Alba’s Birth Story

So my labour was quite long.

My waters broke on Sunday at 4 am while I was sleeping. I quickly got up and went to the bathroom because it was so much! I cleaned everything, finished putting everything in the bag and tried to go back to sleep but with the excitement it was quite hard to fall asleep so I went downstairs and sat on my ball. Nothing really was happening, I had very slight contractions but they were weak and super irregular. We called the hospital to let them know and they said that if in 24 hours nothing was happening to go in then.

I started having more frequent ones in the afternoon, and at 9 pm started having 3 every 10 min and more intense. I was in the dark listening to the tracks and breathing in and out through the contractions and that worked very well. At 1 am we went into the hospital to see how I was getting on and I was 1 cm  I was like but how?!

At this point the monitor was showing 4 every 10 min. They were very busy so the birth centre wasn’t possible and because my waters had broken nearly 24 hours before I stayed in so they could help we with prostaglandins, starting at 4 am if I was still not getting on. The ward was dark which helped; I was walking up and down, my body couldn’t stay still and during contractions I had to stop and lean on something and breath through them. At 5 am they came in and examined me and I was 5 cm so I went down into the labour room, they offered me a bath but I couldn’t think of any worse in that moment!

I just wanted to be standing up, they gave me gas and air and I was breathing through them but it started to get super intense and I hadn’t slept for more than 24 hours, I was exhausted. So I asked for pain relief that would help me get a rest and get some strength for the final bit so I had pethidine and I stood for 4 hours! Tev said to sit down if you need to rest but I couldn’t. He stood next to me holding my gas and air for more than 4 hours bless him while I had my hands leaning on the bed and rocking side to side.

Tev was so good; I said a lot of times “but why is it taking so long? I can’t do it” and he kept saying “Alba you are doing it! You are being so strong, you aren’t even shouting!” There is an affirmation on the tracks that always made me laugh: “You can totally fucking do this” I repeated that in my head several times!

Anyway they examined me again and it was 11 o’clock when the injection ran out and I was so tired and in pain by then that here is where I think I could have done it differently, but I asked for another one when I think I should have carried on and it would have been a bit quicker, but anyway, it’s a learning curve, but this time I could sleep between contractions. And when my body started pushing, I was fully aware. I pulled Tev’s beard while pushing and he was saying to me “pull pull pull harder and push’  I remember them saying Alba “next push and he is out” and Tev started crying holding my hand saying “babe you can do this”  It makes me emotional thinking about it now! Without gas and air I pushed Diego into the world at 3:39 pm.

My highlight is feeling his head followed by his body coming out on to my chest! Amazing, such a rush! We did skin to skin while they stitched up and he latched then! I was amazed!

And postpartum I’m doing very well. We are super happy and can’t stop looking at him 

Initially I felt sad because I think I shouldn’t have had the second dose of pethidine and he probably would have been out sooner but then I don’t want to beat myself up just for that as overall I feel it went well. They offered an epidural but I wanted to feel him coming out and I did, so I’m really happy about that. It has been a week and I’m looking at videos that Tev took during labour and the moment just after he was on my chest; Tev cutting the cord. Our faces of pure happiness and it’s just  so I feel very happy about it now. And Tev was amazing, great and is being now so I can’t ask for more.

So that’s my story; thank you for all your advice!