Now, be warned, this is a very long post. I was going to split it, but I figured having it all in one spot was going to end up being the better option.
It was Sunday and I was grumpy. Nearly 2 weeks since I had started to lose my mucus plug and nothing seemed to be happening. I had had an appointment with the OB’s (not my lovely midwives, sniff) the Friday before and all she could tell me was to go home and have sex.
Heh.
Isaac dropped right down into my pelvis while I was in the shower at lunchtime (don’t argue with my showering at lunchtime technique. It works on a Sunday) and I was having lots of pressure and some contractions that were more crampy than anything else. He had been engaged for over a fortnight now and was really low anyway. To feel him get even lower was weird, to say the least.
I wandered around the house, alternately doing things that needed to be done – dishes, polishing off the chocolate biscuits, drinking coffee – and sitting on the couch with my laptop and book. I wasn’t the most patient person with Amy or Nathan. Then again, Nathan probably deserved it as he was drinking DESPITE me telling him not to in case we needed to head to the hospital.
I don’t think he actually believed that I would have Isaac early. It was still another 4 days until my due date (LMP and ovulation charting) and another week/8 days until the hospitals due date (scan results).
About 5pm I rang Mum to let her know that I was having contractions, even though they weren’t painful enough to really be anything yet, nor were they regular. They just felt like prelabour, but I figured Mum would appreciate the chance to pack her bags just in case.
42 minutes later, I went to the toilet, had a contraction, stood up and my water broke.
Pop! Just like that I was wet to my knees and standing in a puddle of amniotic fluid.
I waddled inside, leaving a trail all the way and yelled for Nat.
‘My water just broke’
‘You sure?’
‘Honey! It’s running down my legs and my pants are soaked. I AM SURE.’
He grabbed me a towel and I held it between my legs while I waddled about finding clean underwear and a pad.
I rang Mum and relayed the water breakage to her. She said she would be around as soon as possible to watch Amy so we could head to the hospital.
30 seconds later hard labour hit. No build up, nothing just instant HARD labour. My contractions were one on top of another and it was all I could do to remember to breathe through them.I did manage however to get up a quick blog post JUST FOR YOU. I don’t think anyone realised that I was actually in hard labour when I wrote it though. Somehow ‘water broke, headed to hospital now’ doesn’t really convey the urgency, does it?
Nathan rang his boss to let them know he wouldn’t be in to work for the week and then he rang his parents? I think? I don’t know, I was too busy breathing, trying to stay upright and swearing that I had forgotten just how bad this was.
I rang the hospital to let them know what had happened. I must have sounded quite calm, as the midwife on duty asked if I wanted to come in. Well YES!? I spent less than 5 minutes on the phone with her and had had 2 hard contractions.
My water breaking upset my stomach I think and I spent the 10 minutes in the toilet. Not much fun as I was having contractions the whole time.
Mum arrived just as I got out of the loo, while I was having another contraction. I remember her saying hello, but I couldn’t respond. I was much too busy hugging the bag of pink batts (roof insulation) and breathing.
I got Nathan to wet some face washers for the drive down to town and flapped my hands at Mum when she tried to talk to me.
I remember swearing at Nathan as he was telling me to hurry up and I was holding onto the door of the car having (yet another) contraction. I yelled some more once I got into the car and he drove too fast over the bumps and I may possibly have yelled some more when he was getting stressed at the amount of traffic on the highway. Admittedly, he wasn’t very nice at this point. He could see just how close together my contractions were and he was getting just a touch stressed.
We headed down the highway, much faster than our car was ever meant to drive at. My contractions were non-stop now and double peaking.
Transition had hit.
If we had of stuck to the speed limit, we were still 50 minutes from the hospital at this point.
7 minutes later and 25km from home, Nathan remarked how fast we had made this leg of the trip. I remember simply being astounded at the fact it had only been 7 minutes. My contractions had started to slow down and I was feeling dozy between them. I remember thinking ‘oh fuck, I’m feeling sleepy. Oh fuck, I remember this from Amy, this is what happens just before I need to push’.
Sure enough, the contractions changed shortly afterwards and I started to feel lots of pressure. My body was trying to push Isaac down, as much as I was trying to breathe through them and not push.
It was scary as hell.
About 5 minutes away from the hospital, I started to need to push for real. There was NO way I was stopping this, Isaac wanted out. I breathed. Lots and lots and swore in my head. I remembered to relax and to breathe and to try not to push.
We pulled up to the hospital at 6.54pm. We were lucky enough to get a park right outside the front. Unfortunately it was a disabled park, but we figured that I wasn’t able to walk anyway.
Nathan left me in the car (pushing) while he ran inside and stole a wheelchair. Apparently some guy yelled at him as Nathan ran away with it, but he was as far past caring as I was. (In case anyone is worried, there are a stock of wheelchairs just inside the door of the hospital, you are however, meant to wait for a hospital aide to come and get you, which wasn’t happening.) Nathan brought the wheelchair back to the car just as I started to push again.
I swore at him, as he swore at me to get out of the car.
We practically ran up to Maternity. When we got there, PAC (Pregnancy Assessment Centre. Or Triage in the US) was closed.
Oh dear.
We headed on around to the Maternity Wing and luckily the midwife assigned to us met us there.
Nathan: ‘How are you?’
Midwife: ‘I’m good. Probably a lot better than Veronica is right now. Now, Veronica, do you really need that wheelchair?’
I looked at her and said ‘I need to push!’ as another contraction hit.
Midwife: ‘Right then, just down the hallway on the left…’ as she gave Nathan directions to the birth suite. It was probably about 7pm at this stage. We skipped triage altogether.
Once I was in the birth suite I stripped off my t-shirt and bra, swapping them for a hospital gown. I know a lot of people complain about the hospital gown, but honestly my thoughts are why bleed on my clothes when I can bleed on theirs?
I was so thankful to not be sitting down anymore. I climbed up onto the bed and got into a hands and knees position without thinking about it too much. I was simply trying to do what was most comfortable for me at the time and hands and knees was it.
My contractions were still coming strong. The Midwife popped her hand on my stomach as I had a contraction and pushed to feel how long they were lasting. I think she was a little shocked to feel that they were well over 2 minutes long as she remarked how long they were lasting.
One more contraction and I could feel Isaac’s head. I told the midwife this and she promptly enlisted Nathan to help her remove my pants and underwear. I offered the helpful comment that they could cut them off if they wanted but no one took me up on it and I was forced to actually wiggle to help Nathan take my pants off.
I breathed and I pushed and I felt his head moving down steadily. I also vomited all over the bed with each contraction. That whole ‘ring of fire’ thing that they talk about? That’s not a myth. I remember the midwife saying that if I wanted to take a contraction off and just breathe instead of pushing, I was allowed. I responded by saying ‘Yes, but the sooner he is out, the sooner it stops hurting’. I put my hand down at this point and could feel Isaac’s head. I kept my hand there.
It was probably only 5 contractions since I got onto the bed that Isaac crowned. The midwife coached me through it, telling me when to push and when to pant. I held his head in the palm of my hand and pushed and out came his head. He started to cry instantly, despite not having his body born yet. Nathan put his hands down too (he had been sitting at my head the whole time, giving me drinks and watching), I gave one last push and Isaac was born into our hands at 7.17pm.
I wrapped him in a towel and brought him straight up to my chest. The midwife helped me take my hospital gown off and I sat there, skin to skin with our brand new baby boy. The midwife got me to check and make sure that the cord wasn’t being stretched overly and then I got to lay back, still holding Isaac.
Another midwife had appeared at some point and she helped my midwife to clean up the room and do Isaac’s APGAR scores. She wanted to give him 10, but his feet and hands were just a little bit slow to come pink and so we had to settle for 9.
He spent the first hour skin to skin on my chest with me, having his first feed when he was about 20 minutes old. I cut his cord myself. Nathan and I gazed at him and decided on his name. After that first hour and another feed, the midwife handed him, naked and crying to Nathan to dress and cuddle.
While Nathan dressed Isaac and got to know his son, I went and had a shower. I came back to a freshly made bed (no vomit! woo!) and a room that I didn’t have to leave. I had a double bed and lots of room. It was lovely. Isaac fed again and that was it. My son was born.
No drugs.
No interventions.
No stitches, no tears. A little grazing (which still, more painful than the word ‘grazing’ suggests.)
Nathan must have broken every single road law in order to get us to the hospital, he was amazing. 17 minutes after he wheeled me into Maternity, I was holding my son. It was shocking and scary as hell, but in the end, I had one of the best births I could have imagined.
Taken at 7.39pm
Yowsers. What a story! In the nick of time, eh? Congrats again
p.s did my package arrive?
Karen (Miscellaneous Mum)s last blog post..I’m calling a ‘Finish Your Stories week’
Oh Sweety, I am all teary now.. xoxox Mum
frogpondsrocks last blog post..Weekly winners..
Look how proud you look. Shaken or not, you did an awesome (why, yes, I did just type the word awesome) job.
tiffs last blog post..Tomorrow
It’s really amazing story:)) I think I would be frightened if everything is so quick. I had to wait more 12 hours to hold my baby after my contraction started. I was so exhausted that I can’t even push the baby out and the doctor had to press my belly to help me:)
I love this sentence: “He started to cry instantly, despite not having his body born yet.” LOL:))) He was so impatient:))) But he didn’t show it before:)))
I love this photo! It’s great!
kompostelas last blog post..I Want To Give You The Whole World, Toddler!
what a beautiful story and pic.. your glowing..
i forgot to ask..
does Issac have a middle name?
Tazs last blog post..I am over the moon!!!
You are a freaking superwoman birthing machine! What a great strory. However, if I hear one more “I sneezed and my baby fell out” second time round birth story I might just go into complete denial! After an epic 42 hour induction/labour/vaginal delivery-in-the-end-thank-god experience with Amy at 42 weeks and 2 days, is there some way I can book in a “sneeze-whoops-there-it-is” labour this time round, preferably around my actual due date? Maybe if I do more kegels or eat less cake. Hmm, whats a girl gotta do!?!?!
BTW I finally got around to making your pastryless quiche tonight for dinner and it was an absolute hit, its definitely going into high rotation in the White House!
Sarahs last blog post..
Wow, that was super fast. I was holding my breath for a minute there, thinking that you were going to have the baby in the hospital carpark and then all move inside. I love that first skin to skin feeling. I didn’t get it in the hospital with mine, but as soon as I was home with each one I bathed them by laying in a full bath with baby on my chest and tummy, just washing the water over gently. They loved it. I love the picture you chose to go with this post, you look so pleased and proud.
Awww, that’s awesome, thank you so much for sharing that! I’m so glad you made it to the hospital in time and I’m glad the birth was an uncomplicated affair (well, minus the rush to the hospital)! I love the look on Isaac’s face in that photo – so cute! And “grazing” — well, I had some grazing on my nipples 2 weeks ago thanks to some inexperienced suckers and that was painful, so I don’t want to imagine grazing anywhere else! Owch!
Sharnees last blog post..George & Julius – birth story
And birthing him right into your own hands and Nathan’s, that’s the most awesome thing ever!
Well done Girl! That was amazing! And the fact that you were able to nurse Isaac immediately AND cut his cord. You are a natural, born Mummy!
Janet Bs last blog post..Frogs!
At least they believed you when you got there. Great story!!!
Mrs. Cs last blog post..Everyone Loves Woodjie!
What a wonderful birth for your beautiful boy. All of that work your body did prior to the event sure ended up making things quick! Sometimes those fast labours are soooo intense though, gosh. Well done you!
Alis last blog post..Delusional Aeronautics
Man! What a story! You have me in tears!!
Congratulations to you and dad and Amy.
So glad you didn’t split it the post!
Pias last blog post..Postcard from the Edge
Oh wow! Only just in time Veronica. I bet Nathan was totally shit-scared he would have to deliver the baby by the side of the road! So . . . what are you doing for an encore with baby number 3? Are you allowed home births in your area ‘cos with your track record the next one will be a ‘cough hard and it’s all over’ my girl!
The photo is glorious. Nobody would believe you’d literally just given birth. What a champ!
I love the way that polishing off chocolate biscuits is just one of those things that needs to be done.
I was half expecting you to pop in the car on the way to the hospital. All rather exciting and dramatic.
That’s an awesome story, you look incredible in that photo, and don’t worry. I’m pretty sure they won’t check his Apgar scores when he applies to college!
Congratulations honey!
badness joness last blog post..You’ve got to be kidding….
Congratulations again to all! That was a ripping story, kept me holding my breath a bit.
witchypoos last blog post..Grace the Threeth
that’s full on!!
Glad you got there in time and that it was everything it should have been for you
Mistress Bs last blog post..Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman?
Wow!
You are a better woman than I that is for sure:)
Congrats on your beautiful son, job well done!
Holy crap I would have been scared shitless! What an amazing birth story. Congratulations again.
nikkis last blog post..Bubbles
You can tell I’m a non-mother because I thought the vomit was the scariest part of the story. Um, yeah. Just a little bit freaked out on your behalf at the moment, belatedly no less.
But YAY! Look how lovely he is! XO
Cats last blog post..I Could Call It "Dreds of Death", But That Seems Too Obvious
What a great story, Veronica!! Isaac is a beautiful little boy! You and Nathan did a fantastic job!
You made me need to go get a few tissues ….. thanks for the happy story today. I neeeded it.
*hugs*
Jenn FLs last blog post..Regrouping
beautiful! i knew he’d be out like a shot when he decided it was time. good work mommy!
and i swear, second labors are more painful.
Jennis last blog post..The One Where I Called Poison Control
Wow.
I think that was the most exciting birth story I’ve ever read!!
Actually. When I saw it was a birth story, I was thinking. “I don’t want to read another one of these. I’ll just quickly skim through it.” But you definitely caught my attention.
This could totally be a scene in a movie. Actually, I think your birth story is even more exciting than most births in movies.
Dinas last blog post..An Award
I never had anything for pain with all my babies either, I think you push better without them, it’s like it’s hurting so damn bad but you know the faster you do it the faster it’s over with so it works better I think ! Glad everything went ok and you made it , without having the baby in the car …yikes !
Jenns last blog post..Clorox Green Works Wipes !
awesome! sounds absolutely wonderful! who wants to do all that labor at the hospital, anyway? much more adventurous this way, and makes a great blog post to boot!
congrats again
Taras last blog post..Just like Mommy’s
Wow! You’re amazing. Sounds like birthing in Tasmania is so much more laid back than the US. As if a woman could actually birth a baby without a million interventions!
Hyphen Mamas last blog post..Dear Mother Nature…. What Gives?
A post about labour that takes longer to read than the labour itself, and honestly, that made me queasy.
But that’s why my bits dangle.
Xbox4NappyRashs last blog post..Six of one…
What an amazing birth story!! And so well written!1 I swear I started reading faster and faster! lol
Tanyas last blog post..Do I expect too much?
Awesome story, you did great… Um but what is grazing?
I still can’t believe how different birthing is for you guys. Here in the USA we have birthing all wrong and need to allow for midwives to deliver low risk ladies. I am delivering with midwives at a birthing facility that is NOT a hospital. It is a farm in the backwoods of Tennessee, 4 hours from my home.
In order to deliver with a midwife one must go outside the hospital in most cases… It’s sad.
Talinas last blog post..I can’t sit idle, I am always working on something…
Fantastic birth story – thank you for sharing and well done for getting there in time! I can’t believe that you have two children, one of whom is teeny tiny, probably not sleeping very much and breastfeeding and you still find time to blog so much that I can barely keep up with you! Well done, keep it up!
Barbaras last blog post..27/365 – Not That Poorly
AWESOME!!!!!!!!
What a great birth story, that’s my favorite I’ve ever read!!!
I hyperventilated, I cursed at my monitor, I held my hand over my mouth, I cried! And then I cried again when I saw your photo at the end.
Amazing. Scary, but wonderful.
You did a phenomenal job, and WELL DONE to Nathan for the driving!
Kats last blog post..Mom Genius or How to Make a Kid’s Favorite T Shirt Bigger and Avoid Massive Tantrums
Yes, what is grazing?
Kats last blog post..Mom Genius or How to Make a Kid’s Favorite T Shirt Bigger and Avoid Massive Tantrums
Oh Wow!!! Thanks for writing about it so brilliantly and allowing us to feel as though we were there with you. It’s a beautiful story of a rushed but beautiful labor.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! You both look gorgeous.
Fes last blog post..We’re ba-ack….
Grazing = You know when you trip and fall and skin your knee? Well that’s grazing. Just think, instead of your knee, it’s your vagina and the baby did the damage. It still hurts like nothing else, but it’s not bad enough to need stitches. Plus, it tends to not be the perinium, which is the easy bit to stitch.
Beautiful. What a story and what a great picture! Congratulations again!
Wow, what a story! You’re one tough woman!
Bobbis last blog post..When Will The Love-Fest End?!
I almost had my second in the car, and we only live 10 minutes from the hospital, so it sounded somewhat familiar. UNTILL I READ THE ‘GRAZING’ PART – OUCH!!! You outdid me there. And you look amazing in the photo, I would never have guessed you had just gone through so much panic. That’s what kids do to you, hmmmm?
Oh mah holy hell. I have no other words.
Rees last blog post..Grace in Small Things: 7/365
As Scary as it sounds, it sounds so amazing too. Congrats guys!
You’re making me look forward to it
How are you guys going in the heat today?
Tanyas last blog post..HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY
Absolutely beautiful!
How dare you have Isaac before his due date! I mean really!
Thanks for sharing your birth story hun, you know how much I love them! You are absolutely GLOWING in that pic, and Isaac’s looking pretty damn cute too, even if he is crying!
Well done you!
Marylins last blog post..Weekly Winners #3 for 2009
I am seriously impressed- with your strength and courage, with Nathan’s driving, and with the amazing experience you have shared with your boy. I can’t imagine having enough presence of mind for any of what you guys achieved. Putting your hand on his head? I couldn’t even LOOK when Mollie crowned. Ugh.
Congratulations, and what an absolutely gorgeous photo! Talk about the cat who got the cream
absolutely amazing story!
Congratulations, he is beautiful and y’all look so happy. YAY!!
My word Veronica, that is legendary!! What a birth story!!
Jeanettes last blog post..Strike a pose
Um wow. Shudder/cringe/verklempt
Miss Ashs last blog post..Realizations
Wow! What an amazing story! Somehow I have a feeling he’s going to love to hear it again and again when he’s about 4 or 5 years old.
Joyce-Annes last blog post..A Day at the Spa
Welcome, Isaac! I look forward to the day when you can annoy my American grandchildren with tales of how great it is to experience Christmas/Holidays in the height of summer.
Congratulations, Veronica and Nathan on bringing another soul into the family! No, I’m not Mormon , overly religious or addicted to the HBO series “Big Love”; I just really like that phrase.
And finally, congratulations to you personally, Veronica, on your Bloggie nomination. To me personally, the reason for the nomination is obvious: you made a big burly dad-guy from Colorado who prides himself on his ability to (occasionally) ride a horse, drive in blizzards and do his own mechanical and home improvement work choke up. Enough said, and good luck. You have my vote.
Welcome, Isaac! I look forward to the day when you can annoy my American grandchildren with tales of how great it is to experience Christmas/Holidays in the height of summer.
Congratulations, Veronica and Nathan on bringing another soul into the family! No, I’m not Mormon, overly religious or addicted to the HBO series “Big Love”; I just really like that phrase.
And finally, congratulations to you personally, Veronica, on your Bloggie nomination. To me personally, the reason for the nomination is obvious: you made a big burly dad-guy from Colorado who prides himself on his ability to (occasionally) ride a horse, drive in blizzards and do his own mechanical and home improvement work choke up. Enough said, and good luck. You have my vote.
Clay Steiner, aka WriterDudes last blog post..My new favorite music video:
What an absolutely incredible birth story!! Aside from all the vomiting (yikes!!! I’ve often said when having a vomiting stomach virus “I’d rather give birth than vomit!” I can’t imagine if I was a vomiter during labor – I think I’d just go unconscious!!!). I can’t believe how quickly he came! Amazing. I’m so glad you and baby are doing fine (hopefully the grazing is healed – I had that with my last one and it’s not fun, but hey, at least no stitches, right?). Beautiful photos!
Ah, that sounds like years of guilt trip potential right there. “You’re not going to clean up your toys? After all the work I did trying to keep you from being born in the passenger seat of the car? And after your father almost killed us all to get to the hospital?” You’ve got LOADS to work with. Nice.
Robin G.s last blog post..Bloggies = Good Reading
Wow! What a story. Amazing. Im gald you made it the hospital I was getting ready for a highway birth story
Suzies last blog post..The Walk
Congratulations! I just surfed over here, curious as to why its got a bloggie nomination. it sounds like quite an adventure, I’m glad it worked out ok and you have a beautiful healthy baby!
Oh wow – how fantastic!!!! Congratulations.
jeanies last blog post..An (un)electrifying day
Hi there — I arrived here from Cake Wrecks and laughed myself sick reading the Birth Story (the term Birth Story should ALWAYS be capitalized, I feel– preferably accompanied by trumpets and flag waving)
As a mum of 6, I have to say that’s one helluva story and one GORGEOUS baby!
Congrats and very best wishes!!
xx
Toni Lawss last blog post..Choose
I won’t say I told you so (it being a fast labor) – but I’m glad that it went fast and the pain was gone quickly (especially when you hold that yummy baby!!!).
I do have to say I’m jealous that you got a double bed. I don’t know any hospitals in the states that have that!!!
Tonis last blog post..Find your slacker here!
Congratulations!
What an absolutely beautiful birth, you couldn’t have done it much better
M & Bs last blog post..Australia Day
That is such an amazing, and beautiful, story. I am still so happy for you.
debbies last blog post..Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be Barbies
Woo. I have to admit, I did get hung up early in the story by you saying you were on the toilet and then waddled inside. Sorry…
Very riveting story, and well told. I knew you must have made it to the hospital, and yet still I was reading very fast to see what was going to happen!
julies last blog post..VOLCANO!!!!!!
SO proud of you, Mama!
W-O-W! What an amazing story. That is quite an awesome birthing experience (minus the vomit I’m sure).
Congratulations!!!!
Momisodess last blog post..How Much Woodchuck Would a Human Chuck if a Woodchuck Would Chuck Wood Sooner?
wicked birthday story! this is the sort of story that gets me through another cycle of ttc…congratulations on the arrival of the very handsome Isaac. Bea x
beas last blog post..and i’m suing for damages too!
I had to make it a point to come back and read this, and I’m glad I did.
Those second babies are born awfuly more quickly than their older brothers and sisters, aren’t they? But 17 minutes?!? Holy HELL!
Congratulations again on your beautiful little boy!
Colleen – Mommy Always Winss last blog post..GIVEAWAY! Everybody needs a little time away…
Impressive! Seriously impressive! Annnnnd kind of scary all at the same time….wow….that’s a FAST labour!
Congrats – he’s beautiful and you look stunning, and what a wonderful story to share!
Jenn of The Roofs last blog post..It’s like he’s still here.