Labour Part 1: It's Time Baby....or is it?

So readers, I went through labour…..which sounds like I went through a place….like I am saying I went through Town, or Johannesburg on my way to work. Well actually going through labour was like going through a place……a place so different from anything I have ever experienced before in my life, a place where there was no turning back only moving forward, a place where I experienced God, fear and peace all at the same time, a place where my mind, body and spirit seemed to be clearly separate entities that make me, me. And I hope this blog encourages expecting mothers to venture to this Place….the Place of Natural birth.

Kasamba and I - the Pregnancy buddies

The day of my labour, I truly was unaware of it. I started my morning by finishing off the last baby-ready-list which happened to be - make Siam’s bed. I was home most of the day and enjoyed entertaining a good old childhood friend of mine for lunch, Kasamba. She was also pregnant and due to deliver in a months time. Our mothers were friends and just so happened to have the same age difference with us (i.e. they were also pregnant and 1 month apart). That same afternoon my parents arrived from Zimbabwe. I had a sense of relief when I saw my mom because I was so afraid I would deliver while she was away and I really wanted her to be with me during the labour. I remember sending a sms to my mother-in-law at around 5pm saying “Siam can come now, I am ready!” Little did I know that that conscious readiness would trigger my body into labour that evening.

This was probably the last decent photo taken of me pregnant

That evening I had invited Maita and Reagan over for dinner. While cooking and cleaning up I began feeling contractions but didn’t think anything of it. I had my new Yoga ball and would bounce on it and move my hips every now and again just to relieve myself of the pain. The entertainment for the night was watching natural birthing videos. I just wanted to enlighten Reagan and Maita of how wonderful water birth appeared to be. The baby seemed so peaceful and the mother not so stressed. After watching these videos my contractions became more intense. I was trying to keep my cool but it seemed obvious that something was going down. Before Maita and Reagan left, Maita suggested we should just pray. I sat on a chair with Avon, Mom, Maita and Reagan praying hands on me. I think this was when my spirit tuned into the possibility of going into labour….but I don’t think I was mentally there yet.

1:30am....Avon massaging my lower back in Labour position 1

By midnight I was mentally aware that these contractions were labour ones. I had taken two hot baths, bounced on the ball, sat in strange positions, used a heating pad for soothing pain and forced Avon to rub my lower back for hours. I woke mom up and she advised me to call the midwife. The midwife encouraged me to stay at home as long as possible – this helps relax me and also brings the labour on quicker. By 1:30am I was vomiting and had a runny tummy all at the same time. It was obvious I was in labour and we began loading the car with the labour bags. I remember seeing mom and Avon rushing around grabbing stuff in their half sleep minds and thinking to myself “wow is this really happening, am I really in labour?” I had replayed this moment in my head a few times and was so glad we had prepared the labour bags, camera’s, documents, baby bed, car seat etc. I couldn’t have imagined trying to be organised in the state I was in……all I could do was sit on the couch and command mom and Avon to grab what I wanted – “Avon you got the documents!!!! Mom take the bowl in case I need to vomit again!!!! ‘Avon get the car ready I am not coming into the car until a contraction has passed!!! Mom grab that pillow.”

Woooosssaaaaa (Breath)

To be continued………..