Birth story - Sofia and baby Alexandra

I live in Saudi Arabia, and all deliveries here are done in Consultant led Units of Labour and Delivery, however from my last birth 2.5 years ago I was focused of getting the best out of this situation. l did back then, but there were things I wanted different this time around.

I got the PBC package when I was about 30 weeks pregnant and it was a good way to brush over things I needed to be reminded of. I also learned of a hospital in town, and a particular male doctor who was very supportive of “natural birth”, and he overlooked my pregnancy and had him sign my birth plan only a week before I went into labor. He was to come from home to assist the birth and was supportive of non-intermittent baby monitoring, no IV line, delivery in any position I felt comfortable (he pointed out that lying on the back is a position destined for examination and totally unnatural for birth), delayed chord clamping, skin to skin immediately after birth, etc. I felt so comfortable after that discussion, and although this time around I didn’t have as much time like in the first pregnancy to practice up breathing, to listen to affirmations and everything else I did last time, I was just confident and believed in my body, and I knew that when the time comes my body will know what to do, so didn’t bother to waist time feeling guilty about not doing my homework properly.

Labor started exactly in the same way it happened in my first delivery: my waters broke at night, after not being able to sleep, with a feeling of internal rupture. I wasn’t sure if it is the real thing and waited to feel any trickling, but I also had some cramps, and wasn’t sure if they are mild contractions or an upset GI tract. I went to the bathroom and had a bowel movement (it happened the same in my previous labor), then I started to lose amniotic fluid and had the show. I knew that it is the real thing, and soon after I started having contractions pretty close together, about every 5 mins. I knew I’ll have to go to the hospital right away, because I had a pretty fast delivery last time, and knew that second time around things can happen quite fast. It was a 20 mins ride to the hospital and continued to use the Freya app, which I started at home, and it was in the car that I learned I was in established labor (I had no doubt anyway 😂).

When I arrived at the triage I was hooked to the monitors just to check if there were contractions then the doctor on duty came to see me, she asked me what I was experiencing, if waters had broken, had I had contractions or a bloody show. I smiled and peacefully I said all the signs she mentioned. Then she said she will check for my dilation and I asked her to wait because I was experiencing a contraction right at that moment. She said she can see it on the machine and held my hand, and before that one was over I got another one!! She then checked me and asked me to guess, so because I didn’t want to get my hopes too high I went with 4 cm, and she said I am modest, because I was actually 7 cm, fully effaced, with baby’s head well engaged. She then left to let the front desk call my doctor to come to hospital, the nurse left too, and hubby was still settling some things at the front desk, and then all alone, hooked at the monitors, waiting for the mandatory 20 mins of monitoring to be over I got a different kind of contraction, my body was pushing, and because I was in a weird position, on my back, it felt unbearable. I started calling for my husband or anyone to come and help me, I lost control, I panicked because I knew that I was ready to deliver and felt things I didn’t feel last time, because in the pushing phase back then things got out of control, and I was coached when to push, my body wasn’t really prepared to, and it was horrible. Although back then I was calm and managed very well the first phase of labor, in the second phase I wasn’t allowed to do my thing, I was put in stirrups and coached when to push because my doctor said that the baby is in distress and hurried me to get the baby out. Everything was so intense that I just put the gas& air mask on and didn’t take it off till it was over, which wasn’t too long, but the gas & air simply removed me from the experience, I simply wasn’t present and I don’t even have a lot of recollection of what happened, and I didn’t like that at all. So now, when my body was ready to push I wanted to do it all on my own.

The doctor quickly came back checked me and confirmed that I went from 7 cm to 10 cm in a matter of minutes, and they rushed me to a delivery room. I got up on the bed, asked them to raise the back rest of it, and kneeled facing the back rest and holding on it. They tried to remove my dress but I just lifted it up, and the doctor and delivery nurses asked me if I want to deliver in that position and I confirmed, they asked me if I wanted anything, I asked for water and I said I would like to try gas & air, and they provided that, then respectfully stood around the bed and watched me. The contractions were different and it was no fun, the pressure was incredible, I kept making primal sounds, roaring and trying to control myself and not push but I couldn’t help it. After about two contractions I reached down and felt the head of the baby, next contraction he descended even more. It was magic to be aware of everything and so in control, it was intense but I was present, and kept reminding myself of what was happening to me and how wonderful it was that I was doing it. I pushed a few more times and over the course of the next two contractions he was born, the doctor was there, caught the baby and passed him to me between my legs. I was over the moon that I did it! I laid down and had skin to skin and delayed chord clamping (15 mins), then I delivered the placenta. When I was pushing the baby the doctor quickly read my birth plan from my husband, but I wanted to tell her not to bother because I was already getting what I wanted. After I delivered the placenta my doctor arrived and found me holding my baby! It was less then 1 hour since I got to the hospital and only 2 h 30m from the time my waters broke at home. I had a second degree tear which my doctor got to do sutures for, and that was it!

What I really loved about this delivery, besides the great feeling of empowerment, is how much different my pelvic floor feels! Last time I couldn’t feel anything for days, I was peeing in my pants before reaching the toilet, because I had no control. This time, because I didn’t have to strain on my back, the damage was minor, almost unnoticed. I could squeeze my muscles down there and I don’t even feel like I just pushed a watermelon out! Wow!

Thank you Siobhan for the course and all the other great mamas who have shared your stories!❤️