MY CHILD BIRTH EXPERIENCE

This is a brief description of what labor and child birth felt like for me.

How it started

22nd of may 2020 was the date,I still visited the hospital in the afternoon for check up and there was no sign that anything was going to happen until 9:30pm. I was in the kitchen when I felt some pains around my lower abdomen.
There have been days before then when I felt similar pains. On days like that I thought my baby was coming but those were just irregular uterine contractions.

This was different. I felt pains around my back, the waist region and it started extending towards my legs too.

I served my food and went into the room to meet hubby.
I couldn’t eat well, because I wasn’t comfortable and the pain in my lower abdomen increased. I checked the time again and it was some minutes before 10:00pm.

I started timing from 10:00pm when I felt another very serious pain, it stopped after few minutes and returned again about 25 minutes after. I checked the time and it was 10:30pm. I had this strong knowing that my baby was coming.

“The show”

At exactly 11:30pm, I went to the rest room to urinate and that was when I saw “The show”. For better understanding, “The show” like it reads, shows that your mucus plug (which helps protect the baby from infections while in the uterus) has fallen off and your baby is coming. “The show” for me was a blood stain.

After this, the pain increased and returned at shorter intervals. I went to inform my husband then, that my baby was really coming. We moved the bags and delivery kit into the car and got ready to leave for the hospital.

The first check

We got to the hospital some minutes before 2:00am.
When I told the Doctor my baby was coming, he asked how strong my contractions were and I told him “quite strong”. He asked that I let him know when I feel it again.

Not too long after, I felt the ache again, my belly felt so hard, I called his attention and as he placed his hands on my belly, he agreed that the contractions were really strong, he told me to lie down so he could check how far gone I was.

He had to insert his fingers into my cervix to check, and it felt like using an iron sponge on the surface of a fresh wound inside of me.

Doctor said I was 4cm dilated, and still going to 10cm.
At this point, comfort was a big word for me to understand. The doctor affirmed that I was really going to have my baby that day (now 23rd of may) and that he was going to check me again after four hours.

I couldn’t scream to express my surprise, like four hours???.

The room was prepared and we moved there.I sat gently on the bed as I anticipated the torture that awaited me in the next four hours.

” Four hours of torture”

The sharp ache was then coming at 10mins intervals. When it came so sharp, it felt like my breathing stopped for the moment, I won’t be able to move or change my position and then I will feel a relief again.

It continued like that till 6:00 am. I felt sleepy at some point but the contractions won’t let me. Mum gave a warning that I couldn’t feel sleepy at a time like that because I must be awake to be able to push well and avoid complications.

When you rupture the water Bag

When it was some minutes to 6:00am,the doctor came around with a nurse to check me again and told me I was 8cm dilated, I was so so happy, that meant I had 2cm to go.
The higher you go the tougher it really becomes.

After checking and stating that I was 8cm dilated the doctor told me they had to rupture the membrane, that’s to rupture my water bag so as to hasten the delivery of the baby. And the nurse inserted a scissors-like equipment into me to rupture the water bag. I felt a whole lot of water gush out of my cervix.

Now, that was the opening to the higher realm of intense pains and discomfort, it was like I would go crazy. I was shaking, my legs were shaking,I didn’t know the position to take,I couldn’t put my legs down, I couldn’t lie down. The pain was excruciating and exhausting. I felt this heavy rumbling in my belly and I had to throw up, I vomited everything I managed to eat the last night.

It was so much to bear, I had to scream. I was advised to pant like a dog and not to exhaust all of my energy at that stage because I will be needing it for the next phase.

Episiotomy?

The pain was coming at 2mins intervals and lasted 90seconds each. So between 6:00am when my water bag was ruptured to 7:00am I was in terrible pain for approximately 45mins with 30seconds breaks.
My elder sister encouraged me to be patient and she gave me words of comfort but that just couldn’t soothe the pains.

I lost control of my emotions and was beginning to displayed real anger.

The nurse came in, checked me and said I was full and she could feel my baby’s head. She inserted all of her hand into my vagina, widening it and trying but Baby wasn’t coming forth. All I could do was shout!!!.

They were going to get tools for episiotomy i.e to cut my vagina and create more space to allow the baby’s head out. I was tired and unhappy, but I held on to Faith and kept on praying to God for a safe delivery.

The delivery

An older nurse came in few minutes later and saw me, she checked me and said I could do it, she gave me instructions on how to push, she pressed the under region of my vagina down and told me to push.

I pushed the first time, but she said that wasn’t enough and I had not done anything.

By now, there was already blood all over the bed.
She triggered my baby by slapping my belly again and again till another contraction came strongly.

“Push!” she said, and push!!! I did, more than I thought I could.

And with that, my baby’s head was out.

I felt another strong contraction,pushed with all strength and my baby girl came out fully.

Not too long after then, I felt another sharp pain from within and I didn’t really have to push, before the placenta came out.

I felt a great relief and the pains vanished.

My baby was brought to me.And as I held her in my hands, I forgot all about the pains, the contractions, the anger and all of the blood that was spilled. I beheld her beauty and allowed the tears of Joy flow freely.

And that’s a brief description of my child birth experience. It was not an easy one, it was extremely painful, hurtful and exhausting but the result cancelled it all.

The End

The prophesy remains that there is a Birthing of a New Nigeria.

We have crossed the tough stages.
We have had our tear bags ruptured.
We have felt the great contractions and pains.
And blood has been spilled.
But we can’t give up yet.

Yes, we have pushed but i think the nurse is saying we can do more!
And so we’ll push again and again, till the New Nation is fully birthed.
Think less about the struggles of the last few days.
Instead, think about the Joy that will fill our hearts at the delivery of a New Nigeria.
We push!!! until it happens.

And remember, It is very risky to fall asleep now.

1Thessalonians 5 : 17 –   “Pray without ceasing”

God bless you
God bless me
God bless Nigeria.

Don’t drop off just yet, let’s continue together on this faith plane.