'Giving birth is nothing like you see on TV’
Tammy thought she was prepared for labour after watching 'One Born Every Minute'.
By Peter Malik
February 21 2017
My fiancé Danny and I had no idea about labour so I taped the documentary series One Born Every Minute that showed all the real-life action of a UK maternity ward. After watching the series we considered ourselves highly educated about the birthing process and ready to experience the real thing.
Five days before my due date I woke up just before Danny left for work and felt a bit crampy. He gave me a kiss and assured me it wasn’t our time just yet. He reminded me that our due date wasn’t for another week and countless people had told us first bubs hardly ever arrive on time. In fact, it was usually a good while after.
IS IT LABOUR DAY?
As the day progressed the pain got worse and I was pretty sure I was in labour. I called Danny at work but he thought it didn’t sound like I was in enough pain and said to call back if it got worse. By the afternoon I was in so much pain each contraction stopped me in my tracks. I called Danny again and he told me he’d be home soon, but he was going to stop by the hairdressers and get
a haircut first. When we finally got to the hospital a midwife examined me, told us I was 5cm dilated and suspected our baby would be born that night. Danny was in total shock, and very apologetic. As I hadn’t been screaming like the women in One Born Every Minute he had assumed I wasn’t in labour.
FEELING DRAINED
A few hours passed and Danny could see I was getting really tired and he told me not to worry as he had packed some hydrolyte drinks and went to the car to get them. He returned a short time later empty handed as he had forgotten to put my hospital bag in the car! By that stage I was in too much pain to care.
He must have called my mum, who was driving four hours to be with us, as she arrived just in time for the birth and had my hospital bag with her. After a long night in labour, and two-and-a-half hours of pushing, my baby girl Sienna was born. She measured 3.1kg and 50cm. Danny was so excited he ran out of the room to tell everyone, leaving me to cut the cord!
It was an eventful day and night, and even though it didn’t go smoothly, I wouldn’t change a thing.
