Hi all,
Apologies for the lack of update!
I will keep it brief as it went on and on and was actually pretty awful and I don't want to relive it to be honest!
Wednesday 3rd - Went in for induction in afternoon. Was 1cm dilated and well effaced. Having regular contractions. Midwife decided to send me home to see if anything happened overnight.
Thursday 4th - Back in morning. Nothing changed overnight and the contractions had calmed down. Left until 9:30am on monitor. Gel inserted and left for a few hours with regular monitoring. Contractions picked up but not painful.
11:30am checked again. Decision made to break waters midday. Waters broken. Very very painful, took 2 different midwives to break it. Bag very strong. Once the bag went the pressure went off and I felt like things were starting off. Contractions picked up and became painful at 4pmish. Asked for gas and air. Checked and 5cm dilated. Contractions became very strong and very painful. Ended up being moved! I was in the pool room as there was no where else to put me and a woman came in freaking out that she needed the room. I was asked to move. Didn't really mind but I was in the middle of a contraction when I was joined in the room by another midwife asking us.... thanks then.
Contracted all night, had injection which made me vomit on and off all night. Anti-sickness did not work. Managed to get to 7cm dilated then sort of stalled. Put on to hormone drip and things picked up some more but I was so exhausted I needed some more help with the pain. Gave in and asked for an epidural (do it by the way.... if you think you want it, ask for it sooner rather than later).
Once epidural in things felt better. Got to 10cm dilated by 6:30pmish. Left for an hour then allowed to push. This is when it went a bit wrong.
Started pushing around half 7. He was in a good position to start with then he seemed to move back to back. He was coming down with the side of his head first so not great. I pushed for an hour and was exhausted.
Dr decided to try ventouse. Big one would not fit at all. Next one down went in and got suction on his head but all it did was bruise and cut his head! No chance this was going to work. Decision made to take me to theater to try forceps. Paperwork also signed for emergency c-section.
Taken down and put on bed. Started to feel extremely weird and panicky. More than I would have expected from me and I felt totally out of control. Poor DH was trying to keep me calm but I totally lost it. Spinal was working well and I felt so claustrophobic not being able to move and having the curtain across my face. Forceps failed, just bruised LO's forehead
Emergency c-section was only option left so op started. I then went in to shock and was shaking like mad. DH was amazing all the way through and was doing his best to keep me calm.
Baby born at 9:14pm. Given straight to DH who was taken from the room. He gave him his first feed, put on his nappy and was taken to our room.
Since leaving hospital and reading the notes, it turns out I was actually in serious trouble.
I was severely septic and my organs were shutting down. It makes sense now, and the shaking and freaking out are part of the sepsis. I lost 800mls of blood which they were worried about as well. LO was taken around midnight for blood tests. It seemed like he was gone for ever!
Spent the night laying there trying to sleep but too traumatised to drop off. Also my new baby was laying next to me wanting feeds and cuddles but the spinal was still doing its things to stop the pain. Midwives were fab all night. Drs came back in the morning to repeat bloods as one set had clotted. Again he was gone for ages.
Moved to postnatal around midday on the Saturday. I managed to get up and about but I was very numb still and sore/stiff. LO had to go under double lights for jaundice. Poor little chap. DH went home to get changed and pick up my mum. Both mums and SIL came to see LO. DH then had to take mum home and while he was gone, the dr's came back to say they needed to take LO for a lumbar puncture! They were checking for meningitis. I am sure this was explained to me but I have big blank patches in my memory now which I am a little grateful for to be honest. Called DH who came back asap. LO was gone for ages. I was told 30 mins. It got to 1 hour and I called the midwife in to ask what was going on. I was not allowed to go with him which is really sad but I think I would have upset him more.
In the end the results came back normal but they were waiting on the blood cultures which take 48 hours for the initial result. Turns out they were checking to see if what had happened to me had passed on to him, but again, I don't remember being told this while in hospital.
We had to stay in until Monday afternoon. Both of us on IV antibiotics. I was signed off and put on to self care. LO was kept as an outpatient and we finished his medications on Wednesday night. We had to go in to hospital twice a day. This meant he had an IV line in his hand until the treatment was finished. He hated this but it was important to keep it in and I am pleased we managed to.
All in all it was a horrible birth and to be honest it has put me off having more. I will be very very strict with contraception for the foreseeable future! I think it might even become a phobia!
Anyway, well done if you made it to the end of this! It was a very hard labour, about 36 hours from the gel. All worth it though because he is just so scrummy! Very relaxed baby. Calm and quiet. Hardly cries apart from for food which seems to be his only focus. So greedy! He weighed 7lb 14oz and gained almost 2oz at his 5 day check! Very healthy little boy. I am feeling OK. Wound a little sore but it is healing well.
Again sorry I didn't get on here sooner but things were just so touch and go at the start and then I have been so tired the laptop has stayed shut!
Apologies for the lack of update!
I will keep it brief as it went on and on and was actually pretty awful and I don't want to relive it to be honest!
Wednesday 3rd - Went in for induction in afternoon. Was 1cm dilated and well effaced. Having regular contractions. Midwife decided to send me home to see if anything happened overnight.
Thursday 4th - Back in morning. Nothing changed overnight and the contractions had calmed down. Left until 9:30am on monitor. Gel inserted and left for a few hours with regular monitoring. Contractions picked up but not painful.
11:30am checked again. Decision made to break waters midday. Waters broken. Very very painful, took 2 different midwives to break it. Bag very strong. Once the bag went the pressure went off and I felt like things were starting off. Contractions picked up and became painful at 4pmish. Asked for gas and air. Checked and 5cm dilated. Contractions became very strong and very painful. Ended up being moved! I was in the pool room as there was no where else to put me and a woman came in freaking out that she needed the room. I was asked to move. Didn't really mind but I was in the middle of a contraction when I was joined in the room by another midwife asking us.... thanks then.
Contracted all night, had injection which made me vomit on and off all night. Anti-sickness did not work. Managed to get to 7cm dilated then sort of stalled. Put on to hormone drip and things picked up some more but I was so exhausted I needed some more help with the pain. Gave in and asked for an epidural (do it by the way.... if you think you want it, ask for it sooner rather than later).
Once epidural in things felt better. Got to 10cm dilated by 6:30pmish. Left for an hour then allowed to push. This is when it went a bit wrong.
Started pushing around half 7. He was in a good position to start with then he seemed to move back to back. He was coming down with the side of his head first so not great. I pushed for an hour and was exhausted.
Dr decided to try ventouse. Big one would not fit at all. Next one down went in and got suction on his head but all it did was bruise and cut his head! No chance this was going to work. Decision made to take me to theater to try forceps. Paperwork also signed for emergency c-section.
Taken down and put on bed. Started to feel extremely weird and panicky. More than I would have expected from me and I felt totally out of control. Poor DH was trying to keep me calm but I totally lost it. Spinal was working well and I felt so claustrophobic not being able to move and having the curtain across my face. Forceps failed, just bruised LO's forehead
Emergency c-section was only option left so op started. I then went in to shock and was shaking like mad. DH was amazing all the way through and was doing his best to keep me calm.
Baby born at 9:14pm. Given straight to DH who was taken from the room. He gave him his first feed, put on his nappy and was taken to our room.
Since leaving hospital and reading the notes, it turns out I was actually in serious trouble.
I was severely septic and my organs were shutting down. It makes sense now, and the shaking and freaking out are part of the sepsis. I lost 800mls of blood which they were worried about as well. LO was taken around midnight for blood tests. It seemed like he was gone for ever!
Spent the night laying there trying to sleep but too traumatised to drop off. Also my new baby was laying next to me wanting feeds and cuddles but the spinal was still doing its things to stop the pain. Midwives were fab all night. Drs came back in the morning to repeat bloods as one set had clotted. Again he was gone for ages.
Moved to postnatal around midday on the Saturday. I managed to get up and about but I was very numb still and sore/stiff. LO had to go under double lights for jaundice. Poor little chap. DH went home to get changed and pick up my mum. Both mums and SIL came to see LO. DH then had to take mum home and while he was gone, the dr's came back to say they needed to take LO for a lumbar puncture! They were checking for meningitis. I am sure this was explained to me but I have big blank patches in my memory now which I am a little grateful for to be honest. Called DH who came back asap. LO was gone for ages. I was told 30 mins. It got to 1 hour and I called the midwife in to ask what was going on. I was not allowed to go with him which is really sad but I think I would have upset him more.
In the end the results came back normal but they were waiting on the blood cultures which take 48 hours for the initial result. Turns out they were checking to see if what had happened to me had passed on to him, but again, I don't remember being told this while in hospital.
We had to stay in until Monday afternoon. Both of us on IV antibiotics. I was signed off and put on to self care. LO was kept as an outpatient and we finished his medications on Wednesday night. We had to go in to hospital twice a day. This meant he had an IV line in his hand until the treatment was finished. He hated this but it was important to keep it in and I am pleased we managed to.
All in all it was a horrible birth and to be honest it has put me off having more. I will be very very strict with contraception for the foreseeable future! I think it might even become a phobia!
Anyway, well done if you made it to the end of this! It was a very hard labour, about 36 hours from the gel. All worth it though because he is just so scrummy! Very relaxed baby. Calm and quiet. Hardly cries apart from for food which seems to be his only focus. So greedy! He weighed 7lb 14oz and gained almost 2oz at his 5 day check! Very healthy little boy. I am feeling OK. Wound a little sore but it is healing well.
Again sorry I didn't get on here sooner but things were just so touch and go at the start and then I have been so tired the laptop has stayed shut!
xx
