Birth Report & Reasons for No Birth Partner - Eldest Son Edition

I gave birth to my eldest son in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
Rather than choosing not to have a partner, I simply couldn't.

After going through my first childbirth under such anxious circumstances,
I would like to write about why I felt it was better not to have a partner present,
along with the flow of the birth.

The time was 3:30 AM.
Having reached 39 weeks that day, I
woke up thinking, 'Hmm, my stomach might be hurting...'
I had just stood up in the kitchen to get some tea when

Drip, drip...

???

Did some lukewarm water just flow out???

I called the hospital and they told me to come in right away, so
I shook my husband awake, saying, 'I think my water broke.'

My husband was on the verge of panic, but
I was completely calm,
and I bought about three rice balls, saying,
'Stop at a convenience store on the way. I want to eat rice balls.'

I had been reading through birth reports myself,
and everyone wrote that it was a test of physical strength,
so I had decided that when the time came,
I would eat no matter what!

It was a birth at a general hospital.
As soon as we arrived at the hospital, I said a quick goodbye to my husband
at the first-floor reception.

The next time I saw his face was when I was discharged a week later.

At 4:30, the midwife confirmed my high rupture of membranes,
and true labor began at 4:00 the next day!
I'm so glad I ate those rice balls (lol).

I was in a state where contractions at 2 to 5-minute intervals continued for almost a full day.

While the contractions continued, I listened to EDM on my earphones,
getting through it by getting into the groove rather than trying to relax (lol).

It felt like I was focusing on myself,
eyes wide open, shaking my head. It was scary (lol).

Sometimes when I took my earphones off, I could hear
screams like a wild beast,
but in my case, thanks to the EDM (?), I was super quiet.
The midwife even laughed, saying she thought it was still a while away because I was so quiet,
but the head was already quite visible!

Finally, around 4:30, I gave birth.

And after the birth was over, I thought,
I'm glad I was alone!

If my husband or mother had been there, I wouldn't have been able to focus
on being in my own zone.
In that case, it might not have been such a quiet birth.

And above all, the midwife was a godsend.
I vomited twice because I couldn't bear the pain during labor,
urinated several times into the super-absorbent shorts I was wearing,
and when I pushed, some poop came out too...
She cleaned it up in an instant.
I apologize for the gross story,
but childbirth doesn't end with just pretty things (tears).

Even when I was going 'Ugh...' from the pain,
she kept saying, 'It hurts, doesn't it? The baby is working hard too,'
'It's almost over, let's just work a little harder,'
constantly voicing my feelings and encouraging me.
It might be an everyday occurrence in the hospital,
and I know it's their job, but
I feel like my husband or mother would have been flustered.

For those who prefer to focus,
since there are reassuring midwives,
I recommend not having a birth partner!

Tomorrow, I will write the
Eldest Daughter Edition, where I gave birth at an OB/GYN clinic.
Look forward to it!