Candice shares the birth of her first child with us. Her story highlights how daunting your first birth experience can be and that not all aspects of giving birth “come naturally”.
The beginning of what was my labour with my first born was quite gradual; it started out as period pains on the Wednesday, and I had no other signs that would elude to the fact that I was in labour – no water breaking, mucous plug etc. so I did think that they were Braxton Hicks.
I did however go in the next day as the pains did come consistently even though not getting considerably worse.
A moment that I do recall, while sitting in the waiting room was hearing a female screaming, this scared me to the point where I did want to request a caesarean, even though I had not planned for one, the screams urged me to want to have anything but a natural vaginal birth, but I was only able to get the caesarean if I had requested it initially or in the event of an emergency.
I was checked, internally (one thing that I was not looking forward to as the whole idea had me feeling very anxious, some strange person shoving their hands well inside my cervix) and to my dismay was only a centimetre dilated. I was not surprised as everyone and their mother had been telling me how “your first will be a slow process” so I took that as confirmation of just that.
I had been back and forth a few times from home to the hospital – internal exam – not dilating enough – sent home – back to be checked – sent home.
I was instructed to try and encourage the birthing process by walking up and down the stairs but as time went on, I did feel the pains get worse, I was however able to breathe through it with ease, something I was quite proud of because I did expect things to be worse by this point. A couple days on and I was still having pains and still not dilating super-fast, but still able to push through the pains but was becoming quite a hinderance especially when trying to sleep. I had been back and forth between home and the hospital – getting checked and being sent home up until the Saturday when the incredible urge to push had begun, I held out till I really could and told my Hub to take me to the hospital as it was getting harder to fight the urge to push. As it happens my water broke on the way to the hospital at that point, basically meaning I had literally gushed on the passenger seat.
When I arrived at the hospital I was checked once more, and the midwife / nurse had advised that I was in fact already crowning – which was awesome news. Excitement had officially stepped in – coupled with fear – as Perineal tearing was my next fear… (one of my BIGGEST fears of natural labour) and natural about being the only option as I was not on medical aid)
I was told to begin pushing but with it being my first baby I had been pushing incorrectly and the midwife had asked if I would be ok with an episiotomy as my pushing was clearly in vain and we needed to get baby out of the birth canal faster as he would be struggling to breath etc
I agreed to the episiotomy and thankfully my vaginal skin had obviously been stretched to a certain limit, so I hardly felt the cut.
Within minutes my first-born baby boy was born
As a result of me not pushing correctly I had popped blood vessels on my face as well as both my eyes were blood shot.
My boy weighed 3.7kg
Jaden Tyler Lewin
06.09.2008
Weight: 3.7kg (Fully Natural)
