I was due on the 27th August but after 2 failed sweeps was booked in for induction on the 6th September, 41+3 weeks (10 days overdue). Everyone was convinced I would go early, LO was going in the right direction and was getting more engaged each MW appointment. Well, when we went to be induced she decided she was having none of it and had moved back up!! Was no longer engaged at all!
It was Thursday 8th September and we had to be at the maternity ward for 8am. We got there and were showed to our bay. We got settled and had some breakfast, then at around 10-10.30am I had the first pessary inserted and some gel I think. Went for a long walk, bounced on a ball and nothing not eve a twinge. I had alot of pressure and kept going to the toilet to try and do a number 2, it made me feel like I was badly constipated!! Had lunch, watched tv and still nothing. Has an internal check at around 5pm and more gel, went for another walk, had tea etc etc and still nothing just a bit of bach ache. Had monitoring for half an hour every so often during all this. OH was sent home at 9pm and I wept and wept! (He actually didn't go til 9.15p, but I told him to just stay as the curtains were shut). I soo didn't want to be alone, I was scared and have only a couple of times spent the night away from him
I was expecting to be examined around 10pm but wasn't, so tried to get some sleep. I was monitored before I went to bed and the CTG showed I was contracting, MW kept asking if I could feel them but couldn't (they were quite strong going by the CTG). Each time I had tightenings LOs heart rate would accelerate and the MW wasn't happy with the episodes of accelerations. So she kept me on the monitor. This was about 10.30-11pm and she must of been sat on the edge of my bed, watching the CTG monitor and holding the doppler things to my bump all night, bar maybe half an hour lol. Every so often she would gently wake me and ask me to roll onto the opposite side I was laying on or sit up for a few mins as she would lose the trace on CTG. She eventually left at about 6.30am. I remember her telling me she had bleeped the Registrar on duty as she wasn't happy with LOs trace but I don't remember them coming unless I was asleep!
At 7am or so the new MW on duty came and intriduced herself (my 3rd MW!) and gave me an internal examination and was told I was 1cm dilated!!! I was a little disheartened to say the least!! She said she could maybe at a push stretch me to 2cm. MW told me that she would be sending me down to the delivery suite to have my waters broken that day- well I shit myself! Gahhh I would be having a baby!!
OH came to the ward at 9.30am, forgot to mention that the day before they told me to buzz if the heart rate on the CTG went too high or too low so we buzzed about 5/6 times and a few times whilst being monitored in the morning. I think I was examined again, told I wouldn't be having any more gel etc and was just waiting for a bed. I remember not being too bothered about going, as long as I could have my fish and chip dinner, as it was friday!!
I used to love it for my dinner when I was working! Anyway, OH decided to go for a fag (as it would be his last!) as we thought we had until after dinner. I was pottering about around my bed and the MW from delivery came in and told me she had come to take me down! I was so scared!! Rang OH in a frenzy telling him to come back up, went for a quick pee, rushed about packing my stuff back up, checked I hadn't left anything.. I told OH how I was really looking forward to my dinner (I had thought it would be my first meal AFTER having my LO, not my last meal!!). MW asked OH what was up and he told her, so she made sure someone brought my dinner and pud down onto delivery so I could eat before it all started!
At 1.30pm I had my waters broken. My MW tried about 3 times, but couldn't reach as she has 'short stubby fingers' in her own words!! She offered G&A but I refused- I figured how am I going to cope in labour if I can't do this? So just hung onto the handles on the bed and did some breathing!! So she got another MW who has 'beautifully long water-breaking fingers' to come and have a go and with a HUGE gush they went! MW had to leap off the bed and one out of the way as thyey nearly got covered! Felt like I'd wet myself!! After that I was encouraged to get up and move and omg when I stood up- more waters with another big gush! Christ nobody tells you just HOW MUCH water comes out and how much you leak!! I saw the infamous giants snot- not pretty! Walked around abit and bounced on a ball to try and avoid having a drip. OH went home to get some sleep and was told to be back by 3.15ish as that's how long I had before I would be given a cannular so I could be put on the oxytocin drip to kick things off (didn't happen!).
MW knew I was very anxious about needles, so put the numbing cream on backs of both hands for half an hour or so and got a consultant to come and do it. (Oh, we were on our 5th & 6th MWs I think?) It wasn't too bad, I cried before and all the way through it, but actually didn't really feel it at all.
Anyway, nothing happened until about 6pm when I started to feel the contractions and was given G&A (I was keen to keep going without but they advised it). Carried on for a while until about 9pm when the pressure was getting very painful so had an injection of meptid and some anti-sickness in my leg. Helped a little, but MW decided to decrease the drip as the contractions were basically ontop of one another and had no break between. I was examine (dunno what time) and was about 4cm. Kept having to change postition due to the CTG and not getting a good reading so was stuck on the bed.
This is when I kinda lose track of what happened.. The G&A knocked me out and I honestly felt like I'd had a stroke! My face was twitching and I couldn't talk properly (although OH said I was fine so was just me!!). I broke down at one point and the MW told me 'Emma don't lose it now, that's when it all goes to pot!). So got myself together. I was advised to have an epidural at about 10.30 pm or so as I wasn't coping well with the pain, so had the anaesthetist come and do it, I would see alot of her as it turns out!! I didn't feel a thing, just the electric shock feeling down my leg and I jumped- everyone went abit mad as I was meant to be deadly still! It felt AMAZING feeling the cold liquid being pumped in!
Anyway felt abit better after that but after a while I was getting horendous pain in my hip, far worse than the pressure and contractions. I had the epidural topped up about 4/5 times and it didn't even touch the pain!! MWs 7&8 came one duty, had been examined and was only 6cm dilated. MW thought it could be that LO was putting pressure on my bladder, so even though my bladder was full I couldn't empty it, so had a catheter tube inserted abbout 3/4 times over a couple of hours to try and releive it, but no joy. LOs heart rate kept going and MW was struggling to find it on the CTG, so decided to put a clip on her head- did it about 2/3 times as it kept falling off. LOs heart rate kept going up with contractions. Senior MW came in to give 'fresh eyes' and make sure everything was going as MW said it was. OH knew her and were having a chat, while I was laid there with my legs in the air and foof on show for all to see! I was like 'Er-hello?!'. Clip stayed on for abit, kept having to movw to ry and get comfy but kept knocking the clip, so was laid up with pillows everywhere to try and make me comfy, with an epidural as well as hammering the G&A for the hip pain! I was in AGONY!
A consultant came in to review CTG as MW wasn't impressed, she took a scraping for a blood sample from babys head, results came back fine. I was about 7cm and it was about 3am. The consultant basically told me that I could wait another 4 hours and be examined again but probably end in a c-section, or choose to have a section as I had not progressed and baby was getting more distressed. She told us she would go away and come back in a few mins, I asked OH what he thought and he said it was upto me. I just shut my eyes and remember when I opened them she was back. She asked me what I wanted to do and I said 'Oh just do the section, I can't take the hip pain anymore!! I was so releived!! I kept asking, will the pain go now??!
She filled in the consent form and I am so suprised they let me sign, I lay there with my eyes shut whilst she explained it all too my and signed my name like a child, holding the form in the air!! So the MW inserted my cather before going to theatre, I was prepped and dressed in a gown (I had to be undressed as I couldn't do it due to the pain) and was shortly wheeled down to theatre. I was put on the operating table, the screen was put up and epidural topped up. One of the surgeons pulled my IV tube as he walked past and near ripped it out my hand. The anaesthetist flushed it and it hurt so she had to insert a new one into my other hand. They sprayed the ice stuff and I remember feeling it still all down my left hand side but thought 'Oh shit they haven't given me enough!' Luckily I didn't feel anything but thw sensation of it all was so surreal!! I just shut my eyes out of exhaustion for most of it! I felt them pull her out of me, and after the longest minute ever heard her cry for the first time! She was born at 3.52am on 8th September. She went to daddy, I couldn't hold her as I was so shaky. I lost a litre of blood so was quite poorly. Was stitched up and went back to delivery. Went upto the ward a few hours later, had some 'moon boots' on to keep my circulation going.
Was fine for the 1st night and on the 2nd started having visual disturbances and had another cannular fitted and about 10 vials of blood taken. I was moved from the dedicated surgial recovery ward to a private room right opposite the MW station to be monitored more closely. I also had cot sides fitted to my bed incase I had a fit in the night due to my past history. LO was taken for the night. LO was checked by the paediatrician and had a heart murmor which has healed itself.
I was discharged on the wednesday. The next day I got mastitis and was ill for 2 weeks. I was poorly for 2 weeks and it was the hardest time of my life! I remember the night before I went in for induction, saying that I was terrified that 3 of my worst fears would happen- 1.having a cannular 2.having an epidural with that bloody big needle! and 3.having a section as I had never had an operation before! I think I scored a hat trick!!
Sorry for the essay!! Not written it all down before!! And this is the short version!!! xxx
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