My Baby #2 Rocco's Birth Story (The Innate Mama)
It was Saturday 11th august, the time had come for my little boy to vacate my body {be induced} with some assistance!! At that point I was 10 days overdue, I had tried a few things to bring on labour {which had failed!!} I was well & truly over my pregnancy! I just wanted to meet my little boy & have my body back!! I was tired, cranky (oh my poor little Sofia!) & very uncomfortable but I was not quite ready for what was about to unfold with in 6 hours......
I arrived at Frankston hospital @ 8am to be induced, the induction started off by my waters being ruptured (broken) at 830am, {intervention #1} but that wasn't enough for my body to start
'good' & 'regular' contractions, so at 945am in went the syntocinon {synthetic oxytocin} drip into my arm. {intervention #2}
Real labour {regular contractions} started within 30mins which i handled quite well to this point considering the contractions were quite strong & longer than normal contractions {if you go into labour naturally} I was lucky enough to have the support of my beautiful husband who was trained up by me on how to support me in labour. Hubby 'Joe' reminded me of all of the things i needed to do help me get through the labour the best way i could, which included lots of different movements to have an 'active labour'. Other stuff i used to help support me in labour were: breathing techniques, stress balls, massage (lower back), music {changing depending on the mood} & essential oils.
Unfortunately the midwives had to strap a monitor to my belly as when my waters were broken their was maconium in the waters, which made it impossible for me to use the shower as i had planned to use for natural pain relief.
The Midwives could tell I was handling the labour and contractions quite well so at about 1130am as (per hospital policy) they turned up the syntocinon drip & speed up the labour.
This is when my contractions went through the roof and i was now dilating so quickly my body couldn't keep up! I had gone from 5cm dilated to 10cm within 2 hours {a hell of a lot quicker than my first natural labour that was 18 hours in total!!}
I honestly am not sure what was happening for some of the time as i was just concentrating on getting through the intense contractions without turning to drugs which would just mean another intervention. {the Cascade effect} The only movement I used that got me through those intense contractions was marching on the spot, i swear i almost made a worn patch in the floor with all my marching! I also remember quite a few trips to the bathroom to go to the toilet and to vomit.At that point, I just wanted it all to end & be back in control of my own body.
By 145pm I was ready to push but I could not get myself comfortable, I moved from supported squatting position to being on all fours a few times & almost falling off the bed in the process!! I remember telling the midwife at the time "I cant do this" and she told me your doing this as your baby is coming out!! I felt like I was out of my own body at this point {definitely out of control of my own body!} finally I got comfortable on the bed on all fours & spent the next 30mins pushing.
Although I had had a baby before at this point I was so out of it I couldn't even remember how to push or where to push from! The last few pushes {when my baby boys head had crowned} I was told by the midwife to stop pushing & then start pushing again (in accordance with my contractions) but I just couldn't go on { I thought bad luck i'm pushing!!} and I pushed with all of my might!! Within 2 pushes he was out, finally I got to meet my baby boy, yet i could not sit down my body was in total shock and they had to hand my beautiful baby over to my hubby {I went to shower} to bond with & have skin on skin contact. It was a beautiful & special moment for them both, that day 'Joe' got to meet his son & also get the best birthday ever!!
After I had a shower I started to come back to my body & was able to hold my baby boy for the first time. What a magical moment, that first hold, that special moment, that you never forget & can't relive. We bonded for a good while and eventually he latched on for his first feed. The name 'Rocco' seamed just perfect for him & he then met his big sister 'Sofia" for the very first time. I couldn't have been happier seeing them meet for the first time & seeing what 'our love' had created!
A few weeks after his birth I felt a sense of sadness & guilt that I didn't get to bond with Rocco for the first time straight after he was born, I also felt a sense of him being forced into the world and not being ready for it. I knew I would have to eventually deal with this & in July 2016 I did. I went to see a kinesiologist who picked up that I had unresolved issues surrounding Rocco's birth. I got the opportunity to re-visit when Rocco was born & hold him for the first time (not my hubby) & tell him how we made the choice to have him enter the world that day as it was the best for him at the time {my placenta was breaking down} I also told him how much I loved him and I was sorry if he wasn't quite ready to come into the world that quickly. Finally after that Kinesiology session I felt a sense of peace & happiness and I surrendered to his birth as it was & was meant to be.
Marisa x