September baby

bethnorth
Oct 1, 2017
4 min read

Finn Tazzo Yoshida was born on September 3rd at 10:05am. He was 3400g (7lb9) and 50.5cm. Units are weird here in Japan!

He is a month old today~ he can be so fussy, and so chill... he's a strange one!

I was in the hospital for a week, as regulation here in Japan. I then spent 2 weeks at Kengo's parents house in the countryside. It was so nice in Shirakawa-cho! The hospital was something else.

Just a few pictures of my room in the hospital.

I went to Tobu Iryou Center, as suggested by a student of mine. I was told the building is old, but the main doctor was good and reputable.

Labour was not what I thought it would be like! I was told to prepare for weak, painless contractions that aren't very frequent, and slowly but surely they would turn into full on contractions. I had somewhat painful contractions at 3am on September 2nd (enough to make me need to sit and breathe a bit) every ten minutes. I was told to go to the hospital, but I wasn't dilated at all!

I went home (9am) and waited. The contactions continued to be regular, and became more painful through the day. Admittedly the escalation of pain was slow, but at 1am I was in a lot of pain and went to the hospital. This time, I could not bear to eat or drink. I could hardly stand up during contractions and resorted to serious coping methods. I didn't just decide to breathe regularly or count to ten over and over, I had to do it. There was no other way to get through the pain.

I was only 1 or 2cm dilated (I can't remember) I was put on a drip and started throwing up during contractions (the worst, seriously). The drip was something to do with antibodies in my body and was unfortunately not a kind of pain killer. I would have taken anything, but I couldn't get anything from the hospital - not even gas and air.

Every 2 hours I seemed to get 2cm further. I managed somehow until 8cm, when finally the contractions got the better of me. They were so deep, and they infiltrated my brain! I felt like they were talking for me instead of me talking for myself.

At 8:30 ish I felt a great urge to push. I told the midwife and she told me to wait. I was not Beth anymore - I was starting to forget to breathe - and started shouting that I had to push. I needed to be checked! I told Kengo I needed to quit, and I seriously think I meant quit life, haaaa.

It turned out I was actually ready to push! (After demanding my midwife check me). I was sent to a room with what looked like a dentist chair, but angled so that your lower half is raised up and your feed are in stirrups. I was given paper booties (lol) had my waters broken (a lovely feeling) and I started pushing. The midwife told me I would give birth later that morning, then one push later and... she hurriedly called for the doctor!

I was given an episiotomy (did not hurt!) and Finn was born only15 minutes after I started pushing!

I have to say I will never give birth again without pain relief, ha. I was throwing up even during my hardest contractions, and si feel like it broke me. The pain becomes you, and I had no power against that.

The hospital was fine, I had lots of help and support... but it was lonely. When first admitted I was sent to the 'contraction room', then to the 'delivery room', then back to the contraction room, but after that you are sent to another room to spend the next week in. By chance I was offered a private room after delivery, so I took it. If I hadnt I would have been sharing a room with 4 other people, and would have to adhere to the strict 'no smartphones' rule. Actually, I think I broke that rule anyway, but at least I could argue against it.

On the first night the midwives took Finn overnight and fed him formula. I was not informed of this!! I had to go and ask what had happened to my baby!

I was given a meal breakfast lunch and dinner but I had friends bring me snacks. The midwives had a lot to say about what I was eating, ha.

Every midwife had a different idea of what is best for the baby. The night and day staff had a particular divide! It annoyed me so much because I was told off by one midwife for doing something another one had told me to do. I was also told my husband could come in at 10pm since his work is late, and then he was turned away by another midwife. It quite seriously made me cry.

There was a tv in my room but I didn't use it. I also had a fridge which I used for drinks and snacks. I was so dehydrated that I needed more water than they provided. I mainly used my phone, but there was no wifi so I destroyed my bill.

I should have asked the midwives to look after Finn more, because I wouldn't even go to the toilet if he was being fussy. I actually peed, seriously, after miscalculating my incredibly weak lower parts! It was embarrassing. I cried. Again. Going for a shower made me feel guilty. I simply didn't want to give him over to people I didn't know... but at the end of the day they know what they are doing.

That was my hospital and labour experience!