Vici
Mum to a LTTC princess!!
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- Dec 22, 2008
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Please bear with me as this could be a long one!! There may be some bits missing as i have onlt very vague memories of some parts of my labour!
I woke on 26th August at about 1am with contractions coming every 5 mins and lasting for between 50 and 70 seconds. The intensity wasn't too bad so i got up and ran a bath. Left DF in bed to sleep (bearing in mind, i'd spent all of Monday and Tuesday in hospital with my BP and wasn't discharged home till 8pm on the 25th!!)!! Laid in the bath until about 3am and then decided to call the labour ward. I was OK with the contractions but because of my ongoing problems during pregnancy I had been told I must go in once labour starts! MW on duty was very nice and advised me to let DF sleep till about 5:30/6am and then wake him to go in (unless the pain became unbearable - then to go in straight away!). Arrived at our hospital at about 7:45am (after having a call from one of our best friends saying his wife was fully dilated!!!
) complete with TENS machine doing its stuff! Basically spent the day walking around the hospital, been examined etc and not getting very far at all! No sign of any waters! Also included a 2 hour move to an antenatal ward and then a move back once they said I actually was in established labour but just a slow one!! At about 2:30am on the 27th August, I agreed to a shot of pethadine knowing that labour was quite a way away and sleep was needed. This gave me releif to sleep for about 2 1/2 hours. Contractions were still about 5 mins apart lasting 60 - 90 seconds (they had eased off to about every 7 mins for a couple of hours!) but getting no where!!
At about 10am on 27th Aug the registra came in to examine me and said I was now 4cm and she could easily break my waters. She did this and I didn't even know until the warm water filled the bed
The intensity started to increase but still the contractions were 4/5 mins apart lasting just over a minute! TENS machine was wonderful at this stage and I don't know what I would have done without it Can't remember what time but at some point before dinner I was moved down to a delivery room (had been in a private room anyway so was very pleased!) and put on an oxy wotsit drip! Carried on contracting with frequency and intensity increasing until the TENS wasn't doing anywhere near enough! Was recommended an epidural as the labour was still progressing slowly! Took it with open arms. The anethestist was absolutley fabulous and there within a few mins. First epidural was sighted and after about 15 mins was decided it was in the wrong place! Removed and second one placed! Started to feel some relief after about 10-15 mins only to then be diagnosed with a rare "missed segment". This meant that despite a double dose top up, there was an area about the size of a small side plate that did not work. This was worse than no epidural at all as it felt like the whole contraction was coming through that little whole, not nice 
Bring on the gas and air Wonderful stuff to ease that pain 
Then carried on like this for i don't know how long but i do remember being examined and told that i was just over 7cm so def getting there!!! 
Next thing I remember is the MW keep going out and coming in with 2 different people looking at my CTG trace. They would then go and more come back! Shaun was starting to get worried as he was in charge of keeping the babies heart rate on the machine - he thought that every time I was contracting that he was losing baby and getting mine as it was dropping to 90, then 80, then 70 BPM and then the doc said they needed to take a blood sample from baby as it turned out this was babies HR. Then rising to over 200 BPM!! The first bloods came back as borderline and they would keep monitoring.Kept seeing more and more people and at one stage there must have been about 10/15 people in the room!! Not sure how long after but more blood was taken from baby and the results were worse. Doc told me I was 10cm but unable to push as the rim of the cervix was in the way of babies exit!! The next few mins seemed like a complete blur! I was told that I needed help and that a C section was likely. They said they would take me to theatre and re examine and if the cervix had changed then forceps or ventous would be used. I agreed straight away and once I signed the form was on my way. Got into theatre and after a quick examination was told a C section was necessary! Remember being given some anti sickness drugs and throwing them straight back up and the epidural being removed and hardly feeling it and then having to have a spinal (because of the missed segment). They were still attaching all the monitors, changing my canular and Shaun said they had already cut me open!
After what seemed like an eternity because of complications with my placenta, we were told we had a little baby girl - a big shock after being told by so many people that they thought we were having a boy. I then waited for ages to hear her cry but they were using suction and O2 as she was not breathing. That first little cry melted my heart and I just burst into tears. She didn't have good APGAR scores to begin with coming in at just 4 but after 5 mins she was up to 8 and daddy was able to hold her for the first time. A perfect moment in my life. Daddy and un named baby then went through into recovery as I was having a bit of a tough time. I lost alot of blood and had to have a transfusion in theatre and then they had problems stitching me up due to signs of infection. Finally got into recovery where baby was allowed skin to skin with me and latched on for about half an hour. She was weighed etc and was 8lb 13oz, measured 52cm and had a head circ of 36cm Then up to ward we went
We then decied to call our little girls Imogen Grace 
Fast forward a day and I was doing OK (all be it very slowly and groggily!! lol) as was Imi although her feeding was very slow. She was latching OK but I fed her at 9:30pm and she'd not want anymore till 7am!! The MW on duty did her glucose levels and they were fine at 3.1 so they weren't too worried. Fast forward another 24 hours and more lack of feeding and glucose tests redone, this time they were down to min level of 2.6 Paediatrician then came and examined her and confirmed that something was not right and she needed to have some blood tests. I was all alone as DF had gone home and feeling completely lost a petrified. She had her tests and they came back as not good. She had an infection level of more than 7 times the normal and was immediatley taken upto SCBU. She had to have more bloods taken, a lumber puncture and a canular inserted into her head (they tried her poor little hands and feet but like her mummy, she doesn't give up her veins lightly!). They started her on antibiotics straight away and fed her through a feeding tube to get her fluids up. It was heartbreaking to see her in there The staff in SCBU were absolutely fantastic and I cannot praise them enough. She had a 5 day course of antibiotics for an infection of unknown origin but was still not feeding great. I was trying to breastfeed her every 3 hours but having no luck so then having to express to enable us to tube feed her! I then took the heartbreaking decision (after wanting to BF so much) to use a bottle to feed her my expressed milk. She was sucking so well but not latching so it seemed the best thing to do. This meant that when all her results came back after the 5 day course that they were able to thankfully discharge her as she was feeding well.
However, I was now on a high dose of IV antibiotics as I had an infection in either my wound or my uterus! Bloody typical!! After 48 hrs the doc said I could go onto oral antibiotics so on Friday 4th September, we were finally allowed home to start being a family
I would like to say a massive thankyou, althought he'll never read this, to my DF. He was with me every single step of the way and despite living an hour from the hospital, he was with me by 9am every morning until 9pm at night. He would then go do Imis tube feed and often not leave till gone 10:30pm! He was my absolute rock and I love hime very much
Just a few pics
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I woke on 26th August at about 1am with contractions coming every 5 mins and lasting for between 50 and 70 seconds. The intensity wasn't too bad so i got up and ran a bath. Left DF in bed to sleep (bearing in mind, i'd spent all of Monday and Tuesday in hospital with my BP and wasn't discharged home till 8pm on the 25th!!)!! Laid in the bath until about 3am and then decided to call the labour ward. I was OK with the contractions but because of my ongoing problems during pregnancy I had been told I must go in once labour starts! MW on duty was very nice and advised me to let DF sleep till about 5:30/6am and then wake him to go in (unless the pain became unbearable - then to go in straight away!). Arrived at our hospital at about 7:45am (after having a call from one of our best friends saying his wife was fully dilated!!!
) complete with TENS machine doing its stuff! Basically spent the day walking around the hospital, been examined etc and not getting very far at all! No sign of any waters! Also included a 2 hour move to an antenatal ward and then a move back once they said I actually was in established labour but just a slow one!! At about 2:30am on the 27th August, I agreed to a shot of pethadine knowing that labour was quite a way away and sleep was needed. This gave me releif to sleep for about 2 1/2 hours. Contractions were still about 5 mins apart lasting 60 - 90 seconds (they had eased off to about every 7 mins for a couple of hours!) but getting no where!!At about 10am on 27th Aug the registra came in to examine me and said I was now 4cm and she could easily break my waters. She did this and I didn't even know until the warm water filled the bed
The intensity started to increase but still the contractions were 4/5 mins apart lasting just over a minute! TENS machine was wonderful at this stage and I don't know what I would have done without it Can't remember what time but at some point before dinner I was moved down to a delivery room (had been in a private room anyway so was very pleased!) and put on an oxy wotsit drip! Carried on contracting with frequency and intensity increasing until the TENS wasn't doing anywhere near enough! Was recommended an epidural as the labour was still progressing slowly! Took it with open arms. The anethestist was absolutley fabulous and there within a few mins. First epidural was sighted and after about 15 mins was decided it was in the wrong place! Removed and second one placed! Started to feel some relief after about 10-15 mins only to then be diagnosed with a rare "missed segment". This meant that despite a double dose top up, there was an area about the size of a small side plate that did not work. This was worse than no epidural at all as it felt like the whole contraction was coming through that little whole, not nice Bring on the gas and air Wonderful stuff to ease that pain Then carried on like this for i don't know how long but i do remember being examined and told that i was just over 7cm so def getting there!!! Next thing I remember is the MW keep going out and coming in with 2 different people looking at my CTG trace. They would then go and more come back! Shaun was starting to get worried as he was in charge of keeping the babies heart rate on the machine - he thought that every time I was contracting that he was losing baby and getting mine as it was dropping to 90, then 80, then 70 BPM and then the doc said they needed to take a blood sample from baby as it turned out this was babies HR. Then rising to over 200 BPM!! The first bloods came back as borderline and they would keep monitoring.Kept seeing more and more people and at one stage there must have been about 10/15 people in the room!! Not sure how long after but more blood was taken from baby and the results were worse. Doc told me I was 10cm but unable to push as the rim of the cervix was in the way of babies exit!! The next few mins seemed like a complete blur! I was told that I needed help and that a C section was likely. They said they would take me to theatre and re examine and if the cervix had changed then forceps or ventous would be used. I agreed straight away and once I signed the form was on my way. Got into theatre and after a quick examination was told a C section was necessary! Remember being given some anti sickness drugs and throwing them straight back up
and the epidural being removed and hardly feeling it and then having to have a spinal (because of the missed segment). They were still attaching all the monitors, changing my canular and Shaun said they had already cut me open! After what seemed like an eternity because of complications with my placenta, we were told we had a little baby girl - a big shock after being told by so many people that they thought we were having a boy. I then waited for ages to hear her cry but they were using suction and O2 as she was not breathing. That first little cry melted my heart and I just burst into tears. She didn't have good APGAR scores to begin with coming in at just 4
but after 5 mins she was up to 8 and daddy was able to hold her for the first time. A perfect moment in my life. Daddy and un named baby then went through into recovery as I was having a bit of a tough time. I lost alot of blood and had to have a transfusion in theatre and then they had problems stitching me up due to signs of infection. Finally got into recovery where baby was allowed skin to skin with me and latched on for about half an hour. She was weighed etc and was 8lb 13oz, measured 52cm and had a head circ of 36cm Then up to ward we went We then decied to call our little girls Imogen Grace
Fast forward a day and I was doing OK (all be it very slowly and groggily!! lol) as was Imi although her feeding was very slow. She was latching OK but I fed her at 9:30pm and she'd not want anymore till 7am!! The MW on duty did her glucose levels and they were fine at 3.1 so they weren't too worried. Fast forward another 24 hours and more lack of feeding and glucose tests redone, this time they were down to min level of 2.6
Paediatrician then came and examined her and confirmed that something was not right and she needed to have some blood tests. I was all alone as DF had gone home and feeling completely lost a petrified. She had her tests and they came back as not good. She had an infection level of more than 7 times the normal and was immediatley taken upto SCBU. She had to have more bloods taken, a lumber puncture and a canular inserted into her head (they tried her poor little hands and feet but like her mummy, she doesn't give up her veins lightly!). They started her on antibiotics straight away and fed her through a feeding tube to get her fluids up. It was heartbreaking to see her in there The staff in SCBU were absolutely fantastic and I cannot praise them enough. She had a 5 day course of antibiotics for an infection of unknown origin but was still not feeding great. I was trying to breastfeed her every 3 hours but having no luck so then having to express to enable us to tube feed her! I then took the heartbreaking decision (after wanting to BF so much) to use a bottle to feed her my expressed milk. She was sucking so well but not latching so it seemed the best thing to do. This meant that when all her results came back after the 5 day course that they were able to thankfully discharge her as she was feeding well. However, I was now on a high dose of IV antibiotics as I had an infection in either my wound or my uterus! Bloody typical!! After 48 hrs the doc said I could go onto oral antibiotics so on Friday 4th September, we were finally allowed home to start being a family
I would like to say a massive thankyou, althought he'll never read this, to my DF. He was with me every single step of the way and despite living an hour from the hospital, he was with me by 9am every morning until 9pm at night. He would then go do Imis tube feed and often not leave till gone 10:30pm! He was my absolute rock and I love hime very much
Just a few pics
https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs201.snc1/6834_158257779417_503804417_3636286_6868042_n.jpg
https://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs221.snc1/6834_158261669417_503804417_3636434_3354882_n.jpg
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