I woke with a loss of fluid in my underwear and a soft crampy feeling in my stomach. By 9am I was having light contractions and I made a phone call to the hospital. 

The hospital was really easy going not phased at all until I mentioned I was a VBAC... The midwife told me to go in immediately; I told her I would come when I was ready. 

We set off for the hospital, in no rush what so ever. We stopped for lunch, dropped the toddler off with his Nanna and even made a pit stop at McDonald's. My contractions we becoming more mild and regular at this stage. Both Shane and I were shocked at how I was riding through each contraction and staying so calm. I was enjoying it. I knew I was going to birth this baby out of my vagina! 

Arrived at the hospital, was asked to sit through half an hour of CTG. After letting them know how I felt about continuous fetal monitoring they were kind enough to take it off after 15 minutes. Contractions had fizzled since arriving at hospital and being made to sit down, they were only coming here and there. The doctor preformed a speculum to clarify whether my waters ruptured at 7am or if the fluid was more mucus plug. My cervix was closed and there were no signs of my membranes rupturing. 

So we headed home. 

After labouring at home all afternoon it was time to go to hospital, knowing we were an hour away I began to think we wouldn't make it! Safe to say Shane managed to get us to the hospital in about half the time... 

Once at hospital the midwife I had was amazing, she had also had three vbacs herself! At 2am we did a vaginal exam and I was 6cms, she told the OB I was only 4cms incase my labour stalled so there would definitely be progress ;) how sneaky. 

The hot shower worked wonders for my back pain at this stage. The midwife also had me "marching" to help bring baby down and finish turning him as he was still slightly posterior. We got down on the floor on all fours and did knee to chest position through about 5 contractions and wow the relief this had on my back was amazing too! It was around this time I asked for the gas. 

As time passed and the contractions became more intense as did the back labour, nothing was easing it. I had a shot of pethadine to try take the edge off. Like Charlie's birth the pethadine helped me relax, I managed to rest between contractions.

At 5am they broke my waters and soon after I was pushing. Not willingly pushing like I did with Charlie, not trying to push him out, my body had taken over, it was pushing, it was intense and the back pain was unbearable. I begged for an epidural. 

The midwife went away and came back and said we could try sterile water injections, I told her to call the anethiest, that I wasn't consenting to anything other than an epidural and to get me a fucking epidural now. With having the epidural she said I had to stop my body pushing; this was hell. Trying to stop something you have no control over, words can't explain the feeling.

The anethiest came and tried to introduce herself and tell me the risks involved. This is something I didn't want to hear and with over lapping contractions it wasn't something I was going to take in either. I rudely told her I knew the risks and I had done more than enough research. 

Unlike the spinal block which I became numb instantly the epidural felt like it took forever to kick in...

After a vaginal exam by the OB (mind you this was the first I had seen the OB all night) they decided that forceps would need to be used to help deliver my son. The lip on my cervix could be pushed to the side but it kept coming back. ( Can't remember any technical words to try explain it... ) 

Due to a failed intervention of a vacuum extraction with Charlie's birth they prepped for a cesarean. This meant we all moved down to theatre; at this point I was scared. It was all too familiar; thoughts of failure dwelled in my mind. I began apologising to Shane, God knows why but I did.

I'm guessing it was somewhere around 8am as we were all moving to theatre. A lot of people introduced themselves to Shane and I. My epidural was topped up, incase of cesarean, this I was thankful for because it now blocked out all back pain. The contractions were fine, I could ride through each wave; the back pain was on a different level.

Before I knew it they guided me as to when I needed to push. After a few pushes the help of the forceps and an episiotomy, I felt lots of pressure and they told me his head was out! One more push and he was brought straight up onto my chest. The blood, the slime and all the amazing stuff was all over me. I fucking did it, I got what I wanted. Tears welled in my eyes and I looked up at Shane, he kissed my head, no one has ever looked at me with so much pride in their eyes. I honestly wouldn't of been able to succeed without him.

38 weeks, an emotional exhausted mess. My body is aching and I can only eat one meal a day. I waddle and my pregnancy tops no longer cover this bump. All I can do is wait; wait for it all to be over or wait for it all to begin? Not even I know. 

Thursday I had a midwife appointment. I was concerned about babes positioning; as at 36 weeks he was lying ROP. Guess what? His now lying LOT, a huge improvement and heading into the optimal position of LOA. 

Just finding and reading all these little quotes and statements lift my mood and create such a positive atmosphere. 

I generally believe they will help me through my low points during labour. 

You can print them out onto card, create a pin board or a pocket book and take that into hospital with you. 

Well I couldn't be more wrong, the amount of birth plans I have read since educating myself about birth labour and especially vbacs; has now showed me how useful a birth plan can be. 

Here is an example of a quick easy to read visual birth plan. There are websites that you can create these on and there are millions of samples in google images such as this one. 

Work out what you do and don't want for yourself and your baby. This will be easier for your second birth as you know a little about what you didn't enjoy last time. Create a birth plan which yourself, your support team and the hospital are all agreeable on and have a poster in your labour room. (: 

Free movement

Minimal VEs (vaginal examinations) 

Calm environment with dimmed lighting

No students or interns

Food and Drink over IV

Immediate skin to skin

Exclusively Breastfed 

VBAC - vaginal birth after cesarean. 

My birth story with Charlie is already on the blog, it should be in the file section of the drop down menu if the blog is behaving! Technology and I have a love hate relationship.

I started researching and quickly learnt what I did and didn't want for the birth of this baby. I learnt that your care providers and support need to be 100% committed. I learnt I have options and that when my OB try's to tell me it's too dangerous to attempt a VBAC I can slam the facts in her face and tell her I have 199 chances out of 200 of successfully giving birth to this baby! 

I also learnt that I may or may not be getting a little obsessed with all of this. 😂 what do you guys think? Obsessed or just educating myself? 

Of course everyone is different, everyone's bodies are different! So these changes I experienced may or may not happen to you. 

Surprisingly enough this was my first sign of pregnancy! Giggle if you wish, it is sort of funny. My periods ALWAYS came as they pleased so the fact it didn't say hello one month didn't concern me. What did concern me was itch nipples, it drove me insane! I ended up phoning my trusty pal google. He told me I either had breast cancer or I was pregnant.... 

I gloated to everyone bout how I was 36 weeks and no stretch marks! Little did I know... Over night I would magically triple in size and wake up with stretch marks all over my back, my stomach, my thighs and even my arms! 

Once you give birth and your milk comes in it starts. You will leak through breast pads, through your bra, all over your clothes. Rotten breast milk becomes your perfume. 

That one part of my tummy that I can't seem to tighten! Hello lose skin and tiger stripes. 

Love #mummyblogger xox

At 2am Friday morning I was 41 + 1 weeks into my pregnancy so a whole week over due! I woke up with bad pains wrapping around from my back to no belly. By 3am I couldn't sleep through them anymore, being a first time mum I rang the hospital and they told me if I thought I was okay to call back in the morning. Well I had no idea what okay was but I stayed home. In and out of the bath, shower and bed. By the morning I went into hospital at 7am and I was only 2cms dilated! 😭 I went home and spent the whole day untill 6pm that night doing anything I could to distract myself from these contractions. They were strong and  regular 5 minutes apart lasting about 50 seconds. When I got back to hospital I was 5 cms and in active labour, I asked for the gas which I sucked on. I also tried rocking on the ball and jumped in the shower a few times. The next day or two is a blur! All I can say is I didn't sleep for almost 48 hours.... Let's skip to Saturday afternoon shall we, it was 3pm and I was still only 7-8 cms. My labour was very prolonged. It was horrible and dragged on and on. My waters did not break, Charlie had came down so far that they were trapped behind him and leaked only as he moved. So there was no gush to bring him down further. They also realised at this point that Charlie was face up instead of face down, which would make it quite difficult to deliver unless he turned. 

At 3.20 I felt like giving up, I signed a constent form for a cesarean! The one thing I said I never wanted to do. I saw a heap of doctors and was dressed and wheel down to theater. My partner was Ina waiting room whilst I was meant to be getting a spinal block. Then... I said stop! Something had changed and I knew I had to push, then and their in the operating theater. They checked me again and I was 10cms! Wow I know woo go me (: they rushed my partner in and told me to push! I pushed for 30mins but Charlie wouldn't turn. So they attempted a vacuum extraction, he would not turn and he would not fit through my pelvis. All of a sudden they called emergency cesarean and everyone rushed around and my partner was taken from the room.

They sat me up and I had the needle in my spine, when I laid down my partner was by my side. It all happened so quickly. I could feel the pulling and tugging but no pain! Such a strange feeling, like rummaging around in a handbag as such! 

Before I knew it they were holding up a grey slimy baby and I heard that first gasp of breath and then the screams of life. All I could say was "that's my baby" he was beautiful, I fell instantly inlove! 

• Labour and contractions can take several hours, even days before you even get to a stage in which you can start to push. 

• It is possible you may need a cesarean, sometimes you do not have a choice.

• Read up about all the avaliable drugs and be accepting of what they reccommend.

Now I want to know something, I had quite a struggle with my birth of Charlie and I don't want to give anyone a negative vibe going into labour. So should I share my story with you all or not?  

I also would love to hear your concerns questions or birthing stories! (: 

Email me @ tiarne.straatman@gmail.com

or DM on IG @ mummyblogger

Love 💕 yourmummyblogger xx