MY BIRTH STORY - 20TH OCTOBER 2008 22,10
On Sunday morning, 19th October, I woke up @ 7 am with contractions every 15 minutes. I was due to go in to hospital for an induction if they hadnt started by 12 noon that day so I was very pleased. This advice had been given to me by my gyno, who happened not to be linked to the hospital where I was going to give birth. We called the hospital and our doctor and they said to come in in about an hour.
We got ready, and drove the half an hour to the hospital, with hot water bottle and paracetamol in tow. We were seen in emergency, where I was put on monitors. Then a midwife came in and checked my cervix, and I was 0 cm!! ? She said to go home, that I was way too early. I told her that my doctor said I had to be induced that day anyway, and she said that this isnt the case, that the placenta was fine, and that they cant take advice from doctors outside of their hospital. It was very frustrating as we were being given two sets of advice, and one was saying that our baby was in danger.
So, she agreed to give us an appointment with the hospital gyno for the next morning @ 9 am. We went home, and I spent the day on the couch, with contractions ranging from every 15 to 10 minutes. I got no sleep whatsoever that night as they were becoming more and more painful, I took a bath @ 6 am and got up and dressed, and we headed off @ 9 am for the hospital again.
We saw the doctor @ 10,30 am (grrr) who scanned me and told me I was 1 cm dilated, that there was very little fluid left and that an induction would be necessary but that I should come back tomorrow!!! I was so upset, I burst out crying, and said I had had no sleep, and wouldnt get any that night either, and how was I supposed to push a baby out with no sleep for the past few days. He backed down and agreed, and said he would admit me that day.
So! We were shown to our room. There was a bed there for DH as well (here in Spain, someone always stays with you when you are in hospital) and our lovely midwife Maria Auxi came up to introduce ourselves. She was sooooo nice, and I felt so at ease. She brought me down to be monitored and she inserted a tampon-like think of prostaglandin to start the induction. By this stage I was still only 1 cm.
We went back up to the room, had lunch, and @ 4 pm she returned for us. We were brought to the birthing room, and were told this is where we would stay until Leo was born. It was scary but exciting at the same time. She examined me, and I was only 2 cm! I was having strong contractions by this stage but dilation just didnt seem to be happening. She decided to break my waters then. Thats when the fun really started. The pains started coming every two minutes and they were so strong. Eric (DH) said they were going off the chart. I had to stand up as this favoured the baby getting into position and it was so hard to stay standing through a contraction.
Anyway, next thing, the contractions were coming on top of each other. I mean, literally one was over, and I could feel the next one brewing. It was agony. I was examined and I was still only 3 or 4 cm dilated so Eric and I decided I should have the epidural, as there was no way I could handle continuous contractions until 10 cm.
By 6 cm, the anaesthetist arrived and he inserted the epidural, which did not hurt at all, although trying to stay still during a contraction was very difficult. About ten minutes later, I was in heaven, smiling again, and able to converse with Eric. I was so glad. And, I was only 4 cm away from meeting Leo!!
We got to 9 cm very quickly. Maria, our midwife, put me into various positions throughout as Leo was not positioned well. I even had to do some pushing at 9 cm, while she had her hand up there, trying to turn him. At 9.5 cm, my worst nightmare came true, as she told me they had to perform an emergency c-section to get him out, as every time I would push, his head was going to come out face first, plus the fact that there had been very little fluid left in the first place.
Then it all went a bit crazy. She inserted a catheter into my bladder, she shaved me, she wrapped my legs up in awful big bandages all very quickly, with Eric helping her. I was then wheeled to surgery, where I was given the anaesthetic. I felt awful, I was shaking uncontrollably, and my mouth was so dry. The anaesthetist gave me drugs for the shaking and that made me nauseous. He gave me a piece of material with water on it to suck. I tried to focus on listening for Leos first cry, but everything was spinning and I couldnt breathe properly. After about ten minutes, I heard it, and he was held up to me so I could see him. Then he was whisked away. After what felt like an eternity, I was stitched up and Leo was brought to me for a little kiss. I couldnt hold him as my arms were dead from the anaesthetic (not sure why ).
I was brought back to the room and Eric and I waited for 3 hours for Leo to be brought to us. He was very cold when he was born, and had to be put in an incubator. He was 6.3 pounds, and the tiniest baby I had ever seen. When he was brought to us, the nurse just said that he was hungry and left me to it. I was terrified. But I put him to my breast and he started sucking away! ?
I stared at him practically all night. He is perfect.
I am not going to go into detail about the next 4 days I spent in the hospital, as they were so traumatic and I prefer to forget to be honest. Basically, I was in terrible pain, had bad fever, bleeding boobs, I could go on
Finally on Friday we were allowed go home, and I have been improving ever since. Leo sleeps for 4 hour stretches and is the best baby ever. It was totally worth it, and the main thing is that he is healthy and strong.
I still havent had the chance to upload photos on to FTP server to put on here but I will put some more up on my baby journal now (click link below).
On Sunday morning, 19th October, I woke up @ 7 am with contractions every 15 minutes. I was due to go in to hospital for an induction if they hadnt started by 12 noon that day so I was very pleased. This advice had been given to me by my gyno, who happened not to be linked to the hospital where I was going to give birth. We called the hospital and our doctor and they said to come in in about an hour.
We got ready, and drove the half an hour to the hospital, with hot water bottle and paracetamol in tow. We were seen in emergency, where I was put on monitors. Then a midwife came in and checked my cervix, and I was 0 cm!! ? She said to go home, that I was way too early. I told her that my doctor said I had to be induced that day anyway, and she said that this isnt the case, that the placenta was fine, and that they cant take advice from doctors outside of their hospital. It was very frustrating as we were being given two sets of advice, and one was saying that our baby was in danger.
So, she agreed to give us an appointment with the hospital gyno for the next morning @ 9 am. We went home, and I spent the day on the couch, with contractions ranging from every 15 to 10 minutes. I got no sleep whatsoever that night as they were becoming more and more painful, I took a bath @ 6 am and got up and dressed, and we headed off @ 9 am for the hospital again.
We saw the doctor @ 10,30 am (grrr) who scanned me and told me I was 1 cm dilated, that there was very little fluid left and that an induction would be necessary but that I should come back tomorrow!!! I was so upset, I burst out crying, and said I had had no sleep, and wouldnt get any that night either, and how was I supposed to push a baby out with no sleep for the past few days. He backed down and agreed, and said he would admit me that day.
So! We were shown to our room. There was a bed there for DH as well (here in Spain, someone always stays with you when you are in hospital) and our lovely midwife Maria Auxi came up to introduce ourselves. She was sooooo nice, and I felt so at ease. She brought me down to be monitored and she inserted a tampon-like think of prostaglandin to start the induction. By this stage I was still only 1 cm.
We went back up to the room, had lunch, and @ 4 pm she returned for us. We were brought to the birthing room, and were told this is where we would stay until Leo was born. It was scary but exciting at the same time. She examined me, and I was only 2 cm! I was having strong contractions by this stage but dilation just didnt seem to be happening. She decided to break my waters then. Thats when the fun really started. The pains started coming every two minutes and they were so strong. Eric (DH) said they were going off the chart. I had to stand up as this favoured the baby getting into position and it was so hard to stay standing through a contraction.
Anyway, next thing, the contractions were coming on top of each other. I mean, literally one was over, and I could feel the next one brewing. It was agony. I was examined and I was still only 3 or 4 cm dilated so Eric and I decided I should have the epidural, as there was no way I could handle continuous contractions until 10 cm.
By 6 cm, the anaesthetist arrived and he inserted the epidural, which did not hurt at all, although trying to stay still during a contraction was very difficult. About ten minutes later, I was in heaven, smiling again, and able to converse with Eric. I was so glad. And, I was only 4 cm away from meeting Leo!!
We got to 9 cm very quickly. Maria, our midwife, put me into various positions throughout as Leo was not positioned well. I even had to do some pushing at 9 cm, while she had her hand up there, trying to turn him. At 9.5 cm, my worst nightmare came true, as she told me they had to perform an emergency c-section to get him out, as every time I would push, his head was going to come out face first, plus the fact that there had been very little fluid left in the first place.
Then it all went a bit crazy. She inserted a catheter into my bladder, she shaved me, she wrapped my legs up in awful big bandages all very quickly, with Eric helping her. I was then wheeled to surgery, where I was given the anaesthetic. I felt awful, I was shaking uncontrollably, and my mouth was so dry. The anaesthetist gave me drugs for the shaking and that made me nauseous. He gave me a piece of material with water on it to suck. I tried to focus on listening for Leos first cry, but everything was spinning and I couldnt breathe properly. After about ten minutes, I heard it, and he was held up to me so I could see him. Then he was whisked away. After what felt like an eternity, I was stitched up and Leo was brought to me for a little kiss. I couldnt hold him as my arms were dead from the anaesthetic (not sure why ).
I was brought back to the room and Eric and I waited for 3 hours for Leo to be brought to us. He was very cold when he was born, and had to be put in an incubator. He was 6.3 pounds, and the tiniest baby I had ever seen. When he was brought to us, the nurse just said that he was hungry and left me to it. I was terrified. But I put him to my breast and he started sucking away! ?
I stared at him practically all night. He is perfect.
I am not going to go into detail about the next 4 days I spent in the hospital, as they were so traumatic and I prefer to forget to be honest. Basically, I was in terrible pain, had bad fever, bleeding boobs, I could go on
Finally on Friday we were allowed go home, and I have been improving ever since. Leo sleeps for 4 hour stretches and is the best baby ever. It was totally worth it, and the main thing is that he is healthy and strong.
I still havent had the chance to upload photos on to FTP server to put on here but I will put some more up on my baby journal now (click link below).
x x x x
