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Melanie shares her speedy birth story with Mums Baby Magazine.
Melanie Cook from Kendal, Cumbria wrote to Mums Baby Magazine to share her dramatic and speedy birth story with us.
I woke up at 4.00am on the morning of Saturday 26th September with what I thought was wind pain. I got up to go to the loo. 
I didn’t think too much of it as I was six days overdue and had had no twinges up until then. I went back to bed but woke again at 5.00am desperately needing the loo again with slightly worse pains. I started getting the pains more frequently so I thought I’d better go and let my other half know that this might be the start of it. He got up and I made us a cup of tea.
By about 5.30am I was having to breathe through the pain whilst pacing around the flat. I asked Brian (my partner) to use ‘Contraction Master’ to time each tightening as I didn’t want to ring the maternity unit if it was a false alarm. I was pacing around the house with every contraction as that was the only thing that made me feel comfortable. We first thought that we must have made a mistake, or that we were timing the contractions incorrectly as most of them were about 3-4 minutes apart and lasting between 50 to seventy seconds.
I tried to phone the maternity unit but the phone just kept ringing and ringing… I later found out that they had another four ladies delivering and only two midwives on duty! Finally on the fifth attempt of ringing someone picked up and told us to come in and get checked out if we wished.
I called my Mum to let her know as she was coming to the birth with me whilst Brian was staying here to look after our two year old Daughter, Freya. I told her just to have her breakfast before getting a taxi up here and not to rush…
I decided to have a shower at about 6.00am as the pain was getting a lot worse by then, so Brian rang my Mum again and told her not to get out of the taxi and that I would be jumping straight in to catch a lift to the hospital. The taxi arrived at 6.45am and luckily the roads were quiet. We arrived at the maternity unit at 6.55am at which point the pain became almost unbearable. I asked for the pool as I’d used it in my previous labour but it was in use.
The midwife suggested going to the ‘nice home from home room’ which had a big bath which was free.However, she explained that it needed cleaning and so could take some time. She saw how much pain I was in and started barking orders at my Mum who leapt into action and cleaned out and filled the bath for me! I went to the loo and thought ‘Oh my god, I think I need to push here…’ at which point the midwife told me to get on the bed so that she could examine me. I expected her to tell me that I wasn’t that far on and thought I’d have to ask for some pain relief as I didn’t think I could cope with the pain for the next few hours. I didn’t need to worry about that though as I was fully dilated!
The next thing my waters broke and I remember the midwife saying "If you want to have this baby in the water its now or never, you’ve got to go into the bathroom!" so once the contraction had finished I leapt up and ran over, which I’m sure was a hilarious sight!
I had enough time to kneel down in the bath and I kindly asked the midwife if it was ok to start pushing! It took two pushes for the head to come out and then I had to wait for another contraction and give one more push for our baby to be born.
Kara Mae Gibbard was born at 7.15 am on September 26th. Kara Mae weighed 8lb 13oz and looked exactly like her big sister did when she was born! It was a pretty speedy labour and I didn’t even have time for gas and air thus my labour was pretty hardcore!
Mums Baby Magazine would like to thank Melanie for sharing her birth story with us! For those readers wishing to use contraction master, this piece of software can be found at www.contractionmaster.com and is FREE!
Birth Stories: Leanne shares her story of giving birth to her beautiful daughter Abigail with MBM.
It all started on the Sunday morning (19th April) when I got my show. I felt tired and really uncomfortable all of Sunday. I’d phoned my husband to tell him that it could be any time now and to be ready to come to Adelaide.
I woke feeling like I’d wet my pants
Monday morning (20th April) I woke feeling like I’d wet my pants. I wasn’t sure if it was heavy discharge or not. I went to my chiropractor appointment as planned, still had that leaking feeling so called Kay’s rooms and spoke to a midwife. I went straight there and was seen by Kay, she confirmed my waters had broken but not totally. Kay then had to break my fore waters, not the most pleasant experience. This was at 11.30am, I was 1cm dilated. I then phoned my husband and told him to get down here as we were having our baby today. My poor husband was in shock I think as he went very quiet.
I then drove to my Mother in laws to grab my bag and my friend was
there waiting for me to drive me to the hospital. I got to the hospital at 12.30pm, they monitored bubs for about 30 minutes before starting the Oxytocin drip at about 1pm.This is when I started to really feel the contractions and with one of them the rest of my waters gushed, it was like Niagara falls. Not long after this a midwife came into discuss pain relief and we ordered my epidural then. I made it through the first hour or two on my own then I decided to use the gas and air. At about 4.45pm I had my epidural put in. I did have a reaction to one of the drugs in the cocktail and couldn’t stop scratching. I almost broke skin from scratching! I was confined to the bed at this point as they had to put the monitor on me.
Thankfully my husband got to the hospital at about 5.30pm, he was great, anything that I needed he did for me. I felt so much more relaxed as soon as I saw him. At 6pm Kay came to check on me, I was now 3cm dilated. I was to be checked again at 10pm to monitor my progress. By 8.30pm I had to call the midwife as the epidural was no longer working and I could feel the contractions again rather strongly. The midwife did an internal examination and told me to push with the next contraction as she could feel my babies head. They then called Kay and gave me the option of having a half top up on the epidural, I decided to take it.
I felt like I was going to pop a blood vessel in my head.
So I began pushing, I felt like I was going to pop a blood vessel in my head. My husband kept a comforting hand on my shoulder and was offering me water between contractions. As much as I pushed I didn’t feel I was getting anywhere. Then they told me they could see the head crowning, they put a mirror there so that I could see for myself. After about ninety minutes of pushing Kay suggested maybe using the ventouse as my baby just wasn’t getting over the ridge. I agreed as at this point I was exhausted. I could now feel my baby coming out and as my babies head was half way out I was told to stop pushing or I would tear. I have to say this was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt, I was in tears at this point from the pain. As soon as they said to push again I pushed like a demon to get my baby out.
My baby girl was so beautiful and perfect
My baby came out screaming at 10.02pm and was placed on my chest The hospital staff covered my baby in towels to keep her warm. It was at this point my husband then said "It’s a girl!". My husband cut the cord. My baby girl was so beautiful and perfect, I cannot believe that we have a daughter! I ended up with a small graze that needed four stitches. After she was weighed (2.920kg/ 6lb 7oz) and cleaned up we were left alone for some family time while I recovered.
On the Wednesday we were transferred to the Hilton as they have a floor set up with a midwife. It was fantastic, so peaceful and it gave us some quiet time together as a family before heading home.
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