Anyone have any positive stories?

[happycupcake]

Long story short, I have been told I have mild pre-eclampsia and if the two sweeps don’t work between now and Tuesday they want to induce me (the pessary) Wednesday at 38 weeks.
I had the hormone drip with my first which was absolutely awful. With my other three babies they were straight forward vaginal births, and I needed little in the way of pain relief (gas and air).

First was a 26.5 hour horrifying labour, pre-eclampsia, hormone drip but otherwise not complicated (I realise compared to many others it wasn’t, but it left me feeling traumatised for a long time after). He was born on his due date.

Second was 8 hours in labour, zero complications, gas and air, arrived on his due date. Not a hugely positive experience mostly due to fear after first experience.

Third was 9 hour labour, not complicated but had waters broken as this was delaying her birth. Hardly any gas and air with her as it was a relatively pain free experience throughout.

Fourth was just under two hours labour in the hospital but from the first twinge about four hours. Things progressed really fast with him, I was able to have a water birth which was absolute magic.

So all pretty straight forward births.

I had had a home birth booked this time, and was planning on a water birth again since it was so helpful before, but now I can’t do that. Apparently they’re not keen on allowing me to use the pool in hospital. So I feel pretty anxious about the whole thing. The best form of pain relief I experienced I’m being told I can’t have, I’m anxious about the thought of being induced anyway and then there’s the whole coronavirus thing I’m worried about on top. I really wanted to avoid hospital! Now I’m being told all this, and that I will be asked to stay in case my BP goes wonky or whatever after birth (I always discharge myself at 6 hours), they’re saying my husband won’t be able to stay with me so now I’m going out of my mind because it’s all too much. They’re giving me too many things to panic about. So I thought maybe some people here may have some positive stories at least. I don’t know how it works. This is my 5th baby, so is it likely it will be a quick labour? My fourth was significantly shorter. I have heard it’s a lot more painful. My BP isn’t that awful, I actually don’t have any other symptoms of pre-eclampsia, so is it really that likely things will all go horribly wrong? They seem to like talking worst case scenario at the hospital and I frequently get told one thing from the doctor, who seems to want to frighten me, and another from the midwives...

 

[Bevziibubble]

I'm so sorry you have mild pre-eclampsia. It sounds like you've been through so much lately
I'm sorry they are scaring you with worst case scenario situations I hope that you get the birth you want

 

[happycupcake]

Oh that's out of the window now. I had a home birth booked, I have always wanted a home birth and this time even my husband was on board with the idea. Also it seemed more important this time because of coronavirus, and now the advice is to avoid going anywhere too.
I totally understand the importance of monitoring blood pressure in labour, so as disappointed as I was, I had accepted the idea of another hospital birth. But being induced for me is a step too far out of my comfort zone. Hospital is out of my comfort zone. But being induced feels like every ounce of control is being taken away. And I don't know what to expect, which makes it worse

 

[noon_child]

I know it feels like it’s getting out of control, but everything the hospital are doing is to try to bring things back in to control. They want to be sure the pre-eclampsia doesn’t progress. I’m sure this virus thing is not pleasant but eclampsia is a known serious condition and hospitals are good at cleaning protocols etc (unlike shops and workplaces where we’ve all been going everyday) so you are going to a safe place, not an unsafe one.

 

[happycupcake]

Not sure what part of the world you live in, but SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, covid-19 or whatever you want to label it, is extremely serious, is spreading extremely fast and has a high death rate particularly among vulnerable groups (of which I am in, as is one of our children). It isn’t just a bit unpleasant. The UK government the day before yesterday have issued a warning that if people continue to ignore advice, continue to go out when it isn’t absolutely necessary and continue to treat this with such a blasé attitude, they will be fined. So here at least, there are now only four reasons one should leave their home and they are if you need medical care or are providing care for someone else, you need essential shopping or you absolutely must go to work outside of your home, and you are allowed out to exercise once daily. All non-essential shops have closed. All schools have closed except for some operating still for vulnerable children and those of key workers. Everyone who can has been ordered to work from home.
It has gone from a hundred or two new infections overnight to a thousand or two in a very short space of time. Currently the UK has half the beds and respirators Italy has, and they’re in a whole load of trouble. Google it. It is an extremely frightening situation and one many need to avoid bringing into their home due to being vulnerable themselves or having a member of their household who is. Being pregnant and having high blood pressure puts me in a vulnerable group. My step son has severe asthma, which puts him in a vulnerable group. So yes, I need, for our health, to avoid this.
Unfortunately, it isn’t solely down to good standards of cleaning, you can’t account for other people and whether they cover their faces when they cough or sneeze. I had to get into a taxi the other day (I have to rely on public transport and have been having to go back and forth to hospital pretty much every other day) and the taxi driver kept coughing. Probably just a cough, but what if it wasn’t.
Pre-eclampsia I am very aware is a serious condition, or could be if left to develop into eclampsia. Unfortunately so is the virus. It is now a known serious condition. Wiping out thousands. Not just those in vulnerable groups, but also young, fit and healthy people.
There are medications I can take to keep my blood pressure under control, and I can monitor things like blood, urine etc. I can’t do that with coronavirus. There isn’t a cure (and in the town we live in there are just 6 critical care beds available), and there isn’t any guarantee that one would survive it. Probably less so than closely watching someone’s health with regards to pre-eclampsia and being able to catch it before it turns into something more serious.
At the moment, I do not have any symptoms of pre-eclampsia. My blood pressure is being controlled by medication, my bloods haven’t ever shown any signs, my urine has gone back to normal (indicating it may well have been dehydration causing the slightly elevated protein, which my bloods reflected), I have lost more than half a stone in water since my swelling has improved. I hope I’m not wrong, but this to me doesn’t indicate someone with a deteriorating condition, which I would have thought you might expect from someone with definite pre-eclampsia.
I am now not being induced today as a result.