Lezaan – My Birth Stories

When I met my husband 11 years ago we both agreed that having kids was a big thing and a decision that we should both be happy with. So after 7 years of marriage we finally both agreed that the time was right.

It took us about six months to conceive; and I had a textbook pregnancy (apart from the morning sickness… still don’t know what that feels like). I read all the books, attended anti natal classes and I always said I want to go natural if medically possible. I do however remember reading a pregnancy book and I saw a photo of a women giving birth and I remembered thinking, “I’m not doing that!”.

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My Birth Stories – Lezaan

“First babies are always late”, that was what all the midwifes told me, so I only started my maternity leave a week before my baby was due. To our surprise our baby had other plans.

I went into work on the Wednesday morning and was chatting away with a colleague when all of a sudden my pants were wet, so I went to the toilet and thought it was just an accident seeing that I’m 38 weeks pregnant, and this was ‘normal’. I walked to my office and it happened again, so the obvious thing for me to do was go home to change. When I got home, my husband was still sleeping so I decided to phone the hospital. They told me to come in for a check up and ‘just to make sure’. I woke up my husband and told him “I think my water just broke?”. He jumped out of bed in a panic, looked at me and said, “but you’re not in pain”.

When we got to the hospital they assessed me and confirmed that my water did break. I was monitored for a few hours and was told to go home to rest because it’s going to be a long day or even days! We got home and we tried to relax. At 18:00 my contractions started getting worse and we decided to go to the hospital. At the hospital my husband could see I was in pain and in an effort to make me feel better he said to me, “moenie maak of dit seer is nie!”.

Needless to say he almost lost his head. I was only 2 cm dilated but was sent home. (This is the protocol in the UK). At 20:00 I told my husband its time and off we went again. This time round I was 3 cm dilated and was checked in and we waited.

I always said I want to go drug free, if I can, but as I walked into the labour ward I told the midwife I want all the drugs they have! She calmed me down and said they’ll start me off on gas and air and if that doesn’t work, we’ll try something else. So I sucked on the gas and air and during one very bad contraction I grabbed onto my hubby’s arm and squeezed… once again he tried to lighten the mood and said, “Kyk hoe seer het jy my arm gemaak” (Yes, we are still married).

My contractions continued and at 10:30 I told my husband to call the midwife because “my child is coming NOW!”. As the midwife walked in she said that it was still way to early but she’ll check…and TADA…. There was my baby’s head. The midwife rushed to get everything ready… I started pushing at 22:45 and my beautiful baby boy was born at 23:14…. With only 5 pushes, and only gas and air!!!

Recovery was quick and I had one of the easiest babies ever.

One year later we decided to have another baby. This time it took only 3 months to fall pregnant. Once again, I had an amazing pregnancy.

“This one will be early too!” That was the story this time round; first baby was early so second one will be too…. Yeah right!!!. At 40 weeks pregnant, I was fed up, we tried every remedy and old-wives tales in the book to make this baby come…

On the Friday, I had a sweep and was booked in for induction the following week (Which I didn’t want to happen!). On Sunday morning 4:00 am I coughed and had 2 contractions and thought my water broke. I phoned the hospital, and they told me that they are extremely busy; I should have a cup of tea and come in at 5:00. When I got to the hospital they did an assessment and I was only 1 ½ cm dilated. I was having severe contractions but was not classed as ‘at risk’ and was sent home.

We got home at 6:20 and I started monitoring my contractions. They were getting closer and closer, only 2 minutes apart. At 6:40 I told my husband we have to leave now because ‘this child is coming”!

We got outside to get into the car and my child started crowning!

Imagine this, 6:40 on a Sunday morning, standing outside our house and my husband and I are screaming at one another….. “Klim in die kar in”, “Ek kan nie, my kind kom”, “Klim in die ****** kar”…. This went on for a couple of minutes and I managed to get in the passenger seat on all fours. (I had to put the seat down to be ‘comfortable’. I couldn’t sit/lie in the back because the car seats where occupying the space.)

All I can remember from the drive to the hospital was shouting at my husband “my kind kom, my kind kom”.  I tried not to push but my body wasn’t having any of it.  My body was doing all the pushing for me. When we got to the hospital at 7:00 my husband decided to park the car first….(Yeah, I know what you’re thinking?!)

I was waiting in the car while he went to get some help. The midwife who tended us at 5:00 was still there and she came running out with a wheelchair. I was told to sit in the wheelchair and all I could say was that I’m going to sit on my child’s head.  The midwife reassured me it wouldn’t happen. So, I hopped onto the wheelchair, lying on my back…. They wheeled me into labour ward with 7 midwifes following us. While they were getting the bed and everything else ready my husband helped by taking my pants off and out popped our daughter!

AND DADDY CAUGHT HER!!!!

The midwives were so shocked they ignored me and paid only attention to Daddy and his beautiful baby daughter.

I got out of the wheelchair, climbed into bed and held my amazing child.

Today, my son is 3 and my daughter is 1. They both started they way the plan to carry on.

My husband is my heart, my son the blood running through my veins and my daughter the air that I breathe!! I can not live life without them.

Submitted by Lezaán