Birth Stories

Abigail Lewis - Birth Story

EDD: 18 June 2013
Born : 20 June 2013
Birth: Ceasarian
Place: Unitas Hospital
Time: 10:12am
Weight: 2.72kg
Height:49 cam

Hi ladies, just thought I'd share my story with you. I really wanted a natural birth, however it did not happen. In my 39th week, my gynae did an internal examination to determine whether my cervix was ready for normal birth. It was not, and I went back again the following week. Still there was no change... I had the choice to wait another week and then do induction if nothing happened (if my cervix was ready) or I could opt for the ceasarian. My husband and I decided on a ceasarian the following day ( I had two miscarriages before and we were very anxious).

At first I was very disappointed and scared. But in the end everything worked together for our good My beautifull baby girl was born on the 20th of June at 10:12. When the gynae cut me open he told my husband to look as he unwinded the umbilical cord from our baby's neck, it was 3 times around her neck and he said that he is gratefull that I did not go into labour because it would have been a disaster. When I heard her cry as he took her out, I just burst into tears, I am so gratefull that we made the decision and that I have a great gynae I realised that everything is not always in our hands and no matter what we plan, things can still change in an instant.

The ceasarian was not so bad at all, I just had pain for about 3 days and it was really not as bad as I thought it would be.

Ok so a quick back round, my fiance and I had started talking about having a child, I was weighing my options when it came to medical aids but before I could even join one whoops I found out I was pregnant and @ the stage I accepted that I would give birth in a government hospital as I didn't have the 20 000 odd rand laying around, I went to a private gynae throughout the pregnancy for piece of mind.

Well anyway skip to the birth story now, I was already 3 days past my due date (edd=1st April 2013) so I decided to go to the hospital for a check up, during the check up the discovery my previously fine blood pressure was heart attack high and they wanted to immediately book me in, but after some meds it settled a bit and I was allowed home but had to go see the Dr the next day (Friday).
I packed all my bags in the car just in case and went to see the Dr, he took one look @ me and joked that I can't possibly be carrying one child (I was huge) he then did a sonar and advised he doubts I will be able to give natural birth due to the size of baby in comparison to me (I really wanted to give natural) but we agreed I would come back on monday morning to be induced but should the 1st round not work I would have a C-section. Well Sklya decided on Sat afternoon @ about 3 she wanted to come my contractions started but were still irregular so I didn't stress much by 5:20 on sun morning contractions were 10 mins apart lasting about 40 seconds each. I had to wait for my brother to drive me to hospital because my fiance was a nervous wreck that couldn't focus. I arrived at hospital @ 10h00 am I was examined and baby's heartbeat was monitored I was only 1-2cm dilated so I knew I had a long wait ahead throughout the day contractions just got worse to the point that baby's heartbeat couldn't be picked up on the monitor during a contraction which were happening every 2 mins for 45 seconds. I was still 1-2cm dilated so it was decided I would be prepared for an emergency c-section, by that stage all I was worried about was if my fiance would be allowed in the theatre with me luckily the Dr gave him permission. Once the nurse had given me my catheter did my water only break. I was wheeled into theatre and given a spinal anestetic (spelling?) It felt like 2mins but was in fact 35min when I heard the little cry.
Skyla was officially born @ 3:16am
On the 8th April 2013 (41 weeks)
Weighing 3.7kg
Length 56cm
Head 37cm

I was wheeled into recovery allowed to sleep for an hour then I was handed my bundle of joy, I stayed in hospital a total of 3 (excluding the sun I was in labour) and even though I will make sure I have medical aid next time (if there is a next time) I can confidently say Skyla and I are just fine and we survived our country's "terrible" government hospital (I was actually not bad at all - except the food lol)

Lacey May Bowman- Birth Story

EDD: 14 May 2013
Born : 25 April 2013
Birth: Natural, drug free, water birth
Place: Genesis Clinic
Time: 11:43 pm
Weight: 3.39kg's
Height:54 cm

My little lacey is 4 weeks tomorrow and thought I better write down her birth story before I forget anything.

Lacey is our second Daughter, I had a natural, drug free birth with my first daughter, Paige, but in a hospital and this time round I wanted a different environment. Paige's labour was a gradual build up and the total labour was 12 hours, I expected the same gradual build up during labour and was surprised how quick things went with Lacey.

I run my own business and had my last client meeting on the morning of 25 April, I then went home and finished up my final bit of work and put an out of office on my email and phone. All was ready for baby, so I decided I needed to clean out my toddlers cupboard before baby arrived and got the urge to tidy up a few things around the house, at about 4pm I started to feel some mild contractions, I thought they may be Braxton hicks, I kept an eye on the time and at 5pm told my husband about it. Between 4- 6pm I had 4 contractions an hour. My husband thought that this was it, so started packing his stuff in the bag for Genesis, I was still in denial. He told me at 6 I must phone my midwife and just check, which I did and she told me practice labour could continue for a few days, but to keep her posted.

we had dinner at 6:30 and at 7pm put my daughter to bed and I sort of forgot about the contractions as I was busy with bedtime routine. My husband then went to shower and I watched Revenge on t.v and at 8:30pm thought I would go to bed early in case it was labour, so I could get some rest.

When we went to bed at 8:30, I noticed a slightly pink, bloody show and then knew it was the start of labour, so I sent my Doula and Midwife an sms saying I was going to sleep but would keep them posted, thinking it would still be hours before I needed to get to Genesis.

I was feeling uncomfortable and kept tossing and turning, I couldn't fall asleep and so at 9:30 I got up and thought I would have a bath, but the contractions all of a sudden felt quite intense and close together, and so I told my husband to time them while I was in the bath, i was having 3 in 10 minutes, so we knew it was time to make a move. We called my midwife and she advised it was time to head to Genesis, so we called our Doula, and she was with another labouring mother and told us she would send a backup, who was very nice and helpful. We then called my parents who live close to us and asked if they would come sleep at our house as we didn't want to wake Paige up and we didn't have much time.

we packed the car and when my parents arrived at 10:15 we left for Genesis, contractions were now 2-3 minutes apart and my husband ran through all the red lights and we arrived at Genesis at 10:40, exactly one hour before Lacey was born.
When we arrived at Genesis, they checked Lacey's heartbeat and my blood pressure etc and all was fine, my midwife arrived and checked me and I was 6-7 cm dilated already, I thought labour would still continue for quite a while, but it went so quickly.

The Doula ran the water for the bath and I got up and went to the toilet, then got in the bath 15 minutes after arriving. Contractions started to get intense, but I was managing fine, I used my hypnobirthing breathing and about 15 minutes after getting into the bath, I felt like my body was pushing on its own, but I felt it was too early, the midwife told me to just let go and go with my body and after a few hypnobirthing J breaths, Lacey's head was crowning , out came her head and then the rest of her body. I caught her and put her onto my chest immediately and that's where she stayed until the cord stopped pulsating and then daddy cut the cord.

They then lay Lacey on daddy's chest for some skin to skin while I got out the bath and into bed, I did tear a little and needed a few stitches, and while they did that Lacey latched and fed for about 1.5 hours, they left her on my skin for a full 2.5 hours before taking her to weigh and measure her, while I had a quick shower and then we all got into bed together and cuddled.

Lacey latched immediately and has been feeding like a champ since birth. we went home the next day and settled in, before Paige came on on Saturday morning.
The second time around is so much easier and I am loving my little baby

Tamina Jwambi

EDD: 11 January 2013
Born: 17 January 2013
Time: 09h35
Weight: 3.9 kg
Head: 37 cm
Length: 56 cm
Birth: Vaginal (VBAC)

11 weeks later I finally get around to writing the birth story....hope I still remember everything!!

History.. First child a boy born via an emergency C-section December 2010. His weight was 3.5 kg and his head circumference was 36 cm. He was born at 40 weeks after 12 hours of labour and 10 minutes of pushing....don't ask why cos I still don't know

Second pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at 21 weeks on March 10 2012.

Then it was Tamina... At 19 weeks a cervical cerclage was inserted under the assumption that an incompetent cervix caused the miscarriage.

First gynae...Krugersdorp Netcare....forcing a C-section....I left him....
Second gynae...Garden City Netcare.....forcing a C-section because I quote.. "your scar will open up, the baby falls into the stomach, baby dies, you die"....I left him...

At 30 weeks I went under the care of Phindi Mashinini, a midwife at Genesis Clinic. At 36 weeks Dr Maasdorp removed the cerclage, Tamina was already engaged so we expected that I would go into labour around 37 weeks. The due date came and went, no sign of Tamina. We arranged for an induction at 41 weeks, Friday 18 January.

Thursday 17 January early morning around 3h30 I get a contraction. I wasn't sure it was real or I was just dreaming cos I really wanted to go into labour already. A short while later another contraction. By 4h30 I woke up and took a bath and got dressed. I alerted my midwife and was worried cos Genesis was full, and I totally didn't want to go anywhere else, definitely nowhere near a hospital. Contractions were still okay, I went back to bed, laid on my side on a heap of pillows with a heat pack against my back. It was magical when I'd press it right at the peak of the contractions. 6 am hubby wanted us to go but I was still fine, he got himself and our 2 year old ready. 6h30 I was starting to feel pressure, Phindi commanded me to come right away. I still thought no ways it's too early, with my son and the miscarriage I labored for 12 hours. Hahahaha by 7 I was telling my husband that we must go like right now, he wasn't finished packing up for our son. By 7h30 we were on our way....now we live south of Joburg, to get to Genesis we have to pass through town...via M1....traffic is beyond crazy in the morning. Fortunately my husband knows shortcuts. We dropped our son by his nanny and raced to Genesis. Before we reached town I started grunting. And every road in town was backed up. My husband asked traffic cops to escort us, it helped so much cos we flew one way to Genesis, okay couldn't really fly cos they still had to move cars out of our way. Got there at 8h30, pushing already. Got to the room, one had opened up, everyone ready, all ladies, gosh it felt good to not see a man in a white coat, haahahaa my husband was wearing white pants though ahhahaha. Checked and jumped into the tub....heaven!!!!!! I got too relaxed though I wasn't pushing effectively. At 9:30 I got out of the tub and onto the birth stool, by then I was hardly pushing, my body was just going on by itself. I hardly sat down and she crowned, I was still nicely relaxed so I hardly felt the ring of fire and I hardly tore, only got 2 stitches. Wow it was amazing, I pulled her up and we were all surprised at how big she was, didn't expect that, thought around 3.2... It was amazing to be awake while giving birth, to be the first to hold her while she's all slimy and looking like an alien haahaa
Gosh the energy after that!!!!! I was talking non-stop, was irritating my husband soo much hahahahaha he looked like he just gave birth hahahahhha. So ya, Friday morning we went home. I couldn't believe how easy it was.

I'm not against hospitals.....they just don't work for me and birth, I tense up and bam everything is messed up, doctors make me worse....so ya, I really needed a midwife and a birth centre....

The one part that was hard was breastfeeding, she latched on well but Friday night my flow was still light and she was very hungry. She fed the whole night....literally....cried a lot, poor thing.... Needless to say my nipples were about falling off...almost literally.....that brown skin was peeling off and they were bleeding...I took her off so they could heal, took about 2 to 3 days for the bleeding to stop completely. But they were still painful, I tried to work on the flow with a pump but cos of the pain it was hard. She took the bottle too well, was sucking like a I don't know what... I tried putting her back on, it was super painful and she was soo fussy cos my milk wasn't just flowing like a bottle. After a while I gave up, she was really getting fussy cos she was just hungry and cos she was sucking too hard for too long the pain never really went away. So ya, me and breastfeeding are not friends, even with my son I stayed in hospital for an extra day cos the night before no milk, then in the morning I was so full I could have found a knife and just cut them off!!!!! But he breastfed well.

She's a happy baby, eating quite a lot but that's okay ... Okay no it's not really okay cos she's almost 3 months and not sleeping through the night!!!!! I'm like sooo tired, she sleeps 4 hour stretches and must eat....aish this one....my husband says she has a hole in her stomach.

Name: Nadia E. Fakir
EDD: 23rd Feb 2013
Birth date: 17th Feb 2013
Time: 08:55 a.m
Weight: 2.66kgs
Length: 49cm's
Head circ: 32
Apgar 9/10, 10/10.
Normal vaginal Birth without epidural

On friday night i went to bed feeling okay but i woke up around 1a.m feeling contractions and i couldn't sleep at all, Saturday morning contractions were coming every 5min and last 60sec, i decided to go to the hospital, they check me and it's true about the contraction but i wasn't dilated 0cm, but the "show"came. They sent me back home and told me to come back at night.

I went back home but the pain was terrible, i tried to ignore it the whole day, around 8 p.m i couldn't anymore, i told my DH lets go hosp again, they check me i was only 1cm dilated but they decided to give me sometime if i don't progress then they'll send me back home. 1 a.m i was 2cm,and the pain was too much, i was admitted and gave me pethidine injection but i couldnt sleep the pain was intense and last long.
Sunday morning Around 5 a.m they check me again and i ask for an epidural bcz i couldnt take it anymore, they told me i was 6-7cm and epidural can not work at this point. Around 6 a.m they took me to the delivery room, put me on drip, rupture my membrane and from that point strong and intense contraction were coming, my gynae couldnt come, so they gave me another dr. who was so nice i must say, soo kind he held my hand, rub my lower back, My DH was still not arrived yet. When he came i was already 9cm, took the job of holding my hand, wipe sweat on my forehead, telling im doing very good and push harder i'm almost there. I got episiotomy like 5stitches. My daughter was born i couldnt even hold her as i was soo tired, her dad held her until i was stitched and show her to me, and told me i have made it, i'm soo strong and brave!!
I never expect it to be this painful but i'm glad i made it and feel the experience.

Morgan McKenzie Mara
EDD: 28 January 2013
Birth date: 10 January 2013
Time: 15h45
Weight: 2.7kgs
Length: 48cm
Birth type: Completely Natural

We had seen the doctor on the 3rd of January for a 36week 3 day check up! Everything was progressing well with the pregnancy; apart from an infection that I had that caused my feet to swell horribly! I had been booked off on sick leave until the 7th of January when I was supposed to go back to work. However the gynae didn’t want to going back to work just yet, and I was put on bed rest yet again until the 10th of January. I then asked him if we could please do an internal examination on the 10th, just to see how the cervix is progressing! He agreed and said that if everything looked positive we could induce labour on the 10th. I asked this of him cos I was really gatvol. I was carrying very big, I was not sleeping at all, I was miserable during the day because of lack of sleep, and I had these whales for feet and was in terrible pain down there. He advised us to come prepared with our tassie packed for possible induction on the 10th.

So the morning of the 10th arrived, and the whole household was a bundle of nerves, in anticipation for what the appointment would reveal. Hair and makeup was done as if it was a normal day. He was late for our 815 appointment and only arrived at 9. He then proceeded to do all the usual foetal checks and was surprised at the level of the amniotic fluid. He asked if my waters had broken and I told him that I wasn’t aware of anything… he then asked if I was sure because it was very little… During the internal examination he discovered that I was already 2cm dilated and that my cervix was very favourable. I was then told to book myself in straight away. So off we went to the labour wards.

Upon arrival I was given a gel that would soften the cervix even more. They brought me breakfast and I played around on the tablet while laying down and letting the gel do its thing! This took about an hour and a half. My husband in the meantime made sure that the admin side of things were taken care of. Thereafter I was given an enema and we waited for that the take effect. By 12h00 they were ready to break my waters… this after an internal examination almost every hour. Those nurses don’t play around hey – during the internal they also stretch the cervix a bit to dilate you even further. By 12h00 I was about 4cm. and that’s when the shit hit the fan! I was prepared for the pain of the contractions that would follow as with my first born my labour progressed naturally but my waters never broke. So at some point they needed to break my waters too. And this without an epidural! This time I again opted to go without an epidural and boy did those contractions come fast and furious.

The thing with an induction is that there is no gradual lead up to the strongest contraction - one goes straight to 10 on the pain threshold immediately! We walked a bit in the halls of the ward, at one point I was having a contraction a minute every minute. They were relentless; there was no chance for a break in between. In the back of my mind I kept thinking should I ask for an epidural but I didn’t succumb! At 13h30 I couldn’t anymore and went to lay down with the gas mask… I was taking in so much gas that I was spaced out! Hubby was awesome in administering the gas, telling me when to breathe in and to carry on breathing! It was ungodly painful!!!!!!!!!!!

At one point the nurse was giving my back a massage during each contraction… at 15h00 I was 8cm and told them I felt like I wanted to push. I was told not to give in to the urge, and at 15h30 I was 9cm. The nurse then stared preparing everything for the gynae and went to phone him. I told her I need to make a number 2 and wanted to get up. She told me if I got up I would have this baby in the toilet – hehehe!

She then turned me on my back (I had been laying on side all this time) and told me if I wanted to I could push! This was at 15h43. God alone knows where I got the energy to push, after been so drained from the relentless roll of contraction after contraction…

I felt the infamous “ring of fire” – something I didn’t feel with my firstborn for some reason! And OMW did it hurt! I asked for my gynae and was told he was on the way and that I should continue to push! I pushed for all of two minutes through excruciating pain and at 15h45 Morgan McKenzie Mara was born! I am thankful that I didn’t tear or need any stitches!

She has a few red marks on her face cos she “scraped” my cocix on her way out, but otherwise she is perfect! The gynae was surprised that she only weighed 2.7kg, as at all her scans she was above what she should be at that point in the pregnancy!

We are breastfeeding well, and at her 2week weigh in she was weighing 3.2kgs already! So the white gold is doing its job

I thank God everyday that the induction didn’t lead to the use of any forceps or suction AND that it didn’t up in a c-section!

Attached is a pic of her a few seconds after her birth!