 |
|
Catherine’s Birth Story – baby Ella Audrey, born March 23, 2008
Catherine had contractions for several weeks before baby Ella Audrey made her appearance! When active labour began it was relatively short and intense, Catherine recounts her positive experience that came from trusting her unique unfolding of labour and delivery...
 Baby Ella Audrey was born March 23rd, 2008 at St. Mary’s Hospital.
The journey throughout the pregnancy was such an incredible experience that when Ella Audrey finally made an appearance it made every moment even more meaningful.
My actual due date was March 16th and for a couple of weeks I had been experiencing false labor contractions. Sometimes they were 3-4 minutes apart and regular – we even went to the hospital a week before the actual delivery date, were admitted, stayed overnight and then were sent home in the morning as the contractions subsided. I was soon to find out that all these false contractions were preparation for the real thing…
During the day on Saturday March 22nd, I had not been feeling well. I felt really tired and weak but no contractions. They had miraculously disappeared for a couple of days. I thought nothing of it as I thought I was just feeling down because Ella had not yet arrived. At 4pm about two tablespoons of warm clear liquid gushed out of me but I thought nothing of it…crazy me - I thought it was just a lot of discharge.
As I was not feeling well during the day, my wonderful life partner, Stephane, was preparing a nice dinner for us. It was 8pm and I was watching the hockey game (Canadian VS Boston). I don’t even like hockey!!! Apparently it was a good game because the Canadians won 3-2 in a shoot out. I started having intense contractions that felt like a bolt of electricity shooting through my body. They were not regular but it was like nothing I had experienced previously. I did my ocean breathing, used my yoga ball, was on all fours…but nothing subsided them. Stephane suggested we take a bath. By this point even in the bath the contractions were so powerful that I had a very hard time controlling myself. I started to hum. I knew that this was it; my contractions were increasing in strength and they were 2 minutes apart.
 At around 10pm we drove to the hospital and I hummed the whole way. When we got to the hospital – I was so weak that Stephane used a wheelchair to get me to the delivery floor. When we arrived the nurses saw me and brought me to the delivery room right away and we bypassed Triage. They admitted me. The contractions were so intense that I was holding onto the bed railings whenever I would have one. They were lasting longer then 60 seconds and I had no time to rest between contractions. I asked for the epidural right away. I needed to rest.
At approximately 11:30pm the Doctor examined me; I was 2cm dilated, 100% effaced and Ella was at +2. Also, my membranes had been ruptured. That gush of warm liquid at 4pm had been my water breaking. If I had known this I would never have taken a bath…
One hour later (after 2 games of Backgammon) I was already at 4cm dilated! The Doctor then suggested to Stephane and I to turn off all the lights and sleep as there would be a lot of work ahead once I would start pushing. We tried to sleep but I was anxious, nervous, excited and a little scared for what lay ahead! I did not know what to expect but I tried my best to stay in the moment. I focused on my ocean breathing.
At 2:52am the Doctor checked me again – I was at 10cm!!! I did not expect this. I thought I would be at 7 or 8. So the pushing began…I could feel Ella coming down. But every time I would push – her heart rate would drop. We tried laboring on the side to see if she would prefer this. But her heart rate still lowered every time I pushed.
 At this point – the Doctor said that she would try the vacuum but that if I did not have her out in 2 pushes they were going in for an emergency c-section. The ER nurses were already preparing themselves and there was another Doctor in the room ready to go in. There were literally 8 people around my bed! I felt the pressure. The second push Ella was out at 7 pounds 2 ounces and 21.06 inches long. It felt like a flower opening up in full bloom. Before I knew it she was on my stomach and Stephane was cutting the umbilical cord. It was such a beautiful emotional moment between the three of us. She was finally here – in the moment, alert & present with a full head of hair.
She is now 6 days old and we fall more and more in love with her everyday day. We didn’t think that feeling this way was possible.
It is amazing how each birth unfolds uniquely and we want to thank Clearlight for the knowledge and skills she brought to us. Her guidance throughout this transition in our life is something we will never forget.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
© 1999 - 2007 yogaspace.com / yogaspace.ca
photos © 2004 yogaspace.com / yogaspace.ca
all rights reserved
Yogaspace Studio
L'Esprit Rehabilitation Center
5252 de Maisonneuve West, #100, Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3S5, Canada
514-933-8671
site by Futura Studios
|
|
|
|
|
