12/09/2022
Huge congrats to Alisa and Pedro on the birth of baby Lena. Here is their amazing story..
*Lena Sofia Ontivero - 23.08.2022*
“As you know I really wanted a Vbac following my emergency section with my oldest daughter Amely. I had had a birth with every intervention and drug, including being induced alone in the antenatal ward during Covid and whilst I was very happy with the decisión to have a c-section I had a very traumatic recovery and just wanted to not experience that.
That being said I had spoken to Holles street about the importance of this. So, as you know on Monday, my first daughters 2nd birthday, I lost my mucus plug in morning, was wrecked (needed 2 naps) and crampy but I decided to come to pregnancy yoga that evening as I thought doing something active would help. Following yoga I went home and had bath and went to go to sleep listening to a body scan but everytime I was almost falling asleep around 10.45pm for the next hour or so I was being woken up with what I then realised were early contractions.
This carried on until about 1am and then they started getting more regular. I would say every 5-10 minutes. However they were quite short and pain was very manageable. So maybe 20-40 seconds. By about 4am they were every 2 mins but still very irregular in time but I spoke to holles street and they said, especially as I lo have group b strep to come in so in we went. Got examined and wasn’t in active Labour. I was using a TENS machine but they were really manageable at this point, but they didn’t want to send me home so we went to Unit 3!
And then I was there for about 12 hours. And wow, you are so right when you say getting to 1cm is hardest part.
I used lots of positions from pregnancy yoga, the wave breath and deep breathing throughout. On all 4s on my yoga ball and the bed, slow dancing with Pedro, just really moving as much as possible. We used the affirmation “I can do anything for 1 minute” and “we are going to meet Lena” and “this is pressure not pain” (so true!). At one point my contractions were around 2 mins apart But then they slowed down to every six or seven minutes. I’ll be honest there were moments where I felt completely in the zone and I could do it and there were moments where it felt too much. At around 230 they actually examined me again and I was so disheartened because I was having contractions every two minutes but I still wasn’t in active labour. It was really disheartening but the midwife explained she really wanted me to get my vbac (Because of me having group B strep and really want to have vbac they didn’t want to take me into delivery until I was definitely in active labour because I had a more limited timeframe than other people ) but things were definitely MOVING WITH my cervix.
I think that was the hardest moment and it really felt like “are you kidding me?!”
Anyway, they basically delayed it a bit and just as I thought I was about to take some pethidine as it was just so tough at that point, my waters broke I was in active labour. I got taken straight to the delivery ward. This was around 3.45pm/4pm. Once there they gave me gas n air.
At first I found it didn’t work but once you use it I basically got high and in the zone and it completely took me out the room for a bit.
I asked for an epidural at the beginning as was just so exhausted at that point, but the gas and air did distract me. Then basically suddenly I was told I was already at 4cm. I’ll be honest, the next 30 minutes or so I don’t actually remember. But I know that I asked for an epidural again and the amazing midwife, just looked at me and said “you’re already 8cm” and I did think of the antenatal class and the transition and being told and so I realised how close I was.
Anyway suddenly I felt that desire to push. The midwife was just amazing and told me the head was still a little high and she might need to get a doctor for forceps etc but she was so encouraging. She kept on saying to me “we are going to do this together” but explained again I only had limited time but she knew I could do it. Anyway, long story short, she directed me and with a s**t ton of determination out came our baby girl Lena at 5.07pm weighing 6lbs 14oz .
I think my first words were “is she a boy?” (maybe an internal worry as had already named her as girl since 15 weeks) followed by “is she okay!”.
I have never had adrenaline like I felt just then and my whole body was shaking for a good couple of hours after. I think because of no complications or drugs my recovery has felt great. If they had let me I would have left hospital the next morning but because of group b and the speed of active labour they hadn’t given me all the antibiotics I needed so they needed to keep Lena in for 36 hours.
I know this has been long but will finish up by saying I thank you so much. I feel both the pregnancy yoga classes and the antenatal course gave me and Pedro the tools I needed, and alongside the phenomenal midwives allowed me to dig deep when I most needed to”
Alisa
