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The longest day of my life
Im going to try to keep this short as possible so ill start on Thursday 9/3/12.
Went to college, was feeling damp down below and had a couple of gushes of liquid during the night/day that i thought were probably increased watery dc but was possibly pee or waters. I had a mw app at 5pm so i decided to just mention it to her as i was convinced it was nothing. Had my app and all was well, got booked to have a sweep on tues 13/3/12 unless i went before then. Mentioned the wet feeling and mw said to go to the hospital and get it checked out as if it was waters then id need to be induced or monitored due to risk of infection.
Went home and got OH and we went to the hospital for monitoring and to get examined. Was monitored for hb, movement and had a speculum exam. Waters hadnt gone but due to me not feeling movements the dr wanted to bring forward my induction from the 16/3/12 to the next awailable slot. I was given a sweep then by the mw who said i was soft and thin and she could get a finger in and do a good sweep. Was told to come back at 8.30pm the next night to be induced!
Went to asda and got food and last minute bits and picked up a Chinese, visited my mum to fill her in on what was going on and then went home and relaxed with my food and tv. I went to bed at 12.30 and slept from 1am til 4am. I woke up needing the loo so i went and i had a gush of liquid that soaked my knickers but wasnt enough to soak my pj bottoms too so i was unsure if it was waters or just more dc. After using the loo i went back to sleep for half an hour. I woke up at 4.30am with contractions that were a bit irregular but i thought fairly steady. They were like a band of pain tightening as they moved up my tummy and then they would ease off for a couple of mins and come back again in waves. I tried to sleep thru then and they were too uncomfy so i finally got up at about 5am and came downstairs. I put my hospital bags by the front door and got my slippers and a cuppa and sat on my ball posting on the forum for a few hours. 9am i was uncomfy enough that i was taking paracetamol and i threw up which prompted me to call the hospital and ask their advice on when to come in. They said if i could last that long to wait til between 12 and 1 and then come in to get checked over.
12.30 me and OH go off to hospital. At this point im having a contraction for 1min every 3 mins and coping fine. Got to hospital and got stuck on a bed for 3 hrs having hb and movement monitored, had a speculum exam and was told my waters had gone but i was only 2-3cm so i wasnt in established labour. Lying on the bed was the only way they could monitor the babys hb but it was really painful every time a contraction hit and made them weaker and more erratic but they hurt in my back a lot more so i was happy to get off the monitor and be allowed to walk round. I was told that since my waters had gone i wouldnt be allowed to leave due to risk of infection and that they couldnt check me by hand for dialation so i was going to be left on the early labour/induction ward and to go walk around and get my stuff. Its about 4pm now so off we go and get my things out the car and walk a bit to try and get things moving. It really does hurt less if your calm and keep active. Got back to the bed they had given me on the ward and sat on my ball. Mw comes and says theyre going to send me home! I said if they were sending me home then i want cocodamol to take with me so off she goes to get a scrip for some. She comes back and says that they have now decided im not allowed to leave after all. Sit there for another half an hour or so bouncing and walking. Then she comes back with a dr who says that i can go home if i want and come back at 8.30am to be checked out and have things moved along or i can stay but they wont be examining me until 8.30am regardless because of the risk of infection after my waters breaking early. I was just about to go home in a really pissed off mood when i was told that yet again they had changed their mind and i was to stay but my OH had to leave at 8pm. Shift change would be at 9pm and if i was in pain then i could have pethedine to help me get some sleep!!!! So we stayed and i kept active, was advised to eat something which i did but i threw it up as i had said i would, got told to have a shower to help the pain so i did. It did help a little but getting dry and dressed again was so painful with the contractions happening i really didnt enjoy it, and then i was advised to have another shower for longer like half an hour later! I was so annoyed and i really felt like no one was listening to me. The mw on duty was nice enough just a bit useless, she said she could tell i was one of those ppl that had a high pain threshold and would get far quite fast and not show it but cos of the risk of infection she couldnt examine me or do anything for me really.
OH went home at 8 reluctantly and i paced and bounced and had another shower just to shut up the mw. At 9pm i went out and pretty much begged the new mw for pethadine. I said if i was going to be here like this all night then i needed drugs. She went off to check with the dr and i went back to the ward and had 4 contractions while waiting for her. They had changed in the last half hour from bands of pain going upwards over my tum to pressure going downwards and i was fighting not to push. When the mw came back to me i said i dont know whats happening but either i need drugs, i need to push or i need the loo really badly now. She said that she was going to just examine me before they would give me anything so i agreed. Lay down and she stuck her hand up there and had a good feel around and got a big shocked look on her face before pulling out her hadn and running off saying she wanted to get a 2nd opinion. Another mw came along and had a root around in me and said yes your a good 8-9cm and there are waters bulging!
Cue speedy transfer to delivery ward and everyone telling me how well id done to get that far on cocodamol alone and not make a fuss, i texted oh and my brother and mum and anyone else i could remember to update. OH had gone home to get food and a shower so my bro popped round to chase him up and make sure he came back to the hospital quick. He was shocked and a bit panicky as things had changed so quickly and he had eaten a big tea lol. Got stuck on a bed with the hb being monitored ad since they coudnt get it from any other position i was literally stuck on the bed. That hurt my back so so much i was in agony with every contraction and asked about getting an epidural. Got the anaesthetist to come and try to do an epi but i was contracting almost back to back now and there was barely any time between them for him to do it. Top that off with the mw pushing the monitoring thingy onto my tum to try and get the hb while im trying to hunch forward and it was really pointless. 4 attempts later i said to give up as it was just getting sore every try. Since i couldnt get the epi now i thought id try g&a as i didnt have a lot of options left and if i realy hated it it would wear off quick. Omg that stuff saved my life, i would give it a medal if i could it was that much help. I could still think and feel and function but it took the edge off the pain which was really severe in my back now, i even tried turning on my side a little and they started saying she was coming down now. Then they said that there was meconium in the waters as my hind waters went and i needed to start pushing her out. They started monitoring her hb from her head and told me her head was the wrong way so she was back to back. Needless to say they offered me diamorphine and said that they would cut me as needed rather than let me tear. Basically from that point i was exhausted and in constant pain so i just did whatever they said and huffed on the gas. I was cut a few times and i didnt even notice the difference of being given diamorphine, i felt no different and i cant say it hurt more or less. Had a random mw who kept popping in and telling me to grab my legs, or try this position or something like that and i just did it. My OH said that at that point if id been asked if they could cut off my arm id have agreed if it would have got her out. I pushed when they said to,wether i had a contraction or not i tried to keep up some pressure so she didnt slip back a bit between contractions and somehow slowly she came down and i managed to get her head out. The mw was telling me what to do and i did it and then all of a sudden she popped out with a huge flood of waters (yucky meconium grossness my OH said) and they asked if he wanted to cut the cord (no) and they wiped her down and handed her to someone to check over and clear her airway out. The relief i felt when she came out was the best thing i have ever felt in my life. She was cleaned up and handed to my OH while i watched and then i got stitched back up which took about an hour. I took the injection and got the placenta out after a lil while and when i was all stitched and sorted i took the pessary painkiller and was give Alyssa to hold and feed and have skin to skin. OH went home as he was exhausted and stressed from the long hard day (hes a worrier and has panic attacks so i was really proud of him for copeing so well when i was in so much pain) and i spent an hour or so just trying to stay awake and feed Lyssa. Got her weighed and was told she was 10lb 14oz and 54cm.
Finally got on the post natal ward at 7am and had an hours sleep before having to start the daily routine of breakfast, hb, bp and temp checks that would be the annoyance of my life for the next 3 days and me and Lyssa spent our time getting to know each other and trying to work out how to feed her lol. Were home now and shes breast feeding well. Shes generally a happy content baby and is totally worth every minute of what i went thru.
Dont think im a hero or anything special as at no point did i really get much choice in how i dealt with anything. I basically just had to cope with it somehow, i felt that the hospital was a bit crap and some of the staff were horrible but there were 2 or 3 mws that made it ok and really made me feel better. Needless to say OH is traumatised and im gonna have to gently convince him that it will be ok to have another one in a years time lol. He thinks im jokeing right now but he will realise im serious sooner or later lol.
i hope this dosent put anyone off as i would totally do it again right now if given the choice between having her or not and if i couldnt change a thing id still think it was worth it just to have her in my arms.
Im going to try to keep this short as possible so ill start on Thursday 9/3/12.
Went to college, was feeling damp down below and had a couple of gushes of liquid during the night/day that i thought were probably increased watery dc but was possibly pee or waters. I had a mw app at 5pm so i decided to just mention it to her as i was convinced it was nothing. Had my app and all was well, got booked to have a sweep on tues 13/3/12 unless i went before then. Mentioned the wet feeling and mw said to go to the hospital and get it checked out as if it was waters then id need to be induced or monitored due to risk of infection.
Went home and got OH and we went to the hospital for monitoring and to get examined. Was monitored for hb, movement and had a speculum exam. Waters hadnt gone but due to me not feeling movements the dr wanted to bring forward my induction from the 16/3/12 to the next awailable slot. I was given a sweep then by the mw who said i was soft and thin and she could get a finger in and do a good sweep. Was told to come back at 8.30pm the next night to be induced!
Went to asda and got food and last minute bits and picked up a Chinese, visited my mum to fill her in on what was going on and then went home and relaxed with my food and tv. I went to bed at 12.30 and slept from 1am til 4am. I woke up needing the loo so i went and i had a gush of liquid that soaked my knickers but wasnt enough to soak my pj bottoms too so i was unsure if it was waters or just more dc. After using the loo i went back to sleep for half an hour. I woke up at 4.30am with contractions that were a bit irregular but i thought fairly steady. They were like a band of pain tightening as they moved up my tummy and then they would ease off for a couple of mins and come back again in waves. I tried to sleep thru then and they were too uncomfy so i finally got up at about 5am and came downstairs. I put my hospital bags by the front door and got my slippers and a cuppa and sat on my ball posting on the forum for a few hours. 9am i was uncomfy enough that i was taking paracetamol and i threw up which prompted me to call the hospital and ask their advice on when to come in. They said if i could last that long to wait til between 12 and 1 and then come in to get checked over.
12.30 me and OH go off to hospital. At this point im having a contraction for 1min every 3 mins and coping fine. Got to hospital and got stuck on a bed for 3 hrs having hb and movement monitored, had a speculum exam and was told my waters had gone but i was only 2-3cm so i wasnt in established labour. Lying on the bed was the only way they could monitor the babys hb but it was really painful every time a contraction hit and made them weaker and more erratic but they hurt in my back a lot more so i was happy to get off the monitor and be allowed to walk round. I was told that since my waters had gone i wouldnt be allowed to leave due to risk of infection and that they couldnt check me by hand for dialation so i was going to be left on the early labour/induction ward and to go walk around and get my stuff. Its about 4pm now so off we go and get my things out the car and walk a bit to try and get things moving. It really does hurt less if your calm and keep active. Got back to the bed they had given me on the ward and sat on my ball. Mw comes and says theyre going to send me home! I said if they were sending me home then i want cocodamol to take with me so off she goes to get a scrip for some. She comes back and says that they have now decided im not allowed to leave after all. Sit there for another half an hour or so bouncing and walking. Then she comes back with a dr who says that i can go home if i want and come back at 8.30am to be checked out and have things moved along or i can stay but they wont be examining me until 8.30am regardless because of the risk of infection after my waters breaking early. I was just about to go home in a really pissed off mood when i was told that yet again they had changed their mind and i was to stay but my OH had to leave at 8pm. Shift change would be at 9pm and if i was in pain then i could have pethedine to help me get some sleep!!!! So we stayed and i kept active, was advised to eat something which i did but i threw it up as i had said i would, got told to have a shower to help the pain so i did. It did help a little but getting dry and dressed again was so painful with the contractions happening i really didnt enjoy it, and then i was advised to have another shower for longer like half an hour later! I was so annoyed and i really felt like no one was listening to me. The mw on duty was nice enough just a bit useless, she said she could tell i was one of those ppl that had a high pain threshold and would get far quite fast and not show it but cos of the risk of infection she couldnt examine me or do anything for me really.
OH went home at 8 reluctantly and i paced and bounced and had another shower just to shut up the mw. At 9pm i went out and pretty much begged the new mw for pethadine. I said if i was going to be here like this all night then i needed drugs. She went off to check with the dr and i went back to the ward and had 4 contractions while waiting for her. They had changed in the last half hour from bands of pain going upwards over my tum to pressure going downwards and i was fighting not to push. When the mw came back to me i said i dont know whats happening but either i need drugs, i need to push or i need the loo really badly now. She said that she was going to just examine me before they would give me anything so i agreed. Lay down and she stuck her hand up there and had a good feel around and got a big shocked look on her face before pulling out her hadn and running off saying she wanted to get a 2nd opinion. Another mw came along and had a root around in me and said yes your a good 8-9cm and there are waters bulging!
Cue speedy transfer to delivery ward and everyone telling me how well id done to get that far on cocodamol alone and not make a fuss, i texted oh and my brother and mum and anyone else i could remember to update. OH had gone home to get food and a shower so my bro popped round to chase him up and make sure he came back to the hospital quick. He was shocked and a bit panicky as things had changed so quickly and he had eaten a big tea lol. Got stuck on a bed with the hb being monitored ad since they coudnt get it from any other position i was literally stuck on the bed. That hurt my back so so much i was in agony with every contraction and asked about getting an epidural. Got the anaesthetist to come and try to do an epi but i was contracting almost back to back now and there was barely any time between them for him to do it. Top that off with the mw pushing the monitoring thingy onto my tum to try and get the hb while im trying to hunch forward and it was really pointless. 4 attempts later i said to give up as it was just getting sore every try. Since i couldnt get the epi now i thought id try g&a as i didnt have a lot of options left and if i realy hated it it would wear off quick. Omg that stuff saved my life, i would give it a medal if i could it was that much help. I could still think and feel and function but it took the edge off the pain which was really severe in my back now, i even tried turning on my side a little and they started saying she was coming down now. Then they said that there was meconium in the waters as my hind waters went and i needed to start pushing her out. They started monitoring her hb from her head and told me her head was the wrong way so she was back to back. Needless to say they offered me diamorphine and said that they would cut me as needed rather than let me tear. Basically from that point i was exhausted and in constant pain so i just did whatever they said and huffed on the gas. I was cut a few times and i didnt even notice the difference of being given diamorphine, i felt no different and i cant say it hurt more or less. Had a random mw who kept popping in and telling me to grab my legs, or try this position or something like that and i just did it. My OH said that at that point if id been asked if they could cut off my arm id have agreed if it would have got her out. I pushed when they said to,wether i had a contraction or not i tried to keep up some pressure so she didnt slip back a bit between contractions and somehow slowly she came down and i managed to get her head out. The mw was telling me what to do and i did it and then all of a sudden she popped out with a huge flood of waters (yucky meconium grossness my OH said) and they asked if he wanted to cut the cord (no) and they wiped her down and handed her to someone to check over and clear her airway out. The relief i felt when she came out was the best thing i have ever felt in my life. She was cleaned up and handed to my OH while i watched and then i got stitched back up which took about an hour. I took the injection and got the placenta out after a lil while and when i was all stitched and sorted i took the pessary painkiller and was give Alyssa to hold and feed and have skin to skin. OH went home as he was exhausted and stressed from the long hard day (hes a worrier and has panic attacks so i was really proud of him for copeing so well when i was in so much pain) and i spent an hour or so just trying to stay awake and feed Lyssa. Got her weighed and was told she was 10lb 14oz and 54cm.
Finally got on the post natal ward at 7am and had an hours sleep before having to start the daily routine of breakfast, hb, bp and temp checks that would be the annoyance of my life for the next 3 days and me and Lyssa spent our time getting to know each other and trying to work out how to feed her lol. Were home now and shes breast feeding well. Shes generally a happy content baby and is totally worth every minute of what i went thru.
Dont think im a hero or anything special as at no point did i really get much choice in how i dealt with anything. I basically just had to cope with it somehow, i felt that the hospital was a bit crap and some of the staff were horrible but there were 2 or 3 mws that made it ok and really made me feel better. Needless to say OH is traumatised and im gonna have to gently convince him that it will be ok to have another one in a years time lol. He thinks im jokeing right now but he will realise im serious sooner or later lol.
i hope this dosent put anyone off as i would totally do it again right now if given the choice between having her or not and if i couldnt change a thing id still think it was worth it just to have her in my arms.
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xxxx
congratulations
