crazycatlady
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Alfie Leonard 22.8.14, 19.17pm, 5lb 9oz.
My birth story
The story of how my little one arrived into his world is a rather long story so forgive me I want to write it all as Im already forgetting it. If you dont make it to the end I wont mind!
Monday 18th August, when I was 34 weeks exactly, at 8am I rolled over in bed. I felt (and heard) a pop and then my waters went. It wasnt a trickle but a flood, everywhere. I made it to the bathroom and sat on the toilet in shock. I then phoned my oh, mum and the labour suite at QMC Nottingham. They said to come into their triage on their assessment ward. By midday we had established I had lost my waters, wasnt in labour (no sign of cervix let alone dilation) and that I was being admitted indefinitely.
Tuesday 19th August I woke up in the night with cramps through my back and stomach; soon they were every 2 or 3 mins but lasting only 20 seconds. I was given pain killers and monitored apparently my tightenings were making babys heart rate drop at first but once they moved my position is was fine and then once I moved around they stopped altogether.
At the morning ward round the dr implied I would be induced imminently, due to risk of infection once waters are broken, especially as I am on immunosuppressant medication for my ulcerative colitis. A scan was arranged to check waters around baby before arrangements were made. I didnt realise that a baby would keep recycling their amniotic fluid (through their own kidneys).
The scan showed, to our surprise, that baby was breech. Literally folded in half bum down, head and feet together at the top. The sonographer (who was an older lady), said she thought he had always been like that, wouldnt move himself and that drs wouldnt move him due to waters breaking.
Wednesday 20th August obviously once the doctors found out he was breech they decided to keep him where he was until as near as 37 weeks as possible. They said he still might come early and that preterm births can be quick, therefore if a C-section could not be arranged quickly enough I needed to prepare myself for a vaginal delivery. At this point I prepared myself for being in hospital for a while.
Thursday 21st August on this day I was told a C-section would be scheduled for a week later. At this point my best friend brought in lots of tiny baby clothes in preparation for a small baby although the Dr reassured me that the scan had shown a baby of at least 5lb.
Friday 22nd August I didnt sleep well and then by 2am had frequent pains through my back; I let this go on for a few hours before speaking to a midwife. I knew they were contractions or tightenings of a sort as they were every 7 minutes, then they moved to 2 and then to every 10. I finally spoke to a midwife at around 5am. She got me a heat back for my back and codeine for the pain, when the codeine kicked in I could feel the tightenings through my bump and not just my back. At around 5am I told the midwife they were really bad so was put on the monitor for a while, the tightenings were not showing up significantly, but she wanted a dr to examine me.
Unfortunately it was a rather indifferent male Dr and due to my deep seated hatred and fear of speculums I was a pain to examine. All this happening on the assessment ward in a bay with 3 others trying to sleep, and the midwife bringing a huge torch to have a good look did not help. So they moved me to labour suite for gas and air while they examined me but the female dr did a much better job and I probably didnt need it. As nothing was happening to my cervix, I was sent back to the ward.
The pains continued and I also had a show. For the rest if the morning I was okay - I moved around, talked on the phone and generally dealt with it. By lunch I felt sick and didnt eat much, and then the pains got worse, to the point where my back was almost in spasm and I didnt get any let up. Unfortunately the day midwife was not very sympathetic, she brought me more codeine mid-afternoon but until I told them at 5 that the pain was really bad they werent that interested even my mother (who sat with me all afternoon) got cross with them about the lack of support or interest.
I was finally on the monitor and at this point the unsympathetic midwife began to change her tune and was actually quite supportive in a you are in control of this way. They finally called for a dr to examine me (not something that the midwives did) and the consultant happened to be walking past so when the midwife explained he was like are you sure the monitor is not losing contact with her? She turned and said no, these are palpable. Then he said I dont want this baby to arrive at 34 weeks. At this point I lost control a little, he made me lie on my left which was agony and I eventually refused to stay there and on the monitor.
I was finally examined by a very nice Dr who I saw throughout the week after I gave birth and she said I was 3cm and therefore on my way for an emergency C-section.
My husband who we had been trying to contact, strolled in at this point (about 6.15pm) with me in a wheelchair about to go to the labour suite. I then got the lovely benefit of gas and air in my 30 minute stay in the labour suite all twinkly lights and calm atmosphere. Enough time to sign consent form and put cannula in hand. Off we went to the theatre.
It took 3 attempts to get the spinal in as contractions in back were horrific by this point and very hard to stay still. When it worked I felt so much better. They told me I had progressed to 5cm within the 40 mins since last examined asked if I still wanted C-section due to his position I said yes! After that it all happened quite fast, baby Alfie arrived and was whisked over to baby dr but all was fine, he was brought to us and given to dh for cuddles, I got skin to skin in the recovery room before dh and lo went to neo natal to get cannula for him as iv antibiotics needed for a week due to infection risk. He weighed in at 5lb 9oz.
Finally on ward at around 10pm with baby next to me and I had more cuddles he was cup fed initially as not able to latch on due to early delivery. The next week was hard; Alfie was severely jaundiced and had an infection so was taken to neo natal for 3 days. Although I expressed colostrum and milk for him during that time when he came back he was so used to tube feeding that any progress with latching on was lost. I became unwell with my ulcerative colitis and then a very nasty wound infection - so made the decision to switch to ff I didnt find this easy but it made things a lot less stressful for me and I was able to rest more.
We were finally able to come home when Alfie was 11 days old, the last 3 days of being in hospital were due to me not him. It was found that my wound infection could only be treated by IV antibiotics and after 3 cannulas in 4 days I was a mess. But then the microbiology people who test swabs told the midwives that I could receive ivs at home from the opat team. So I went home with a picc line in my arm (less painful than a cannula as done under a local) and a weeks supply of flushes and antibiotics and had visits 3 x weekly from nurses.
Alfie is now 3 weeks old, ivs stopped line was taken out on Friday when dr at infectious diseases clinic was happy the infection had improved enough for meds not to be needed again.
I am now settling into being at home with my beautiful boy and am very grateful for all the care we received from the hospital sometimes we forget how lucky we are to have the NHS!
Pictures to follow from my phone.
My birth story
The story of how my little one arrived into his world is a rather long story so forgive me I want to write it all as Im already forgetting it. If you dont make it to the end I wont mind!
Monday 18th August, when I was 34 weeks exactly, at 8am I rolled over in bed. I felt (and heard) a pop and then my waters went. It wasnt a trickle but a flood, everywhere. I made it to the bathroom and sat on the toilet in shock. I then phoned my oh, mum and the labour suite at QMC Nottingham. They said to come into their triage on their assessment ward. By midday we had established I had lost my waters, wasnt in labour (no sign of cervix let alone dilation) and that I was being admitted indefinitely.
Tuesday 19th August I woke up in the night with cramps through my back and stomach; soon they were every 2 or 3 mins but lasting only 20 seconds. I was given pain killers and monitored apparently my tightenings were making babys heart rate drop at first but once they moved my position is was fine and then once I moved around they stopped altogether.
At the morning ward round the dr implied I would be induced imminently, due to risk of infection once waters are broken, especially as I am on immunosuppressant medication for my ulcerative colitis. A scan was arranged to check waters around baby before arrangements were made. I didnt realise that a baby would keep recycling their amniotic fluid (through their own kidneys).
The scan showed, to our surprise, that baby was breech. Literally folded in half bum down, head and feet together at the top. The sonographer (who was an older lady), said she thought he had always been like that, wouldnt move himself and that drs wouldnt move him due to waters breaking.
Wednesday 20th August obviously once the doctors found out he was breech they decided to keep him where he was until as near as 37 weeks as possible. They said he still might come early and that preterm births can be quick, therefore if a C-section could not be arranged quickly enough I needed to prepare myself for a vaginal delivery. At this point I prepared myself for being in hospital for a while.
Thursday 21st August on this day I was told a C-section would be scheduled for a week later. At this point my best friend brought in lots of tiny baby clothes in preparation for a small baby although the Dr reassured me that the scan had shown a baby of at least 5lb.
Friday 22nd August I didnt sleep well and then by 2am had frequent pains through my back; I let this go on for a few hours before speaking to a midwife. I knew they were contractions or tightenings of a sort as they were every 7 minutes, then they moved to 2 and then to every 10. I finally spoke to a midwife at around 5am. She got me a heat back for my back and codeine for the pain, when the codeine kicked in I could feel the tightenings through my bump and not just my back. At around 5am I told the midwife they were really bad so was put on the monitor for a while, the tightenings were not showing up significantly, but she wanted a dr to examine me.
Unfortunately it was a rather indifferent male Dr and due to my deep seated hatred and fear of speculums I was a pain to examine. All this happening on the assessment ward in a bay with 3 others trying to sleep, and the midwife bringing a huge torch to have a good look did not help. So they moved me to labour suite for gas and air while they examined me but the female dr did a much better job and I probably didnt need it. As nothing was happening to my cervix, I was sent back to the ward.
The pains continued and I also had a show. For the rest if the morning I was okay - I moved around, talked on the phone and generally dealt with it. By lunch I felt sick and didnt eat much, and then the pains got worse, to the point where my back was almost in spasm and I didnt get any let up. Unfortunately the day midwife was not very sympathetic, she brought me more codeine mid-afternoon but until I told them at 5 that the pain was really bad they werent that interested even my mother (who sat with me all afternoon) got cross with them about the lack of support or interest.
I was finally on the monitor and at this point the unsympathetic midwife began to change her tune and was actually quite supportive in a you are in control of this way. They finally called for a dr to examine me (not something that the midwives did) and the consultant happened to be walking past so when the midwife explained he was like are you sure the monitor is not losing contact with her? She turned and said no, these are palpable. Then he said I dont want this baby to arrive at 34 weeks. At this point I lost control a little, he made me lie on my left which was agony and I eventually refused to stay there and on the monitor.
I was finally examined by a very nice Dr who I saw throughout the week after I gave birth and she said I was 3cm and therefore on my way for an emergency C-section.
My husband who we had been trying to contact, strolled in at this point (about 6.15pm) with me in a wheelchair about to go to the labour suite. I then got the lovely benefit of gas and air in my 30 minute stay in the labour suite all twinkly lights and calm atmosphere. Enough time to sign consent form and put cannula in hand. Off we went to the theatre.
It took 3 attempts to get the spinal in as contractions in back were horrific by this point and very hard to stay still. When it worked I felt so much better. They told me I had progressed to 5cm within the 40 mins since last examined asked if I still wanted C-section due to his position I said yes! After that it all happened quite fast, baby Alfie arrived and was whisked over to baby dr but all was fine, he was brought to us and given to dh for cuddles, I got skin to skin in the recovery room before dh and lo went to neo natal to get cannula for him as iv antibiotics needed for a week due to infection risk. He weighed in at 5lb 9oz.
Finally on ward at around 10pm with baby next to me and I had more cuddles he was cup fed initially as not able to latch on due to early delivery. The next week was hard; Alfie was severely jaundiced and had an infection so was taken to neo natal for 3 days. Although I expressed colostrum and milk for him during that time when he came back he was so used to tube feeding that any progress with latching on was lost. I became unwell with my ulcerative colitis and then a very nasty wound infection - so made the decision to switch to ff I didnt find this easy but it made things a lot less stressful for me and I was able to rest more.
We were finally able to come home when Alfie was 11 days old, the last 3 days of being in hospital were due to me not him. It was found that my wound infection could only be treated by IV antibiotics and after 3 cannulas in 4 days I was a mess. But then the microbiology people who test swabs told the midwives that I could receive ivs at home from the opat team. So I went home with a picc line in my arm (less painful than a cannula as done under a local) and a weeks supply of flushes and antibiotics and had visits 3 x weekly from nurses.
Alfie is now 3 weeks old, ivs stopped line was taken out on Friday when dr at infectious diseases clinic was happy the infection had improved enough for meds not to be needed again.
I am now settling into being at home with my beautiful boy and am very grateful for all the care we received from the hospital sometimes we forget how lucky we are to have the NHS!
Pictures to follow from my phone.
Well done xx
