The Fourth

When the midwife arrived for my home birth I was found to be 5cm dilated. We made the bedroom ready and then went downstairs for a nice cup of tea. I was able to sit and run through my relaxing technique (see the post - Relax with progressive muscle relaxation) and the contractions caused me no pain at all, bliss. However, I don't think the midwife was convinced that I was in labour as she didn't call the second midwife to attend. In the middle of News at Ten, whilst sipping tea and eating biscuits, I instinctively threw myself off the couch onto the floor shouting "My waters have gone and I want to push". The midwife took one look at my sanitary pad and asked my husband to ring the doctor and ask him to come immediately as I was losing meconium stained liquor. This means that the baby has been stressed at some time in the pregnancy or labour causing their bowels to open and contaminate the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. If any of this meconium is breathed in by the baby at the birth it can have very serious consequences. "Can you make it upstairs?" my midwife asked me. The contraction was ebbing away and so I composed myself and we both sprinted for the stairs. I had planned an upright or hands and knees birth, my midwife asked if this was still the plan but I just threw myself on the bed saying "Just get it out". The head was out in seconds. My midwife was saying to me "Don't Push" as she struggled to get her pack open and suction my baby's mouth and nose to help prevent inhalation. Research has since shown that this practice is of no benefit with meconium stained liquor and in fact can cause harm. I kept saying, "Can I push yet, can I push yet?" just like an annoying child on a journey asking "Are we there yet?" At last she said I could push and my baby shot out into the safe hands of my lovely midwife. I still have dreams of giving birth where my baby shoots out and falls off the end of the bed and I have to follow the cord to find him, my babies are always boys in my dreams. I was having a home birth due to the cruel and heartless way I was treated with my third in hospital, he was taken away before I had a chance to see him 'for a bath' and put back into the farthest corner of the room leaving me aching to hold him. This time my baby was delivered onto my tummy and I was able to see my poo stained bundle of joy for the first time. My gorgeous girl had arrived. I was complete. The wonderful GP who had taken me on for my pregnancy and home birth gave us both a clean bill of health and then left us to it. My second pain free labour. I should become a midwife and help spread the word that most women don't have to suffer painful labours, and here I am. Sorted.