Krystle’s beautiful & supported birth of baby Jasper Rivers

Labour started at 4am on Friday 4^th October after a week or more of cramping. I went about my day, trying to ignore it and ‘not participate’ as it was manageable. Contractions were 10-12 minutes apart all morning. I breathed through them and rested in the sunshine in our back garden, before doing a little organisation for labour – filling drink bottles, chopping watermelon, rockmelon, packing blueberries, dates, mini frittatas, chicken and avocado wraps and electrolytes. I had lost some of my mucous plug on Thursday and then in two more parts on Friday. By 1:10pm, I decided to put the tens machine on (low setting) and I practiced using the ’boost’ function when contractions came. At 1:30pm I laid down to rest for an hour and listened to a Calmbirth meditation, while timing some contractions. Labour continued at a manageable rate all afternoon.

Things ramped up after dinner Friday night and I laboured at home all night until about 4:30am Saturday. I continued to use the tens machine, then hot water on my back in the shower (until it ran out each time). I would lean forward with my hands against the shower wall, swaying under the water, breathing steadily. When the hot water ran out, I would put the tens machine back on, move to our bedroom, kneeling on the carpet, leaning my head on our bed. I used the Calm breath through each round of contractions (breathing in for 4 and out for 4), which served me SO well! Daniel sat slumped in our bathtub, observing me in the shower. I would nod at him when a contraction began and then again when it subsided so that he could time them on an app I downloaded that day.

He was in contact with our doula all night, communicating what was happening. When contractions got to 5 minutes apart, I asked Daniel to call John Hunter Hospital Birth Suites to tell them I was in labour and wanted to request a room with a bath. They also spoke to me and said that because I was talking fine, to stay home longer and wait until I was having 2 contractions in 5 minutes. We were eventually timing contractions 2 minutes apart for quite a while. I was still in my logical brain, asking Daniel to get things organised and ready for the drive. I was starting to want a midwife to check me and give me some insight into where I was at. I told Daniel I couldn’t fully relax until we had made the trip to hospital, and I had settled in my birthing space.

We had a 50-minute drive to the hospital, so we didn’t want to go to only be sent home again. By 4am, I felt ready and wanted to travel before the sun came up and potentially stalled things. Daniel packed the car, I gathered my blessing beads (gifted from family and friends at my Mother’s Blessing) and tucked my Calmbirth notes into a shoulder bag. I wore an eye mask and ear plugs for the trip, kneeling on the floor of the backseat of the car, with my head leaning forward on pillows on the back seat. We put my labour playlist on and made the trip while the roads were still quiet (it was Saturday of the long weekend). I kept the eye mask on to enter the brightly lit hospital.

We made our way to the birth suites, and they screened me to see if I was in active labour or whether they needed to send me home because I wasn’t ready to birth yet. They had me on my back on the screening bed for 1.5 hours because they did not think I was in ‘established labour’!! I had protein in my urine, so they did an ultrasound to check my waters had not broken (& already started discussing induction if my waters had been broken for a couple of days prior). Thankfully, my waters were still intact and this was not necessary. The mention of intervention as soon as we entered was quite disheartening. They checked a few things and told me that because I was a first-time mum and could hold a conversation with them that they highly doubted I was in active labour & said first time mum’s think latent labour is painful but it gets much worse. They said, “You have to be at least 3cm dilated to go into a birthing room, otherwise this could go on for days”. They advised me that I was likely only 1cm or so at this stage.

Anyway, I let them do a cervical check to confirm before they sent us to drive the 50 minutes home again and they said “You my love, are the winner of the day. You’re 8cm dilated!! Get in a room. You’re having your baby today!”. I flung myself on Daniel, hugging him and saying “Fuck yes! I’m not a sook!”. It was such a relief to be able to stay and get on with it as I knew I was deep in labour! Many of the birth stories I read in the Calmbirth handbook told of similar experiences (regarding not showing ‘typical’ signs of active labour), as the breath seemed to create such a beautiful management technique for getting through contractions.

By 7am (after an hour and a half on the screening bed), I got into a birth suite with a bath and was craving the relief of the shower again. The midwife had 15 minutes left of her shift before a new one clocked on. This timing was perfect, as the one at the start ran a bath for me and then the new midwife came and was on shift for the entire duration of my labour and birth. I hopped in the bath, relaxed and floating.

The rest of the notes here are written by my Doula, Courtney Hellyer, from Journey to Postpartum

When I arrived, 30 minutes later, Krystle was in the bath with a beautiful calmness about her and a smile on her face. There was a joy in the room knowing they would be meeting their baby soon.

A midwife was present and stated that she would be caring for Krystle today.

Within the first 30 minutes of being there, Krystle was able to talk between contractions and had awareness about her. She shared some stories about why her mum named her Krystle.

I think this awareness came from her settling into her new environment, as we know changing environments can cause a change in behaviour and sometimes slow things down while the woman regains her sense of safety.

Krystle remained in the pool till about 8:15am, where things slowly intensified again and she had to focus and breathe through her surges.

She moved out of the pool to the toilet, for a change of position and to get some relief from the warm water, finding a spot on the toilet. Without the immersion of the water surges intensified again, Daniel supported and offered relief with the shower head on her belly.

After being on the toilet for about 30 minutes. Krystle moved back to the pool. The pool is a place Krystle kept mentioning that she felt safe and comfortable in.

In the pool, she found her breath again and sunk into the warmth and comfort of the water.

Sometime between 8:50 & 9:30 her waters broke. Here I mentioned that the intensity of the contractions may change now that her waters are broken but reassured her that she was doing amazing.

Over the next few surges, you could tell in her body language and reaction that things had intensified. Daniel supported her beautifully by coming up beside her and offering some physical touch and reassurance.

Krystle expressed some concerns that she didn’t know how to push. I offered reassurance that she would know what to do when the time came to it, and that if she didn’t have the urge yet her contractions were still doing the work to bring her baby earthside.

It was probably around about 11am, that the midwife suggested that Krystle could try pushing if she wanted to. I think this suggestion would have come of the assumption that she would be 10cm as she was 8cm around 7am with her first VE.

From here, Krystle experienced and was encouraged to bear down with her contractions from the midwife.

Over the next hour, Krystle laboured and beared down in various spots of the suite including the toilet, upright hanging onto Daniel, on a squat seat and on the bed.

While I believe the midwife preferred the bed, Krystle kept mentioning that it didn’t feel innate.

Throughout this time of pushing, I encouraged Krystle that she could rest and not push if she didn’t feel the need or want to with the next contractions, as well as reminding her to breathe and soften during and after contractions.

Towards the end of this hour and into the next, the midwife was placing a finger on the spot she was encouraging Krystle to push into. Krystle did find this helpful, but the innate urge to push wasn’t quite there and Krystle was exerting a lot of energy, after what had a been a big few days.

Myself and Daniel kept offering reassurance.

After an hour or so, a doctor presented themselves. This Dr suggested a VE to give them some guidance on the position of her baby, and an ultrasound to see how her bladder was as she also had had the urge to wee.

I asked what the recommendations would be if her baby was in a ‘less than optimal’ position and if her bladder was full to help Krystle make an informed decision moving forward.

After the discussion Krystle consented to the VE and ultrasound. From here, we learnt that bub was in an optimal position, but her bladder was very full, which may be impacting her pushing.

She opted for an in out catheter and a huge 600mls was released from her bladder. Here she also opted for some gas to help with the experience of the VE, and catheter. This did enable Krystle to relax and have some little micro rests as well.

From here, Krystle also consented to CTG monitoring, however the entire labour bubs heart rate had been at a safe and steady rate.

In between and after this happening, there were some moments without a midwife or doctor present and I encouraged Krystle to labour in the bathroom either on the toilet or the shower, and not to worry about bearing down if she didn’t feel the urge to. My hope was to give her some time to rest and relax and continue the oxytocin and surges building to support the birth of her baby.

Between about 1pm and 2pm, Krystle continued to bear down throughout most of her contractions with the guidance of the midwife. Krystle was feeling quite congested (which was a symptom she experienced throughout her pregnancy). This made it quite hard her for to push and breathe at the same time.

Towards 2pm, Krystle expressed she was feeling exhausted. I sympathised with her after the marathon labour she had so beautifully been going through. However, the great news was we were seeing more and more of her baby’s head!

It was beautiful to watch the excitement and emotion on Daniel’s face as he saw the top of his son’s head present.

Around 2pm, two doctors presented themselves. We later discussed how they filled and changed the feel of the room.

The doctors observed some of Krystle’s contractions, after a few contractions the second doctor begun expressing to Krystle that her baby’s heart rate was dropping. She also spoke about the likelihood of Krystle tearing and suggested an episiotomy.

She stated that an episiotomy was better than a 3rd or 4th degree tear and reduced the damage to her perineum.

Krystle was very close to consenting. I asked if she could have a few minutes to consider her options as I knew an episiotomy was something Krystle wanted to avoid and that she preferred to tear naturally.

I also knew that they could not guarantee what kind of tear Krystle would have and that an episiotomy takes her from the chance of tearing or perineal trauma to the 100% change of perineal trauma from the episiotomy.

After this conversation, in Krystle’s next contraction her baby’s head was born! It was a slow exit with his chin taking some time.

Within the next contraction her baby was completely born and brought straight up to her chest.

Krystle: – I didn’t think I could keep pushing with all my might. I was shattered, it was so challenging, but I got there. I had a natural, physiological birth without intervention. My baby came through the birth canal, got instant skin-to-skin, had delayed cord clamping, did the breast crawl and fed with ease – all my ‘non-negotiables’. I came out of it feeling like it was a great birth experience, and our gorgeous Jasper is a little dream boat!

Top photo: by Kristi Harley Photography