'Am I going to have
I'D IMAGINED EVERYTHING from the taxi to the hospital to the the final moment when the baby was placed in my arms. I had rehearsed it in my mind so many times during my pregnancy to mentally prepare myself. What happened instead was irregular contractions and an ambulance ride to the hospital.
THAT CRAZY NIGHT
Although I was eventually able to have a vaginal delivery. I suffered from flashbacks and nightmares for weeks. I couldn’t talk about my labour without getting teary. I used to twitch a little when I saw a bathtub as it reminded me of that night. Perhaps it’s not a big surprise that I also developed symptoms of postpartum depression.
UNEXPECTED PAIN BUT NO GAIN My water broke about midnight on my birthday as if my daughter was waiting for a surprise party. Then, contractions intensified all the sudden. There was no way I could take a taxi at that point. I couldn’t move an inch from the bathroom or speak to my husband. I screamed in pain, gasping for the air in the short break between contractions.
I felt the urge to push, but had read that push before fully dilated causes tears. I was shouting “Don’t push, don’t push…”
2 hours later, the ambulance arrived and set up the room for an emergency home delivery. "Am I going to have a baby here..?” I asked, feeling very confused . “Yes, I can see her hair. Now push!” The contractions kept coming but without much progress, I was exhausted. This was not what I imagined my birth journey to be.
BACK IN CONTROL The community midwife arrived & she convinced them to take me to the the home-to-home birth centre. Everything was just as I hoped how my birth journey would be after that. I was able to trust midwives there and regained control of my body at last. They helped me understand what was happening with my body, and how best to cope with it.
I was finally able to use contractions, instead of being overwhelmed by them. My husband was brilliant, and helped me take different positions, and offered me food and drink. In the end, I gave birth only 2 hours after arriving at the hospital. Yes, my daughter and I share the same birthday!
have a baby here....?'
My Birth Story By Natsuki Pope
The Plan
The Reality
The Unexpected
The Safe Delivery