Rachel's Stories- 10 lbs. & 9 lbs., 14 oz.- Home & Hospital (Australia)

Emilia (1997)

10 lbs.

59 cm long

38 cm head

42w and 4 days gestation

Home (Australia)

Midwife arrived 5 minutes after the birth. The whole labour was less than 2 hours

Mother's Height:  165cm/5'5"

How was your pregnancy? 

Stressful. I had a 7 year old and an 18 month old. I was having problems with heart palpitations (which were put down to stress) and was overweight. It was an unplanned pregnancy, we had recently bought/built our first house which was unfinished and my husband gave up his job and went back to university.

How did you feel about your upcoming birth?  Anxious, I was due to be induced in 3 days (at 43 weeks)

Description of your birth experience: 

The whole labour ended up being less than 2 hours. My midwife arrived shortly after Emilia was born. I laboured at home in my loungeroom with my husband, who caught the baby. I was leaning over a chair, so half squatting-half kneeling. I breathed with the contractions, I never got the urge to push. No tears or grazes. No drugs.

How did you feel after the birth (first month)?  Exhilarated, but tired.

What did you learn from this birth? 

My midwife taught me about perineal massage in preparation for birth. I had had an episiotomy with my first and the scar still bothers me 18 years on.

Morris (2007)

9 lbs., 14 oz.

54.5cm long

36cm head

41 weeks gestation

Hospital birthing suite, unattended for the most part (Australia)

How was your pregnancy?

I found this pregnancy difficult in that I was older, sustained a back injury at 15weeks, which lasted until 28 weeks, then fractured my foot at 30 weeks (falling out of the front door as I couldn't see my feet). Other than that it was complication-free and I was a healthy weight.

How did you feel about your upcoming birth?

Excited, but anxious that I was birthing at a hospital. We had moved since the last birth and independent midwives are scarce here. I was afraid of not being in control in a hospital environment.
 
Description of your birth experience:

I got very tired towards the end and had a lot of pain and movement in my pelvis (my 4th pregnancy). Labour stopped once I got to hospital as I was so nervous about being there and we had a worrisome midwife who kept bothering me with questions and taking blood pressure every 15 minutes and she kept re-arranging the furniture. We left the hospital to have lunch and labour started properly. By the time we got back a new midwife was on and my husband told her we wished to be left alone. Labour took 4 1/2 hours. The last 30 minutes and birth were in the shower. I used the same half squatting- half kneeling position over a chair. I breathed through the contractions and have never had the urge to push in any of my 4 births. The midwife was only called when Morris was born to the eyes and my husband felt he wanted some support. My husband caught the baby. No tears, no drugs.

How did you feel after the birth (first month)? I felt fine, except for lingering looseness in my pelvis.

How did you feel six months after the birth? One year? Now? At six months, I was still having trouble with my pelvis and had to get physiotherapy. Other than that everything has been fine.

What did you learn from this birth?  My husband will stand up for what I want and for what we believe is best for me and our baby.

Any words of wisdom to impart?

Learn as much as you can. The more informed you are, the better decisions you are able to make. Perineal massage is wonderful and makes a huge difference. I did it myself or my husband would do it for me from about 34 weeks gestation. I can't recommend it enough.