I thought I'd post this while it's still fresh in my mind- just!
My due date was the 1st May but I think I always knew I wouldn't get to full term.
Pregnancy wasn't easy, I suffered with HG from 8 weeks to 23, at my 25 week appointment I measured 28 and a scan found that I had Polyhidramnios and that baby was also measuring big. I had growth scans every few weeks after that and until my second GTT came back borderline there was no reason for baby to be measuring big. All was good and healthy though which was the main thing.
At 32 weeks I started testing my sugars to try and slow his growth down but he still grew at the same rate!
Due to size and the excess water I started to really differ with SPD, I could hardly walk some days and turning over in bed or trying to get out of bed felt impossible!
At my 36 week consultant appointment I was told I would need to be induced at 38 weeks.
I had always hated the thought of being induced as both of my sisters had failed inductions which resulted in emergency sections, which is something that I wanted to avoid!
When I asked about the possibility of an elective section I was told that it was riskier for me and that it wasn't best for baby. I felt like I didn't really have a choice so therefore I gave consent for the induction.
I went into hospital at 8am on 17th April. The first pessary was inserted at roughly 11.30 that morning and then waiting game began!
I was monitored at a lot at different points throughout the day and was desperately hoping to start feeling something. It got to 9pm that night and Hubby had to go home as the hospital doesn't allow husbands/partners to stay if not in labour. At that point I was already fed up, got a little teary as Hubby left, the thought of something possibly happening over night and him not being there was horrible.
I struggled to sleep that night, the worst part was the midwives waking me up to do observations every few hours- usually just as I had dozed off!
At around 3am I woke up to terrible back ache, hoped that it was a good sign, took some paracetamol and tried to get some more sleep.
Few hours later I was still in a lot of pain in my back but nothing else. I was examined at 11.30am and was told that nothing much had changed with my cervix, Slightly softer and shorter but that was it.
The pessary was left in for another 6 hours and I was then examined again. This time by a consultant, she told me I was about 1 cm dilated but that it was not enough for them to break my waters and get things going.
At this point I now wish I had just demanded a section, I discussed it with the consultant and she was understanding but again persuaded me to give a second pessary a try. She explained that she was 'confident' a second one would do the trick.
As you have to have a 24 hour rest period between pessarys I agreed to have the second one IF they let me go home for the night. I was so tired from not sleeping the night before and I just wanted my comfy bed. At this point I was still in agony with my back, which I now realise was probably because baby was back to back.
They agreed I could go on ward leave and spend the night at home but had to be back early the next morning for them to do the observations.
I was happy with that so off we went home. I got a fairly decent nights sleep and was in a better frame of mind about it the next morning.
Back at the hospital I spent the day being observed every 4 hours but the second pessary wasn't inserted until the evening (24 hours after the 1st was taken out)
The next morning I was in even more pain in my back, I had also hardly slept again and was even more fed up. I hadn't felt anything that suggested anything was progressing! I never thought I'd look forward to pain so much!
It got to the 24 hour mark and was told the consultant would be available to examine me soon. This was at about 5.45 and I ended up not being seen until midnight!
Again, nothing had changed and they finally agreed the next step was a csection.
They had allowed Hubby to stay till I was examined as if I had been dilated enough to move up to labour ward he could come straight up with me. I was thankful he was there as as soon as the consultant left I burst into tears, trying to be quiet as other ladies on the ward were trying to sleep!
Looking back now I feel daft, things don't usually get to me that much but I think the situation along with hormones just got the better of me. It took a while for hubby to calm me down and the lovely midwife who was on duty that night came in to see us for a chat.
She was there when the consultant examined me and she could see how I'd just lost the will to live!! I was in so much pain but it wasn't doing anything!
She had been on the phone to labour ward to find out when they could do my section! She came and told us that she had got me second on the list for the morning and that in a few hours we would meet our little man.
She was so lovely and I'm so thankful that she was on duty that night as I'm pretty sure I would have walked out of hospital and gone home that night if it wasn't for her. I just didn't want to be there.
Hubby finally went home to get some sleep and midwife stayed with me for a while to make sure I was ok. She didn't wake me for observations that night, she said that I needed to get as much sleep as possible. I could have kissed her! I was so tired!
Knowing that I was having a section in the morning meant that it, of course, took ages to get to sleep but once asleep I actually slept and woke up excited to meet our little man!
Hubby arrived at the hospital and helped me get up and showered, I was still in a lot of pain and struggling to walk because of my pelvis but I felt a lot better knowing that it was all going to be over soon.
I got taken up to labour ward at around half 10 and was seen by a consultant and then the anaesthetist and then a midwife that prepped me the the surgery.
I'm not sure exactly what time I went down to theatre, it all felt very surreal and I couldn't quite believe I was minutes away from becoming a mummy! I wasn't nervous though, Hubby was worse than me!
Everything went well with no complications, I don't remember too much of it except laughing at the reactions of the team at the amount of fluid they got out of me. Apparently they usually get about 400-500 ml whereas I had nearly 2 litres!
Our little chuck was born at 13.34 weighing 9lb14!
He was absolutely perfect and I can't describe how it felt to see him for the first time.
As much as I didn't enjoy the experience leading up to his birth I would do it all again without a second thought. He is so worth it all!
After another 2 nights in hospital we took our little chuck home. He's now 20 days old and doing brilliantly. We would be lost without him now.
For anyone reading this who is booked to be induced etc. Don't let my experience worry you. It works for a lot of people, and quickly in a lot of cases. My little one just didn't want to come out!
My due date was the 1st May but I think I always knew I wouldn't get to full term.
Pregnancy wasn't easy, I suffered with HG from 8 weeks to 23, at my 25 week appointment I measured 28 and a scan found that I had Polyhidramnios and that baby was also measuring big. I had growth scans every few weeks after that and until my second GTT came back borderline there was no reason for baby to be measuring big. All was good and healthy though which was the main thing.
At 32 weeks I started testing my sugars to try and slow his growth down but he still grew at the same rate!
Due to size and the excess water I started to really differ with SPD, I could hardly walk some days and turning over in bed or trying to get out of bed felt impossible!
At my 36 week consultant appointment I was told I would need to be induced at 38 weeks.
I had always hated the thought of being induced as both of my sisters had failed inductions which resulted in emergency sections, which is something that I wanted to avoid!
When I asked about the possibility of an elective section I was told that it was riskier for me and that it wasn't best for baby. I felt like I didn't really have a choice so therefore I gave consent for the induction.
I went into hospital at 8am on 17th April. The first pessary was inserted at roughly 11.30 that morning and then waiting game began!
I was monitored at a lot at different points throughout the day and was desperately hoping to start feeling something. It got to 9pm that night and Hubby had to go home as the hospital doesn't allow husbands/partners to stay if not in labour. At that point I was already fed up, got a little teary as Hubby left, the thought of something possibly happening over night and him not being there was horrible.
I struggled to sleep that night, the worst part was the midwives waking me up to do observations every few hours- usually just as I had dozed off!
At around 3am I woke up to terrible back ache, hoped that it was a good sign, took some paracetamol and tried to get some more sleep.
Few hours later I was still in a lot of pain in my back but nothing else. I was examined at 11.30am and was told that nothing much had changed with my cervix, Slightly softer and shorter but that was it.
The pessary was left in for another 6 hours and I was then examined again. This time by a consultant, she told me I was about 1 cm dilated but that it was not enough for them to break my waters and get things going.
At this point I now wish I had just demanded a section, I discussed it with the consultant and she was understanding but again persuaded me to give a second pessary a try. She explained that she was 'confident' a second one would do the trick.
As you have to have a 24 hour rest period between pessarys I agreed to have the second one IF they let me go home for the night. I was so tired from not sleeping the night before and I just wanted my comfy bed. At this point I was still in agony with my back, which I now realise was probably because baby was back to back.
They agreed I could go on ward leave and spend the night at home but had to be back early the next morning for them to do the observations.
I was happy with that so off we went home. I got a fairly decent nights sleep and was in a better frame of mind about it the next morning.
Back at the hospital I spent the day being observed every 4 hours but the second pessary wasn't inserted until the evening (24 hours after the 1st was taken out)
The next morning I was in even more pain in my back, I had also hardly slept again and was even more fed up. I hadn't felt anything that suggested anything was progressing! I never thought I'd look forward to pain so much!
It got to the 24 hour mark and was told the consultant would be available to examine me soon. This was at about 5.45 and I ended up not being seen until midnight!
Again, nothing had changed and they finally agreed the next step was a csection.
They had allowed Hubby to stay till I was examined as if I had been dilated enough to move up to labour ward he could come straight up with me. I was thankful he was there as as soon as the consultant left I burst into tears, trying to be quiet as other ladies on the ward were trying to sleep!
Looking back now I feel daft, things don't usually get to me that much but I think the situation along with hormones just got the better of me. It took a while for hubby to calm me down and the lovely midwife who was on duty that night came in to see us for a chat.
She was there when the consultant examined me and she could see how I'd just lost the will to live!! I was in so much pain but it wasn't doing anything!
She had been on the phone to labour ward to find out when they could do my section! She came and told us that she had got me second on the list for the morning and that in a few hours we would meet our little man.
She was so lovely and I'm so thankful that she was on duty that night as I'm pretty sure I would have walked out of hospital and gone home that night if it wasn't for her. I just didn't want to be there.
Hubby finally went home to get some sleep and midwife stayed with me for a while to make sure I was ok. She didn't wake me for observations that night, she said that I needed to get as much sleep as possible. I could have kissed her! I was so tired!
Knowing that I was having a section in the morning meant that it, of course, took ages to get to sleep but once asleep I actually slept and woke up excited to meet our little man!
Hubby arrived at the hospital and helped me get up and showered, I was still in a lot of pain and struggling to walk because of my pelvis but I felt a lot better knowing that it was all going to be over soon.
I got taken up to labour ward at around half 10 and was seen by a consultant and then the anaesthetist and then a midwife that prepped me the the surgery.
I'm not sure exactly what time I went down to theatre, it all felt very surreal and I couldn't quite believe I was minutes away from becoming a mummy! I wasn't nervous though, Hubby was worse than me!
Everything went well with no complications, I don't remember too much of it except laughing at the reactions of the team at the amount of fluid they got out of me. Apparently they usually get about 400-500 ml whereas I had nearly 2 litres!
Our little chuck was born at 13.34 weighing 9lb14!
He was absolutely perfect and I can't describe how it felt to see him for the first time.
As much as I didn't enjoy the experience leading up to his birth I would do it all again without a second thought. He is so worth it all!
After another 2 nights in hospital we took our little chuck home. He's now 20 days old and doing brilliantly. We would be lost without him now.
For anyone reading this who is booked to be induced etc. Don't let my experience worry you. It works for a lot of people, and quickly in a lot of cases. My little one just didn't want to come out!
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