# Labour and birth notes



## Bournefree

Hi Ladies, 
Well I have just picked up my notes from my daughters birth in Nov 2009, and they are really interesting to read. It does go pretty much as I remembered and along with my birthday diary I made - but with a few differences.. that I either didn&#8217;t remember, or hadn&#8217;t noticed; such as how often my pulse, temperature, and babies HR were measured - I thought this only happened about 2 or 3 times, but from my notes, it was loads more. At the end it was every 3 min. 
I also had my stage timings wrong, I thought it took at total of just under 2 hours for my placenta to be delivered and in fact it was just over an hour.

So I don&#8217;t know how beneficial or interesting this is to you ladies, but I thought I would type out my labour and birth notes for you to look through if you wanted to know the types of things they put. Feel feel to comment.


03.00 Called out to home. Contracting 3-5 mins apart. Very short in length. Irregular last 10-20 sec. Pad in situ as possible spontaneous rupture of membranes (SROM). Nicola felt some trickling. Nicola sitting on ball fairly comfortable.

03.10 Nicola well. Pulse 88, BP 130/76. On palpation, fundus = term. Long lie. Cephalic presentation. 2/5 palpable. Fetal heart heard 130-140bpm.

03.40 Plan - Due to possible SROM discussed speculum examination. If no evidence then vaginal assessment.
Pad seen - mucusy show, no liquor evident. 
On speculum - vagina no abnormality detected (NAD), Mucus show, no liquor.
Vaginal examination performed:
Cervix central, soft 60% effaced, 1-2cms dilated, well applied to presenting part.
P.part Cephalic, position not defined, membranes felt.
Fetal heart heard (FHH) 130-140bpm. No defects noted.

03.50 Plan - To await regular contractions. Advised ¾:10 min lasting 1 min long.
Nicola to phone RE: decrease in fetal movement, SROM, bleeding
Advised paracetamol and to get some rest.
Bloods taken for group and save and full blood count, as no bloods taken since transfer from Bournemouth.

14.25 Called to home. Nicola planning homebirth. Contractions 3:10min but irregular in length, strength + duration. Pulse 72bpm BP 110/60. Fundus = term long lie cephalic 2/5 palpable. FH 136-150bpm good variability no decelerations heard.
Recently been out to toilet and passed urine. Blood stained mucus on pad. No SROM. Nicola would like to be examined to asses progress in labour.

14.40 Out to toilet and passed urine. Consent obtained for vaginal examination. Cervix slightly posterior fully effaced, soft and thin. 3-4 cms dilated. Membranes bulging (She didn&#8217;t tell me about my membranes bulging), and left intact. PP ceph. No fontonelles felt. FH 128-140bpm following VE. Findings explained to Nicola and Gareth. Pleased with progress. Nicola has not eaten at all today, advised to try and eat a sandwich. 
Plan - Continue upright positions, Analgesia as required - has water pool to use, and TENS. Reassess as indicated.

15.00 Contractions continue 3:10 more intense since examination. Nicola upright and mobile making sandwich.

15.15 Coping very well with contractions, planning to have a warm bath and then to put TENS machine on. FH 132-144bpm, no decelerations heard.
Nicola feeling she is coping well and is reassured she has made progress from earlier this am. Not requiring analgesia and feels she is happy for me to leave for a while. She will ring coordinator when needs midwife to return.

17.15 Returned to Nicola and Gareth. SROM at 16.50. Clear liquor draining + blood mucusy show. Contractions have continued and are now more intense.
Nicola has had a bath which helped and pool is now filling ready for use.

17.20 FH140-150bpm good Var heard, no decelerations, P88, temp 36.1. Contracting ¾:10 strong.
Nicola coping well but beginning to feel a little distressed. Reassurance given pool almost ready.

17.30 Nicola into pool. Pool temp 37oC, Entonox also given as requested and with instruction in use.
FH 124-135bpm. 1st stage commenced.
Birth plans discussed. Hoping for pool birth and physiological 3rd stage. Gareth to cut cord if needed. Baby skin to skin and intending to BF.

17.50 Nicola aware of some pressure type sensations involuntary pushing not visible as yet and is able to breath through contractions with good support from Gareth. Community coordinator contacted for 2nd midwife to attend.

18.00 FH 132-144bpm contracting 4:10 coping very well. Use of Entonox

18.20 JH now in attendance. Nicola coping well in pool. FH142-154bpm

18.45 Nicola reporting increasing rectal pressure and giving occasional involuntary push, nil visible as yet. Encouraged to continue breathing Entonox

19.00 Some anal dilatation noted. Nicola reporting stronger urges to push and increased involuntary pushes seen. FH 138-148bpm

19.10 FHH 124bpm. Nicola beginning to push involuntary with each contraction. Coping well.

19.15 Examination - vortex felt at the introitus. Nicola reassured. Continues to push with each contraction

19.18 FH130-140bpm. On hands and knees in pool too difficult to visualise. Nicola continuing to push with each contraction

19.30 FH 134bpm contractions 3:10 but more expulsive. 2nd stage commenced. Nicola coping very well

1935 KG now in attendance to take over care, awaiting 2nd night midwife.

19.45 FH138-148bpm. Nicola giving good expulsive efforts and she can feel baby moving. Unable to see due to maternal position and not able to change position at the moment. Encouragement given to continue to go with natural instincts. Contractions 3:10

19.55 FH 140-150bpm good var, no decelerations heard

20.00 Pool topped up with hot water to Nicola&#8217;s comfort level, Thermometer not very accurate.

20.10 Mirror held underwater and vertex visible, using torch to visualise. Nicola encouraged to actively push.

20.12 FH144-156bpm

20.15 FH144bpm Vortex advancing well with good maternal effort

20.18 FH 138bpm

20.23 FH140bpm vertex advancing well

20.32 Head out, quickly followed by body. Nicola reached down and lifted baby to surface. Nicola wanted physiological 3rd stage. Care now given by AH and KG. Spontaneous vaginal delivery of female infant born in good condition. APGAR 8 @1min, 9 @5mins, 9 @10mins. No delay to first breath. 

20.55 Nicola has cramp in leg. cord clamped, 3 vessels, cut by Gareth, out of pool. Condition after delivery - T 36.5oC, P60bpm, BP 120/70. Stage 1 = 4.50, stage 2 = 1.17.

21.05 Nicola sitting on toilet, giving some pushes and coughs. Separation blood seen, cord lengthening.

21.30 no sign, syntometrine given with content. 

21.50 placenta and membranes delivered. Complete. 150ml blood loss. Stage 3 = 1.08

21.56 MRBU contacted as not happy to suture. 

23.10 JM arrives for suture. Type II (2nd degree) damage, Local anaesthetic administered, sutured with 2.0 and 4.0 Viry Rapide.


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## PeanutBean

Thanks Bourne, that's really interesting! :D


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## Mervs Mum

OK so I want mine now!! thanks! x


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## Kelloggz187

How long after you requested your notes did they send them? I requested mine nearly 2 weeks ago but haven't heard anything yet :shrug: Or am I being too impatient? :haha: xx


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## Anababe

Thats really interesting, Id love my notes especially from my first pregnancy! x


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## Bournefree

Kelloggz187 said:


> How long after you requested your notes did they send them? I requested mine nearly 2 weeks ago but haven't heard anything yet :shrug: Or am I being too impatient? :haha: xx

They came from Porstmouth NHS trust in Hampshire, as I had moved back to a village where I grew-up a few weeks before my EDD from Bournemouth Dorset... and I'm now back in Bournemouth again. So I was thinking they would take longer to come, as it was a different county, but it was about 3 working days. The request for my notes came from my GPs not a personal request (or I would have expected it to take 21 days in line with Data Protection) So I'm guessing that as it was an inter-heathcare provider request, they do it as fast as possible.. as they must have posted it the same day the Fax came in.

XxX


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## Bournefree

I just find it phenomenal how much I WAS monitored, when I didn't really think that I was at all! It is reassuring in a way that I didn't notice.. so I guess it means they were really unobtrusive and also they did have a close eye on baby and myself.

Also how my perception of time was completely altered. I thought the topping up of the pool was early on and not 30min before she was born. But was clear was my hearing remained quite acute - I remember the MWs talking about my anal dilation.. How embarrassing! But I liken where I was to somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness.. As they say the last thing you loose is your hearing, and it is the first thing you get back too. So I was in a type of limbo-land, but very happy. It is amazing what your body and mind do to help you birth.
XxX


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## Jenniflower

I loved this! Thanks so much for typing it up. It's great to see how a straight forward home birth can go. I was thinking of adding this to the birth stories, would that be ok?


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## Bournefree

I've no problems with that Jenni. It is quite matter of fact isn't it!?
XxX


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## nikki-lou25

Wow fantastic reading, I have often wondered if I could get hold of mine from when I had Aimee. I would like them for both my labours now...might enquire about that.


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## Bournefree

If it is a personal request it will cost you a max of £50.00 (under data protection law) to have copies. but if all you would like to do is to read them you can book an appointment at a max cost of £10. 
All you have to do is contact your medical record department of your local trust where you had your baby.. and they will usally send you out a form to complete. send it back and in a max time of 40 days (more usual 21 days for medical records) you will get your notes. Also under law, if you request to see further sections of your notes you will not be charged again if it is within a reasonable time-frame i.e 30 days. Byu further secitons; this could be anything from the time YOU were born that a particular data holder has on you.
XxX


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## chuck

I have the notes that I kept after I left hospital I got them copied but obviously the theatre notes arent in there.

BUT....I have no idea where they have gotten to!n I read them not so long ago looking for the name of my physiotherapist and ended up in floods of tears. I thought I would have put them back in the drawer I got them from but I cant find them! <facepalm>


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## Bournefree

Sounds like you have a similar mystery person as me living in your house!? 
I swear things just up and put themselves in different places in the night.. making everything impossible to find! Though it could have something to do with me putting things in a &#8220;SAFE&#8221; place.. Then totally forgetting where it is because it is just too safe!
XxX


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## chuck

LOL yep. Hubby had a right old go at me because he couldnt find something after I had moved it.

So I stopped tidying up after him and boy did the house look like a bomb had hit it after a few days, and he had the hump because all of a sudden he found himself having to tidy up before he went to bed!

I'm annoyed I cant find the notes, I took them out of the drawer looked for the name ended up going through the notes sat on the bed and having a boo then I dont know....I would have thought they'd be back in the drawer but nope, I've even pulled the drawers out incase the fell out the back of the drawer and ended up underneath and no joy!

They'll turn up at some point!


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## Bournefree

I've played the tactic of not clearing up OHs clothes or anything else that he leaves about.. but your right, the place ends up like a bomb has gone off!

I'm sure they will turn up. Things always end up in unexpected places. At ours; like behind the fridge, of all places!?

Hope the parent meeting isn't too stresful - I have promised 2 of my teacher friends (one is a primary depty head, the other secondary school science teacher) that I won't be "one of those parents" hahaha!
XxX


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## chuck

Ergh parents evening was 'orrible.

It took FOREVER...my last appt was supposed to be 7:20pm...yeah right they were still waiting at 8:05pm!!

To make matters worse I got home to hubby in a foul mood 2 lots of cat poop on the floor to deal with (both cats decided the tray weren't for them!?) and Hubby started watching Boardwalk Empire and I got into it so I was up super late for me 11pm! LOL I'm such a saddo.

Popped today but looking forward to the NCT homebirth info eve tonight.


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