Scarlett's birth story

The birth of Scarlett was an amazing and surreal experience. Being my first birth, everything was new to me and I didn’t know what to expect. I was nervous, scared, excited and anxious all at the same time.

Wednesday 14 Sep: Time 8am

My labour started on the morning of 14th September. At 8am, I started feeling mild contractions. I didn’t think much of it at first since I had been getting lots of Braxton Hicks the past couple of days so I ignored it and continued with my day.

Time: 1pm

I was feeling suspicious as the contractions were coming intermittently, so I decided to time them. They were coming at 20 mins apart. Mild intensity, bearable, or maybe not painful at all. I called John to let him know to be on stand-by just in case.

Time: 11pm

The contractions got very uncomfortable through the day and by 11pm they were quite painful and I couldn’t sleep. So I got up and paced the hallway and practiced my breathing.

Thursday 15 Sep: Time: 2am

By 2am, I couldn’t take it any longer. The contractions were coming at 5 – 7 mins apart. I rang the hospital and they asked me to come in. I went to the bedroom and woke hubs up and said ‘its time!’

Time: 5am

We got to the hospital and were greeted by a night shift midwife. She brought us to the assessment room. She had me strapped onto the machines to see if I was indeed getting contractions. She also did a vaginal examination (no one told me this was so painful!) and found that I was 3 cm dilated and said I am ready to be admitted. We were at that point, quite happy because we thought this was it. We were going to have a baby that day!

Time: 10am

It was time to do another VE to see if I’ve dilated some more but was told that I was still 3cm and had not progress. She then sat down and explained that I might still be in early labour and that it would take hours or even days before it progress to established labour, depending on each person. Her advice to us was for us to go home and to come back in when the contractions starts coming at 3 mins apart. Before we left, she did a membrane sweep (was not pleasant!)hoping to speed up the contractions. So by midday, we were discharged and left for home.

Time: 6pm

The next couple hours that day were agonizing because the contractions were painful! As the hours passed, they were coming closer and closer together and I just couldn’t keep still nor concentrate on anything. I rung the hospital to tell them that my pain was getting to me and that my contractions were coming between 4 – 5 cm. They told me to remain at home and said that I was still in early labour. It certainly did not felt like it because it was quite painful! I think I rung the hospital three times to tell them that I needed to come in and each time I rang, they asked me to stay home. I was feeling distraught and extremely exhausted from no sleep. I broke down and cried to hubs.

Friday 16th Sep Time: 1am

I couldn’t take it any longer and told hubs to ring the hospital and tell them that we were coming in no matter what. We arrived 15 mins later and again, being taken to the assessment room. This time, the midwife assessed me again and I was 4cm and in active labour. Straight off the bat I told him that I wanted the epidural to be administered, no mucking around. While waiting for the Anaesthetist to arrive, the midwife prepped me and administered the IV drip. That IV needle was freaking big and I turned to look at hub for some morale support but instead he gave me the 'thank-god-its-not-me-whos-getting-that-needle-look' bless him! It did stung alright and definitely not pleasant! Ouch!

Time: 3am

The Anaesthetist arrived and I actually did a wee clap of joy. I have never been happier to receive more needles poking in me. The whole procedure was quite weird. I was the only female in the room, yes, anaesthetist, midwife at that time and hubs obviously were all male so to have my bare back and ass revealed to them was intimidating! But, they probably have seen many asses and cracks in their profession so that made me ease a bit. Epidural kicked in within 10 mins and I was in heaven. I was finally able to get some sleep.

Time: 7am

I was woken up by another midwife to do some more examinations. He said that if by mid-day my water has not broken, they would have to call the doctors in and have it broken for me.

Time: 11am

I was alone in the room trying to sleep while hub went home to do a quick shower and feed the cats. Within 15mins of him gone, I suddenly heard a ‘POP’ sound and water came gushing out of me. It was warm. It felt weird. Luckily they had placed a ginormous pad underneath otherwise I’d be soaked.

Time: 12pm

Dr Rowlands and Dr Edwards came and assessed me. Midwife gave them a run down and they studied my file and asked me a couple of routine questions. Dr Rowlands also did another round of VE to check my dilation and position of the baby. I was told I was 5cm. They expected that I would be more than that since I had been labouring for quite awhile. They decided to administer pitocin to speed up the contractions. Midwife also administered the catherer at that time.

Time: 3pm

I suddenly felt cold and was shivering uncontrollably due to the epidural.
They checked my temperature and found that I have developed a fever. They prescribed me antibiotics and paracetamol. I was on close eye watch as they are afraid I might have developed infection or something.

Time: 4.30pm

I was beginning to feel my contractions and they were coming on strong and very close together and super painful. I'm confused as I thought with epidural you’re not supposed to feel any pain. Midwife explained to me that sometimes epidural do not numb some part of the cervix, its really a hit and miss. Baby's head position was slightly to the right and with every contractions her head was pushing against the right side of my cervix hence the immense pain I was feeling. It got really unbearable and I started vomitting. I finally broke down and cried and told John that I am never doing this again! It was horrible!

Time: 5pm

The doctors came back and did another VE and I was only 7cm dilated. After all that! I was absolutely gutted. They also realised that there were some meconium in my waters and explained that baby's in distress and they would need to get her out ASAP via C section. Without hestitant I gave them a thumbs up because at that point I was beyond myself and extremely exhausted and all I want was baby to be out and safe. Things started to move really fast from then on.

Time: 5.15pm

The birthing suite was suddenly filled with many people. Everyone were fussing about and getting me ready for the surgery. The Anaesthetist came and administered the spinal block and did a test on my body after to make sure I didn’t feel a thing! When the spinal block and top up epidural kicked in, I was pretty drugged out. I was struggling to keep my eyes opened and my body started to shiver real badly. The theatre was so bloody cold that it made my shaking even worse. I was assisted (or rolled) onto the surgical table, both my hands were strapped onto the side of the table and they injected some more stuff into my IV drip which kind of burned. One of the very kind nurses came with a warm-up blanket and covered me up and I was so thankful for that. Then, somewhere at that point the Anaesthetist stood over my head and said that I was about to feel some weird tugging feeling. I was like, what weird feeling? I couldn’t feel a thing. I turned to hub and even asked him if they have started yet because from what I read from books that during C section you could still feel some sensation except pain but that didn’t happen to me as I felt nothing. I was totally numb waist down, which was a blessing in disguise because I didn’t want to feel anything! I began drifting in and out of sleep and at one point I asked the nurse and hubs if they have started to slice me open yet and before I could finish the sentence, I heard Dr Rowlands over the other side of the screen saying ‘the baby is here!!!’ and I was like 'What?? That quick!' It was a beauty to not feel anything!!

Time: 5.51pm

Suddenly, Scarlett’s cries filled the room. I heard people around the room saying ‘Oh what a beautiful and chubby baby!’ Nurses came to me to congratulate us. Hubs was beyond himself and kept talking into my ears saying how chubby and cute our baby was etc as I still couldnt see her. Tears started to well up in my eyes. What a beautiful moment. At the corner from where I was lying I could see the PD and nurses cleaning her up and I told hubs to go over there and take some photos and he did. He returned with a teary eye, gave me a kiss and said 'She's not an ugly baby! She's so cute!' It was hilarious! It was such an amazing and emotional moment. After 9 long months this was it, this was the moment we have been waiting for. A few minutes later the PD came and placed a cleaned up Scarlett onto my chest and I finally saw her for the first time! I kissed her chubby cheeks and held her. It was incredible. Words cannot explain how I felt at that time. It was simply just magical. I am finally a mother.

Scarlett Rose was born into this world at 5.51pm, weighing 3.54kgs, 50 cms pink and chubby. And then just like that, we were three.