Birth unplugged- what happens after?

Disclaimer: Not for the feint hearted! These are some of the gory details of what happens after a baby is born.

4th October, 12.11am


My midwife, Anne, was writing notes and said 'now, because this has all happened so quickly, I haven't had a chance to read your birth plan'. I interrupted and had a moment of clarity 'delayed cord clamp, physiological 3rd stage, no vitamin k or hep b, let her attach to feed herself- does that answer your question?' Talk about telling my birth plan in 10 seconds flat! 'yes, exactly what I wanted to know'.

I heard them talk about drawing up syntocinon just in case I lost too much blood. By this stage Anne had brought over a birth stool for me to sit on with our baby girl, we were still wrapped in the preheated blanket snuggly. Anne gently instructed me to give a big cough with my next contraction to birth the placenta. She also came and inspected the cord at one point and said that it had stopped pulsing and would it be ok if she clamped it now? We gave the ok.

The timing of everything's a bit hazy, but our baby girl somehow found her way to my breast and started suckling all on her own (she was very clever from the start!:)

At some point I got a contraction and gave a small cough. The placenta slipped out really easily and plopped into the container underneath me. Anne, my student midwife and my husband went into the bathroom to inspect it whilst I continued to feed. They reported back that I had a big, fat, juicy, healthy placenta, but that my umbilical cord was one of the thinest they'd seen with barely any warton's jelly (I would only find out what that was later).

Once our little girl finished feeding and was resting, Anne asked if she could weigh and measure her. Our baby was a wee 2960 grams (6 pound 8 ounces) and 46cms. My husband then got to hold our baby for the first time as Anne and my student midwife supported me to the shower. They gently ran the shower over me and wrapped me back up in a blanket after drying me off.

Anne asked if she could check me over. Sounds horrible, but I guess they've all seen everything now anyway!! Back up on to the bed. My husband handed me back our Baby. Anne firmly palpated my belly to check if my uterus was contracting- this was quite uncomfortable as you can imagine. Then gently did an internal. She reported I had a small 2nd degree tear in my perinium, about 2-3cms in length. Anne outlined the pro's and con's of stitching it, or letting it heal on it's own. I decided to let it heal without stitches. I also had some grazing which would heal on its own. Everything else was looking alright.

I handed our baby to my Mum while my husband helped me get dressed. Anne went and got me a wheel chair and wheeled our baby and I around to the birth centre. If our baby was any smaller (2800grams or less), we wouldn't have been allowed back there. We transferred to the queen size bed. Someone got me tea and toast and I was back to drinking some water again to rehydrate.

We dressed our baby in the 0000's outfit we'd bought and she swum in it!! Right, we'd better get some smaller suits! Mum stayed until we were all ready to try and rest. I think she left between 3 and 4am.

Anne came back in to give us a run down of the birth. I was in active labour from around 4pm, arrived at hospital at 11.20pm, already in transition upon arrival (fully dilated and ready to push), baby girl born 12.11am on the 4/10/10 after an 18 minute second stage (the whole pushing part), 3rd stage also 18 minutes (birthing the placenta). Anne let me know that first time Mum's usually take about 2 hours in their second stage. Wow! No wonder it was so full on!!

The three of us snuggled together on the bed. I just couldn't stop gazing at her and how perfect she was. I'm sure she fed at least another couple of times in the early hours of the morning. I didn't sleep a wink.

The sun started to stream through the window and the 4th of October dawned bright and sunny. It was the first warm sunny day we'd had in Brisbane for a couple of weeks. It must of been in aid of our baby girl :) I got up and had a long warm shower and redressed slowly. Anne had given me some mini ice packs for my knickers to cool the graze and tear. They soothed it pretty well. Sitting on the edge of the bed was a bit painful and going to the toilet stung.

At about 8am I sent around a mammoth SMS announcing the birth of our baby. I called my Dad and brother and a couple of good friends who were ecstatic for us. The breakfast lady came in and I scoffed down some breakfast. God I was so hungry!!! Tanya came in (our midwife who had done the membrane sweep) and was ridiculously excited and rightfully chuffed with herself. I can't really remember exactly what happened, but before we could go home, we had to see the physio for me and the Paediatrician had to check over our baby. The Paediatrician came and went and we waited and waited for the physio who apparently wasn't responding to her pager. Tanya gave us the option of going home with the physio information pack. We decided to call my Mum and head home a mere 12 hours after the birth.

My husband pushed our baby and I in a wheelchair to the elevator. I shielded her tiny eyes from the bright lights. Out in to the sunshine where Mum and the car were waiting for us. I was so tired, yet on a high at the same time. My husband gently lifted our baby into the car seat. We were so fumbly, never having done it before. She was so very small, the straps barely tightened around her tiny chest. God, what were we doing????? 12 hours old, it was still her birth day!!

We all got in the car and our journey really began............