Almost 3 months ago...
I gave birth... to a healthy baby girl, weighing 3.140 kilos... that happened on August 18... at exactly 8:05 in the morning!... yes, we now have two daughters, Gal.... and GAYA! and this is what she looks like these days...
She's almost 3 months old and is getting cuter by the minute or second!
Her delivery was just so much better than Gal's (in fact, her whole pregnancy was so much better than Gal's... it was totally uneventful!). Here's a semi-brief retake on her delivery:
At about 3AM on August 17 I realised my water had broken just after I'd gone to the toilet. It was just a tiny trickle so I deiced there was no point in wakin' anybody up just yet. I just went to the PC and left a few messages in the pregnancy forum, did some web surfing... y'know, all the normal things one does after their water breaks *grin*.
Finally when the flow was getting stronger I wake Roy up at 6:20AM and told him we're gonna have a baby today... to which he responed: "You're serious????!!!"....
We packed a bag, then got Gal up. It was a Friday and there was no kindy. I called my sister, told her the news and that we were bringing Gal over to her place. After breakfast for us and Gal and after dropping Gal at sis's home, we finally arrived at the hospital around 9AM.
I told them my water had broken and they did the usual tests (confirmed that the water had indeed broken, fetal and contraction monitor, internal exam and an ultrasound to confirm the amount of water still in the uterous). After this the doctor asked me what I'd like to do (which still surprises everybody around here...) Do I want to be induced or do I want to wait for the labour to come naturally... at the time I was already having contractions but wasn't dilated at all.
I had the same conditions when I had Gal and then I chose to go straight to the delivery suite and later was induced and had a terrible, extremely long and painful ordeal. I decided that this time I was gonna wait.
They admitted me to the high risk unit where I was to be monitored and also receive antibiotics to prevent infection due to the fact that my water had broken.
While there I spent the time talking to friends on the phone, eating meals, having guests... and gradually my contractions got stronger, and after 24 hours they also became intense. I started pacing along the ward corridors, massaging myself with each contraction. By 5AM, August 18 it had become unbearable. I asked the ward midwife when does one know that it's time to go to the delivery suite. She looked at me and said it was too early... and sent me to have a shower and then to come back and sit on the ball...
I was pretty miserable by then. Took the shower but was in agony! Got out of the shower and called Roy whom I'd sent home so he could sleep before the main event. I told him I couldn't bear it anymore and that I want him with me. He said he was on his way. it was 5:30 AM.
I now went back and sat on the ball... finally the midwife looked at me and said she'd examine me internally... and I was certain she'd find I was maybe only 1cm dilated... but nope... I was 3cm dilated and I was given the green light to go to the delivery suite!
I arrived there just a bit after 6AM. The midwife who broght me said I was 3-4cms dilated and that I wanted an epidural... at the time I sure did... Roy met me there and I was given fluids in preperation for the epidural. I didn't lie on the bed, just sat on its edge and cried with every contraction.
7AM and the shifts were changing. A new midwife came in, her name was Iris and she's the one I have to thank for the outcome of this delivery.
Iris examined me and said I was 6cms dilated, and then she asked me if I really wanted an epidural and suggested I'd try a different position that will help things... I realised I was progressing really well and that an epidural might ruin things. I was also not sure I could handle sitting still during the contractions while the epidural injection took place...
I decided to try the different position. Iris got me leaning against the bed (facing the bed), partially crouching, She also instructed me to moan with a lower voice during the contractions.
Soon I was 7cms dilated and then 9 cms. All the while Iris got Roy to soak towels with hot water and to apply them to my back and this did wonders for the pain. I couldn't handle any back massages but the warm towels were amazing!
Then I was ready to push... and I just about squatted like I was... y'know... well, doin' something one does in a squatting position. I pushed and pushed and I was certain I was constipated or something... Iris just laughed and said that I had a baby's head down there...
At the very final stages Iris suggested a new position. Roy leaned with his back against the bed side and I leaned on him (my back to him). He held me under my armpits. Iris crouched before me, ready to grab the baby... and I had the urge to put my feet on her knees and she said: "sure, just do what you think you want"... and so, I was actually in the air, pushing and pushing and grunting... and then the head was out. Iris instructed me to stop pushing, and oiled the area... and then 3 more pushes and it was all over, Iris immedially gave me the baby... I was standing on my two feet, the umbilical cord still attached to both of us, holding my precious new baby girl....
I continued to breastfeed her in the delivery suite... the bonding was so quick and I felt OK right away... it was amazing. I had no pain medication and I had full control over my body... I only spent 2 hours in the delivery suite and I figured that I was in real pain for 5 hours and that otherwise I had it very easy.
And that's it... here we are 3 months later. I'm due back at work (sadly) in about a week and a half... We had some sleepless nights in the beginning until we switched Gaya from a night owl to a normal day person *grin*...
And right now , at this very moment, 4 years ago I gave birth to Gal.... and I still can't believe it's been so long...
Wow....
She's almost 3 months old and is getting cuter by the minute or second!
Her delivery was just so much better than Gal's (in fact, her whole pregnancy was so much better than Gal's... it was totally uneventful!). Here's a semi-brief retake on her delivery:
At about 3AM on August 17 I realised my water had broken just after I'd gone to the toilet. It was just a tiny trickle so I deiced there was no point in wakin' anybody up just yet. I just went to the PC and left a few messages in the pregnancy forum, did some web surfing... y'know, all the normal things one does after their water breaks *grin*.
Finally when the flow was getting stronger I wake Roy up at 6:20AM and told him we're gonna have a baby today... to which he responed: "You're serious????!!!"....
We packed a bag, then got Gal up. It was a Friday and there was no kindy. I called my sister, told her the news and that we were bringing Gal over to her place. After breakfast for us and Gal and after dropping Gal at sis's home, we finally arrived at the hospital around 9AM.
I told them my water had broken and they did the usual tests (confirmed that the water had indeed broken, fetal and contraction monitor, internal exam and an ultrasound to confirm the amount of water still in the uterous). After this the doctor asked me what I'd like to do (which still surprises everybody around here...) Do I want to be induced or do I want to wait for the labour to come naturally... at the time I was already having contractions but wasn't dilated at all.
I had the same conditions when I had Gal and then I chose to go straight to the delivery suite and later was induced and had a terrible, extremely long and painful ordeal. I decided that this time I was gonna wait.
They admitted me to the high risk unit where I was to be monitored and also receive antibiotics to prevent infection due to the fact that my water had broken.
While there I spent the time talking to friends on the phone, eating meals, having guests... and gradually my contractions got stronger, and after 24 hours they also became intense. I started pacing along the ward corridors, massaging myself with each contraction. By 5AM, August 18 it had become unbearable. I asked the ward midwife when does one know that it's time to go to the delivery suite. She looked at me and said it was too early... and sent me to have a shower and then to come back and sit on the ball...
I was pretty miserable by then. Took the shower but was in agony! Got out of the shower and called Roy whom I'd sent home so he could sleep before the main event. I told him I couldn't bear it anymore and that I want him with me. He said he was on his way. it was 5:30 AM.
I now went back and sat on the ball... finally the midwife looked at me and said she'd examine me internally... and I was certain she'd find I was maybe only 1cm dilated... but nope... I was 3cm dilated and I was given the green light to go to the delivery suite!
I arrived there just a bit after 6AM. The midwife who broght me said I was 3-4cms dilated and that I wanted an epidural... at the time I sure did... Roy met me there and I was given fluids in preperation for the epidural. I didn't lie on the bed, just sat on its edge and cried with every contraction.
7AM and the shifts were changing. A new midwife came in, her name was Iris and she's the one I have to thank for the outcome of this delivery.
Iris examined me and said I was 6cms dilated, and then she asked me if I really wanted an epidural and suggested I'd try a different position that will help things... I realised I was progressing really well and that an epidural might ruin things. I was also not sure I could handle sitting still during the contractions while the epidural injection took place...
I decided to try the different position. Iris got me leaning against the bed (facing the bed), partially crouching, She also instructed me to moan with a lower voice during the contractions.
Soon I was 7cms dilated and then 9 cms. All the while Iris got Roy to soak towels with hot water and to apply them to my back and this did wonders for the pain. I couldn't handle any back massages but the warm towels were amazing!
Then I was ready to push... and I just about squatted like I was... y'know... well, doin' something one does in a squatting position. I pushed and pushed and I was certain I was constipated or something... Iris just laughed and said that I had a baby's head down there...
At the very final stages Iris suggested a new position. Roy leaned with his back against the bed side and I leaned on him (my back to him). He held me under my armpits. Iris crouched before me, ready to grab the baby... and I had the urge to put my feet on her knees and she said: "sure, just do what you think you want"... and so, I was actually in the air, pushing and pushing and grunting... and then the head was out. Iris instructed me to stop pushing, and oiled the area... and then 3 more pushes and it was all over, Iris immedially gave me the baby... I was standing on my two feet, the umbilical cord still attached to both of us, holding my precious new baby girl....
I continued to breastfeed her in the delivery suite... the bonding was so quick and I felt OK right away... it was amazing. I had no pain medication and I had full control over my body... I only spent 2 hours in the delivery suite and I figured that I was in real pain for 5 hours and that otherwise I had it very easy.
And that's it... here we are 3 months later. I'm due back at work (sadly) in about a week and a half... We had some sleepless nights in the beginning until we switched Gaya from a night owl to a normal day person *grin*...
And right now , at this very moment, 4 years ago I gave birth to Gal.... and I still can't believe it's been so long...
Wow....