Birth Story of Jack James Michael Barton
DOB: Wednesday 13th August 2008 @ 6:41am
EDD: By LMP 21.08 By scan 23.08
Weight: 9lbs 14
Via: Emergency C-Section
Birth Plan: Hoped for Home Birth
Complications: Undiagnosed Breech, Pre-Eclampsia escalating to full blown Eclampsia
Pregnancy History
1st Bump pic @ 19 Weeks
Last Bump pic @ 34 Weeks
For those who haven't bored of it already, I had been repeatedly going to hospital, MWs and GPs with Pre-Eclampsia symptoms since 16 weeks (swelling of feet and hands, visual disturbances, headaches, high BP, pain in right rib).
My feet
:
In the days leading up to birth;
Monday 4th - GP Check, BP very high - referred to DAU, Sent home as BP was 'ok' and no protein showing in urine, asked to come back Weds.
Wednesday 6th - waited for 5 hours, sent home as too short staffed and asked to come back Thurs
Thursday 7th - Diagnosed as 'mild' pre-eclampsia
Saturday 9th - Sweep conducted - resulted in slight bleeding, regular painless Braxton Hicks from then on til birth
Monday 11th - Again only trace of protein, so sent home
Tuesday 12th - Consultant done internal examination - said cervix favourable, but no protein and BP consistant. Said she thought it was actually NOT Pre-Eclampsia and to come back in one week!
Before bed that night, had a little pinky wipe, but put it down to having an internal earlier on.
The Birth
2.30am felt a little wet down there told OH I thought my waters were going. He got up to turn on the light and by that point I knew they were I was in a pool on the bed! Yuk! Soaked through a whole towel getting to the bathroom and phoned labour ward from the toilet.
Thankfully got through to a women who had seen me already with high BP who asked me to come in but labour ward was full but come in just to get checked. Contractions then started at around 8mins apart.
Got there by 3.30am and was told to go to Ante natal by then contractions every 4 mins. They found us a bed on a ward where two women were sleeping so had to hide OH behind a curtain and just breathe through contractions trying not to wake them.
Hooked me up to BP monitor and CTG machine for 20 mins contractions got to 2 mins apart and she done an internal said I was just 1cm but she was certain she wasnt feeling a head, and was certain it was a foot. She calmly explained we would need to then started getting ready for theatre ASAP for an emergency C-Section ?
When it started to go wrong Thankfully, though I hoped for a home birth, I never wrote a full birth plan as I wanted to be open to everything and anything, and had thought through the prospect of a c-section previously incase this situation arouse.
Epidural took ages as apparently I have a curved spine!
Once laid out and chatting to OH while they started about their business, I started to feel sick, my eyes were getting heavy and my head felt like it was sinking. OH told them and turns out my BP had dropped to about 75/50! They topped up the drip and I felt better for a moment but felt funny again about 5 minutes later BP dropped again to 55/35!!! Again they topped up the drip and was chatting to OH about holidays when we heard a little cry across the room!!
OH went and got Jack and gave him to me he looked just like his 4d pic which really helped that first bonding but again my BP started to drop and he was taken off me ?
I was wheeled in to recovery, and MW was checking my BP and just about to give first breast feed when my arm started to shake, well, spasm she said it was normal but OH could see something was up and the next minute everything got scary
Fits When it went even more wrong My whole body went into seizure I heard MW call out that I was having an eclamptic fit. I couldnt hold my eyes open, couldnt talk and couldnt control my movements. Apparently the best way to describe it is like and epileptic fit and is also brought on by swelling in the brain.
About 10 people came running and put in a drip of Magnesium Sulphate. I could everything that was happening but couldnt tell them or OH I was ok. The Mag Sulphate brought me back round and I felt knackered.
Then about 5-10minutes later, as MW was explaining what happened I had the second fit! Docs came running again and topped up the drip.
I spent the rest of the day until midnight on recovery ward, immobilized by two drips, BP monitor, heart rate monitor and catheter!
I stayed up on labour ward that night and the staff were amazing looking after me and Jack. OH was unreal too, feeding me and keeping me comfortable. He admitted to crying his eyes out after seeing the fits
The Aftermath
On Thursday night I was moved to ante natal ward and really disliked the staff on the first night
I had been taken off liquid morphine earlier that day as it was making me trip out! Yet they got funny when I turned it down later and were really unhelpful in helping me get about or helping with Jack.
When the drip was taking out, my hand started spasming again and I was petrified of another seizure, turns out I was just hemorrhaging!
On Friday night, doctor came and told me I wouldnt be going home for a while, as they had been giving me the wrong drugs for my BP so would have to switch them and monitor me for longer! Thankfully after much begging and pleading, I was allowed home by Sunday evening.
And Now .
I really owe my life to my little man doing his last minute flip to breech. I had some many check ups in that last week and he was head down and starting to engage, god knows how he managed to turn completely like that but if he hadnt we would both be in a whole different boat I would have been left to labour naturally and those docs would have not been so closely to hand.
He is so well behaved too, and is so perfectly healthy, I feel very lucky that the 3 of us can now get on with being a happy healthy family and look forward to the future ?
The Photos
For the ones that just want to go ahhhh here he is!
Daddys Kisses
Bored on the ward
Sleepy head
Proud Nanny
And finally coming home....
DOB: Wednesday 13th August 2008 @ 6:41am
EDD: By LMP 21.08 By scan 23.08
Weight: 9lbs 14
Via: Emergency C-Section
Birth Plan: Hoped for Home Birth
Complications: Undiagnosed Breech, Pre-Eclampsia escalating to full blown Eclampsia
Pregnancy History
1st Bump pic @ 19 Weeks
Last Bump pic @ 34 Weeks
For those who haven't bored of it already, I had been repeatedly going to hospital, MWs and GPs with Pre-Eclampsia symptoms since 16 weeks (swelling of feet and hands, visual disturbances, headaches, high BP, pain in right rib).
My feet
:
In the days leading up to birth;
Monday 4th - GP Check, BP very high - referred to DAU, Sent home as BP was 'ok' and no protein showing in urine, asked to come back Weds.
Wednesday 6th - waited for 5 hours, sent home as too short staffed and asked to come back Thurs
Thursday 7th - Diagnosed as 'mild' pre-eclampsia
Saturday 9th - Sweep conducted - resulted in slight bleeding, regular painless Braxton Hicks from then on til birth
Monday 11th - Again only trace of protein, so sent home
Tuesday 12th - Consultant done internal examination - said cervix favourable, but no protein and BP consistant. Said she thought it was actually NOT Pre-Eclampsia and to come back in one week!
Before bed that night, had a little pinky wipe, but put it down to having an internal earlier on.
The Birth
2.30am felt a little wet down there told OH I thought my waters were going. He got up to turn on the light and by that point I knew they were I was in a pool on the bed! Yuk! Soaked through a whole towel getting to the bathroom and phoned labour ward from the toilet.
Thankfully got through to a women who had seen me already with high BP who asked me to come in but labour ward was full but come in just to get checked. Contractions then started at around 8mins apart.
Got there by 3.30am and was told to go to Ante natal by then contractions every 4 mins. They found us a bed on a ward where two women were sleeping so had to hide OH behind a curtain and just breathe through contractions trying not to wake them.
Hooked me up to BP monitor and CTG machine for 20 mins contractions got to 2 mins apart and she done an internal said I was just 1cm but she was certain she wasnt feeling a head, and was certain it was a foot. She calmly explained we would need to then started getting ready for theatre ASAP for an emergency C-Section ?
When it started to go wrong Thankfully, though I hoped for a home birth, I never wrote a full birth plan as I wanted to be open to everything and anything, and had thought through the prospect of a c-section previously incase this situation arouse.
Epidural took ages as apparently I have a curved spine!
Once laid out and chatting to OH while they started about their business, I started to feel sick, my eyes were getting heavy and my head felt like it was sinking. OH told them and turns out my BP had dropped to about 75/50! They topped up the drip and I felt better for a moment but felt funny again about 5 minutes later BP dropped again to 55/35!!! Again they topped up the drip and was chatting to OH about holidays when we heard a little cry across the room!!
OH went and got Jack and gave him to me he looked just like his 4d pic which really helped that first bonding but again my BP started to drop and he was taken off me ?
I was wheeled in to recovery, and MW was checking my BP and just about to give first breast feed when my arm started to shake, well, spasm she said it was normal but OH could see something was up and the next minute everything got scary
Fits When it went even more wrong My whole body went into seizure I heard MW call out that I was having an eclamptic fit. I couldnt hold my eyes open, couldnt talk and couldnt control my movements. Apparently the best way to describe it is like and epileptic fit and is also brought on by swelling in the brain.
About 10 people came running and put in a drip of Magnesium Sulphate. I could everything that was happening but couldnt tell them or OH I was ok. The Mag Sulphate brought me back round and I felt knackered.
Then about 5-10minutes later, as MW was explaining what happened I had the second fit! Docs came running again and topped up the drip.
I spent the rest of the day until midnight on recovery ward, immobilized by two drips, BP monitor, heart rate monitor and catheter!
I stayed up on labour ward that night and the staff were amazing looking after me and Jack. OH was unreal too, feeding me and keeping me comfortable. He admitted to crying his eyes out after seeing the fits
The Aftermath
On Thursday night I was moved to ante natal ward and really disliked the staff on the first night
I had been taken off liquid morphine earlier that day as it was making me trip out! Yet they got funny when I turned it down later and were really unhelpful in helping me get about or helping with Jack. When the drip was taking out, my hand started spasming again and I was petrified of another seizure, turns out I was just hemorrhaging!
On Friday night, doctor came and told me I wouldnt be going home for a while, as they had been giving me the wrong drugs for my BP so would have to switch them and monitor me for longer! Thankfully after much begging and pleading, I was allowed home by Sunday evening.
And Now .
I really owe my life to my little man doing his last minute flip to breech. I had some many check ups in that last week and he was head down and starting to engage, god knows how he managed to turn completely like that but if he hadnt we would both be in a whole different boat I would have been left to labour naturally and those docs would have not been so closely to hand.
He is so well behaved too, and is so perfectly healthy, I feel very lucky that the 3 of us can now get on with being a happy healthy family and look forward to the future ?
The Photos
For the ones that just want to go ahhhh here he is!
Daddys Kisses
Bored on the ward
Sleepy head
Proud Nanny
And finally coming home....
That sounds really traumatic.
