Wednesday 17 April 2013

~ a birth story ~

We were thrilled to have Tim's sister Alice agree to take the photos for us... I regret that I don't have this precious memory for all my births - Thanks Alice!

Soooo...Its been three and a half months since this amazing night and its taken me this long to write about it! 

Theodore's birth was unlike any of my other births... I was quietly terrified leading up to it too -  I had quick and relatively easy births with the last four but having a six year gap made me worry! Would my body have 'rebooted' itself after this amount of time and think it needed much longer?? EEEeek.. could I handle it if that was the case???

I read a lot of books to get my head into the right space.. Ina May was a firm favourite! I spent a lot of time in prayer... memorizing and writing out scriptures that had given me peace and comfort during hard times... asking friends to pray.... talking to myself (as opposed to listening to myself) whenever fear would take hold of my heart.

I had to cope with strong contractions from about 24 weeks which were sometimes painful enough to take my breath away... I had the same thing with Finn (maybe its my body's way of telling me enough is enough!) so I wasn't worried about them they were just a big hassle and made my days even more tiring!
I woke on the Friday (one week overdue!) and I was concerned after an hour or so when I realized he hadn't moved at all... I jiggled my tummy around and had a glass of really cold water and did all those things that usually help get baby moving but nothing worked.. my tummy would kind of just flop wherever I moved it... I panicked at this stage as my old enemy fear began to have a field day with my heart! 
I rang my midwife and arranged to meet her at the hospital asap.... Tim had already left for work so I was super thankful to have a 14 year old in the house and just ran out the door leaving her to deal with her brothers!! 
My heartbeat calmed as I drove and I started to feel small movements - all the excitement must have woken him from deep sleep!! 
I was hooked up to the old heartbeat moniter up at the hospital and Paula (my dear friend and wonderful midwife who has now delivered all 6 of my babies!) confirmed everything was fine... however over the course of an hour on that machine she discovered I was having strong contractions all exactly 5 minutes apart! Woohoooo.... I was so used to having contractions I hadnt even noticed!  She arranged to come over at 4pm later that day and see how we were - totally sure that I would be in labour and ready to have a baby!
Well... those contractions stayed with me all day... no stronger or closer together.. 4pm came and went and Paula and I set up our home all ready for a birthin'. I was like a cat on hot bricks and I quietly asked her to see if I had started dilating... I have no self-control... My plan had been to have absolutely no intervention but I couldn't help myself! I needed to know where things stood!! I was thrilled to find out I was 4cm... YAHOOOO... nearly halfway and it had been no work at all!! Maybe this would be nice and quick and not too painful!! She went home leaving all her gear at our place and told me she would be back at 8 30pm... things would surely be underway by then! 
but no....
nothing changed...
The contractions did get a little stronger but no closer together and not strong enough to really be doing anything... 
I told her not to bother coming over yet...
...we put the boys to bed in the lounge at the other end of the house and told them there would be a baby waiting to meet them when they woke in the morning! 
... and we waited... 
and waited...
and kept waiting till about 11pm when my dear husband decided he was over this and got the kids scooters out!! We scooter ed up and down the road close to midnight laughing like a couple of crazy hyenas!! 
no change.
I went to bed feeling very sorry for myself! 
I lay down and tried to rest when all of a sudden I felt this 'ping'... What!?! My waters broke! In all 5 of my other labours I had never had this happen and had always wanted to know how it felt! Woohoooo....Finally! Things were happening!
and happen they did!!
I stood up and made my way to the loo and had an almighty contraction! Oh yeah... thats right.. this is what labour feels like!! Deep breaths... 
I rang Paula at 12 15 and she arrived 15 minutes later by which time things were well underway... wonderful, powerful, strong contractions - I found my rhythm and I laugh now looking back at the photos... I never moved from my spot beside my bed the whole time.... desperately wanting to sink into the warm water in my bathroom but unable to move the 10 steps to get there!
At 1 15 the second midwife arrived and I was moving into transition... I had never met her before and was a bit worried about a stranger in my 'space' during my labour but she was just lovely... her beautiful Scottish accent and sense of humour was perfect.. thank you Clare... 
I had to let go of so many plans and dreams during this labour... I wanted a water birth and I wanted to deliver him myself but my body did not allow this to happen... I needed to be on the bed in the end as things didn't progress from this point quite how I would have liked...
I reached 10cm and everything basically stopped... I had one contraction in about 15 minutes and in the end I just had to push him out even though I had no urge to do so at all! None! It was the strangest feeling... I needed all the help I could get from the midwife and it took everything I had in me to do it...
(That's what happens when you have a 9lb 8oz baby and you are a short little thing like me! I don't think my body was designed to have giant babies!!)

.... Theodore Beau Phillip Robinson arrived at 2 11am on Saturday the 5th of January 2013.... Huge and perfect!

I was in established labour for just under 2 hours...God answered my prayer for a quick labour once things really started but it was so frustrating waiting and waiting earlier on!

This was truly a wonderful, Christ centered birth... Tim prayed with me all the way through... he didn't leave my side (apart from a quick loo break!) and God was so faithful... He reminded me of all the scriptures I had memorized and brought them to mind whenever I stared to feel overwhelmed  I felt so much peace and security and our son was born into the most love filled room... it was incredibly precious.


~

p.s.... I think my most favourite memory of the whole night was when Clare said in her gorgeous Scottish accent - 'Now that's how you have a baby!!' ... (proud moment right there!!)

5 comments:

  1. you're making me want to have another!!
    beautiful pics, too xoxo

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  2. Thankyou for sharing such a beautiful birth story! I especially love the image you gave me of riding scooters up and down the street! priceless moments :))

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  3. Gee forget reading the story I am bawling at the photos!!!!!!! Beautiful

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  4. I loved reading this Kate, I must have been pre occupied with toddlers when you told me this because I don't remember all these details, especially don't remember the scooter bit, giggled so much at that image I choked on my cup of tea! Now here's the challenge, photos or not, can you record the other 5 births as beautifully as this. I need to do it with mine before the details all merge into one story. Beautiful beautiful post Kate. Loved it and Love you amazing mama!

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  5. What a great birth kate, I love reading others stories especailly those not too dissimilar from my own :)
    HOpe you and your lovely whanau are well and happy and enjoy a great school holiday xox mim

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