Ask The Pros
Pregnancy Photos
Pregnancy Calendar
Birth Plans
Birth Stories
Bookstore
Boy or Girl
Cesareans
Chat Room
Complications
Doulas
Educators
Episiotomy
FAQs
Feeding Baby
Fertility
Finding a Class
Health
Interactive
Labor
Message Board
Monitoring
Newborns
Newsletter
Postcards
Postpartum
Pregnancy
Reviews/Awards
Search
VBAC
Week by Week
Who We Are

Dion's Birth

After our last experience in a hospital my husband and I had opted for a home birth for the birth of our second child. We had wanted the same for our first child, but in Australia, in the area we lived it was quite difficult to find a midwife willing to do a home birth, and impossible to find one who would deliver a first baby at home. We were very well prepared, I had read ALL the books even before I fell pregnant and I was very fit and healthy.

This pregnancy had been much like my first, I had put on extra weight, was looking very large, and was so far 7 days overdue. My husband Wayne was working at a shopping mall on the other side of Auckland, and rather than sitting home all day entertaining our three year old we decided to go with Wayne.

During the day I had been getting BH that were almost taking my breath away. This being my second child I knew that they were not the real thing, but they were still almost painful. A few strangers stopped to comment on the fact that I looked close and a look of terror came into their eyes as I smiled wearily and told them I was a week late.

That night we decided to hire a video as I remember reading that laughing released endorphins, and I had a feeling that this baby was coming pretty soon so I needed as many as I could gather. I can not remember what it was, but I do remember laughing long and hard and feeling really good. We went to bed at about 9:30 and I fell asleep easily.

Monday morning I awoke at about 1 am and found that I was quite uncomfortable, I tossed and turned for a while but it was no use. Then I had a contraction, nothing too bad, but I knew I was not going to be able to sleep on the bed any longer so up I got and made a bed of cushions in the living room. I dozed quite comfortable until 6 am when the contractions had become somewhat stronger. At this point I decided to wake up Wayne, who I had earlier told to go back to bed. I asked him to get a fire going (August in New Zealand is the middle of our winter) and he also turned the heater up to get the room ready for babys arrival.

I ran myself a bath and relaxed for about an hour or so in the water, the contractions were coming at ten minute intervals and were quite bearable so I decided to prepare myself for a long haul. At 7 am Wayne rang my mother and Marijke - our midwife. Calvin woke up at about this time and kept looking at my tummy for any signs of a change. He had been prepared for the labour and birth with lots of stories and a bit of role playing as for us it was important that the birth be a family event.

At about 7:30 am I decided that I was no longer comfortable laying in the bath, I had been using a lot of hip movement and humming with each contraction but I was needing to move so our I got, put on a shirt and knickers then went to check on Wayne and Calvin who were having some breakfast. As soon as I walked in the room I felt nautious, the smell of the toast did it to me and I went to the bathroom and threw up. After this my mother arrived with my brother and sister, as well as an old friend from school.

By 8 am the contractions were closer together and becoming more intense, between contractions I liked to walk, but as soon as I felt one coming I got down on the ground and groaned ..... noises seemed to really help me cope. I asked Wayne to call Marijke again as she was originally going to come at about 11 am but I felt I needed her to check my progress, she said she would finish her breakfast get herself ready and come over, which was fine by me. I still thought that this baby was quite a while away and I would deliver at around lunch time.

8:30 am and the contractions were now very intense, I stayed on the ground the whole time, squatting, kneeling and on all fours, during a contraction I needed someone to put heat on my lower back as this was where I felt the contractions, the hotter it was the better. I became quite vocal and asked Wayne to call Marijke again to ask her to come sooner, she said she was on her way.

8:45 am and I became panicked, I had the urge to push and Marijke wasnt here yet. Wayne gave me some Rescue Remedy (A bach flower remedy to help stop panic) and then fetched the birthing mat from the Birthday Box Calvin and I had prepared. Two contractions later I was positioned on the mat and naked .... my family were in the room and I can remember hearing my mother saying Oh dear, I left my slippers in the car. I heard the phone ring - it was Marijke saying she was stuck in peak hour traffic and asking how I was feeling. Wayne told her what was happening and then left the phone under strict orders from me to get here. I squatted on the floor and gently pushed Dion Paul out onto the mat. He was perfect and the whole room Ooohed and Aaahhhed. He was born at 9:05 am beside the fire in our living room. Five minutes later Marijke arrived to be asked by Wayne if she expected to get paid for this. We all had a good laugh and 20 minutes later I delivered the placenta (which once again felt wonderful). Calvin cut the cord which was something he had asked to do earlier in the pregnancy. I tried to get Dion to suckle but he was not interested, he was very alert and loved to look into peoples faces.

By 11 am I was showered and dressed. The entire family, friend and midwife sat down to casually fill in the paperwork, eat a delicious lunch prepared by my wonderful brother and sister and marvel at the event that had taken place only hours earlier in our living room while the busy world outside fought peak hour traffic, complained about the weather and went about its business, oblivious to the joy we were all sharing.

My post partum period was great, I had no baby blues and was full of energy. I still took it easy and grabbed all offers of help from everyone. I did not vacuum for the first 6 weeks and did not do any washing for the first month. I felt it was important to ask for help and accept it as with my first baby I had tried to do it all and be a rock ... as a result I became very tired and stressed and did not cope as well as I might have. Dion took a while to get the hang of feeding, but at the age of two years two months he is now a real pro.

I hope you enjoy reading this posting as much as I have enjoyed re-living it. I think the 15/8/94 was one of the most empowering days in my life.

Allison
Very proud stay at home Mum to Calvin (28/4/91) and Dion (15/8/94)