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Christina’s Birth Story – Baby Milla, born August 16, 2006
Christina shares her experience of labour and the challenges she encountered – and concludes “it was worth every second.”
 “To the world you may be one person – But to one person you may be the world”
And this is exactly how we felt about baby Milla when she was born… and here is how on August 16, 2006 at 11:42, our daughter was born.
I was due to deliver at the beginning of August. The doctor suggested a date around the 5th of August. However, because it was my first pregnancy I quickly found myself being overdue. Three days before the delivery I had my appointment with the OBGYN and he told me that since I am in my 40th week he would have to induce me.
I had spent so much time thinking of how my delivery would proceed and dreaming of a natural birth that this whole inducing business got me really worried. I did not want to be rushed into my first birthing experience and most important I did not want anyone rushing my baby out. I started crying in the doctor’s office begging him to wait a bit more. He told me that the final date would be on Aug.16th.
At that time I had already spent a considerable amount of time doing yoga with Clearlight. I also had an amazing doula called Lesley Everest. I had my mind and body set for a natural birth with no epidural and this is the only way I saw it happening.
Unfortunately for me I was overdue and I had not experienced a single contraction yet. My cervix was hard, closed and high up there… all the signs that this baby is absolutely in no rush to come out. I think that I have never squatted as much in my whole life as I did in the three days prior to my delivery. I did EVERYTHING to get this baby out…naturally. I drank mystic birthing teas, I rubbed my ankles, I took homeopathic pills, I squatted, I did the yoga ball positions, I walked for hours, I visualized giving birth, and I even went to acupuncture. And on Aug. 15th at night…still no sign of any baby arriving. I was terrified at the thought of getting induced. On Aug. 16th however, a miracle happened. My first contractions!!!!
Because the baby was small and I was overdue, we went to the hospital pretty fast. When I got there they put the monitor on my belly and this resident came to examine me. As if it was not enough she even brought a nice bloke along…he just wanted to take a peek. I refused being examined by both of them so I think they threw a coin. I got the girl… Unfortunately for me, the second exam had to be performed by a different resident because the previous one went home. And if I have an advice for first timers like me it’s SAY NO TO RESIDENTS!!!!! My appointed girl was in her second week of training and she had no clue what so ever of what she was doing. She was looking for how dilated I was and she told me, and I quote “hold on I can’t seem to find the right place”.
Anyway, my doctor came along and he said I was 2 cm and that I should stay at the hospital. Stubborn as I am, I wanted to follow my own plan, and I wanted to do my birthing in my bathtub at home. And so after lots of complaining, my doctor let me go. I went home, filled a hot bath, got on my knees and I just waited as each contraction got stronger and stronger. I want to add here that by this time the contractions were easy and I thought that if this is labor then what are all these women screaming about… I had a big surprise coming up.
I was happily eating my sushi in the bath – by the way you should not eat before labor- and then I heard the biggest and loudest POP. I think that at that time I thought someone had broken my hips and pelvis open. That was when my water broke and that is when I lost my mind. In a second I forgot all I had learned from my doula and from my yoga classes. I started screaming and crying, I was sooooo scared. My mom and my husband came running, they got me out of the bath and I wrapped a towel over, we called my doula and we left. I did not even have time to get dressed. I was loosing amniotic fluid all the way to the hospital. When I got there I was 5cm and the contractions were strong and painful…not like the previous ones. At the hospital they gave me an I.V. of some painkiller and the laughing gas because I refused the epidural. I was so scared that it might stop my contractions, or that I might not do a good job pushing.
I think that the breathing practiced during the yoga classes was most useful when it came to inhaling that gas. I wished I had 5 lungs instead of just 2 J. I was so concentrated on my breathing that I even did it during the pushing… even though you’re not supposed to. I really don’t remember much of the labor because I was seriously drugged on the gas.
All I remember is that my husband delivered our beautiful girl and that she came out after 3 pushes – perhaps this explains all the tearing. I also remember that my mom and my doula were massaging my back the whole time and that felt soooo good. I think that when the baby came out it was the biggest relief I have ever felt. In all, from the first contraction to the birth of my daughter, my labor lasted 11 h 42 mins. And it was worth every second.
I really cannot stress the importance of not allowing a newbie resident stitch you up if you ever require stitches. I was too drugged to protest but my resident did a lousy job with my inside stitches and it’s causing me a world of pain and trouble – I couldn’t sit or walk for 3 weeks after the delivery and now I am in physiotherapy. DO NOT ALLOW A RESIDENT TO STITCH YOU UP!!! It is literally your ass on the line here so take care of it. I know I should have.
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