Cat lady
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My birth story starts on Thursday 5th August really, when I had my THIRD sweep, not much seemed to happen and I had just resigned myslef to the fact I was going to be induced on the 11th.
However, on the Friday I had a few twinges, I felt really down and couldnt stop crying. Friday night I didnt sleep very well and was waking up every hour in the night with contractions - come Saturday, I was exhausted but the contractions kept coming but were still irregular. Throughout the day they were becoming more intense and by 6pm I was in so much pain my dh took me to hospital, after checking I was only 2cm dilated! So the mw did another mini sweep and I was sent home. After the sweep the contractions got even worse and when I got home I couldnt stop vomiting, so by 10pm I went back in. I was then admitted and given gas and air but was still only 2.5cm dilated, it was then discovered Thomas had turned back to back! So I was given diamorphine and an anti-emetic to stop me vomiting. The diamorphine knocked me right out and I was able to sleep in between contractions, I then had a second diamorphine injection in the night as well. By morning I was 5cm dilated and offered an epidural which I took! Apparently I have a curved spine and after 4 attempts the anaesthetist fianlly managed to get the epidural in, I needed 3 top ups throughout the day as it was very tempermental and didnt seem to be working properly. Thomas was still back to back and his heartbeat kept dropping, every time ceasarian was mentioned his heart beat would come back up. By 4.30pm on Sunday 8th, everybody was in agreement to go ahead with a c-section, my mw did one last quick check and we were all shocked when she said he had turned and was right there and I was 10cm dilated and I could push. Another doctor went for forceps and ventouse, I had already said I didnt want either and pushed with everything I had, he flew out after just two pushes, he was caught by the anaesthetist as my mw didnt have time to put gloves on and the other doctor hadnt returned! He was born at 16.49 weighing 6lb14.
He cried immediately and was put straight onto my chest. He is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. My dh cut the cord and we were all given time for skin to skin and to bond, he breastfed beautifully straight away - a very hungry little boy!!
By 9pm I was able to wobble around and at 10.30pm I was allowed a bath, they were trying to persuade me to wait until the morning but as I had been in labour for almost two days I just wanted to be clean! Thank goodness I did have a bath then! At about midnight my son and I were taken to a ward and my dh had to go home, it was very noisey on the ward and I couldnt get my son to settle, by 1.30am he started vomiting, it was white in colour but I still called the mw, she said I only needed to worry if it was green or red. Within 30 minutes it had turned green, I called them again and he was rushed off to see the paediatrician, I wasnt allowed to go with him at this point. At 3am, the dotor came to speak to me, and they said they suspected he had something called malrotation and would need to go to Bristol for tests. I didnt quite realise the severity of the condition and said we could take him up that day, it was then explained to me that my son was already in intensive care and he would need to be taken to Bristol by an ambulance, my dh and I would have to follow in the car. I was in absolute floods of tears and at about 5.30am I phoned my dh and told him he needed to come back in immediately. The hospital were reluctant to discharge me as I was still abit wobbly and couldnt feel my bladder, I told them if they didnt discharge me I would walk out. I had a very rushed discharge and by 9am we were all up in Bristol. Thomas has xrays and an ultrasound. Malrotation was confirmed and we were told he needed to have immediate surgery. so at just 19 and 1/2 hours old, my dh and I had to hand Thomas to a team of surgeons, I cant tell you how scared we were, we were both devastated and in floods of tears. After 4 hours in theatre we were allowed to see him, we were so pleased he was breathing by himself. He was then looked after in the Intensive care for a few days, he had a nasogastric tube in his nose and ecg and oxygen wires everywhere, its very daunting to see. He was having his stomach aspirates measured every few hours and after a few days was allowed to start having feeds. I had been expressing since I was up there so he given my milk, slowly his aspirates decreased and became less green. He was moved out of Intensive care and into High Dependency, his milk allowances increased and as he improved further he was then moved to Low Dependency where I was allowed to start putting him to an empty breast, he latched on quickly but soon got bored once he realised they were empty! When he was finally allowed to go to a full breast, he latched on and fed beautifully!! He is now doing so well. I am so proud of him! My dh and I were living up in hospital accommodation for 2 weeks living out of suitcases. It has been the most stressful and horrific 2 weeks of our lives. But thank goodness he is ok and we were able to bring him home on Monday. I cried when we finally left the hospital with our son!
xxx
However, on the Friday I had a few twinges, I felt really down and couldnt stop crying. Friday night I didnt sleep very well and was waking up every hour in the night with contractions - come Saturday, I was exhausted but the contractions kept coming but were still irregular. Throughout the day they were becoming more intense and by 6pm I was in so much pain my dh took me to hospital, after checking I was only 2cm dilated! So the mw did another mini sweep and I was sent home. After the sweep the contractions got even worse and when I got home I couldnt stop vomiting, so by 10pm I went back in. I was then admitted and given gas and air but was still only 2.5cm dilated, it was then discovered Thomas had turned back to back! So I was given diamorphine and an anti-emetic to stop me vomiting. The diamorphine knocked me right out and I was able to sleep in between contractions, I then had a second diamorphine injection in the night as well. By morning I was 5cm dilated and offered an epidural which I took! Apparently I have a curved spine and after 4 attempts the anaesthetist fianlly managed to get the epidural in, I needed 3 top ups throughout the day as it was very tempermental and didnt seem to be working properly. Thomas was still back to back and his heartbeat kept dropping, every time ceasarian was mentioned his heart beat would come back up. By 4.30pm on Sunday 8th, everybody was in agreement to go ahead with a c-section, my mw did one last quick check and we were all shocked when she said he had turned and was right there and I was 10cm dilated and I could push. Another doctor went for forceps and ventouse, I had already said I didnt want either and pushed with everything I had, he flew out after just two pushes, he was caught by the anaesthetist as my mw didnt have time to put gloves on and the other doctor hadnt returned! He was born at 16.49 weighing 6lb14.
He cried immediately and was put straight onto my chest. He is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. My dh cut the cord and we were all given time for skin to skin and to bond, he breastfed beautifully straight away - a very hungry little boy!!
By 9pm I was able to wobble around and at 10.30pm I was allowed a bath, they were trying to persuade me to wait until the morning but as I had been in labour for almost two days I just wanted to be clean! Thank goodness I did have a bath then! At about midnight my son and I were taken to a ward and my dh had to go home, it was very noisey on the ward and I couldnt get my son to settle, by 1.30am he started vomiting, it was white in colour but I still called the mw, she said I only needed to worry if it was green or red. Within 30 minutes it had turned green, I called them again and he was rushed off to see the paediatrician, I wasnt allowed to go with him at this point. At 3am, the dotor came to speak to me, and they said they suspected he had something called malrotation and would need to go to Bristol for tests. I didnt quite realise the severity of the condition and said we could take him up that day, it was then explained to me that my son was already in intensive care and he would need to be taken to Bristol by an ambulance, my dh and I would have to follow in the car. I was in absolute floods of tears and at about 5.30am I phoned my dh and told him he needed to come back in immediately. The hospital were reluctant to discharge me as I was still abit wobbly and couldnt feel my bladder, I told them if they didnt discharge me I would walk out. I had a very rushed discharge and by 9am we were all up in Bristol. Thomas has xrays and an ultrasound. Malrotation was confirmed and we were told he needed to have immediate surgery. so at just 19 and 1/2 hours old, my dh and I had to hand Thomas to a team of surgeons, I cant tell you how scared we were, we were both devastated and in floods of tears. After 4 hours in theatre we were allowed to see him, we were so pleased he was breathing by himself. He was then looked after in the Intensive care for a few days, he had a nasogastric tube in his nose and ecg and oxygen wires everywhere, its very daunting to see. He was having his stomach aspirates measured every few hours and after a few days was allowed to start having feeds. I had been expressing since I was up there so he given my milk, slowly his aspirates decreased and became less green. He was moved out of Intensive care and into High Dependency, his milk allowances increased and as he improved further he was then moved to Low Dependency where I was allowed to start putting him to an empty breast, he latched on quickly but soon got bored once he realised they were empty! When he was finally allowed to go to a full breast, he latched on and fed beautifully!! He is now doing so well. I am so proud of him! My dh and I were living up in hospital accommodation for 2 weeks living out of suitcases. It has been the most stressful and horrific 2 weeks of our lives. But thank goodness he is ok and we were able to bring him home on Monday. I cried when we finally left the hospital with our son!
xxx
xxxx
