Author: Janet Maclean

The birth went really well. I birthed both babes vaginally without an epidural. I told the nurses it was my preference to not have an epidural and they only asked me again one other time, when I was having a moment of weakness and kept saying “I don’t think I can do this.” My doula answered for me and said “I know she feels strongly about not taking pain meds.” Since I wasn’t on pain meds the OB wanted to deliver the babes in the OR in case anything went wrong they had immediate access to anesthetics. I was able to labour in the birthing room though.

It was really annoying being hooked up to all the monitors, I had to ask to go to the bathroom and I was confined to one corner of the birthing room because the monitors weren’t wireless/mobile. They were also struggling to detect baby b’s heart rate through the monitor, I am not exaggerating, the nurses were fiddling with my belly every 5-10 mins. At one point I turned to her and said “stop touching me!! What does it matter if you can’t find his heart rate for 30 seconds?” I later apologized for my outburst.

I was induced (oxytocin drip started and my water manually broken) at 2:45am and the babes were born at 9:23am and 9:32am. I started at 2cm dilated and 100% effaced. The contractions started almost right away at 3:15am and at around 6:30am I was 6 cm dilated. And then at 8:30am I was 10 cm dilated. Each time I asked the Doctors to check my dilation because I could tell I was progressing, and they were shocked at how quickly things were moving. When the Doctors checked my cervix at 6:30am they realized I was naturally progressing and pulled back the titration of the oxytocin. The oxytocin made the contractions super intense and close together, there was no break in between contractions.

At 8:30am, since I was 10 cm dilated, I was able to start pushing. The pushing stage also progressed quickly. In fact, our nurse went on break and when she came back the babies were already born. Because the pushing went so quickly there was no time for us to transfer to the OR. All of a sudden the room filled with 10-12 more people and Eileen was born at 9:23am.

The Doctor and I worked together, combination of pushing and pulling, for the breech vaginal extraction, and Ewan was born at 9:32am.
I lost a lot of blood when the placentas dislodged from the uterine wall, I fainted 3 times within 2 hours after birth, and my blood pressure was really low (go figure). I was really dazed on Saturday between low blood pressure, lack of sleep, food and water.

Baby girl, Eileen Paige Maclean, was born 9:23am at 5 pounds 4 ounces, 47 cm long.
Baby boy, Ewan James Maclean, was born 9:32am at 4 pounds 3 ounces, 44 cm long.

Ewan spent 5 days in the NICU due to his low birth weight. It was tough having him in the NICU while Eileen and I were in the postpartum unit. To make things tougher Kyle started feeling sick on Sunday April 23 and wasn’t allowed to enter the NICU.

We are all home now and everything is going really well. My parents are currently here helping and then Kyle’s parents are coming to help.

Both Eileen and Ewan regained their birth weight within two weeks of being born on a strictly breast fed diet.

July 2020- I went back to read my birthing story and realized I eliminated the endearing moments.

1. no one believed me when I told them I had to poop.  I had already been to the bathroom a couple of times and the nurses were annoyed (they had to unhook all the monitors).  When I said I need to poop, the nurses told me it was just the pressure.  In the end I pooped on the bathroom floor because I didn’t make it in time.  I tried telling them.
2. Kyle was so tired (we left for the hospital at 10:00pm, and I assure you he was consuming whiskey that evening!).  He spent hours in the corner on his phone, I remember looking up and being annoyed he wasn’t by my side! Later, Kyle told me he was communicating with family etc…. but at the time I was annoyed.  Everything was better when Crystal, our Doula, arrived.  She saved the day and took charge!
3. The resident doctor sat down in front of me to help pull breech Ewan out, while I pushed.  I asked “can I see your hands?” she held them up and I replied “oh they are tiny!” then I looked her in the eye and said “you and me, we’ve got this”
4. when Kyle and the nurses took Ewan away to the NICU I yelled after Kyle, don’t let them bath him!