Labour Room Drama 262

This is a narrative like none other.................WOW!!!

I got married as a virgin at 16+, took in at 17, birthed my first child few days to my 18th birthday. 

I knew close to nothing about pregnancy, and my mum was in another state. 

GSM wasn't yet in Naija then, too. I registered for ante-natal very early. My pregnancy journey was pretty smooth, save for heartburn and bronchitis in the first trimester. Gbenshing was a daily thing till a day to delivery. Lol

A day before delivery, hubby and I returned from an evening stroll so sat outside the compound gisting. Few minutes later my mum-in-law arrived from the East. She knew my expected date of delivery, reason she came. We welcomed her and went inside.

The next morning being Saturday, hubby went for his usual trainings at the stadium. I was doing the chores while gisting with mum-in-law. I started having cramps, like menstrual cramps but didn't remember it is one of the signs of labour so waived it off and continued with what I was doing.

When I felt like to wee, I went to the toilet and when I wiped I saw blood. That was when it clicked that I might be in labour. I came out and told mum-in-law what I saw and the pain I was feeling. Also told her my doctor asked me to come to the hospital as soon as I saw the "show".

In her bid to buy time, she told me it was nothing that I should go back to what I was doing. She just said I should let her know whenever the pain starts. Little did I know she was timing the contractions.

She later asked me to go shower and get dressed so when hubby returns he'll take us to the hospital. While waiting for hubby the pain got unbearable so I told her I was leaving for the hospital and she can come with hubby if she wants.

We got downstairs and met hubby playing with the neighbours' kids. Immediately he saw us he knew what's up so quickly opened the car and off we went. We got there I was checked, admitted, then given enema.

I have this thing for toilets. Unless it's super clean, I wouldn't dare sit on it. So after the enema I had no choice but to use it and hubby was shocked...according to him, that was when he knew it was a serious something. Lol! After emptying my bowels I went to lay on the bed.

When the contraction starts I'll hold onto the bed and be screaming. A nurse that later came to check me taught me a trick that helped, even my mum-in-law started panicking when she no longer heard my screams - she thought the contractions had seized.

The trick:
Whenever a contraction starts, relax your entire body, more like a 'surrender' - you know that relaxed feel you get when you exhale after inhaling deeply(sorry, this is the best way I can describe it), then open your mouth and breathe through it slowly, like you are counting your breathe. DO NOT pant.

Note that if you do this exercise correctly, you will be greatly relieved. Trust me!

I followed her instructions so I stopped screaming cos I felt much relief whenever I did the breathing exercise. At a point, mum-in-law asked if the contractions had stopped and I said no, that the nurse gave me a tip.

Not too long, I started feeling nauseous. They brought me a pan and I threw up in it. Few minutes later I told mum-in-law (hubby had gone home to shower and change) to assist me to the toilet to poo. I didn't even know when she ran out to call the midwife because by the time I managed to stand up from the bed, she was by my side and asked me to lay down.

I insisted I wanted to poo but she said she will check me first. She did and asked me to follow her to the delivery room.


We got there, she burst open the amniotic sac, I was given an episiotomy then she said I should poo when I get the urge again. At the 5th (or more) push, it started raining heavily and immediately, my princess was born weighing just 2.5kg.

In all, labour lasted for about 5 hours, or less. We were discharged the next day.

I was made to believe the myth that if you don't give your hubby s*x, he will seek it elsewhere. I gave in on the 3rd week when my stitches were yet to heal. Oh how I was hurting! Did it stop him from straying? Of course it didn't!

My mum-in-law stayed 2 weeks, then my mum came and stayed 2 weeks too. They left an inexperienced teenager to fend for herself and newborn. I'm thankful because my early experiences prepared me for the future.

PS: my little princess is not-so-little anymore. She's now an undergraduate. She is the fattest amongst her siblings, despite they weighed far more (3.5kg & 4.2kg)than she did at birth.

WOW...............thanks for the contraction tips,I am sure the pregnant BVs would read and practice when they are in labour...

I have so many questions to ask.......looks like you Married with your consent?At 16?