Vaginal delivery | Birth tips

Natural labour and birth - My experience

I was 41 weeks and absolutely over being pregnant, I was feeling extremely heavy and waddling everywhere I went. I was in the foulest of moods and easily irritable. Not to mention, I was just so, so uncomfortable. I was still going through all the pregnancy symptoms and feeling pretty rubbish to say the least.

It was around 2am and I remember waking up feeling like today was the day. I was so restless the whole night, I could barely sleep even though I was exhausted. I had so many thoughts running through my mind about my little family expanding. Although it was exciting, it was equally petrifying.

As I laid in bed on the morning of the 23rd Feb 2019, I continued to get Braxton hicks or what I thought they were at least. I didn't want to prematurely wake my husband (who was in a deep slumber)
So I laid there wide eyed for a few minutes. My brain was in overdrive thinking "Has the time come? Could this be it?" The pains were getting a little stronger but nothing I couldn't handle just yet.

I pulled out my phone and again - Dr Google needed to confirm to me that I was in labour ( I don't advise doing this. Just call your midwife or the hospital to be safe.) After a thorough search, I decided to download a contraction timing app - which I found really useful.

I sat timing them, the pain started to get more and more intense and even though it was my first time - I just knew it was happening. I nudged hubby and told him "Its time" I rang my mum who was downstairs and asked her to come up to our room. 

She approached the room just as I was shuffling to the edge of the bed, all of a sudden I felt something pop. It was a weird sensation and it freaked me out.

That pop was my waters breaking!

I slapped on a humongous pad which was more like a nappy in width, and length in all honesty. My contractions were getting kind of unbearable at this point ( little did I know this would be nothing in comparison to what was to come.) 

I'd always imagined I would be a little glam for giving birth. I envisioned a nice natural make up look, I had planned on getting a manicure for that typical baby holding the finger pic to post to my Insta story. I wanted a cute but effortless hairstyle. I wanted to feel put together! 

Well let me tell you - I felt everything but that. I ended up being the complete opposite of everything I wanted. I wore not one lick of makeup, my nails - atrocious. I was painting over the chipped parts of polish between contractions and trying to convince myself that from a distance they didn't look too bad.

My natural 4c hair was pulled back into a bun with no product to reduce the frizz - tragic behavior! I opted for an oversized jumper and a maxi skirt. I planned on slipping my feet into the first pair of sandals I found when getting to the shoe rack downstairs.

We decided to call the hospital and let them know I was hoping to come in. Hubby grabbed the bags and we all rushed down to the living room to wait for the hospital to answer. We were all so anxiously waiting. I'd heard many times that they almost always make you stay at home until your contractions are around 4 minutes apart. Mine were all over the place, but one thing was for sure, I was in excruciating pain.

I remember thinking this cannot get any worse, and with every passing minute - it did just that.

I had become a blubbering mess and could hardly talk to the midwife on the phone. A feeling of relief rushed over me when she told me to come in and thank god because I was only managing the pain by inhaling and exhaling like a mad woman.
We rushed out the door and hubby drove us to the hospital. It was only a 10 minute drive away but it felt like we were in the car forever.

We pulled up at the hospital and mum came to my side to get me out of the car. Upon standing the rest of my waters came trickling down my legs and through my what I thought was an invincible pad.

My contractions were in full swing by this point and I had to stop walking when I felt one coming on. The effects of the pain made me extremely nauseous and dizzy and now, the fear of the unknown was causing me to panic.

Me and mum are sitting in the reception area waiting for Sergio ( the husband ) to come back from parking the car. I'm rocking back and forth, my skirt is sticking to me, my legs are shaking and the contractions - INTENSE. People were staring like they had never seen a woman in labour before ( perhaps they hadn't in hindsight ) but in the moment everything was irritating me and I was feeling embarrassed as I was in so much pain and trying to suppress it so that I wouldn't be stared at any further.

Sergio finally arrives - and with a wheelchair, absolute life saver because I wasn't walking anywhere by this point. Off we go, to the labour ward.

I'm still timing my contractions and puffing like a dragon. Thankfully things moved pretty quickly once we got into the delivery suite. The midwife told me to remove my undergarments and to lay down on the bed so she could check how dilated I was.

As I laid there, anxiety suddenly kicked in and I found myself worrying majorly about the worst case scenarios. Going over and over in my head...

- What would happen if my baby wasn't okay, how would I manage?
- What if I die giving birth, or after?
- How would my baby ever know how much I loved and wanted him?


All these thoughts were racing through my mind and I couldn't control any of them

I was abruptly brought back to reality when the nurse examined me, she let me know I was already 5cm's dilated. She asked me to put on my birthing gear and said I could get into the pool. I thought I'd be fancy and have a waterbirth... who the hell was I kidding. In my experience there is NOTHING relaxing about childbirth!

After a while of being at one with my ever growing in intensity contractions: I remember telling myself that there is no possible way the next ones could be as bad as the previous, and being wrong every, single, time.

A little bit more time passed and I finally felt as though something else was happening. A feeling other than contractions. I took the gas and air thingy out of my mouth just long enough for me to shout at the midwife " I need to poo!" 
I received a look of 'Sure you do, first time mummy' as she walked over to me with no urgency to check. She came over with her mirror in hand to have a peep and as she did, she replied to me "Oh yes! I can see his hair" 

I smiled up at mum thinking 'Yes, its nearly over!' Not knowing that the worst was yet to come. I remember feeling this huge urge to poop. Like huge!

I've heard people comparing it to pushing out a watermelon and I would think - such exaggeration. I kid you not, its wildly accurate.

His head was coming and it didn't matter what I did, I couldn't control the pace

I'm not sure why the midwife was telling me to "push slowly" 
You better believe I pushed hard, with every ounce of strength I had in me. 
I found it impossible to do anything other than push, I couldn't fight the urge and so I had no choice but to ignore all instructions.
My chin was pressed into my chest as I pushed relentlessly. Thinking to myself - You're going to need some reconstructive surgery after this for sure (luckily I didn't)

I didn't care at the time, I was about to meet my baby. It took just two strong pushes and out he came.
I reached down and lifted him up out of the water and laid him on my chest. I looked down at him and he was looking up at me, with his eyes wide open. My perfect little boy.

All the pain I was feeling immediately went away as I laid cradling him in my arms for a few minutes. This, was the most surreal and amazing experience I've ever been through.

I sat looking at this little baby who had caused my body to change so drastically and to feel that it was all worth it was incredible.

He was the baby I had dreamed about and prayed for and those prayers were answered in the most amazing way.

A mothers love is unconditional and it grows stronger with each passing day.

Buuuut would I do it again? Probably not...