Hooray! Its my birthday! And to celebrate in style, I would like to present to you the extra special story of MY birth. Yep, me. Being born. Into this world.

So, without further ado, here is the sixth instalment in our Real Birth Story Series! It was written by MY OWN lovely mother Cesarina and tells the story about my crazy (and very early) entry into this world. Things were pretty different 35 years ago. But I think I turned out relatively ok. Could have done with a smaller nose though. Sigh. 

So sit back, relax, and I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed living it, lol. xxxx

35 years ago we didn’t have birth plans like expectant mothers have today. Pethadine was automatically given as soon as labour progressed.

We were given compulsory enemas when in labour and having an uncontrollable bowel movement whilst having very strong contractions was not joyful, to say the least.

Another indignity was that our pubic hair was shaved off by the nurses. We went to classes to learn how to breathe through contractions and the different stages of labour but I don’t think any of us had ever seen a baby being born… it was left to our imagination as to “ what was going on down there during labour”.

Until the late 1970’s everyone, including the doctors, were permitted to smoke in hospitals. The local country doctor also delivered babies.

I particularly remember the doctor looming over my swollen, contracting belly with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Unfortunately he also had ash attached to the cigarette and my greatest fear was that the ash was going to fall on my first-born’s head as she was coming out.

We had no idea of the sex of our infants until birth, and we remained in hospital for 14 days after the birth. During this time we were taught to breastfeed, bath the baby and all things expected of new mothers.

The babies were moved to the Nursery from 10pm until 5.30am every night so that mothers could have a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately hospitals were very noisy so not much rest was gained.

We were well looked after and thankful that our babies weren’t being born during the war years. I believe that due to the shortage of manpower, families had to provide their own linen, laundry, food and new mums were also expected to sweep and wash floors and keep the wards clean!!

We went to Healthcare Centres with our babies every week for the first month, then fortnightly, monthly and then yearly until our babies started school. Vaccinations were kept up date and the emphasise was only on a baby’s motor skills e.g. rolling, sitting up, crawling and walking.

With my second pregnancy I thought I knew what to expect, having already given birth to a beautiful baby girl 3 ½ years earlier, but I still went to pre-natal classes to remember how to breathe etc.

I was 27 weeks pregnant when I went to one of those classes. I had a dreadful stitch like pain and left the class early because the pain was severe and no position the physiotherapist suggested seemed to ease it.
She told me to go home and hang from the clothes line for a little bit as that would move the baby off whatever nerve was being compressed.

On my way home I drove past my Obstetrician’s office as I wanted to ask if the pain was normal. There was no-one there so I proceeded to my friend’s house as I knew she had an old-fashioned clothes line.
I got out of the car and only took 1 step before I felt a gush. I thought “bugger I’ve wet myself”, looked down and saw blood covering my jeans and shoes.

With legs tightly pressed together I hobbled to the front door and yelled “please ring an ambulance.’
I was taken to the nearest doctor who did a quick examination and inserted a drip, we then called in to the nearest country Hospital to pick up the Matron who accompanied us to Melbourne.

A special ambulance with Humidicrib and Doctor was being prepared in Melbourne to meet us half way should I give birth before reaching the hospital.

With high-speed and sirens blaring we made it to Royal Women’s Hospital, a drive of 45 very long minutes, and I was terrified. I was still hemorrhaging when we arrived and it was later that I found out that the placenta was tearing away from my uterus.

Thankfully my Obstetrician was attending a Seminar in Melbourne and met the ambulance at the Hospital. He checked everything and decided that as the baby was immature but not showing any signs of distress, he would give me blood transfusions as well as a steroid drug being trialled which would help develop the baby’s lungs.

At this stage all that was going through my mind was please God, let my baby be alright.

I was attached to 2 drips, one for fluids and the other for blood transfusions as well as machinery to check baby’s distress levels. The blood going into my veins was still coming out the other end.

The only one not highly distressed at this point was baby.

At 28 weeks the steroids, which were injected 4 times a day for 4 days, had all been given and it was decided to induce birth. The medical staff could do no more for either of us.

I was told everything would happen quickly from this point on. The contractions were coming fast and furious. A specialist Pediatrician was waiting and ready to resuscitate the baby.

Suddenly warning bells started ringing – the baby was highly distressed. After an internal examination the umbilical cord was found to have wrapped itself around the baby’s neck, and at the same time the placenta further detaching.

With each contraction the cord tightened and I was told that it would eventually strangle the baby. Their other fear was that the placenta would completely tear away and block the birth canal which would also cause other problems. The staff now had to stop the birth altogether.
This was done by turning me onto my front, tucking my legs under me, bum up as high in the air as possible whilst a nurse’s hand cradled the baby’s head and gently pushed the baby back into the birth canal after each contraction which was trying to push baby out.

They had to stop the cord from tightening any more, and the placenta from completely detaching.

At this point I lost all dignity and most of my sanity and everything became surreal. Baby was quickly delivered by emergency Caesarian.

It was a little girl!

My little girl was born at 28 weeks gestation and weighed 1020g at birth.

The pediatrician gave me a Polaroid photo of my child as soon as I woke up from surgery. Even though I was struggling to fight off the effects of the anaesthetic, the photo showed a baby who seemed to me the most beautiful in all the world.

mummalifelovebaby…as a wee baby – Image (c) mummalifelovebaby

mummalifelovebaby…as a wee baby – Image (c) mummalifelovebaby

Her skin was so very translucent – I could see all her veins and muscles and she had very downy skin with lots of hair.

I first saw her the following morning when I was wheeled to the Special Care Nursery, but I did not get to hold her until she was 6 weeks old. In the meantime I could only touch her through the Humidicrib windows. I wanted to protect her from the world and the invasiveness of the fantastic and caring medical staff.

However, whenever I approached the Nursery doors it was always with fear – is she still alright, has anything happened while I wasn’t with her, is she putting on weight???
I spent the first 14 days going from my hospital bed to the Special Care Nursery most of the day and all night.

When I was discharged it was heartbreaking to leave her behind.

I drove to the hospital nearly every night with freshly expressed breast milk. I would arrive about 9.30pm and stay with baby until about 3am. I did this for the next 9 weeks.

I think that from the time I was taken to hospital and until my little girl came home was the most loneliest time of my life. My dear friends and some family members gave me love and encouragement but I felt totally isolated emotionally. I could not celebrate my child’s birth, nor could I grieve fully as I did not know what lay ahead.

Baby was finally discharged from the 6th floor Royal Women’s Hospital on my birthday!!

She is now 35 years old, a wonderful mother herself and still the most beautiful person to me – I was very blessed.

mummalifelovebaby with her mumma – image (c) mummalifelovebaby

 

So this is my story! Would you like to see YOUR real birth story published? I know I would! Send me an email at info@ellynshepherd.com.au and you may see your story published next!

By the way… Studies from the University of mummalifelovebaby (MLLBU) show that people who subscribe to the mummalifelovebaby website are more hilarious and attractive than most other people. Since you don’t want to be either weird-looking or as boring as a blade of grass, then you had better sign up now!  

And if you DO sign up now (seriously, do it), then you will receive my free mini ebook – “3 amazing things that you MUST do with chocolate”. YOU LUCKY THING! I mean, HELLO! Chocolate!

xxxxx