The His and Hers Series - Part 3: The Birth

HIS

The season had gotten off with a bang.  The team had had a pretty short preseason but they had spent a lot of time in the research department.  Word had come through from the coach’s box that the team had gotten over the line and were looking forward to an exciting season.  We were now in the grand final.  We had burst through the banner of the labour ward, led by our wonderful midwives, and Ange was now very much in the game... and I was very much on the side wondering what could I do?  What do I say?  Where should I stand?

That didn’t last too long as I soon just got in there and played my supporting role.  Just said what came naturally, stood by Ange’s side, held her hand and provided a shoulder to lean on.  This all went well until the final quarter when things started getting really exciting.  The obstetrician had re-entered the fray, the nightie was off and it was game on. 

There was a lot of cheering “C’mon! You can do it! Well done! Keep going!”... and then a walnut appeared!  Honestly, my first thought when I saw ‘the walnut’ was “How is that going to smooth out?”  Judging by the roar that was coming from Ange I don’t think she was thinking the same thing.

Now from my vantage point I could see everything!  I’m not going to go into details but the correlation between the lightest touch of the obstetrician and Ange’s blood curdling yell was, for lack of a better word, interesting.

Well the siren was nearing, and Ange was preparing for her final push into the forward line.  The nurses and obstetrician were all there ready for the game to come their way and the cheer squad was doing his best to be there and supportive but also making sure that he wasn’t in the way. 

Mr.T came along and yes, he was the most beautiful bundle in the world.  He went straight to his mother for a cuddle and I cut him free.  He was also a jolly big beautiful bundle of joy, not as big as his old man, but 9 pound 4 is nothing to sneeze at.  Then came the placenta.  I don’t think Ange got the chance to see it but to even see the nurses being surprised at the size of this thing and saying “Is that 4 veins?” (rather than the usual 3) brought a smile to my face which said “That’s my boy”.

HERS

I have been dreading writing this part of the ‘his’ and ‘hers’ series for obvious reasons! But also, I think it’s just going to be full of pauses and ellipses’ (...) because it was SUCH a blur. It was a total of 3 and a half hours from the labour ward to the birth.

I had an enormous fear of giving birth. I was NOT the girl watching the video in Biology thinking this was a beautiful and natural experience. I was the girl exclaiming “Ewww! That is so gross! OMG!”  I was so self conscious. I couldn’t imagine getting that exposed. I knew it was going to hurt, but I told myself I would try to stay dignified, clothed and under control. Ha! Here is how it went:

I remember kneeling on the ground with the gym ball in front of me and sucking on the gas like my life depended on it...

I remember the obstetrician telling me to, ‘Get off that gas! You might have hours and hours to go’. Then she got me up on the bed and decided maybe that was an incorrect assumption as I was already 7cm dilated...

Then I just remember...pain...and learning when to push...

I remember my dignity going out the window...A nightie? No thanks, just get everything off!

I remember being asked, “Do you want a mirror?” Hell no! I was too scared it would be like when you’re a kid and you scrape your knee. It hurts. Then you look at it and all of a sudden it hurts triple the amount.

I remember the voices of support of my husband and my obstetrician. I remember myself asking for pain relief and being told I couldn’t have it because it was too late...

The burning - lots and lots of burning, and some kind of crazy dialogue in my head telling me to end this and end it now...

And then, the best part.  A baby in my arms. I was still dazed and the nurse said “Look! Look! It’s your baby!” I looked down and there he was. Every cliché was true. All of them including:

My heart melted

All the pain washed away

Nothing in the world could change that moment

He was perfect

All the natural instincts took over

I remember asking how big he was. My obstetrician looked at me and said “BIG” And big he was. Mr T. Entered the world at 8:58pm on November 4th, 2011 weighing a whopping 9 pound 4.

I can’t compare the labour as it was my first but I am glad it was fast. And I’m proud to say I did it drug-free apart from the gas. However, if I knew that he was going to be that big, I think I would of been asking for the drugs before I even walked through the doors of the hospital due to the sheer terror of the whole thing! He was, IS beautiful and I wouldn’t have him any other way and just to end with another one of those true clichés. All the pain was WORTH it. Every bit.

So...what did you think of this part? Any comments? Got any of your own crazy birth stats? Share them with us!

Linking up with Jess on IBOT!