Mary-Janes birth story

I started preparing for birth in advance this time. At 32 or so weeks I drank raspberry leaf tea. Unfortunately you needed to drink 5 a day!!! I decided to change over to the tablets but you needed to take a ridiculous 12 or so a day. I also took evening primrose oil tablets towards the end, as well of course as my prenatal vitamins. The aim of these is to help you have a quicker birthing experience, NOT to put you into labour.

22 weeks

Silly me didn't plan this pregnancy very well seeing as my second daughter was due 6 days before Caitlin's birthday! My ob said it was fine to try to self induce at 39 weeks to give my children more of a gap between there birthdays. Walking, jumping, spicy foods, pineapple, and the all important.... sex!!!! Nothing worked :( Late in my 39th week my ob attempted a stretch and sweep but my cervix was so high he could only poke it! He told me to go home and try castor oil.

A few days over due I took his advice. Nothing happened until the middle of the night when "contractions" started. Much like the ones I experienced early on with Caitlin. I went for a walk around the block in the pitch black, timing my contractions. They became more frequent and very long, lasting around a minute or so. My little sister was over so I ended up waking her up and we played Wii for a bit. The contractions very slowly got more intense and I decided it was time to go to hospital. My partner packed up the car, went and got my best friend and suddenly...... it stopped. No more pain. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

In false labour

We arrived at the hospital, I got checked and I was 2cms with no signs of labour :( I got back in the car, went home, and felt sorry for myself. I got yelled at by the midwife for attempting to go into labour using castor oil. I didn't have any nasty side effects except for being in false labour for 9hours. But no vomiting, out of either end! The due date came, and went, so I was booked in for an induction on the 10th day past my due date.

So the day before my induction came and I was asked to come in to have the gel put on my cervix. Little did I know once you have the gel put in, they want you to stay in the hospital until the drip is put in the next day. Lucky I had my bags. Once she told me this news, I was so excited. I know it's silly but staying in the hospital made it all that more real and exciting.  I was checked and I was now 3cms!!!!! Well hold the (!) Because now I'm told that I can't have the gel put on my cervix  or it may put me into hyperactive labour. So I need to go home and come back at 6am for the drip. Now there was almost no chance for me to go into labour myself :( How the hell was I meant to sleep? I told the midwife about my ob`s failed attempt at a stretch and sweep so she decided to give it a go. She pushed and pushed until she reached my cervix and performed the all famous "stretch and sweep!" She then told me my cervix wasn't in a favourable "birthing" position so she pulled my cervix to the front. I can say for me, that that's the only part that hurt and it only hurt for a second (tough as nails :p)

31 weeks

We left the hospital and stopped off to get some take away for dinner. When we got home I sat down in my recliner and started to have really strong Braxton hicks. Which wasn't unusual as I had been having a lot of strong ones, especially when I sat in this position. I had a mouth full of my pasta and suddenly I wasn't hungry. My partner scoffed his food as we hadn't eaten all day and then he noticed I wasn't eating mine so he asked if he could have mine too. Well... I CRACKED it!! I was going off my head saying how much of a pig he was and I felt like crap etc etc. Eventually I calmed down, had a few more mouth fulls, handed him my dinner and settled down.

I decided to go to bed at 9.30pm as we had to be at the hospital at 6am but my partner was busy playing a video game and this was really upsetting me. I just couldn't sleep without him and I wanted him to have some rest before the big day, so I was up every half an hour begging him to come to bed and complaining about the stupid Braxton hicks I was having. I was so restless! Around 11pm I noticed that these Braxton hicks were actually getting quite strong and FINALLY at 11:30pm my partner came to bed. Which is when I had a very painful contraction and it clicked. I'm in labour. I had one more strong one, sat up off the edge of the bed, had another, lent back and POP. Water exploded everywhere!! Isn't that how it happens in the movies? Haha well what actually happened was as I lent back, I squirted. I thought I had just pee'd like a fountain! I went to the toilet and pushed and out came more. I always thought that if it was your waters that you could not control it. I must just be clever lol :) I could see we're it was coming from (dah) so I just assumed it was my waters and I woke up my best friend who was asleep on my couch. We called the hospital and they told us to come in!

12am I woke up my partner, gathered my bags in between some very butt kicking contractions and jumped into the car. We arrived at 1am and I was put straight into a labouring room. Apparently by the look of me, I didn't need an assessment. This was it! I was about to meet my baby girl!!!

41 weeks 3 days. Last pregnant photo taken!

I was checked and told I was 4cms to which I replied "epidural time?" I didn't mind having one this time. I just wanted to be comfortable lol. But my midwife said no. She didn't know what stage of labour I was in yet so she monitored me for a bit while I paced up and down my room like a mad man, WIDE awake yelling at her! She asked me if I would like a bath so I gave up and agreed to that. I forgot it takes half an hour to fill :( The only comfortable position I found was on my knees leaning forward onto the bed. So I was up and down like a yoyo, pacing in between contractions.

The midwife finally came in and told me if I was still below 6cms dilated that she would grant my wish of having an epidural. So she checked... I was 8cms. Turns out I was in transition since I got to the hospital! Hence pacing and swearing like a mad man lol. Also turns out that after 8cms you have to stay out of the bath unless you have a certified water birthing midwife. Which she wasn't.

Ouch!!

3:30am came along and suddenly I wanted to push. I was getting quite antsy and agitated. Nothing like my first labour experience. I tried on my back but MAN that hurt. And nothing at all was happening. So back down on my knees I went and suddenly my body started to push all on its own. I gave a few little pushes and then out of no where I gave this huge push like my body was saying "put some effort in woman!" And half her head popped out. No seriously. It did. The midwife was shouting at me "stop! Stop!" Then she told my partner to quickly push the emergency button. I guess she wasn't ready for me to give birth! A few other midwives came to the rescue and my best friend started taking photos and a few seconds later my baby popped out between my legs and I was the first person to touch her! I think I may have even caught her. So amazing!

Mary-Jane Maree Venturin was born at 3:59am on the 3rd of May 2012. Begging a huge 9pound 12ounces and 55cms long. And I didn't even tear at all! Gravity is defiantly my friend! I wonder if all those tablets I took in preparation for labour actually worked? I must say that fast labour isn't always the best. Both of my Labour's were good in there own way :) Maybe I'll get my epidural next time? Maybe...

Watch Mary-Jane's birth story here.

xxx