The Birth of Baby Rupert

I don’t think my birth experience was typical of a first birth. I had been losing my mucus plug and had Braxton Hicks type cramps and quite a bit of downward pressure for around a week before, but nothing that was particularly concerning.

On the morning I gave birth I had the same cramping, but it started to become regular around 10.00am so I started timing. At that point the surges were around 10-12 minutes apart and I was easily breathing through them. I thought it might be early labour but also thought they might die down again as I was only 37+6. Adam got home from work at 11.30 and by that time my surges were around 8 minutes apart and getting stronger but still not too intense. Unfortunately, at that point I started being sick, and for the rest of the labour I was constantly throwing up and unable to keep food/water down. 

I called triage at around 12.30 when my surges were 6-8 minutes apart, around 1-1/2 minutes each. I found that walking and rocking while stood helped relieve the pain, and using the birthing comb also helped. Sitting was quite painful due to pressure. They said they thought it was early labour and that I sounded calm and not in too much pain (which was true) so I should call them back if the surges increased or my waters broke. They also told me to go to my routine midwife appointment which was at 13.30.

At the midwife appointment my surges were around 4-6 minutes apart, lasting around 1-1/2 minutes each, but I was constantly throwing up. I was finding it difficult to communicate by this point. The midwife did some obs and checked his heart rate, and told me to go to hospital and called triage for us to confirm I was going to the Birth Centre. She was not able to check my dilation because apparently if you are in labour you can only get that checked at the place you are giving birth.

By the time we got in the car to get to Truro I was almost completely non-verbal and very much in a zone of calm. I finally used the TENS machine in the car which definitely helped with the pain. I stopped timing my surges at this point as I was just focussed on breathing, but I think the intensity and frequency picked up in the car.

We got to hospital at 15.15 (luckily without any traffic) and were taken to the delivery suite so they could assess me and get a room in the birthing centre ready. As soon as I walked into the room in the delivery suite I had a surge and an urge to squat, at which point my waters broke (all over my shoes which wasn’t ideal!) and I felt my body start to push. I was on all fours and pushing within minutes of arriving at hospital.

This is where it became slightly less in control. They pulled the emergency bell and the room became flooded with people. They wanted me to get on the bed so they could assess me which I found really difficult as I didn’t feel I could move, but eventually I managed to get up. At that point they could see his head but his heart rate was at 70 and they were concerned because they hadn’t had a chance to check his heart rate on arrival. Because of that they suggested using ventouse to assist with the delivery and an episiotomy to help with that. Adam told them I didn’t want an episiotomy, but I ended up saying it was fine and accepted that and the ventouse. Rupert was born at 15.36, just 15 minutes after we parked at hospital!  I also accepted the oxytocin shot to deliver the placenta, which I delivered minutes after Rupert was born. After birth we had a good hour or so of mostly undisturbed skin-to-skin. My body went into shock and I was shaking uncontrollably for a long time. Otherwise neither of us had any complications, and Rupert was a healthy 7lbs 2oz at birth.

My birthing experience was nothing like that which we had planned for, and completely unexpected. I had done a lot of prep for a long labour, but nothing for such a quick labour. Overall I found it a very positive experience and I felt in control and relaxed throughout, even in hospital when they pulled the emergency bell; I was still very much in a different zone with my eyes closed and earplugs in, so I wasn’t in any way worried during the delivery. It was a very surreal experience. My only negative experience was that the midwife told me after he was born she thought I would have delivered him on my own with another couple of pushes and I wouldn’t have needed the ventouse. I wish they had given us that information during delivery so we could have made a proper decision about the ventouse, but I think it was so rushed that communication was limited.

Adam found it a little more stressful, at first, having to concentrate on getting us to hospital on time. He was also obviously a lot more aware of the chaos in the delivery room with staff a little flustered because it all happened so quickly. Despite this, he didn’t find it a negative experience either. The midwives have suggested that if we have a second child we should go for a home birth given how quick this one was!

We want to thank you again for all the information and advice. While I didn’t have time to use most of the tools, the breathing techniques were incredibly helpful and definitely got me through the first stage of labour. I also felt like I understood everything that was happening because we had talked through it in the sessions, even though I wasn’t necessarily in complete control of decision making.