Quinn's Birth Story and a pic or two...

[I'll probably edit and re-edit as I remember things and may add some more pics. I don't usually post the children on the net, but this is my one exception] So this is this gist of it... it's a fairly simple Birth story really... the Birth of:

Quinn Michael Jurien [surname]

born 6^th February 2009, 2.04am

8lb 12oz, 52cm tall, 37.5cm head circumf.

at the Family Birth Centre, WA.

I couldn't make my Friday appt at the Birth Centre, having triple booked myself (haha) meaning I had to be in three places within the space of 45mins, which was just not going to happen. So the lovely M was able to change my appointment to the Thursay. Mum and Zeke came in for the appointment and the MW showed Mum how to feel my belly for head, legs, back etc. Zeke got to hear the 'woosha woosha'... some chatting and how Mum was going home on Sunday (having been here already for nearly 2 weeks) and a stretch and sweep was offered, which I accepted. All in all it wasn't too bad.

I had been having contractions on and off for about 4-5 weeks and they were getting more and more business-like, but after the s&s I knew he wouldn't be far away... well... okay I hoped he wouldn't be. Apparently most women go into labour within 48hours of a s&s... W said go home and get some rest, you'll probably need it... cervix was already soft and low and about 2cm dilated anyway.

so we did what we were doing that day, I went and picked Michael up from work, we went to the shops as our camera had given up the day before... I ended up waiting in the car for the last round of shops, just relaxing...

Got home, the usuals, dinner, baths, bed for the kids and I was getting ready for bed mysef, the ever-present contractions just humming away. Climbed into bed (seriously, it's a climb when you're as blunt as me!) and got uncomfy only to have to get out again for the loo... down the very very well trodden hallway, to the loo (no wonder pregnant woman paint their loo... spend that much time in there!)... and blood on the toilet paper... I stared at it for a bit... well... one way or another... this was it. I woke Michael and Mum and paged the Blue Group... I had the shakes by now. It was Thursday night, about 11.30pm when I rang the Blue Group.

Mum and Michael were asking me (well Mum mostly) did I want to wake the kids to put them in the car or did I want to have someone come over... I was trying to think but was already in labour mode... in the end I said something like 'you decide, you just work it out and decide'... so they did. Michael and I would head in to the Birth Centre, Mum would wait here for Michael's Mum and then my Mum would catch a taxi in. Michael had the bags in the car and I was already at the passenger door waiting... I have no idea what he was doing in side but at one stage said to Mum quite strongly 'what is he doing in there?!'... she said he's getting ready... well yes I know but I wanted to go and go now. I SMS'd N (with shaking hands) to come to the BC and Michael rang the cord blood lady.

Eventually we're on our way, me kneeling on the front seat facing the head rest and darn the stupid roads. Still not in full labour but having to concentrate a little on the contractions. Once we hit the freeway I figured I better have a seatbelt on so very un-elegantly got round the right way and buckled in. If you know Hay St, you know the speed bumps and I asked Michael to stop if I had a contraction while on Hay St... well he slowed to a crawl but it wasn't stopping and I wanted the car to be not moving when I had a contraction.

Finally at the Birth Centre. YaY! Greeted by the midwives at the door – lets say Ju and Je – Je I had when Jake was born and really really liked her. I didn't realise it was them until a little later although I felt that Je was familiar. 'Bub is still in Kristy, nice work!' they said as I opened the door 'but not for long, juding by that face!'... turns out the 4 birth suites were full so the parent room had been set up. It was very large and open and in hindight maybe that put me off. All I could think was 'it has carpet!' (what if I get mess all over that!) although mats had been put down for me and everything was set up. The Cord Blood lady introduced herself and then stood back on the other side of the room – apron and gloved and ready to go. This I found unnerving. I later asked could she not be in the room until Bub was born. Still getting through ctx okay. Wanted to sit on the loo, the most comfy position. Tiny half push feeling while I was there but not acted on, and I said to myself 'not yet'... I asked Michael to turn the lights off in the loo and ah that's better. So the door was propped open so the MW could come and go. Je bought me some water and she felt my belly, watched me to see how things were going. Somewhere in here N arrived (YAY!)

Apparently at my 35 week check a note was added to my file by the supervising doc that I was to have a canula put in, due to losing over a litre of blood after birthing Brenna. This had been missed so it was a surprise to me when it was mentioned. The blood loss with Brenna was attributed to her gestation, and with Brooke, Jake and Zeke my blood loss has been minimal both at the birth and afterwards. Anyway... a few more ctx on the loo later and Je asked did I still want to try the bath as I had mentioned it in my birth plan, and had never gotten to try it before. Also as the suites were full, there was no shower (shower and birth ball being my other tried and true favourite) mmm yes please was my response. Je had begun filling the bath when I walked in as she knew it was in my birth plan, so it was already ready.

Got myself down to the bath and managed to get in and ahhhhhh bliss. This is where the rest of the contracting work was done (about 1-2 dozen only, with a lovely rest between) with me making no noise, just breathing through them and reminding myself to relax into them. Half urges to push and Je reminded me gently that the policy is no waterbirth BUT if it wasn't safe to move me then waterbirth it would be.
The bath was just ahhhhhhhhhh. LOL Better than the loo, better than any other spot and that included the shower. I knew there was a reason I had always wanted to labour in the bath!

Mum, N, Michael and the midwives in the large bathroom with me now. I had had my eyes closed almost since we got there, pretty much the whole time. Michael knows I prefer not to be touched or spoken to, but some things had to be asked 'would you like a …' and some things I asked for with one word. I know Mum or Nuarna's hand was on mine a few times when they could see me contracting and while I would have rathered not, I figured they were just trying to help and it wasn't really hurting me so... I didn't say anything.

Anyway, attempt #1 at the canula failed and so did attempt #2 (my veins do not like needles, apparently). They would call a doc down to put it in. While Ju was attempting #1 and #2 I told them I would stay sitting in the bath, because I knew that when I got up, I would need to push. So sit there and contract I did, in silence.

Ah bugger it, I need to get out... the doc is still not here, that's his problem - I'm ready, this baby is ready and I want to get OUT of the bath! So in the most awkward half-assed attempt and with Michael's help I did stand up. Me standing in the bath and he next to it and me with my arms around his neck feeling just urgh to be out of the bath. I think some of my waters went while I was sitting in the bath, during a contraction, but the rest def ran down my legs at this time. I had the shakes again and felt this 'urgh' feeling... 'cold' I said... then 'I've had enough of this' and then 'I want to go home' (at which point N and Mum were saying how they said that when they'd only had five contractions lol) … I knew this was transition. I felt a little... I dunno... helpless... then 'I feel sick' (never had that one before) but I wasn't even tho I felt very close to being sick.

anyway, Je suggested would I like to sit on the loo. Yes thankyou I would. So she helped lift my leg out (seriously couldn't lift it) and over the edge of the bath, with Michael helping too. I got to the loo and next contraction well you know how it goes, the down-hard pushing came and my body cleared itself out. Je had her hand in the loo knowing how fast Zeke's birth was.

At this point the doc came in, said something about there not being enough light (I had asked for them to be dimmed or someone had done it for me earlier) and not enough room. In my mind I rolled my eyes at him... So sitting on the loo, being asked to not push while he put the canula in – I was pushing anyway – why waste a good push!. Finally it (the canula) was in – yay! Je asked me did I want to move to the mat and beanbag as I said in my birth plan, this had worked well for me before. So I did, kinda somehow got there. On my hands and knees and face into the beanbag. Tried to work out how to ask for a towel on the beanbag coz it was vinyl and I was getting a hot face but couldn't sus out the words. Down hard pushing, gosh that was a good feeling to be not having the other contractions any more. Resting inbetween. Then mention of the head being able to be seen. Another massive push and I knew he was about to crown as the stinging burning sensation began... contraction finished and head went back. This happened a second time, with Je checking his heartbeat inbetwee. It was between 'he's nearly here I just have to push him out' and 'oh wow this is the stingee part!'

Anyway I decided that his head was NOT going back in a third time so I absoloutely gave the next one all I had and the woman who had been quiet until now, through all the contractions and initial pushing suddenly came to voice... push push push continual in one go and then breathed his head through... and there was my little boy's head... I pushed again for the next one I think... then Je asked me not to push at this stage... she said his shoulders were broad (she couldn't even see his neck) and could I put one leg up to help open the pelvis which I did and she asked me to give the next one everything I had (I wonder in hindsight and wish I had asked for more of a 'debrief' after). I did and my goodness that was harder work than his head! (even the placenta was work to push out LOL) I think one more push and he was out.

I asked 'tell me he's out! Tell me he's out!' immediately followed by 'is he alive!? Is he breathing' to which everyone assured me he was and he was fine but I wasn't so sure. He was passed to the mat between my legs and I was surprised to see how little he looked. He was still a little blue and not as responsive as I would have liked. He was on the mat between my legs, I scooped him up and held him close... I was sobbing – half for Brenna, my baby Girl... and half because my Baby Boy was here, he was finally here and he was okay and no one had taken him from me... I had done alright this time. [still brings tears to my eyes to think about it] The cord blood lady was in but they waited a little bit to let him get more oxygen from the cord. Then they said yep, we'll just give him a little air as he had had some time on me with cord attached and was still a little too relaxed about the whole breathing thing. Mum and N went with him as was specified in my birth plan that if we were to be separated someone was to be with him at all times. It was just the little trolley outside the door but still.

He was so blasé about breathing Mum said, they were tickling his feet as well as using the oxygen and he would give a couple of breaths and then 'ah... that's enough for now' and wait. Eventually he pinked up (Agpars 6 and 9) and came back in to me, skin to skin, and time for the first feed... our Little Boy was finally here. Quinn Michael Jurien...

His birth was filmed and photod (I was aware of the flash but wasn't worried) thanks to N and Mum. One of the ladies in the other birth suites wanted an epi so when she went up that room was cleaned and made ready and we were moved into there where I showered. Quinn had done a massive poo and pee on the resus table and then one on me afterwards so we wiped him down and I showered. It wasn't until a few hours later he was weighed and measured and being just under 9lb with a 37.5cm head I am glad I did the GD diet as a precaution for the few weeks before his birth, and I reckon if you counted all the poo and pee he would have made 9lb lol.

Labour length is between 1-1.5hrs – since I don't do internals they can't run the time estimate that way, but I'd say 1.5hrs would be about right. Still longer than Zeke's Birth anyway! LOL no stitches, just a graze or two. Another natural drug-free birth...

Quinn has dark hair on his head, and hair on his shoulders and tops of his ears although that is very fair. He has light eyebrows and lashes and a birth mark like his Sister, although smaller. This description means he has something of all his siblings which they are quite stoked about. He also has the trademark nick out of one ear and extra on the other. He has very long fingers and his foot length is 9.5cm... and another Friday baby... we have had 4 Friday babies and 1 Saturday baby...

Quinn's name literally means 'fifth born' and another definition I found is 'wise and intelligent'. His middle name is after his Dad, and Jurien after 'Jurien Bay' here in WA, where the idea of bringing him into the world was conceived... although he was conceived the cycle or two after. He's our boy, I love him and am so very pleased he is here. Stay with us for a long time Master Quinn...

Big thanks to my Mum, and N for being there for us at the Birth, and always. To Michael's Mum for coming to watch the children while Quinn was birthed... And to Brooke and Jake and Zeke, for being as excited and loving with Quinn as we are... and Brenna, for watching over Quinn as he grew and made his arrival... xo From me, love and thanks to Michael - for being mine and ours... xo