The Natural Childbirth story of Oscar

This natural childbirth story was submitted by Paula and took place in September 2006.

With our youngest boy, still a baby, I had a wonderful birth experience for the most part.  As with his older sister, I struggled with early contractions for almost 3 months.

However, on the day that he was actually born, everything was very calm at first. I was on sick leave and my husband happened to be home from work.

At around noon I suddenly got contractions, but they were not very painful at all. But since it was time, we called my husband's sister to have her prepared that she might have to help us out with our other children. She came immediately.

I felt a bit silly, because I wasn't sure at all that this was it. But the contractions continued and when walking around I could feel some downward pressure that was new.

At 1.30 pm I called the hospital and said that we might come in later today.  When the nurse checked my journals, she told me come in there right now! Since my first birth had been so quick, the labor could be very fast this time.

Oh, well, we went.

During the 10 minute ride to the hospital, my contractions became very painful.  I could almost not get out of the car.

At the hospital we got a room immediately. A quick examination showed that I was dilated 8 centimeters. The contractions were very intense, but it was still fantastic. Me and my husband had taken a breathing-relaxation-massage class just to remind ourselves how to do it, and it worked perfectly. Despite the pain we talked and even joked so much that one of the nurses laughed and commented that she had never met a couple before that were giving birth together in such a cheerful way.  

Some 20 minutes later I was in active labor. The nurse suggested that I tried a birthing stool, since I had not been able to relax in the hand and knee position the last time.

I sat on the stool and my husband sat down behind me so that I could lean on him. It was wonderful.

But the trouble began...

Although I was fully dilated and in active labor, there was still a small part of the cervix left that stopped my baby's head from coming out. The midwife told me that she had to pull the edge away during a contraction. And she did. That was the most painful experience I've had in my entire life. My husband says that my eyes rolled up into my head. I'm not surprised. The midwife did this twice.

After that I only needed to push once or twice and then I had my son in my arms.

Despite it hurting so much, I'm glad that the midwife did her little trick. The alternative had been to wait for a doctor to come and give my some pain relief, before doing it. That could have put my baby at risk.

My little Oscar was 51 cm long and weighed 3.4 kg. A perfect little boy and a wonderful natural childbirth story! And this time, I felt great afterwards!

A beautiful natural childbirth story, Paula!