Birth Story

Our Birthing Journey:

5am January 22, I started getting 4 strong but erratic Braxton Hicks that were different than previous ones. I told my husband about it when he awoke at 7:30am. I asked him to still go to work but to seriously consider wrapping up his work responsibilities. I called my brother to stay with me and my brother-in-law for the day, they cooked for me, loaded the car with hospital items and we ran last errands (pick up the last item for the hospital).

I had erratic Braxton Hicks for the whole day and then my brother-in-law started to time them around 3pm. A pattern started to form but we did not have the 4-1-1 timing we were looking for (4 minutes between contractions lasting 1 minute long and consistently so for 1 hour). We all went to bed knowing the baby may come that evening. I had a hard time getting to sleep so I snacked on food, drank water and then around 2am, January 23, I started to track my Braxton Hicks when I realized there was a pattern, I was starting the 4-1-1. By 3am it was confirmed, I was having contractions and it was time to go to the hospital.

I woke Julio and we headed to the hospital (8 minutes in light rain), arriving at entrance 97. He parked in the same spot we used when we did our test-run to the hospital on Sunday and we checked in at triage. We were assigned a room for inspection and awaited a check up. When I was settled, Julio went to deal with the bright start package counter armed with my care card.

While in the room the doctor measured my cervix and I was only 2cm. But it was 4am so they encouraged me to walk around the hospital until 6:30pm or until the pain was worst and they will check me again. They saved the room for us because it was a slow evening. Julio went to pay for parking.

Together we walked to a nearby empty waiting area within the hospital and there I endured about 8 more intense contractions that were just 2-4 minutes apart and then napped on a couch for 5 minutes before asking Julio to take me back. Once we returned I asked to use the toilet in our saved room and endured 2 or 3 more intense contractions when the doctor arrived and checked me again. I was 4cm dilated and it was around 5am. We were checked into delivery, assigned a room and a nurse.

I requested to use a bath for pain management only, not for birthing, and I asked for the laughing gas to manage contraction pain. Gas wasn’t much help but it was better than no assistance. Breathing worked for the low, medium and some of the intense contractions (contractions that brought me to 6-7cm) but once the contractions included involuntary pushing (7+ cm) I needed help because the pain was too exhausting, I could not resist the urge to push which could hurt my cervix and baby, and I could sense my reserved energy for pushing was being used up. I requested the epidural at 7-8cm dilation and an anesthesiologist was called in. I endured a dozen ultra intense contractions until the epidural took full effect.

Prior to the ultra intense contractions I would be able to warn the nurse of a contraction, Julio would hold up the gas for me while I managed my body and my breathing. Every contraction was managed in silence, the room was dim and I was either in the bath or in my bed.

The ultra intense contractions were managed on the toilet as the pushing resulted in me emptying my bladder each time and one of the more painful ones released my water. The nurse also suggested the ball which I used and was better than the toilet because there was support for my pelvis but I did release my bloody show all over the absorbent mat which would have been better discharged in the toilet. I finished the last 5 ultra intense contractions (90 sec long sometimes) in the bath before epidural was called.

I struggled with the epidural procedure because I was plagued by intense, close and long contractions. It took 15-20 minutes for the epidural to take effect and then I was in heaven. There was one spot in my body that still felt pain and it was right where Mateo’s bum was pushing hard against my uterus preventing the epidural to take effect just at that spot. This was not good since now all pain was focused on one spot only so I increased the epidural once and when Mateo shifted I felt the relief of the epidural.

The good thing is that while numb, I still knew when my contractions were taking place but felt none of the pain and since I released my water naturally, prior to the epidural, my body was readied naturally. The doctor checked me and I was at 10cm. This took place after 12 hours - it was 2pm.

The doctor instructed that I be left to drop naturally for an hour to see how things go and if I crowned, the nurses can start delivery which for new moms can take anywhere from 3-12 hours.

In that hour I regained my strength, slept for 20 minutes and when I awoke was asked to attempt to empty my bladder for delivery. The walking epidural made it so I was able to walk to the toilet with help but I was unsuccessful in emptying my bladder on my own. The nurse used a catheter to empty my bladder and while completing this procedure noticed the top of the baby’s head was visible. She called the doctors and we started pushing after 4pm.

We tried a number of positions and the painless delivery was done within 1.5 hours once pushing began. Using the contractions I was asked to perform multiple hard pushes, followed by strategic slow or half pushes resulting in my baby coming out well. There were some concerns because his heart rate was decelerating to 70 from 140 at each push. The doctors called in a paediatrician to observe delivery incase he came out distressed. But the baby was born healthy.

When just his head was out, they asked me if I wanted to touch him and I did, his head was so soft and shaped so oddly. This motivated me for the next few painless pushes and when his shoulders and torso was out they asked if I wanted to finish pulling him out and I placed my hands on him while the two doctors helped me lift him out. Surreal to feel him slide out of me and to also be lifting him out of me. I then placed him on my chest, just like that. He started to cry on his own and opened his eyes. He fixed on Julio and then kept his eyes on him while he absorbed my warmth and the nurses wiped him, capped him with a white cap and the doctors started to work on the placenta.

One push and the placenta was out on its own. They inspected it to ensure it was fully intact and then started working on me. 2 degree tear but mostly inside so they finished stitching me up and started managing my blood loss.

While the doctors worked on me, my nurse said I could try to breast feed him and he latched right away. This was 10 minutes after being born. He is amazing.

The nurses then asked if Julio wanted to cut the cord - it had stopped pulsing so Julio proudly cut the cord. Julio played a big part in my labour and delivery. He was my driver, my spokesperson at the hospital, my coach for breathing especially during the epidural, my leg holder during delivery, he watched the baby being born, cut the cord, helped put on the baby’s first diaper, filled out all the forms necessary and watched the paediatrician conduct the baby’s first check up.

The nurse was cleaning up and noticed Mateo had mec (first poop) all over my belly. Glad to get that out of the way. He had actually pooped a little during delivery which was detected when I was pushing. This warranted a desire to get him out swiftly but was not a major concern.

Postpartum top three for us:

The epidural takes time to wear off but when it does, you feel the aftermath of delivery. I stress - Birthing was painless with the epidural so I would recommend it.

Prepare for cluster feeds. Sleep during the day and be ready for a long shift of staying awake in the evening switching continuously from one breast to the other. This will go on for two or three days so work with your partner to switch your hours so you have no issues with working the night shift with your baby.

Right after Mateo was born I sang him a song, this same song is used to soothe him - so far this has worked for us. Skin to skin, sweetly repeating his name in a sing song voice and the one go-to song are our current tactics to manage all crying sessions. Keeping him warm and limiting temperature changes also help.

Things we remember:

After the epidural has faded you feel all the pains. Best to follow the medical regiment of painkillers and anti-inflammatories to handle the swelling in your nether region and to remain pain-free. I stayed off my feet to minimize the swelling in my legs.

Breastfeeding is a challenge but my little one has made it easier for me by latching well and stimulating colostrum. He’s feeding every day multiple times. My nipples are getting a bit sore but I’m carefully managing it with lanolin.

There were a number of people coming in and out of our room after delivery and the following two days:

• Paediatrician check
• Delivery cleaning ordered for my room to clean it up for me to remain in the room
• Nurse asking me if I wanted any food or juice
• Attempts to pee post delivery
• Ice checks of my body to see where the epidural was wearing off
• Instructions on pain medication
• Blood pressure and uterus bleeding checks on me, temperature checks for Mateo
• Breast feeding instructions
• Family visiting

The Next Day

• photographers stopped to offer free photo session
• Auxiliary store volunteers asked if we needed to buy anything
• Doctor from night prior checks if there are any questions from delivery the night prior
• Informed about my pain management options
• Welcome package dropped off
• Reminded to use the meal order system: Breakfast, lunch and dinner (select up to two entrees, as much of the other side items as you need with some restrictions on select items) all food delivered to my room.
• My OB arranged for South Community Lactation experts to stop in and introduce themselves as they will manage my postpartum care for 6 weeks free (an arrangement exclusively through my OB)
• First bath after 24 hours (filmed it)
• Weight taken and lost weight noted
• Heart test that required reading from his hand compared to reading from his feet
• Asking if we want to be on a list for university of BC studies related to families
• Doctor reminded us of the evening baby / day baby shift change and ask to prepare ourselves. (Julio and I named it the demon baby night)

The Last Day

• Assesses aftermath of the demon baby night and were surprised at how uneventful it was for us and were told to count our blessings
• Hearing test
• Jaundice test (this was a cut in the foot for Mateo and he hated it. By the sounds of it, all the babies hated it as we heard baby screams coming from the hall)
• Physio class for me (part of the hospitals free service and comes with up to 6 weeks of free additional care if you wish to attend)
• Newborn photo session
• Reviewed Julio’s work of putting Mateo into the car seat
• Offered opportunity to buy donor breast milk
• Collected my discharge paperwork, given prescriptions, my birthing/delivery records, and postpartum information

First day home:

• We organized ourselves to be ready for dressing baby, changing baby, feeding baby
• Julio has to assess and be in charge of all my medication and the continuous recording of the baby’s activities (poop, pee, feeding, sleeping, temperature)
• I had to prep the bathroom for all my mommy care items

Once home we received a call from South Community and was given some advice on breastfeeding and she helped us with an alternative to another painful jaundice test.

The following day South community visited to do a skin test in place of a painful jaundice heel prick which showed a good result and we did not have to bring Mateo in to BC children’s for the painful jaundice test.

The following day we received a call from a public health nurse to arrange a home visit.

We now have access to immunization experts, 24 hour nursing care by phone and resource for mommy and me/daddy and me programs in downtown Vancouver.

We feel so well taken care of by the medical follow up! All questions answered, experienced people visiting and checking on Mateo.

What to bring home from the hospital:

1. The washable cotton underwear they give
2. The washing bottle for your lady parts
3. An absorption mat
4. Sitz bath
5. Maxi pads if you don’t have that size at home
6. New born diapers