The unintentional homebirth of Alyssa Kate

Alyssa Kate was born july 6th – my birthday and the day before i was scheduled to get induced (well overcooked – think my oven timer broke ha ha)

I guess it all started at about 5:15am, when i woke to what i thought were just some more braxton hicks contractions. Didnt cross my mind at this point that it could be perhaps early labour. There was no pain or anything. My midwife sent a text message at 9am to say happy birthday, and said she would see me tomorrow for the induction or sooner… I txt back saying maybe sooner. I still thought they were braxton hicks, but i guess i was hoping it was something else. She rings me. I tell her i dont think its the real thing, she tells me to contact backup midwife that day if something happens (which she later told me she had a feeling it would) coz she was off. She actually rang her after we hung up.
I called jess’s father at 9:30am to come collect her because although i didnt think i was in labour the braxton hicks were uncomfortable with her climbing on my belly. He arrives at 10:30. I decide to ring the midwife at 12 if they hadnt gone away to see if i was in early labour. I get a couple of stronger ones (this is end of early labour and start of active laboiur but i dont know it yet, still think they are braxton hicks). Decide to ring at 11 instead. Speak to a midwife who will contact the back-up for me. I make a little noise, she says they dont sound like braxton hicks but i am convinced they are and decline to go to hospital.
After we hang up….OUCH!!! I definately felt that one and start being extremely vocal. Think about asking midwife to get back-up to ring sooner rather than later but decide against it. I didnt want to be an alarmist because even though i now thought it was labour (duh!!!) i thought that this was early labour. Backup midwife rings at 11:30. I get a contraction as i answer phone, shove phone down (but dont hang up) and scream my way through it. I picked up the phone again, she asks me if i want to go to the hospital and i say yes. She then offers to take me as she isnt far away. I accept.
After conversation i somehow manage to get to the kitchen to fill a hot water bottle for pain relief (didnt work well). Get back to bed and keep getting lots of painful contractions. Midwife arrives at 11:45 – made quick trip because (she tells me this later) she thought i was well into active labour. She does an i.e. and tells me im 7-8cm dilated. Woohoo!!! I thought she’d tell me i was 3cm and was being a sook because of the pain…lol… (btw she is a very nice person and wouldnt have said that).
She asks me if i have ambulance insurance. I say yes,and she calls the ambos. She was told they would be 2mins away and it took them 25… When they arrive i am asked what i want to do. Go to hospital or have the baby at home. I say i want to go to hospital, but then things crank up again and its decided i wouldnt last the trip (i wouldnt have). At one point the ambos ask the midwife if a certain pain relief is ok. She tells them no. I am thinking ‘somebody has drugs??? Hand them over’…lol. But of course i cant talk by this point.
Next thing my waters break and shoot right across the other side of the bed and leave a stain (was removed – although another wasnt…i have permanent blood stain reminder now..lol). Midwife says that there is merconium in the waters and ambos get their suction stuff ready (wasnt needed).
I start pushing, and after not long the midwife says the head is out but i feel no relief. I am then instructed to do little pushes. And then big pushes. Later find out i had to push each shoulder out and then the body – she was so fat she wasnt sliding out!!!
Before i know it a baby is placed on me. Tis is 12:22pm. One of the ambos comments he thinks she must weigh about 10lbs…I think..you have got to be kidding me… My first comment about my newborn was ‘she peed on me’ lol…
Placenta was in no hurry so i get transferred to the hospital at this point. It comes out there and was just as bad as pushing out the head! (later told it is more than 1/3 larger than normal..no wonder she got so fat!)
I am declared tear free again (yay!!!) with only a very ting amount of grazing (no need for any stitches). Baby is checked and im told she weighs 4.15kg (9lbs 2oz)and is 51cm (20 inches) long. No wonder she looked so chubby, she needed to grow a couple more inches to look in proportion.
I am completely pain free by the next morning but have to stay another night because bub had a slight temperature. Got home the next day.

Total labour time was 1hr 50mins (early labour not counted as it can last for days)

Im sure i have forgotten to write stuff so if you have any questions ask away!