She was here and it was all so surreal. Just as quick as the pain came it was gone again and I had a warm, beautiful gooey baby laying on my belly. I looked up at my husband, he kissed my head and we stayed staring at her on my chest. I laid there in shock that my baby girl was here healthy and happy and in awe of what my body had just done. It was such an amazing and magical experience. One that I will never take for granted.

Welcome to the world Layla Elizabeth.