The birth of Eva Mae

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I had been niggling and fiddling with pre labour for about a week, but baby was still not engaged and she was presenting in a very posterior position. So I was very pleased to hear the Ob tell me at my hospital appointment on Thursday 10th November (3 days overdue) that baby was engaged and nearly anterior. With a stretch and sweep he sent me on my way with an induction date of the 17th November unless I laboured beforehand.

That afternoon I had mild period pain and a bloody show and at 5.30 that evening contractions started at 10 minutes apart. I wasn't too excited as I had been having episodes of contractions each night starting at around dinnertime and tapering off to nothing by bedtime. By the time I showered and went to bed the contractions had all but gone.

I woke up on Friday 11th November (forgetting it was Remembrance Day) at 6am and pretty soon after waking contractions started again at 10 minutes apart. By about 10.30 am they were down to 7 - 8 minutes apart but weren't very intense and were easy to breathe through. My husband Paul is in the Army and was in the middle of a minutes silence for Remembrance Day when he received my SMS letting him know that I thought I might be onto something, but not to rush home - 500 Army personnel turned and started as his phone trilled away with my news!

As the day progressed my contractions stopped and started and didn't seem to be gathering in momentum despite taking a walk to the shops or going shopping at K-mart with Mum and Grace. My midwife came to seem me at about 5.30pm and my contractions were down to about 6 minutes apart and still not very intense. We agreed that I should try to eat some dinner and rest and prepare myself for the possibility of a long day the following day.

As the evening wore on I had locked myself away from the rest of the house to avoid "outside distractions" and I jumped into bed at around 8.30pm, turned on my Ipod and relaxed as contractions spaced right out to 15 - 20 minutes apart. At 10pm Paul came to bed and by 10.20 my contractions had intensified and it wasn't comfortable to lie in bed anymore. I got up and jumped in the shower and before long contractions were coming in every 2 - 3 minutes and I was having to concentrate and breath through each one. At 11pm I woke Paul up and asked him to contact my midwife Liz and tell her that it was time to come.

Liz arrived at around 11.30 and after assessing me for 10 minutes suggested it might be better to make our way to the hospital sooner rather than later. By the time we left at midnight I knew (hoped??) I was nearing transition and contractions were starting to become quite painful and were 2 minutes apart.

We arrived at the hospital and after assessment got into the birthing suite at 12.15am, I had a trace CTG for 15 minutes which showed that baby was very happy and coping well through my contractions. During my CTG I started to feel ill and with the next contraction vomited. I said to the hospital midwife, Sharon "I think that spew was transition" and she answered "I think it was too". Liz suggested that I get into the shower for pain relief and with that I jumped in the shower on the birth ball with Paul spraying the hot water on my back, shoulders and tummy.

My waters were still intact and I was starting to feel the need to poo, Liz suggested that changing positions might help baby move that last bit and with that I moved over onto all 4's over the birthing ball. With the next contraction I felt my waters pop (all over Paul's feet) and I started to push involuntarily.

A few good contractions and pushes later Sharon said I was getting close to crowing and baby was on her way around the bend and with the next contraction she wanted me to stop big pushing and start little grunting pushes. I reached around and could feel baby's head start to crown and with the next contraction "breathed" so I could stretch and avoid tearing.

Eva's head was born and I moved into a kneeling position so I could birth Eva's body myself. Sharon delivered the shoulder for me, then I delivered Eva the rest of the way, which felt amazing and very empowering. I sat for a while on the birth ball, Paul and I both marvelling at our new daughter and listening to her very hearty cries and waited until I delivered the placenta (which landed on the hospital midwife's feet!).

Paul took Eva while I cleaned up in the shower and then jumped into bed for our first feed.

Eva Mae was born at 1.25 am on 12th November weighing 3.73 kg (8lb 3oz), 55cm long and 36cm head circumference after a labour of 3hrs 25 minutes (10 minutes pushing) and best of all, NO STITCHES.

Eva and Mummy left hospital to go home with Daddy and big sister Grace at 9.00am that same morning.

I feel very empowered and privileged to have been able to delivery Eva myself and quite surprised at where I delivered, nowhere in my birthplan did it say I wanted to birth on all 4's over a birth ball in the shower, but a brilliant experience all the same.