Disa’s Birth Story
Hello, I’m Disa and this is my birth story.
I delivered on a Wednesday, at 39 weeks and 2 days.
My labour pains started in the afternoon on a Tuesday and had increased by the evening. I was unsure if I was having contractions as most of my pain was lower back. I kept doubting myself as I expected to have the typically described waves, but I instead just had constant back pain. After feeling wetness and finding a jelly like substance below, we headed to Maternity Triage around 11:30pm. I was checked and we were told to go walking around the hospital for a couple hours. The pain and pressure increased heavily, yet each cervix check showed I was remaining at 3cm (I had a sweep the day prior and was 3 cm then as well). With my contractions increasing in frequency, I was admitted at 3cm. The next morning (Wednesday) at 10:30 I received an epidural. I was a little nervous about the discomfort of the epidural insertion but after a tiny pinch it was in and I could not be more thankful. The relief was immediate; I felt a comfortable warmth from my back down to my toes.
They started me on penicillin because I was GBS positive and not long after the doctor came to break my water as it had not broken. At some point they started me on oxytocin as well but my memory of the timeline is foggy. Thanks to the epidural, I felt the pressure but no pain during the breaking of my water; I felt a little gush of fluid and warmth. Time passed and with each cervix check I was very slowly increasing.
The day went on and I was very slowly dilating. Around 4pm the Resident did another cervix check and I was only at 6cm. She went in and broke my water further; I felt a large gush of warmth. An hour later she returned to check my cervix and I was at 10cm and that’s when I had to start pushing.
Our nurse was amazing and coached me through the entire thing. With the nurse holding onto my right leg, my partner Joe, holding onto my left leg, my mother and mother-in-law there for moral support, I pushed for 53 minutes. The pushing was tiring but I held onto the bedrail for support. I had experienced nausea and vomiting throughout my pregnancy, and during labour I gagged and dry heaved as I pushed. The staff doctor told me that the baby’s heart rate was a little concerning as he was stuck so they were going to give me a little incision to help him. I had an episiotomy and after that there was another push.
At 5:42pm our son Elliot was born. I remember that last push and the immediate and immense pressure relief when he left my body.
He had pooed (meconium) inside of me during birth and I remember a moment of quiet waiting for him to cry before the umbilical cord was cut – it was seconds but felt like hours. It seemed like an entire large team of people were there including a Respiratory Therapist.
As soon as he came out the tears flowed out of me and I was filled with the most intense emotions and the strongest love I had ever experienced. He was placed on my chest and it was so surreal; this little human being had just come out of my body. I had carried him for months and now he was right here in my arms.
The team rushed over as it was thought I had an arterial bleed that ended up being an easily stopped hemorrhage from a uterine wall tearing that happened when the placenta was tugged.
That night Elliot slept quite well; I was so tired but I was on a high and could not sleep. I started breastfeeding and was surprised at what a challenge it was. The next morning, my entire body was sore but I was able to get up and walk to the bathroom and have a nice hot shower that felt incredible! I attended a breastfeeding class and I remember this overwhelming exhaustion that encapsulated my entire body. It was difficult to keep my eyes open and it was overwhelming to see some babies latching easily to their mothers while I was struggling.
We were discharged around 8pm on Thursday (the day after). It seemed unbelievable that we were just supposed to go home and know how to take care of this brand-new human. Elliot ended up admitted to hospital the next day with jaundice that was treated.
He has been a complete blessing to us. There are challenges and hardships but we are so thankful for him every day.