# My birth story (long)



## _Lexi_

Wow, what a whirlwind the past few days have been. So, I went into hospital on Sunday for my blood pressure check and ctg. one thing led to another and after much discussion, induction was agreed upon! I wasn't even allowed home to get my bag, my oh and mum had to go get everything!!

I was led over to a room on delivery, very very nervous. I was still terrified as to whether I'd made the right decision. At about 7pm they inserted the pessary just behind my cervix. The internal was uncomfortable. My cervix was tilted back and I wasn't remotely dilated. Had to stay on the bed for 45mins, so they put me on a ctg and left us there for awhile. Midwife came back to see us a little whe later at change of shift. We were given an evil midwife that was Dutch, and who's name I couldn't pronounce. She was very matronly!! She allowed us to go for a walk, and asked me to consider sending both my mum and my oh home as in her expert experience, it would take a few days and we'd need all the energy we could get. When we got back I said I wanted them both there and asked to go in the bath. She said I wasn't allowed, we must go immediately to sleep and if she heard talking, she would send them both home as that was in her power to do so!!

After a little while we all managed to drift off after a very long and exhausting day. I was full of nerves, but nothing was happening. I woke up about 1am with stomach cramps and got up and started pacing the room. My mum heard and woke up. The witch came back, gave me 2 paracetomal, wrote in my notes 'mild period discomfort' and said I should go back to sleep. Well, there was no way that was happening. I kept cramping up and my oh went and got a different midwife. This one advised if I would like a bath! My god yes, it's all I'd wanted for hours!! So by 2am, I was in the bath, with the lights turned out, but the door to my room open. Was very calming and peaceful. Jon (oh) sat with me, stroking my hair and pouring water over my bump and telling me how amazing I was. By now the contractions were getting fairly intense and over the next 2 hours very quickly progressed to 1min long, every 30 seconds. There was just no gap. Jon was fantastic at helping me breathe through them and keeping me calm, until the bath was suddenly filled with blood. Nice midwife came back and asked me to get out for a quick examination. I struggled back onto the bed and was hooked up to the ctg again. Then she started the internal. My god, the pain!! They had to get me the gas and air as I was really struggling, contracting during an internal is not nice. She concluded that I was 'almost 1cm', which was the most depressing news ever, and said she was going to break my waters to help slow down the contractions. I've never known pain like it! With the angle my cervix was at, she had to get someone to come and push the baby down, to help break them, I was crying into the gas and air, then they popped :) they broke at 4.50am. 3 puffs on gas and air, just made me feel really sick. 

The plan they had for the breaking of waters to slow everything down backfired, it kickstarted everything even more! The contractions were coming thick and fast and I was still hooked up to the bloody machine. By this point I'd demanded a fan and completely stripped off!! The next few hours are a bit of a blur. Lots of contractions, lots of complaining about having the monitors on and telling Jon there was no way I could do this. With him pointing out that in actual fact, I already was. At 6.40, I was struggling to breathe through my contractions and my mum heard me swear for the first time ever. Something along the lines off 'oh my god this f***ing hurts!!'. The midwives were telling me to calm down, that we still had a long way to go. By this point my blood pressure sky rocketed to 240/160 and the emergency eclampsia kit was brought in. Then the blood came. So much blood. I had no idea just how much. I'd been telling them every time I contracted I felt a gush of fluid, and they just kept saying it was normal. All of a sudden the alarms were going off and the room was full of people. They started prepping me for theatre, gave me a strong antacid, took my lucozade off me and stuck a drip in my hand with fluids to keep me hydrated. They thought I was about to fit and haemorrhage and ran off to get the consent forms. The dr decided to do a quick internal, saying he expected me to be about 4cm. At this point I was no longer breathing through the contractions, but making very low guttural noises and had a strong sense to push. To which they told me not to. Well, he started the internal, at which point more alarms went off. The baby was coming. And she was coming now!! They had no time for theatre. I'd gone from 1cm - 10cm in under 2 hours. Babies heart rate started dropping and they told me I had to get this baby out and I had to do it right now. I just kept saying 'we haven't been here long enough, how can she be coming?!'. I focused and my god did I push. We needed some help with forceps as she started to get in serious distress, and both my mum and Jon, watched her being born (after both promising to stay head end!!). At 7.06am she was delivered and placed straight onto me, resulting in me promptly bursting into tears. Needless to say there was no time for any pain relief!! 

She was here. My rainbow had arrived and was in my arms. They had to push and prod my stomach a lot to get the placenta out, and I needed a few stitches where they'd used forceps. I didn't care. She was here. We had skin to skin for over an hour where I just stared in amazement. They then weighed her and checked her over and everything was perfect. Jon helped me into the bath and washed me whilst I just lay in the water. We were pretty much left on our own for quite a few hours to bond and recover, they only came in to keep bringing tea and toast. A few of the midwives that had been on shift the night before popped in to check on me, and were shocked to see me with a baby so soon!! 

The past few days have been very long. We had to stay in hospital due to my blood pressure still being crazy high. It's given us time to learn to breast feed, which she's just about getting to grips with. I'm severely anaemic and they've considered giving me a blood transfusion. I lost between 2 and 3 pints of blood during delivery. We were about to be discharged today, when they noticed she was looking a little yellow. After going over to nicu, she was diagnosed with jaundice at quite high levels and also on the verge of needing a transfusion. At 2pm she was popped under 2 phototherapy lights and we were placed in a side room together. We had to bottle feed and I've been expressing, to up her fluid intake so she wees more. We went back at 6pm, and her levels had gone up even more :( back to our room, 4 more hours under the lights, lots of fluids and back to nicu at 10pm. Thankfully her levels are dropping quite dramatically. She's got to be under the light until 6am when we go back for more tests. It's horrible having her under there, can't cuddle or comfort her and she has an eye mask to protect her eyes. Jon stated until 11pm and she was settled, and he'll be back at 5.30am. Was so very hard going back to the nicu, but so grateful they offered to put her in a room on the ward with me, instead of admitting her over there like Joshua. Lots of bad memories. The nicu dr has said as long as everything is ok at 6am, they'll keep us in for 12 hours to double check her levels at 6pm, then we should finally be able to go home and begin life as a family. 

We named her Jessica Lily and she weighed 6lb 2.5oz. She has a head full of hair and is amazingly beautiful. 

Here's our little lion cub:
https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ducksdontquack/B0281C38-09D1-4DEB-AFA7-FFBEBCCCF88E-2046-0000021DCE45ACBA.jpg
https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ducksdontquack/2ACBFA55-0D4E-43E2-ACA4-D9DE33A89C0F-5186-0000047CB927BA86.jpg
https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ducksdontquack/6B89F164-F6C0-4975-99F0-F6F8275EFD3B-5186-0000047CAE08E919.jpg

Fingers crossed she's healthy enough to go home tomorrow. xx


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## CatherineK

Congrats! What a beautiful girl. Great job, Hun!


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## MomPepperdine

She's soo cute and she looks a lot like josh! It could of been worse! I'm sooo sorry you had such a mean mw :( hope you complain about her! 

Congrats momma


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## meli1981

Oh what a beautiful baby! Good job momma, you did excellent


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## Tasha

I cant tell you how much this has made me smile. Sorry it was so traumatic. Congratulations on your rainbow. I hope she comes home tomorrow x


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## Mrsmac02

She's beautiful, congratulations! And well done, you did an awesome job xx


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## Julesillini8

Congrats on your little girl. Hope all goes well and you go home tomorrow!


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## PurpleIvy44

She's beautiful, I'm so glad everything turn out so well for you. My 2nd niece had jaundice very bad and they were able to bring her home and did the additional light therapy at home until she got better. She turned out perfect just as your little Jessica will. Congrats!!


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## Anthrogirl

Way to go, Lady! She's beautiful!


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## agreeksmom

ive been reading your story since your son im so proud of you for sticking to what you believed in and not backing down!!!


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## NennaKay

Congratulations Lexi, she's gorgeous! I know you and Daddy can't wait to get her home, so I hope it's soon! :flower:


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## amybe

Aaah Congratulations  She is beautiful...I too am due to be induced next week due to high bp, protien etc.. but was admitted today and will find out in 4 hours if I'm to be induced today instead, I had a heamorrage after my eldest son's birth and it was very scary so bless your heart for going through the bleeding and trauma, It is very scary! I hope you are recovering well and enjoying your beautiful baby...x


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## Bubsta

Congratulations Lexi. She is so precious. Xx beautiful name too. I hope you and Jon get to take your sweetheart Jessica home real soon and you get to start a beautiful new family journey. Xx


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## sharnahw

wow, what a birth story!!! you should be very proud of yourself x sending lots of well wishes to u and your new family xx


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## wang

Congrats with your lovely little girl, sorry to hear one of the midwifes was evil :(


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## Lisasmith

You got your vbac!!! Well done she is gorgeous xx


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## TrixieLox

Aw, had a little cry reading that, especially the bit about your hubby stroking your hair etc in bath, he sounds amazing and what a beautiful daughter you now both have, well done!


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## stickylizard

Wow thats a birth story and a half! Congratulations i am so pleased for you! Jessica is beautiful, cant wait for your update that you are home with her :] xxx


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## iiTTCii

Congratulations on your beautiful little girl.


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## Evana

congratulations :happydance: and thank you for sharing she is beautiful.


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## sopho30

congratulations..she is beautiful.. I was crying reading your story.. Amazing xx


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## aimee-lou

Aww - welcome Jessica Lily!!! she is beautiful. Well done to all of you - sounds like you were fantastic!!! :thumbup:


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## Geegees

SO happy for you!! HUGE HUGE congratulations :) xxx


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## Mummy Bean

Massive Congrats. x


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## littleone2010

She's so beautiful, well done lexi, I bet everyone is so amazingly proud of you :hugs: xxx


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## ashiozz

Congrats! I remember you from when Joshua was born and I was also pregnant in third tri at the time.. one of the fellow bnb members I know had mentioned you had your little girl so I wanted to congratulate you and tell you I am very excited that you have your rainbow!!


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## xxyjadexx

Lol at the Dutch midwife! Hope your all home together soon x


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## Xxenssial

Congrats she is perfect. Hope you get to go home today.


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## _Lexi_

Thank you everyone!! We were finally discharged at 8.30pm on Friday after her jaundice levels began to drop without light treatment. It's so nice to have her home. I can't take my eyes off her!! Can't believe she's a week old already! I miss the third tri board! Never quite believed we'd make it to baby club. Can't thank everyone enough for all the love and support over the past 9 months, through what was a very emotional and nerve wrecking pregnancy. They've run a few tests on Jessica, and it looks like she doesn't have the same condition as Joshua. Having her here makes me miss my little boy even more, but I know he's watching over his little sister xx


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## Sannie87

Congrats on your beautiful little girl! I had tears in my eyes reading ur birth story.

xxx


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## Hannah11

I just wante to say congratulations, I have been stalking you a little as I am a bit behind you. Soo pleased for your happy ending. She is very beautuful xxxxx


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## Noelle610

Congratulations! So happy for you.


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## babyhopes2010

congrats xxx


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## _Lexi_

Just thought I'd update that Jessica is doing brilliantly. She's now 6 and a half weeks old. We're now out of tiny baby and into newborn clothes!! 
https://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ducksdontquack/C8E05BED-B3FD-4020-8AC8-6DE4D4070EEA-1327-0000015FC0084201.jpg


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## angelandbump

Belated congratulations and Happy 6.5 weeks!
x


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## fizzypop

Oh Lexi I just saw on your fb page for Joshua that you had a baby! Wonderful news! God bless you and both your little bundles xxxxx


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## _Lexi_

Thank you!! She looks so much like Joshua. xx


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## hakunamatata

Congratulations on your new arrival! She's gorgeous and glad to hear she's doing well :hugs: 

https://pbr1127.photobucket.com/albums/l634/hakunamatata2012/Snapbucket/bnb/congratsbaby-1.gif


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## sarah1980

Aww, congratulations.xx


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