They say the third trimester is the hardest and for me, I definitely agree. Everything had been going so well during my first pregnancy until I reached my third trimester when I was diagnosed with bilateral PEs. From then on, my final weeks of pregnancy became a whirlwind of doctor appointments and aggressive treatment. A new birth plan was put in place and it was quickly determined by my doctor that I should be scheduled for an induction on my due date. I had a brief moment of sadness learning that I would not get the opportunity to experience natural labour for my first pregnancy. However, I understood that an induction would be the safest way to labour for me and my baby.
It was a Sunday evening and I was four sleeps away from the day I had been waiting for, for nine months. After spending some time relaxing in the bath, I decided it was time for me to go to bed. I was on the phone to my mum while getting ready for bed when I suddenly felt a sensation that urged me to look down. I had started bleeding. Wasting no time, my husband grabbed my hospital bag and we made our way to the maternity unit at the hospital.
We arrived shortly after 10pm and the bleeding had stopped as soon as it had started. I was checked over and advised to stay overnight to be monitored. The doctor informed me that it was likely that my induction would be brought forward in light of the event and sure enough, it was. I received an induction pessary at 11am the following day and It was now the waiting game. I passed the time by taking slow walks around the unit to encourage my labour. I pottered around my hospital bed as my husband worked from his laptop in the bedside chair next to me. I ate a few snacks, applied face masks and sage oils and binged my way through a few television programmes. It was around 5pm when I decided I wanted to go for a walk outside of the maternity unit. I began to feel increasing pressure as I was walking to the point where it was causing me discomfort. I felt like I needed to rest so we made our way back to the unit. I was examined but my body showed no signs of being ready to labour.
As time ticked on, the discomfort turned into pain that was beginning to intensify. I was able to breathe through most of the pain but it was causing both mine and my baby’s heart rate to race. I was convinced that my body was having an adverse effect from the pessary so I pleaded with the midwife to have it removed. The pain disappeared as soon as it was out and my heart rate stabilised along with my baby’s. We soon rolled into the early hours of the next day when I was approached by an oncall doctor. He explained that while I am no longer in pain, my labour was not progressing and that I would need to have an induction pessary re-inserted or consider a possible c-section. Adamant I was not going to have a c-section because of my condition, I reluctantly agreed to try the pessary again. While they began preparing the induction, I attempted to get up to go to the bathroom when WHOOSH!! My waters had broke! I was so relieved and happy things were finally moving! I eventually made it to the the bathroom, where my husband and I danced around elated that I did not have to have another pessary and that our baby was now on the way!
Things escalated pretty quickly after that. I was moved to the delivery suite and was given analgesia. The timing was perfect as I was able to get some much needed sleep. My contraction pain slowly started to build up during the afternoon and then suddenly, it was time to push! I was pushing in almost every position possible for what seemed like eternity. I grew exhausted and felt ready to give up. My push playlist was halfway through its second replay when medical staff were keen to intervene. Then in that very second, another contraction. I remember my midwife yelling words of encouragement at the end of the bed, my husband telling me I was doing so great and not to lose focus. It was like something took over me and I was determined to birth my baby. With a deep breath, my chin to my chest, I pushed with all the strength I had left in me. The room filled with delight at the sight of my baby’s head. I reached down to feel my baby but before I could rejoice in my achievement, another contraction was building. Taking another deep controlled breath, I pushed and our baby finally arrived 32 hours and 13 minutes after my induction. We were now parents to a beautiful baby girl.
I vividly remember how fragile she felt when she was first placed onto my chest. Her skin was perfectly soft, her eyes were huge and almost black. She cried and then latched onto me as soon as I brought her to my chest. I looked down at my newborn baby girl in complete amazement. Everything leading up to this point had been worth it and she was love personified. It was a moment and a feeling I will never forget and so blessed to have experienced. It was a moment so indescribable and overwhelming, filled with immense pride and a deep sense of purpose. It was the moment I became a mother.
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