Birth Story

My 'hope' from the end of my last post came true:
On typing my last post, I had already gone into labour without realising it.

Stella (probably Amelia) Ross was born via c-section at 1.15pm on Friday the 9th September...she was born at 56cm (22 inches) long and weighed in at 4.4kg (9.7lb!!)

In Labour

 

20 hours after contractions being 5mins apart, 30seconds long and being 1cm dilated on Thursday the 8th September....to having contractions flowing relentlessly from one to the other with no break & no progress from 6cm for hours, we decided to go to the bed with the lights.  It turned out that Stella had turned posterior & her head got immovably stuck so she couldn't put any pressure on my cervix for it to dilate further. The labour experience was long and it became quite traumatic for myself as well as for Geoff, but she is so unbelievably perfect that I wouldn't take one second of it back! She didn't get stressed and her heartbeat was steady all through -- Sandy has been amazing: she showed me the graph of my labour, and we talked through things, so I finally feel that I stuck it out as long as I could and that Stella would not have arrived the way we hoped - but she arrived safely: and that is what matters most.

Stella's moment of birth

I had an allergic skin reaction to the plasters from the epidural as well as the medical bed protector thingies so my back and the tops of my legs were torturously blistered and itchy. I got home on Sunday the 11th. I can hardly believe that it is 2 weeks and a day later: I am feeling a lot more recovered, but quite tired & still trying to manage my time between feeding, burping, changing and settling our little girl to sleep.

Stella & I - Just after birth

Geoff has been fantastic. His bottomless patience & calmness has been so valuable to us - and to my sanity. He has only changed 1 nappy so far, but is very eager to help out with settling & we love our bath times!!

Geoff and Stella - Day 1

I am LOVING breastfeeding my precious precious child who we waited so long to fall pregnant with & finally meet!

Stella - Day 2

Stella: 2 weeks old :)

The following account is what I wrote whilst in the hospital:

• 12pm - MW appointment - cervix soft, 1cm dilated on the outer
• 2pm - crampy feeling - on & off but persistent
• 3.30pm - lie down and notice cramps have a pattern!
• 5.30pm start timing cramps 5mins apart, 30 seconds long = contractions
• 7.30pm - contact MW...keep monitoring
• 11pm - MW arrives - exam - 4cm dilated, contractions 4 mins apart, 45 seconds long
• 1.30am - by now contractions are very sore - 2-3mins apart, 1min long, go to hospital - monitoring of contractions & baby's heart rate
• 3am - in the bath
• 5am - Internal exam - still 4cm dilated
• 6.30am - Contractions making me cry. Request pain relief. Bed & monitoring.
• 8am - 6cm dilated. Start losing it - sleep deprived - contractions flow one into another - pins and needles from hyperventilation mean I can't feel my hands, neck or face. Tons of pressure - labour standing, then in the bath again...relentless agony
• 9.30 am - feeling that I can't go on. Request epidural. Desperately suck gas for some relief till epidural kicks in -
• 10.15am - epidural kicks in. 2 blank spots so could still felt contractions in those spots. Drifted off a little. Mom came in to support Geoff and I.
• 12pm - exam says I am still 6 cm dilated. No point in continuing.
• 12.45pm - prepped & wheeled into theatre
• 1.15pm - Stella is born - 4.4kg - 56cm long

She maintained a good, solid heartrate throughout labour. Had turned posterior during labour and had got her head stuck at a strange angle & was unable to free it so I would have been unable to complete birthing her 'naturally'