BIRTH STORY - Leah Johnsen

WELL HERE WE ARE AGAIN. INSTEAD THIS TIME WRITING FROM A NEW LABEL. YES, I AM NOW A MUM! SUCH A STRANGE WAY TO REFERENCE MYSELF. NONETHELESS, I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY FITTING TO KEEP IN THEME WITH MY NEW ‘NAME’ AND FOLLOW ON FROM MY PREVIOUS PREGNANCY BLOGS.

NOW BEFORE WE GET INTO MY BIRTHING STORY, MY PRESPECTIVE IS COMING FROM A PRIVATE PAITENT. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PROCESS PLEASE READ THE PREVIOUS BLOGS.

ON DECEMBER 6 2022 I WAS BOOKED IN TO BE INDUCED TO HAVE OUR BABY. IT WAS DECIDED ON WEEK 38 THAT I WOULD BE INDUCED A WEEK EARLY DUE TO MY PELVIS INSTABILITY. IF YOU FOLLOWED MY WHINGING ON INSTAGRAM THEN YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN I NO LONGER WAS ABLE TO WALK WITHOUT CRUTCHES AND I WAS IN A WORLD OF PAIN. AT THIS STAGE OF MY PREGNANCY I WAS HAVING WEEKLY CHECK UPS WITH MY OB AND MONITORING THE BABY. HE WAS AT A SAFE WEIGHT, IN THE PERFECT POSITION AND EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD TO GO.

AROUND 3PM WE HEADED DOWN TO CABRINI HOSPITAL IN MALVERN. FIRST THING WE DID WAS PAY OUR EXCESS HEALTH INSURANCE. GET THE KNITTY GRITTY OUT OF THE WAY.

NEXT WE WERE TAKEN TO OUR BIRTHING SUITE.

AT 6PM MY OB, TIM STURROCK, ARRIVED AND INSERTED A GEL WHICH IS TO SOFTEN THE CERVIX. HE WAS THEN GOING TO COME BACK AT AROUND 7AM TO BREAK MY WATERS AND DELIVER OUR BABY. ONCE THE GEL WAS INSERTED I INSTANTLY STARTED CRAMPING. SERIOUSLY, I MEAN INSTANTLY. IT FELT EXACTLY LIKE PERIOD PAIN WITH A SIDE OF VERY SORE LOWER BACK PAIN.

2 HOURS LATER THE PAIN WAS STILL THERE, BUT INTENSELY WORSE.

DURING THIS TIME I REMAINED IN THE BIRTHING SUITE ALL STRAPPED UP TO MONITORS TRACKING MINE AND BABY’S HEART RATES.

ONCE WE GOT A GOOD READING OF BABY’S HEART RATE IT WAS TIME TO CALL IT A NIGHT. IT TOOK FORVER TO GET THE RATE BECAUSE HE WOULDN’T STOP WIGGLING AROUND.

AROUND 11PM WE WERE TAKEN TO OUR ‘BEDROOM’ IN THE BIRTHING SUITE WHERE WE WOULD SLEEP. CONSIDERING I WAS ABOUT TO HAVE A STICK POKED UP MY VAGINA THE NEXT MORNING, I WA VERY CALM AND COMFORTABLE.

I WENT TO BED WEARING AN ADULT NAPPY THAT NIGHT. AND THANK GOD I DID BECAUSE AT 2.30AM MY WATERS BROKE!

SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY HEAR A POPPING WHEN THERE WATERS BREAK. MINE WAS LESS EXCITING. I BASICALLY GOT UP TO USE THE BATHROOM AND IT JUST CAME OUT. I DIDN’T KNOW EXACTLY SO I WENT BACK TO BED, BUT THEN I WAS LIKE ‘HOLD ON, HAVE I WET MYSELF’. GOT UP AGAIN TO CHECK MY FULL NAPPY AND IT WAS A PINKY COLOUR.

I WAS TAKEN BY SUPRISE BECAUSE I THOUGHT ID AT LEAST GET ONE MORE SHOWER IN ME BEFORE HAVING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE HANGING OUT BETWEEN MY LEGS.

2.30 AM DECEMBER 7TH

THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS STRAP ME UP TO A TENS MACHINE. NOW, I CAN NOT RECOMMEND A TENS MACHINE ENOUGH. IT IS THE BEST DISTRACTION TO HELP WITH CONTRACTION PAIN. I ENDED UP HIRING ONE FROM MAMAANDICO. MY CONTRACTIONS CAME ON PRETTY HARD AND FAST. I DIDN’T REALLY GET MUCH OF A BREAK. I WAS USING THE TENS MACHINE AND SUCKING DOWN SOME SERIOUS GAS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR UNTIL I GOT MY EPIDURAL.

I ENDED UP HAVING TWO EPIDURALS. THE FIRST ONE DIDN’T WORK PROPERLY AND I WAS STILL GETTIN EXTREME CONTRACTION PAINS. MY SECOND EPIDURAL WAS ACTUALLY FOR C-SECTIONS. IM NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHY IT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME AND WHY I HAD TO GET THE HEAVY DUTY ONE. NONE-THE-LESS IT WORKED.

I HAD ABSOULTEY ZERO FEELING FROM THE WAIST DOWN. I COULDN’T MOVE MY LEGS. SO IN WENT A CATHETER. I WAS ALSO HOOKED UP TO A BAG OF WATER, KEEPING MY FUILDS UP.

AROUND 9 AM I WAS FULLY DILATED. CAN’T TELL YOU WHAT THAT FELT LIKE BECAUSE I WAS STILL COMPLETELY NUMB. I ENDED UP PUSHING FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS.

PUSHING WHEN YOU CAN’T FEEL ANYTHING IS THE STRANGEST FEELING. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IM DOING, I CAN’T MOVE MY LEGS, IM VIRTUALLY OFF MY HEAD BUT EXHAUSTED. MY LEGS ENDED UP GOING INTO STIRRUPS. AND IT IS SO WEIRD WATCHING A MIDWIFE MANHANDLE YOUR LIMPS WITHOUT ANY FEELING WHATSOEVER.

PUSHING WAS REALLY EASY. I COULDN’T FEEL ANY CONTRACTIONS. THE MIDWIFE HAD HER HAND ON MY TUMMY AND WOULD TELL ME WHEN TO PUSH. I LOOK BACK ON IT NOW AND LAUGH BECAUSE I HAD MICHAEL, MY OB AND MIDWIFE ALL CHEERING ME ON TO PUSH. SO MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT AND I COULDN’T FEEL A SINGLE THING. HA!

IT’S HARD TO EXPLAIN. IM PUSHING, I DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IM PUSHING OR HOW AND I CAN’T FEEL ANYTHING BUT IM PUFFED OUT AND EXHAUSTED AFTER EACH PUSH.

MY OB WAS FANTASTIC, HE GUIDED ME THROUGH THE ENTIRE THING AND EXPLAINED WHERE I SHOULD FEEL THE PUSHING SENSATION.

2 HOURS LATER OUT POPPED OUR BABY. THEN THE STOCK STANDARD ROUTINE. POP BABY ON MUMS CHEST, MICHAEL AND I ARE CRYING, INJECTION IS JABBED INTO MY LEG TO PUSH OUT MY PLACENTA AND THE CORD GETS CUT.

I ENDED UP WITH A SECOND DEGEE TEAR, A BUNCH OF STITCHES AND COVERED IN BLOOD. ONCE I COULD STAND UP AGAIN, MY CATHETER WAS REMOVED AND I JUST REMEMBER THINKING ‘THERE IS SOOO MUCH BLOOD’. BLOOD EVERYWHERE. I HAD A SHOWER IN A WHEEL CHAIR AND WAS WHEELED OFF TO OUR ROOM.

THE NEXT FEW DAYS I BASICALLY LIVED ON ENDONE AND CAN’T REMEMBER A SINGLE THING.

THE NURSES AT CABRINI WERE AMAZING. THEY TAUGHT US EVERYTHING. FROM NAPPIES TO BATHS TO FEEDING. THE WEEK WE STAYED WE HAD OUR HANDS HELD BEING NEW PARENTS. THEY ALSO DID EVERY TEST UNDER THE SUN ON REEVES AND MYSELF MAKING SURE WE WERE ALL RECOVERING WELL.

I GUESS MY NEXT BLOG WILL BE ON RECOVERY AND POSTPARTUM.