Nicki shares her birth story with us, highlighting the fact that birth experiences are not the same, even if they are experienced by the same mother. Each baby grows at a different rate and is birthed differently. Have expectations and create a plan, but also be prepared to throw the plan out the window and roll with the punches.
First Birth
Both my pregnancies were high risk and I’ve had to be treated by the Hospital instead of a MOU. With my first pregnancy I was young and could not fully comprehend what had to take place. I honestly just wanted a c section. I was in preterm premature labor for a few days and even after given medication to try and stop the labour I was still dilating. Active labor was about 6 hours unmedicated. It honestly just felt like constant back pain with period cramps. By the time I got to call the nurse I was already 8 cms dilated and I was moved to labour ward which is where I pushed out my son under an hour and to my surprise all the pain just went away. They then pressed on my belly and asked me to push out the afterbirth. That was so much more painful than pushing out my son!
The moment he was placed on my chest the pain was gone! It was messy, there was lots of blood and I could be up and move around like nothing just took place. That’s the beauty of vaginal birth.
Second Birth
With my daughter I had to be induced as my water broke but had no signs of going into labor. I got induced the morning of 06 March 2022 and gave birth the same day. The only difference between an unmedicated birth and an induced birth is the contractions come on ALOT stronger. I’ve had to walk up and down the hallways of the labor ward and the moment I reached 4cm within 2 hrs I was 10cm. I haven’t even completed the full dose of medication.
After I birthed my daughter I continued bleeding and my womb did not contract to close itself again. So I was put on a drip to give me contractions which helped until I stood up to wash myself and I fainted. It was then when dr’s found my blood count was low and I suffered a haemorrhage. I was then put on a heavy dose of iron pills. Days later my blood count came up which meant I didn’t need to have a blood transfusion done.
Both times the experience has been breath taking and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
