After Mason was born I lay back down and I remember my husband being asked to cut the cord, and then being told about the injection in my thigh. (This injection hurt more than anything else!) Everything was happening so quickly, and suddenly I felt the baby being put in my arms. I didn't know, but my husband had the video camera out and was videoing this moment. I found the footage the day after and laughed at seeing myself in shock. "Oh my God, I've got a freakin' baby!" was the first thing I said! I remember wanting to get my bra off and just have skin to skin contact with the baby. As I was taking it off though I was also being yelled at to push - I'd forgotten about the placenta.
Shortly after the OB was telling everyone to give the baby to dad, as something was happening with me. I didn't know what was wrong, but I had something put through the drip and there was a lot of rubbing of my stomach and concern about something. I found out later that it was a mild haemorrhage. Once this was resolved I was stitched up, and I had to ask whether I'd torn or been cut as I didn't feel anything at the time. I suspected cut, as I vaguely remembered hearing the sound of the snip when it happened, and that was indeed what it was.
This was all rather uncomfortable, and I remember shivering on the table. I'd gone from feeling too hot to too cold really quickly, and when the midwife brought in a heated blanket I was so grateful. When I finally had the baby back in my arms I was so overwhelmed. I just wanted to comfort him and was hoping that he would breastfeed while we were still in the delivery suite. The midwife helped me get him attached. It was an amazing feeling lying there with him on my body. Amazing that my husband and I had created something so perfect.
We were left alone for quite a while, and my husband rang our families. My mum contacted everyone, and my sister rang my husband straight away - she was the first person I spoke to. She was crying she was so happy. I was very spaced out, so this whole time is a bit of a blur. I do remember how peaceful it was though lying there, with the lights dimmed, holding my sleeping baby. Eventually the midwife came back to take him to be weighed. My husband went with her while I stayed and rested. They weren't gone for long but it felt like ages!
It turns out I gave birth to a baby weighing 3.665 kg (8 lbs, 1 oz), 50 cm long with a head circumference of 35cm in just under 4 hrs. Shortly after my husband and Mason returned from the weigh in I got up to have a shower. There were mirrors in the bathroom which I had not factored in! I didn't want to see how things looked straight after birth, but there was no missing how swollen everything was. I was also surprised by all the little marks on my face, until I realised that I had burst some blood vessels during the pushing stage!
I felt very shaky while showering but got through it, although I needed my husband's help to get dressed afterwards. Birth is often likened to running a marathon, and I certainly felt like I'd completed an intense workout. We were taken back to our room, at which point I looked at the bassinet and then looked at the midwife and said "I've got a baby". Talk about stating the obvious. I think I was still in shock!
Mason slept for a long time - I was concerned but was told it was perfectly normal and this was his recovery sleep after the birth. He was quite mucousy too - when he threw up I was quite worried, but again the midwife said that was normal.
Initially I hadn't thought I'd want visitors on the first day, but because the labour had been so quick our families came to visiting hours that night. I was feeling so proud (and a little smug) that I had given birth to such a beautiful baby and that I had done it without pain relief. In that moment you really do feel like you've achieved something that no-one else has ever done before and will never do again, when of course the reality is quite different! I'm just so glad that I got the natural birth I wanted (syntocinon aside of course) and that the experience turned out to be such a positive one.
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