Birth Report & Reasons for Not Having a Birth Partner - Eldest Daughter Edition

Last time, I wrote about giving birth to my eldest son at a general hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

This time, I would like to write about the birth of my eldest daughter at an OB-GYN clinic in 2024, three years later, along with a birth report.

The world had settled down from COVID, and more hospitals were allowing birth partners.
However, based on my first experience, I had decided that I definitely did not want a birth partner!

I had my eldest son to look after, and both my husband's and my parents' homes were about a two-hour drive away.
It was also difficult from a practical standpoint.

I had heard that first births are often later than the due date, so I worked until one week before my due date, but I had heard that second births often come early, so I started my maternity leave a month early.

The reason I worked until a week before was because I was bored (^^).
By nature, I'm not good at taking it easy.
So, being bored for a month and then going past my due date, I was getting frustrated, thinking, 'Hurry up and be born!' (lol)

On the morning of 40 weeks and 2 days, I went to the hospital for a checkup.

When I had an internal exam, the doctor said, 'It might not come out for a while yet,' and I insisted, 'No, I want to give birth today,' so I had them do a vigorous membrane sweep.

I arrived at the nearest station at 12:00.
I'm hungry.
There was a superstition that eating yakiniku brings on labor.
There's a steakhouse right in front of me...
I'll eat a 200g fillet steak.

As I was walking home after leaving the restaurant, I thought, 'Maybe my stomach is starting to hurt.'
Could this be labor?
When I timed it, it was 15-minute intervals.
When I called the hospital, the doctor who had just done the membrane sweep took the call and said,
'Maybe that did the trick.
Don't get your hopes up too much, but since it's your second, why don't you come in for a bit?'
They accepted my admission as if it couldn't be helped.

Around 6:00 PM, the labor pains were at 7-minute intervals, and just as I thought it was finally time, it was dinner.

When I saw the food, it looked so delicious that my labor pains faded away (lol).
Get motivated! 😂

Around 8:00 PM, after eating dinner, I was full of motivation.
My husband and eldest son were born in the same month, and this day was the last day of their birth month!
I don't know why, but I wanted everyone, including my eldest daughter, to have a birthday in the same month!
Or rather, I didn't want the birth to carry over into next month!!
From then on, I did squats endlessly.
Here is the video I used as a reference.

And in the blink of an eye,
21:30 Cervix 4cm, Vomiting 1
22:30 Cervix 7cm, Vomiting 2, Moved to the delivery room
23:10 Cervix 8cm, Vomiting 3, Delivery table adjusted to birthing position

I kept screaming and vomiting, screaming and vomiting.
I must have been super noisy lol

And at 23:57!
Just in time, a birth within the same month!

Looking back on the birth,
my feeling that I was glad to have given birth alone this time as well deepened.

The last time was a quiet and calm birth, but perhaps because this was my second time, the cervix dilated rapidly.
It was like, it was 3cm just a moment ago, and before I knew it, it was 8cm!
The pain also suddenly hit its maximum, and I was screaming 'Wooooooo' in a voice I had never heard myself make before.
I couldn't help it because the sound came out even if I wanted to be quiet,
but if my husband had been there, I think I would have started laughing and wouldn't have been able to push properly.

Being alone really helps me focus!

If anyone reading this and the eldest son edition thinks, 'Maybe I'll try giving birth alone,'
please let me know how it went without a birth partner after you give birth!

To all the moms-to-be 👩
Good luck! 🎉🎉