Evie's birth story

Forty long weeks and a bonus four days of pregnancy thankfully ended for me on July 8th.


That morning I had an appointment in the Coombe where the midwife told me she expected to see me in there really soon.
I was induced on Lyla so wasn't too sure how it works when you go naturally.

"Don't come in until your contractions are less than five minutes apart and lasting at least 30-40 seconds"

Five minutes, ok grand, I'll just write a note on my phone to remember that.

I was really uncomfortable after the sweep but went upstairs to visit my friend who had given birth a couple of days previous. We sat there chatting, joking with the midwives that I'd be in to see them soon, and then I left.
I ran, seriously - ran, out of the hospital to the bus stop to catch the 77a home.
At this stage, I was quite uncomfortable, but as the pains were a bit all over the place I assumed it was Braxton hicks, that I'd been sitting for so long and had just had a sweep.
I text Jamie to let him know how I'd got on and to say I wasn't feeling great so if he could try to get home on time that evening that would be great.

As I'd been gone all morning, Lyla was demanding a lot of attention and energy that I really didn't have. She hadn't been out at all that day so I rang my mam to see if she'd bring her on a walk, but she wasn't answering her phone.

So I headed out with her myself.

Now at this stage, the pains were still really irregular coming every 2 to 5 minutes but only lasting somewhere from 10 seconds to 30 seconds.

I guessed I was now in the very early stages of labour.

I tried my mam again and managed to get hold of her. She wasn't at home and in my casual state I told her not to rush, I wasn't far gone but could do with a bit of help with Lyla. I even insisted she got the bus and not a taxi. And the 75 of all buses. (For anyone unfamiliar with Dublin bus, the 75 goes around the world and is notorious for being late)

Thankfully she didn't listen and jumped in a taxi. When she arrived twenty minutes later I was getting intense pains but they were still irregular.

I rang Jamie at this stage and told him to come home - just in case.

He ran through the door half an hour later and ran straight upstairs to get changed.

"Ok let's go," he said quickly tying his laces.

"Errrr no? Pains are still too irregular, they'll send me home if I go in now."

So he decided to get a chipper. They ate their chipper as I bounced on my ball and snap chatted.

The pains reached about two minutes apart when I was finally convinced to call the hospital, I was told to get there as soon as possible.

We jumped in the car at 7.15ish, and fully convinced I'd be sent home once they checked me over I said bye to Lyla and my mam.
The car journey was torturous. Jamie is the most mannerly driver, he lets people out left, right and centre and at one stage, stopped on the Greenhills Road to allow a truck to do a U-turn.
You couldn't make it up. The narrowest road and truck decides to turn around the one-time your there and about to have a baby.

We got there about 7.45pm and the walk from the car park to the check-in desk took about ten minutes because the contractions were coming so fast I had to keep stopping to crouch down. Between them, we ran up the stairs to a full waiting room where I scared the life out a woman when I grabbed onto the side of her chair and groaned into her face for a minute straight. She must have felt so awkward. I felt for her but I literally could not move.

In the assessment room, we were applauded for doing so well, as I had made it to 6cm before coming in. The midwife said the baby would be here soon and to think about what pain relief I was going to have. I had wanted a water birth but told her I needed the epidural.
I was so far gone she thought I'd be better with just gas and air, I politely told her no, the epidural was needed. She smiled and nodded and told me to speed it all up I could change into my labour nightdress there.
I wasn't arsed putting my knickers back as I knew they'd be coming off again soon.
Now, the Pennys button down nightdresses are short, very short, something I had forgotten until we got out to the corridor and I had a contraction that made me drop to the floor.
I felt an intense need to push, and the only thing I could think was 'please don't poo in the corridor please.'
Jamie and the midwife helped me up and she told me I had to move quickly to get to the delivery room before the next contraction.
I got in and was asked how I wanted to do it. I genuinely thought they were asking about the epidural. No one told me the baby was pretty much falling out.
I was helped up onto the bed, felt a big woosh (the only way to describe it), told to push and about ten seconds later there she was.
Jamie and I looking at each other thinking, eh sorry what just happened?
Evie Violet was born at twenty past 8 about 5 minutes after getting to the delivery room.

 

(My snaps from the labour room)

It was honestly the best birthing experience I could have asked for. Everything (apart from the drive down) went like a dream. Everything since the birth has been pretty great too. Evie is so placid, a sleeper and feeds brilliantly. I thought my birth on Lyla was great (you can read it here) but I didn't know it could be this good. If we weren't getting married in the next couple of years I'd almost be convinced to go again!