Miss Karizma's Birth at Whangarei Hospital
2011
First baby
Lived in: Kaitaia, Far North
WHERE WAS YOUR PLANNED PLACE OF BIRTH?
Kaitaia Hospital
WHERE WAS YOUR ACTUAL PLACE OF BIRTH?
Whangarei Hospital
KARIZMA'S BIRTH
I had a horrible pregnancy. I bled at 10 weeks so thought I was having a miscarriage, I was staying in Auckland the first half of my pregnancy and went to North Shore Hospital when I bled to get help. I waited in the emergency room for 4 hours before being seen by a Nurse and being told I probably having a miscarriage but would need to go home until the next day before they could do a scan....that was really scary for me (I would not recommend Auckland as a place to even think of having a child, my midwife was useless too). I had morning sickness for almost all my pregnancy and started to swell up near the end of the pregnancy. Yea was horrible lol.
Signs of early labour
I was in labour for nearly 48 hours, I woke at 5am with really bad back pains then cramp like feelings, contractions were basically 3 minutes apart from the beginning but no progress was happening.
I went up to the Hospital at 3pm to see my midwife as she was in Whangarei with another mum. She checked to see how far along I was but had only dilated 3cms in nearly 12hrs so she sent me home. I txt my midwife around 11pm that I wanted to go to Whanagrei and she told me to go up to Kaitaia Hospital so that she could ring Whangarei and give me my notes.
By 1am the next day I was tired and had a really slack birthing partner so I asked my midwife if I could go down to Whangarei. My Dad drove me down to Whangarei Hospital because the ambulances had just stopped for the day, the drive down to Whangarei was funny because I kept telling my dad to pull over so that I could get out and walk for a bit :) I cant remember how long the drive took, the drive was just a big blur. We got to Whangarei around 3am. In Whangarei I tried the Gas but hated it, made me feel nauseas.
Birth
At 9:30 Whangarei staff told me I was going to need a C-Section and Epidural if my girl was not out soon so I started pushing her out fast as I did not want a C-Section. My Mum, Dad and Aunty were my support people and my Cousins and Uncle were waiting around for baby to come.
Baby Karizma was born at 10:50pm weighed 7.4pound and 53cm long.
I stayed the night in Whangarei Hospital and then went home to Kaitaia at lunch time the next day.
My second daughter was born in Kaitaia Hospital.
Things you would do the same?
I try to have a natural birth always.
Things you would do differently?
I would not go down to Whangarei, I really didnt feel welcome there, I felt like the midwifes were mainly just in it for the money. I wouldnt push on no contractions next time as I teared quite badly.
What advice would you recommend to other Northland mums / families?
Relax, labour is no where near as bad as they show on Movies/TV.
Even One Born Every Minute is not really what labour is like.
