BIRTH PLAN

My first son William was born in hospital delivered by a female doctor, 30 hour labour (I spent the first 25 hours at home.) no drugs, no tear, and natural third stage. I had wanted a homebirth but could not get a midwife in my area.

My second son Timothy was born in the same hospital delivered by the midwife before my doctor arrived, 16 hour labour (first 15 at home) no problems except I haemorrhaged after a “natural” third stage and had a Syntocinon injection.

Each experience of birth was amazing in its own right and these gentle births influenced the next.

So when I found out I was pregnant again in a new town I thought maybe this time I would be able to have a homebirth. However there were no homebirth midwives so I put homebirth completely out of my head. I stopped thinking about it. I wouldn’t even read stories about women who had homebirths.

I booked into the hospital and thoroughly packed my hospital bag. The only choice was to have a male doctor/OB or be delivered by the midwife on duty (backed up by the doctor on duty and students); I chose the latter as I really wanted a female even if I didn’t know who she would be. At the first two hospital antenatal visits where I was supposed to be seen by a midwife I was seen by an argumentative (male) doctor who wasn’t happy because I had declined routine ultrasound. I wasn’t happy either.

When I was 6 months pregnant I began to wonder what to do about the managed third stage. Should I try naturally? Was I prone to haemorrhage? I knew the midwife had pulled on the cord soon after giving birth to deliver the placenta. Was that the reason I bled?

I hadn’t investigated the subject until one night I had a vivid dream where I had the baby and active management which resulted in a trapped placenta.I was surprised by the dream as I still hadn’t read anything about these issues and hadn’t realised that the injection sometimes leads to a trapped placenta. The next day I went online and found explanations to why I had bled. (“Leaving well alone: A natural approach to the third stage of labour” Dr Sarah Buckley http://www.cordclamping.com/Buckley.htm)

After Tim was born at 4am the cord was immediately clamped and cut and he was taken to be suctioned (routinely.) I told my husband to go home as our 2 yr old was asleep when we left and I was worried he would wake up wanting us, not my parents who had arrived during the night to mind him.

I was so coldin the delivery ward wearing just a t-shirt but I thought I had better quickly shower off the blood on my legs before I got dressed. When I stepped out of the shower I dripped blood on the floor so I grabbed some paper towel to clean it up. The midwife found me and began trying to stop the bleeding by rubbing my tummy and an injection of Syntocinon. Tim was crying. Finally after a long time I was able to get dressed and pick him up. I don’t think I had held him before now. It was hardly “natural.”

I began to believe I didn’t need the injection, that with the right environment, being warm, unhurried, unworried and with my husband and baby I would be fine.

Dale and I had briefly discussed delivering at home despite not having the service of a midwife. But I asked “what if something went wrong?” a common question having no easy answer. I questioned in a way only a pregnant woman faced with the certainty of labour can.

Something changed in me, I had to know, I read everything I could, birth stories, statistics, medical research and hospital policies. The more I read the more sure I became about homebirth, especially with the right midwife. (“Fish can’t see the water” Marsden Wagner http://www.acegraphics.com.au/articles/wagner03.html ) The statistics bothered me the most, I felt lucky to have had my boys born naturally and easily. The chances were slim.

I started to trust that my body would work during labour the same way it had quietly worked forming this child, without understanding anatomy or science my body created something so complex that the process of birth seems simple by comparison.

“You knit me together in my mothers womb I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made”

Eventually one night (around 34 weeks) Dale asked me “where are you going to have this baby?” I still wasn’t sure, but I decided to fully prepare for an unassisted delivery and stay prepared for a hospital birth. I would go into hospital if I felt unsure or if I had any deviation from normal during labour, we didn’t tell anyone our plan.

MY BIRTH EXPERIENCE

July 4. 2004

6:00am; I had three strong contractions a few minutes apart and I decided to wait for one more before telling Dale, it never came so I got up.

I had contractions irregularly through the day and around 2:00pm I took the boys grocery shopping to be stocked up just in case this was it. I stopped at the shed and told Dale on my way.

The boys and I made muffins, When Dale came home we took the boys and their bikes to the park and had hot chips.

7:00pm; We put the boys to bed. (They were unaware I was in labour and slept soundly till morning) I was happy as I now had all night to labour in quiet, the contractions were stronger and I was sure we would have the baby before morning.

Dale timed contractions and we talked. I tidied up a bit as I knew I wouldn’t want to later. I also wanted Dale to go to bed and get some sleep. He agreed but said “make sure you wake me up for the birth” I laughed, of course I would!

I got in bed too for a massage, we were excited about the birth but relaxed in a way I hadn’t expected. I got up to finish cleaning up the house and I put my bag in the bathroom ready.

10:00pm; I couldn’t concentrate anymore and was rocking through the contractions. I put the heater in the bathroom and set up my supplies, plastic sheet covered by a clean mat, 6 dark towels, washers, large disposable pads, large bowl, plastic garbage bag, sterile scissors/shoe laces and nasal aspirator(didn’t use) baby nappy and clothing, clothing and underwear (with pad) for me.

I hopped in a full warm bath. I was breathing through the contractions.

11:00pm; I wondered if I should wake Dale as I didn’t want to yell out to him and risk waking the boys and I didn’t know how much longer I could walk to the bedroom as the contractions were so intense and close together. I also didn’t want to wake him too soon. I was sitting on my mat trying to figure out what to do when I realised I hadn’t had a contraction for ages, probably 15 minutes, maybe I didn’t need to wake Dale yet after all. Then I had a huge contraction and thought when this is over I’ll wake him!!! I told Dale I would probably have the baby within an hour or two then I ran back to the bathroom as I felt another coming.

11:30pm; Dale got out of bed and came in as he had heard me groaning, I felt terrible and I kept saying “I’m going to have the baby SOON.”

11:45pm; I knelt, leaning over the bath and the head and shoulders were born with the membranes intact. Dale was behind me supporting the baby and I was waiting for another contraction to push the body out. We heard the baby trying to breath so I said to Dale “just let it down I cant feel anything” he did and she was born, Dale pulled the membrane away and she was breathing fine. “It’s a girl” he said, he passed her around to me; I put my leg over her to untangle the cord. She cried a little, and we wrapped her up warm. She was so clean and beautiful. After about 15 minutes Dale tied the cord and cut it and the placenta delivered. I didn’t look at the placenta but I kept it to check later if need be. I dressed baby Lauren and Dale put her in our bed. It only took a few minutes for us to clean up. Dale put the towels in the washing machine and I put the rubbish and plastic sheet in the garbage bag. Then we went to bed. Wow!!! What a baby, what a night.

COMMENTS ON LAUREN’S BIRTH

The most memorable thing about Lauren’s birth was its simplicity. It wasn’t the drama of an emergency caesarean, the routine procedure of hospital birth, the occasion of a busy “family” birth.

There was no obstetrician or midwife to assist, no needles to fear, no monitors to restrict, no examinations to invade, no birth pool to fill, no cameras to distract, no support people to entertain and no complications – just birth: simplified.