ok - so im posting this over on announcements but here is Connor Sean Strokers birth story
apologies this is long and perhaps might scare people waiting but I know that this was an extreme and not ideal situation that doesnt occur that often anyway!!
Woke up around 2am on Monday 17th with some stronger than before period like pains and back ache. Ignored them for about an hour as ive had it before - but this time, it stopped me from returning to sleep. Eventually got up at 5am and as I stood up had a bit of a slow leak - but didnt really think too much of it!
by about 7ish, Id had a bit of a show and leaked some more and pains hadnt gone (but hadnt been timing them) so was pretty sure I was in early labour at this stage! decided to have a shower whilst I could and change and sat down to try and relax and watch some tv. must've dozed off as I woke up soaked - yelled at husband - I literally couldnt stop myself going and new that my waters had properly broken!
About half an hour after that, had to put on the tens machine as they had started to break the bearable pain threshold (to this day dont know if it worked or not as was too frightened to take it off!)
Held out using the tens machine until around 11am and couldnt take it anymore. we called up and they asked me to come in an hours time - purely because my waters had broken. I think if not, they would have asked me to hold off - I felt like the pain was pretty bad, but Ig uess they knew it was too early!
Got to the hospital at 12 and was suffering at this point and trying to contain myself! I was only 1-2cm dilated so they asked me to go home and come back at 6.30 to be induced (again because my waters had already been broken and they didnt want to leave it too long) they gave me something for the pain(cant remember what that was?) so was sent home. stronger contractions until I felt I couldnt bear it and was back at the hospital at 6pm again!
checked - only 3cm!!! but they wanted to keep me in anyway to monitor me. Given more of the same drug and left for a couple of hours. They did run me a bath but I couldnt bear the thought of floating - felt like I needed to be grounded somehow!
Checked again at 8.30 - they finally decided taht I was somewhere between 5-6cm but I was 'stretchy' and that was a good sign. Id always planned to try and walk around as much as possible during the early stages but had felt unable to. the midwife really wanted me to progress quicker so asked me to walk the wards which I did with the alternate help of my mum and husband! it did help between contractions but was bloody hard work stood up contracting!!!! given gas and air at some point between 8.30 and next check at 11.30 which helped but then didnt after a while....
Checked again at 11.30 and I hadnt progressed at all so at this point I was offered pethadine. Id orignally said I didnt want it but wanted the option of an epidural but unfortuantely Id have to be moved to a different ward for an epidural so I accepted the pethadine! coped on this for another couple of hours and was checked again at around 1.30 and still hadnt progressed...
infact, when checked he had got his head into an awkward position and they were concerned he was distressed. if anything my cervix had 'swollen' and actually my dilation had probably regressed a bit!
they decided to move me to the other ward to be checked by a doctor. It all gets a bit blurry then - was put into stirrups but the pethadine had worn off and they had only just given me a new dose so I was coping on just gas and air - and struggling! feet in stirrups was terrifying as there were several docs and midwives int eh room all wondering what to do, they then turned the stirrups so that I rested on my left hand side which was unbelievably painful. they hoped the contractions this side would move him - sadly not!
so they decided to do a procedure to draw blood from his head to find out how 'acidic' he is. apparently this tells them whether the baby is too distressed to take the hormone to progress the labour quicker. his heart rate kept dropping rapidly during each contraction and they werent willing to continue at the little rate i was progressing. I could feel them empty my bladder etc and enter whatever it was to draw blood but it was alla bit blurry!! was sucking on gas and air like no bodies business!
Next thing I know I was being asked to sign a consent form to do an emergency c section. I think I wouldve signed anything then just to get it over with and make sure he was ok!
c section - spinal block didnt work - ended up having a GA which wasnt ideal but he was born at 10.38 and I was woken to meet him at around midday. He weighed 8lb 10 and is just perfect!!! They wanted to keep us in longer for observation - mainly because my waters ruptured a full 24 hrs before he was born and because thy thought I had a chest infection because my heart rate kept dropping and they thought my breathing was shallow on one side after being checked. but after obs for a day, they said I was fine to go home!!
Finding it hard not being as mobile as Id like with the stitches but luckily I have a wonderful husband who has really helped out - gets him for me when I need to breast feed and does all the nappy changes!! cant wait til I feel better to be able to get more involved and im feeling better each day.
sorry, pics arent great! and of course I dont think they do him justice. second pic is of me my husband and connor just after id come round from the GA - wasnt with it at all!!!