As part of The Big Mummy Blog Share this week I am featuring a fellow mummy blogger!
Meet Lavania Oluban from Arlo River Rex . She is a mummy blogger from Birmingham. This month we’re sharing Birth stories, so here is Lavania’s with hers.
How many children do you have?
Just the one.
Did you write a birth plan?
I wrote several before tearing them all up and realising there was a slim chance things would go to plan.
What type of birth did you plan/envision?
I was a hormonally crazy pregnancy hypochondriac – I had a low lying placenta and for the duration of my pregnancy also had Hyperemesis Gravidarum so I thought everything that could go wrong would. I therefore planned to be at the hospital with the best local facilities and on site paediatricians rather than the local midwife led unit.
Did you have a natural birth or caesarean section?
Natural
Did you have any pain relief?
There wasn’t really much time – I had paracetamol, and the newish water injections in my back before gas and air for the final stages.
Tell us a little bit about the lead up to your birth
I was 37 weeks exactly and home alone on Tuesday evening when my waters broke. My partner came in from work and thought I was being melodramatic, so he jumped in the bath and also used my brand new face mask cream whilst I paced in the living room too scared to sit down and ruin my brand new sofa. My waters had broken but labour hadn’t kicked in and so the hospital planned to induce me on Thursday morning, however I had no energy so was admitted to the ward for an IV fluid infusion on Wednesday evening which they pumped into me at double speed. As soon as the second bag of fluid had drained my contractions kicked in and I insisted on pain relief and was given two paracetamol. Fifteen mins later I was wriggling around in pain and my partner was rolling his eyes, not looking forward to this for an extended period of time. I made him go and get the midwife who insisted that I couldn’t have anything else in terms of pain relief but she did check me and I was 4cm dilated so she offered me the water injections as things were progressing far more rapidly than she anticipated and these were surprisingly effective. Another ten minutes and I was begging for an epidural but strangely calm and quiet so the midwives were not too concerned. I was checked and 7cm dilated and so we collected everything together and walked the short distance along the ward to the delivery suite.
Tell us about the moment you gave birth
This was a blur…. I remember being on the bed and saying I needed to push but didn’t know how. It took me 2 tries and the third time I figured it out. The student midwife turned around to inform her colleague the head had delivered then she turned back to me and said “oh and he’s here” – I was in the room for about twenty minutes and my entire labour was 2hrs 20 mins so I was in shock. I remember my partner taking pictures and holding Arlo, being surprised that there wasn’t really more to it. Shaking and slightly cold at 1am and then being left alone to enjoy our new arrival.
How did you find your recovery?
I was lucky, no tears or any lasting complications. I was exhausted but the hyperemesis quickly resolved and I could eat and drink normally after a week. My only problem was low iron levels making me light headed and dizzy eight weeks after giving birth I did an 8k obstacle course race. After the awful pregnancy experience I had, this was a relief.
Is there anything you would do differently?
Nothing really, other than try not to worry and obsess over things which you have no control over for the duration of pregnancy. I think that’s a ‘first time mum thing’ anyway though. My one top tip would be to avoid the online mum chat forums and connect with local midwives, professionals and peer groups for support which is inline with guidelines.
If you would like to read more about Lavania and her family then you can read her blog at: Arlo River Rex
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