Alex's Birth 1996

I woke at 3 a.m., and thought I had wet myself!! My waters had broken so that explained my initial reactions. I went to the bathroom and called Alan. He woke in an immediate panic, he tried to stay calm and controlled. I got dressed, I had ironed an outfit to go into hospital with, but I would've been too cold with the water, and the fact that our car did not have a heater in it......bearing in mind it was January!! So, regardless of the preparation I went through for things to be just right for going into hospital..... I ended up wearing Alan's clothes. This consisted of, 2 t-shirts, a jumper, ski-pants, and trousers. I tried not to move too much because I was squelching with each tiny muscle spasm. I did not have any contractions at this stage, but I know because of an infection risk you have to go into hospital when the waters break. Alan got dressed quicker than Linford Christie could ever hope to. He went downstairs phoned the hospital and make a cup of tea-priority. I  phoned Suzie my best friend who only lived over the road, she was coming with us for support to me and to Alan. Five minutes later Suzie was on the doorstep ...laughing. I laughed and ended up standing in a puddle!!! So I treid and tried not to laugh but the slightest thing would set me and Suzie off, especially Alan who had a cluckie head on!! It was really weird, with Defyn and Conor i had to have my waters broken by someone, so the big 'pop' and gush was a new one on me. Suzies daughter came to the house, she was to sleep in with Defyn and Conor. Her dad was across the road, I thnk he came over too I'm not sure. Suzie, Alan and myself got in the ice box with wheels, and started our journey to the hospital.My contractions had started, but nothing regular or very painful. I couldn't stop smoking, I was so scared and I don't know why, I knew what was going to happen, but maybe that was it I knew that in a short while I would be in pain.


At the hospital
Suzie took me upstairs to the labour suite while Alan parked the car. Thankfully the car survived the journey by travelling at exactly 50 mph no faster or slower. I had a contraction on the way to the ward, we reached the nurses station and could see Alan on the security camera waiting to be allowed into the ward, we all thought this was funny. Alan looked so worried. The nurses buzzed the door and let him in he nearly yanked the door off it's hinges!!
My midwife was to be Mel, she got me settled in, I got dressed in one of my mam's old nighties. I was hooked up to a monitor and on cue had a couple of contractions. Mel decided I'd be staying in the labour room. This was my third child so things could happen quite fast. I got up and walked about, gravity is the best thiing to help a labour progress. Mel examined me....1.5 cm dilated, I nearly cried. I was expecting to be at least 4cm dilated!! Mel strapped a mobile monitor to me and like a wave the contractions
Alan, Suzie and myself went for a walk to the rest area. Suzie and I were leaning out of the window having a cigarette cups of hot chocolate in hand it was almost nice except for the pain. Then the door opened and it was Mel. An alarm had gone off to say that someone was smoking in the room!! Suzie took the rap for it, I couldnt believe it Suzie isn't a heavy smoker she can do without, it was me who is the nicotinholic. We got back to the room and I went to have a look on the monitor read out, the contractions were really strong, so far it hadn't hurt as much as I was expecting. I started to go into a trance almost just walking back and forth in the room, it wa quite theraputic to get into a rhythm and pattern, however apparenty it looked like I was a soldier on guard duty! It was about 5.30 a.m. by now I sat down for a while I was feeling quite sick and then I was sick. Then it was like a brick wall hit me, I was so tired. At 6.30 I was asked if I want gas and air, I said yes but it didnt seem to get near the pain, so I threw it...literally. I was coping quite well without any relief. Each time a contraction started I grabbed Alan and Suzie's hands, they were standing either side of me. I would squeeze their hands pulling them to me and then pushing them away, almost a rowing action. In fact Alan asked me if I was rowing a boat, my reply "shut up". I was so tired. Mel came in asked how I was, I said I felt like a bag of s**t!! It was the contractions that were making me feel really high, I must have been hyper-ventilating. Mel offered me pain relief and something to help me sleep, I said no at first but changed my mind with the next contraction. I was injected with phenergan and meptid. The contractions then seemed to further apart in time but very intense.  Apparently I was sleeping in between each contraction. All I remember is skipping down the bottom of a garden and there was about 7 or 8 gnomes around a pond and they all started to dance with me.Things are a bit blurry after the injection, I remember asking what the time was over and over again, apparently Alan and Suzie lied to me saying it was earlier than what it was. I found out later that they were also taking shifts with me at least I was never on my own. I also remember asking Alan to hug me and as he did a contraction started, as the pain intensified I started to rub Alan's back. Alan said "That's nice"  until the contraction reached the peak and i was digging my nails into his back, Alan started to say 'ouch' a lot. There had been a change of shift and some point and I had a new midwife called Marie. I started to come to after the injection, I was by now 8cm dilated, I was very disappointed I wasn't more by this stage. I wanted to go home or something, just to leave the pain behind in that room. a doctor came in and told me I would be allowed three pushes to get the baby out after that they would use forceps, that put the fear of God in me. They were concerned that I'd lose my sight because of the pressure of pushing. Marie went out of the room and came back in to ask if I'd mind a student doctor delivering the baby........I didn't care if the pope imself was going to deliver the baby. Off Marie popped to go and get the doctor. While she was gone I asked Alan and Suzie to help me sit up. As I did, they baby dropped inside me, totally weird feeling. I knew that this was it, it was time now. I told Alan to ring the bell, and instructed Alan and Suzie where to stand. I had my feet on their hips and they were holding my hands. Contractions didn't matter anymore the baby's head was at the opening I could feel it. The baby's heartbeat started to disappear and Marie decided she'd have to attach a monitor to the baby's head. It kept falling off so that just wasn't viable. Suzie kept trying to get me to breathe through the gas mask, and i kept hitting her and pushing her away. I hate masks. The student doctor was apparently very good looking....I didn't have my glasses on which might have been just as well. The doctor then told Suzie to step to one side as he couldn't deliver baby from where he was. I told him that I was comfortable why doesnt he f*****g move!! I transferred my leg from Suzie and put my foot on the doctors hip, I still held on tightly to Suzie's hand. A hush and a calm fell on the room, Marie calmly said 'When you're ready Kerry, push'  The next contraction started to build but I held back until it really got going then I gave one almighty push. The head was just crowning, Marie helped the skin stretch a bit more with the next push..... baby's head out. Another push and the baby was out. The cord was around the neck but that's not unusual. Alan was asked if he'd like to cut the cord, and he did, shaking like a leaf in the process. Marie rushed baby to a ventilator as she didn't know if he had been distressed on the way out. Alan was crying, I was crying, Suzie was sobbing, Suzie took a step back as if to say that this was mine and Alan's time but it wasn't, we'd all been a part of that day I couldn't have done it without either of them. The baby was 6 pounds and half an ounce at birth, a lovely baby named Alex.

A very special thank you to Suzie. She is one of the most formidable people I have ever met and I love her very much. She is the sister I always wanted.

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