Minggu, 14 Desember 2008

water birthing

My daughter Csenge's birth in 100 pictures - part 4
(end of transition, pushing starts, the baby's head is born)

Then the next contractions hit, along with very strong urges to push and a sharp pain inside, which I thought was my cervix tearing, so I tried to hold back. I began to whine loudly, as it was very painful. Actually, it was worse than crowning (!). After the second push, the sharp pain subsided and I felt the top of the head in the opening. I asked Zoltan to touch it and he did. Then he began to massage my perineum. He did it like a pro, in spite of his inexperience in the baby-catching job :o). I pushed quite consciously and held the front of my perineum, so I wouldn't tear that way. Soon the baby crowned and I felt as if someone was pushing the head back inside, so I yelled: "don't push it back!". In fact, she was slipping back on her own, because the cord was around her neck. With the next push and some screaming on my part, I felt the head coming out and a relief, due to the smaller circumference of her neck that was now at the opening. I asked if the whole head was out (I knew it was) and whether there was a cord. The midwife said she thought there was a cord, but she was still fairly pink, so I told I wouldn't hurry with the next push (incredibe, how I could be so conscious with half a baby hanging out of me! :o)). I was glad, because the crowning part went fairly smoothly and I knew I didn't tear.

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This awkward kneeling is due to my efforts holding back pushing, because I feel a sharp pain, as if my cervix was tearing. I'm whining loudly, as it hurts worse than crowning!

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Bearing down

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Not very romantic, I know... but the pooper-scooper has to be in use, too! :o)

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I'm trying to change positions, to protect my cervix.

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Finally I feel the head in the opening and ask Zoltan to touch it. It's kind of a symbolic gesture, but it feels so good that he's the first person to touch his child...

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Zoltan is doing perineal massage. No midwife could do it better! I'm so proud of his skill!

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Listening to the heart tones - let's do it at least once, for safety's sake
(Our midwife didn't have her underwater Doppler device with her, that's why I had to do some ballet dance to allow her to do this exam)

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Oh, here we have a little head! Zoltan is supporting and holding it from below, while our midwife protects my perineum and I hold myself together at the front.

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Part 5

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water birthing