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Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Birth Experience! PART TWO!

This is a continuation from PART ONE, if you would like to catch up - Click HERE

Now... Where was I?

Oh yes!... So here we all were in the delivery room and I had just been given the drip to help bring on labour quicker. Just moments before I was excited with the thought of experiencing painless contractions throughout the whole labour, but that was quick to change when I got a very unexpected large pain!

"OWWW!!!... What was that!?"
I moaned. But before I could even register it, I was interrupted with another pain. "HOLY CRAP That hurt!!" The cocky smirk on my face faded very quickly as the pain got stronger and longer. I suddenly realised that I wasn't going to be lucky enough to escape the pain after all, and by the third painful contraction I was yelling "GAS PLEASE!!!!" *hehe*

With every painful contraction that I now had, I would take a deep breath of the gas, hold it in and breath out when the pain was easing off. To be honest, I did not like the gas one bit! I've never been the type to like a 'buzz' feeling, I can't handle feeling out of control of my mind and body and losing my senses of reality and I end up just freaking out. (Much like the feeling of being drunk, I just can't stand it and it can really freak me out to the point where I'll flip out.)

So the gas was much the same for me, at first it blew my head off and made me a little silly, I remember feeling as though my voice was sounding very deep and I became almost too embarrassed to talk. Apparently I said "Oh My God! I sound like Crusty the Clown!!" But I don't remember. I was feeling very silly but it didn't really stop the pain. I feel that all it did was make me able to laugh about how painful it was, but the pain was definitely still there! I think in my case too that because of the fact that the 'high sensation' was freaking me out, it forced me to focus MORE on the pain to keep my mind off my head floating away! LOL! So it probably wasn't the best thing for me.

Also the Midwife was starting to annoy me, I can't stand being distracted when I'm in pain - though it may work for others, it just simply doesn't work for me. I just need to be left alone to deal with the pain on my own and not interrupted with pointless conversation to distract me. And during a painful contraction it is impossible to talk back, so I never got the chance to tell her to "PLEASE SHUT UP!!!" *giggles* (I was very polite... really!)

But with each contraction the midwife kept shouting at me to "JUST BREATHE THE GAS! DEEP BREATHS, IN AND OUT!" I actually kept pushing the gas away because I didn't like it, but she kept insisting I have more and more and more and being in the state I was in, I couldn't argue with her, so I ended up having far too much gas than I could handle and was sounding more and more like Crusty the Clown! (lol!)

Dan, Mum and Aunty Karen were fantastic on the other hand! They were there by my side to support me, hold my hand, rub my back and just be there for me. But they were completely silent during my contractions (which is how I liked it!) they just let me concentrate on getting through each pain on my own and they were there if I needed them in between contractions. (THANKS AGAIN YOU GUYS!! xx)

Time went on... pain got stronger, I got higher and started getting really freaked out and emotional. "PETHIDINE PLEASE!!!" I was getting desperate. So in came another lady to inject the pethidine into my leg.

Almost immediately the pethidine kicked in and I went from a total mess to a giggling maniac! I actually don't remember much but apparently I just started laughing hysterically and as if that wasn't embarrassing enough apparently I told the woman who gave me the shot that I loved her!!! LOL! But all I really remember of the pethidine was feeling really really tired and desperate to go to sleep. I guess it's suppose to help you relax through the contractions, but the pain... was still bad!!

At this stage I was actually falling asleep in between contractions. I would wake up to moan through the pain and would drift off to sleep again as soon as it was over. Even Dan was falling asleep with me and would wake up each time I had a contraction - Mum said it was such a funny sight! But even with the pethidine the pain was STILL unbearable!

At one stage all the drugs had got too much for me and I had drifted off. I woke up suddenly and didn't know where I was, I just started FREAKING out and tried to rip the drip out and make a run for it! lol I was so out of it I didn't know what the heck was going on, but Dan managed to settle me down quite quickly.

I think it was roughly about 5 hours of agony later when I started begging for the one thing that I had refused to have from the very beginning... an EPIDURAL!!! But because I had it written on my birth plan - under no circumstances give me the epidural, the midwife had to challenge me on it. "Now are you sure you want this Rachel? It says on your Birth plan under no circumstances..." I interrupted... "Yes Well THINGS CHANGE!!!!!" I was pretty desperate at this stage... for someone that is terrified of needles and dead against an epidural it must have been pretty bad!

So after my fight for an epidural and a bit of a wait, finally the anaesthetist arrived to set it up. What did I think of the epidural?... BLOODY BRILLIANT!!! I told the pethidine lady that I loved her... well... I could have just about proposed to the anaesthetist!!! *hehe*

She did such a fantastic job! She inserted the needle and tube while I was having a contraction so I didn't even feel it! She found the spot in one go and with in no time the painful contractions had disappeared! I wished I went with the epidural from the start and for anyone that would ever consider having one in their birth experience - I totally recommend it! (It's funny how my view on epidurals have changed!)

It's a little weird when suddenly you can't feel a thing from the waist down, but MY GOD it's worth it! I was back to having painless contractions and was able to get my head together and calm myself down for the next step.

The next step came soon after that and that was to start pushing!! But of course I couldn't feel my contractions any more so the midwife had to tell me when to push. But even the pushing was weird because I couldn't feel that either, but I gave it my best shot anyway! The only frustrating part at this stage was each time I tried to push I got horrible reflux. All I needed was a sip of milk and it would have fixed everything but the midwives would not allow it as they were worried that I may need to have an emergency C-Section. (You must have an empty stomach for surgery.) So I had to put up with this horrible reflux which was getting in the way of my breathing and pushing.

Around this time in between pushing, Daniel decided he felt like a coffee! He had left the room before I had realised and the time came to push again. "WHERE'S DANIEL??!" I panicked! "He's gone for a coffee" Mum said. "He WHAT?!" I started to stress out and then it was time to push again. "PUSH" said the midwife, but I refused. "Oh HELL NO! I aint pushing till my husband gets back!" I snapped. It would have been just my luck for the baby to come out the moment Daniel left the room! But luckily he came back in time for the next one.

But at this stage the pushing seemed to be going nowhere. "Somethings wrong" I heard one midwife say to the other. My heart sank! Kayla's heart rate seemed to be slowing down with each push. Next thing I know, Dr Egor has entered the room. 'Hang on' I thought, 'he is not suppose to be here, it's the midwives that deal with the delivery.' I knew that something was not right.

I barely remember his words but Dr Egor explained to us that Kayla's heart rate had slowed right down and he needed to prick Kayla's head and test her blood (while she was inside of me!!!) "Just do what you gotta do!" I replied, I just wanted her to be OK and for all this to be over.

So the poor bub had not even been born yet and she was already having her first blood test! I still don't really know the reason for it or the outcome, it all happened so fast and all I could worry about was if she was going to be alright.

Next thing Dr Egor brought out this strange little white suction cap. Good thing I learnt about it at antenatal class otherwise I could have really freaked out. He told us that it seemed that the umbilical cord could be wrapped around Kayla's neck and that a vacuum assisted birth would be needed. "Just do what you gotta do!" was all I could say. Anything to keep her alive!

I think at this stage the unwanted drugs in my system really started to help. Because I was still very drowsy and not completely with it, I wasn't completely aware of just how serious this situation was. If I hadn't been as drugged up as I was, I think I would have been a terrible mess! But even while this was going on, I was still able to drift off to sleep because I was so drowsy.

But what happened next I will never forget! Once the vacuum cap was in place and after another big push, finally Kayla's head was out. But suddenly the room became dead silent and the look on every ones faces were of worry!

Dr Egor was shaking his head quietly saying "The cord is too short" Next thing I remember is the room was suddenly filled up by a swarm of more people. It felt like there were hundreds of people in the room! Doctors and nurses of all sorts came in and were setting up what looked like some kind of reviving equipment.

Then at 7:54pm after one last big push, Kayla was born. But instead of being placed on my chest like I had imagined, she was whisked away for immediate medical attention. She looked as white as a ghost and appeared totally lifeless, it was at that moment when I thought "My baby is dead..."

I didn't know it at the time but the poor little thing had the umbilical cord stuck around her neck with her little arm caught up in it. Her arm being caught up with the cord actually made it tighter and the cord shorter, so it made it difficult for her to come out quick enough.

Finally after a few minutes of medical attention (I couldn't see what they were doing) I had a huge sigh of relief when I heard a wee cry come from Kayla. Although we weren't out of the danger zone yet - her little cry reassured me that she was still alive. *Phew!*

Once the medical team did what ever they had to do, they took Kayla away to special care to be placed in an incubator and monitored. Dan went with her as I lay confused, drugged up and completely numb from the waist down. I needed to be stitched up as there was a bit of tearing from the stressful delivery, so I had to stay in the birthing suite to have that done.

Mind you... it was quite funny, I was laying there drinking a cup of milk (which finally eased the reflux!) and munching on some red frogs completely unaware that there was a lady sitting at the end of the bed stitching me up. "Oooooo! Hello There! Where did you come from?!" I said when I spotted her. This filled the room with laughter and lightened up the mood.

After that, people started to leave the room (I don't even remember Mum and Aunty Karen leaving I was so out of it) and before long I was left alone to sleep off the epidural. They wouldn't allow me to leave the birthing suite to see Kayla until I had feeling back in my legs. This upset me a little, but at least I was exhausted enough to sleep.

A few hours later I woke up determined to see my baby! Although I still didn't have much feeling back in my legs, with help from Dan I forced myself out of the bed and into a wheel chair! Nothing could stop me from seeing my little Bubette!

I was absolutely exhausted and still completely unaware of what was going on around me, but the moment I saw her I was completely overwhelmed with love and joy!


I suddenly didn't care that I had missed out on that skin on skin contact that I had dreamed of... I didn't need it to bond strongly with her. I bonded with her like I could never imagine when I just finally got to see her!

To be continued...

This is the end of the birthing experience, next I shall post about Kayla's experience and health concerns in special care.

And as promised with every post... some more piccys of the beautiful girl!...

She loves her Daddy!...

Lil monkey...


Being burped...

Lower wind...
(and a huge nappy that Daddy put on her!)

NyNys...



SmileyCentral.com Thanks for stopping by! xx

16 Comments for Kayla - Click here to comment too!:

Kristy said...

Oh you poor thing, thats heart wrenching stuff!!! Glad the epi worked out fine hahah! I loved mine too but unfortunately it turned into a nightmare just before the girls were born but I wont bore you with my horror story :P Good to see she's a daddy's girl!!

trublmaka said...

xoxoxo
Awwww so gorjus!!
See all this fuss just for you my li'l princess!!
Your mummy most definately has the best birth story so far!!

love to you all
xoxoxo

Kayla's Mum said...

Kristy - Oh another horror story! I really am very lucky that mine turned out fine! But seriously... you wouldn't bore me... are you kidding? I'd love to hear about it!!! :-) xx



Trub - Teehee! xx

Peach said...

again, you have nothing but my admiration - well well done and thank god she was ok XXXX

Peach said...

and those photos are sooooo sweet - especially the one with her over dan's shoulder - so so sweeeeet xxx

Anonymous said...

Love the pic of Kayla sleeping on Dan. Those kind of pics are the sweetest.

And crikey, your birth story definitely makes mine sound boring (although I think I like boring when it comes to my own birth experiences - I just hope my next one is as boring as the first!!!)

xox

Kayla's Mum said...

Peach - haha oh you would have done it for Harry if you had to! :-) Thankyou... I love the Daddy daughter piccys too. xx



JMay - Ta, *giggles* boring is a very good thing in this case! I want to try the water birth next! (I can't believe I'm actually concidering having another one day after all this! LOL) xx

Bambam said...

OMGosh she definatly gave you a run for your money :-) I had tears, still do :-P So glad it all turned out and she is so worth it. Huggles xxx

Kayla's Mum said...

BamBam - hehe! Thankyhoooo... but I'd do it all again for my lil bubette! :-) xx

Neil said...

OMG rae,u made me cry :'( ur labour part 2 story is EXACTLY like mine! cept ur epidural worked!( no fair :P) thats freaky! who'da thought? even down to the last detail of eating lollies while getting stitched up! LOL. she is such an angel, n she looks like you !! makes me wanna do it all over again(there i said it :P)i cant wait for cuddles! Just be careful tho coz u might hafta pry her outta my arms to get her back!! hehe. hope your feeling better and recovering well! (tho i read somewhere it takes ur body 7 years to full recover from pregnancy and child birth! EEEK!)

All our love,
Troy, Neil and Tayla
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox<--- 1 each for you and Dan the rest for Kayla LOL only joking

Anonymous said...

*waves madly*

Finally made it here!!!!

Oh hon...what a nightmare, but all worked out in the end!!!

I had two epidurals, but had to cause of c sections. I'm quite glad I never went through any labour!!!

She is absolutely adorable..and only wish I could be there to hold her xxxxx

Anonymous said...

I put my comments in the first part of the blog before I realised there was more to it. You poor darling going through all that but I am so glad you had family support. Looking forward to seeing you all in Feb

Kayla's Mum said...

Neil - hahaha yes actually I remember you telling me about your experience and I remember thinking it seemed all too familiar! But OMG poor you for the epidural to go wrong!!! BUGGER THAT! Well I'm just glad that both our girls turned out perfectly... and you are welcome to hog her anytime! (Seriously.. I need a break already :-P!) xx



GREAT Aunty S - Thankyou!!! Yes I think I'm entitled to a C - Section next time! :-) xx



Greatgran - Hehe Thankyou! Can't wait to see ya! xx

islandgirl4ever2 said...

OMG!! I have tears rolling down my cheeks... I had NO idea you went through all of that... How terrible to go through the stress... I'm so happy Kayla's okay... I can't even begin to imagine what you went through... Hugs, Leesa

islandgirl4ever2 said...

P.S. The pictures are priceless.. Daddy's girl! Sooo sweet....

Kayla's Mum said...

Leesa - Nawww! Yeah it was pretty scary, but it's shocking that it's actually so common! A lot of my friends had very similar births! All I can say is Thank God for the advanced medical systems these days! :-)

Yeah she's a cutie huh! She loves her Daddy! xx