Water Birth

name: Colleen

date entered: 27/04/2007

country: Australia, Victoria

story:

The pregnancy went well; I worked up until the week before I had Breanna. She came two weeks early. I was sick all day every day and if you put milk near me I'd scream. But you get through it. I had a bad night on the Tuesday vomiting, and on the toilet for hours on end.  I thought it was Braxton Hicks but they were getting stronger and more painful. Hubby went to night shift and I went to bed only to be on the toilet with a bucket.  My best friend came over and convinced me at 11pm that I call hubby to come home and we went to the hospital for a check up.  In Emergency on a drip they told me that I had gastro.

I went home and the contractions came and went every 2 - 5min.  I rang the hospital and in we went again. Home again and in again with 5 min contractions for two days. By Thursday I was so grumpy (yes I'm being clean) We went in to the hospital and a good friend's sister was on duty so we were able to stay. Thank God!! I think what got me through at home was walking and the gym ball. Lack and no sleep was a killer though. "Go home and sleep", they would tell me. "Yeah right" - the contractions were 2- 5min apart the whole time and the pain was getting stronger every time.

Long story short they put me on a drip and the waters were finally broken 12:05pm Friday by the doctor who seemed to love to joke. I was in no mood for making friends that day. I remember the relief.  It was amazing, and how my tummy went down. By 1:00pm the bath was being filled and I was not a happy camper at all.

When I got into the bath and the warmth the pain had halved, it was great. I remember walking in the room and the lights were dim, a candle was burning oil and there were whales in the back ground music. The whales went off very quickly and they played Enya. Many painful hours later they offered me a needle (can't remember the name) to go into my back just under the skin to relieve some of the severe back pain. I have three discs out and it was intense pain. That was an experience. The needle was more painful than child birth all put together but apparently it helped. At 6:30ish I asked the nurse how long will it be and she said "1 hour a cm to dilate" and I was 7.5 cm. Great!

The bath was topped up with hot water, keeping it a constant temperature; they had a thermometer in the bath at all times. This was due to infection risk (I think). The urge to push came and wow did it come! The nurse was out of the room and hubby and I had a panic attack. He went running to find the nurse. After 45min of pushing Bree was born under the water and I delivered her, pulled her out, and placed her on my chest.  She opened her huge blue eyes and looked straight at me. It was something you never forget. You can't explain the emotions. After a couple of minutes I looked at the nurse and said "Now what?"

The after birth had to be delivered standing up. Bree had a beanie on her head and a towel around her. We stood up still holding Bree and the after birth was delivered into a bowl. It was not a nice feeling doing that and the rest is history. Well third degree stiches and one hour of breast feeding straight up, then we got to sit back and say "Thank God it was over".

I do have to say the water birth was the best experience that you could have.  I didn't have gas or any other drugs and it was such a pain relief just to be under the water. We are trying for number two, whom we lost three months ago, but now trying again. I was hoping for a water birth again but at the hospital that Bree was born they no longer do them due to legal reasons. That changes your plans. But as long as the next one is fit and healthy, then that is all that matters. I can't thank Casey Hospital in Berwick enough for their constant support and encouragement. I couldn't have gotten through it without them and my dear hubby.

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