True stories about birth and giving birth

Day 377. Cocoasnail (the birth of my son, Szabi)

Posted on 2011. Oct. 17.

I’d heard about homebirth well before I had my own baby, and at the time I hadn’t tought I myself would give birth at home. We were planning to have our baby when I started to see a new gynecologist. I had been looking for somebody who can assist me during my labour in a “baby friendly” hospital. But the one I had opted for treated my slight infection with antibiotics, which really made me ill.

So finally I decided to call dr. Ágnes Geréb, with whom we had at least one thing in common: neither of us liked unnecessary medication. Her method with the yoghurt cured me completely and I really liked that she didn’t keep me waiting before the appointment and didn’t ask for money unlike the previous gynecologist. As I liked her and her ways I called her immediately when I fell pregnant. She suggested me their information week about labour, which I did attend and found really useful. I learnt not only about labour, but pregnancy, breastfeeding and looking after a newborn, too. I got more and more convinced that I wanted to have my baby with the help of Ági and her team, morover at home! Fortunately my husband found the team professional and likeable too, so he supported my plan. First he couldn’t decide about being there with me during the labour. When I was sure about home birth I asked him jokingly: “Are you going to go out during labour or stay at home?”

The most useful part of the information week for me was the Friday-Saturday team work when we had the chance to speak about anything that we found problematic and might make the spiritual part of labour challenging. It was good to tell them that I had been born in the caesarian way and to listen to the professional answer about how necessary or everyday occurance it had been at the time; or abour my fear that I might disturb my neighbours shouting during my labour, so I’d prefer giving birth in the labouring home, which would be more acceptable for my parents whom had their worries about my homebirth. I decided againts the labouring home one week before the labour, when I had predicting contractions (at the time I thought it had started) and I couldn’t understand why I would want to get out of my own comfortable bed in order to give birth in another flat just like this.

So one week later at five in the morning  I knew I had nothing else to do but stay in bed and go throught the contractions and call the midwives to come and help. But the contractions weren’t so painful and regular yet and I didn’t make the phonecall. My husband stayed at home with me, and was working in the other room. Sometimes he had to hold my hands and I even sent him to the shop tho fetch me a cocoasnail, but I couldn’t eat that. Meanwhile I talked to the midwives on the phone telling them to take their time.

At two in the afternoon I felt I needed professional help, so I called them to come. I had contractions five minutes apart and they became harder and harder. As soon as they arrived, the midwife and the doula started to heat some water for making poultice, and massaged me, my husband helped, too. His help was needed especially when I was pushing and had to be supported and held from behind – as a man, he was the strongest.

I felt supported all the way, I could ask for anything I got it, and I didn’t get orders. Only once, during the pushing phase I was silently asked to help the baby. I pushed, but I felt as if I couldn’t be of help. In spite of this, Szabi slipped out, and I learn only later that he had got stuck on the way, that’s why he’d needed the extra help. That little push was enough for him to slip out, but I didn’t feel frightened at the time because the midwives didn’t panic and were relaxed.

At quartet to six in the afternoon our first son was born, covered in blood and vernix but he was beautiful. I got him on my breast and we rested together then I ate the cocoasnail. It was great. I had worked for it! The midwives went to the other room and let us relax and be happy. One hour later the placenta was born too, it was examined and found right.

Later they left and the three of us were happy as could be for our new family. Later the grandparents joined us, too.

Sz. I.

Máté > > >
Lackó > > >
Attila > > >

Véletlenül kiválasztott mesék.

This post is also available in: Hungarian