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Coming to terms with my home water birth turned C-Section

JaneSharon86

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Hi ladies

Thought I'd share my birth story if only for a bit of self therapy.

I had planned a home water birth with hypnobirthing. After a bit of a battle about GBS and testing negative at my reswab I was given the go ahead. So we set up the equipment and looked forward to our birthing day.

At 38 weeks a senior midwife called me to say that the midwife team were concerned about my height and the size of my baby. I was devastated but made the decision to give birth in the midwife led unit which is situated in the hospital.

At 39+1, 5.30am my waters broke. My contractions started at 6am. We were so excited! I tried to rest up but eventually decided to have a warm bath. At 7.30am my husband called the unit to let them know I was in labour and they requested that I come in to be examined. We eventually got to the unit at 10am as I was taking everything slow and calm. The midwife confirmed my waters had broke and I was 1cm dilated. My contractions were 5-7 minutes apart but a little irregular so they advised we go home and to call if things progress.

Husband and I call my sister who lives 300 miles away to let her know so she can come up North. We then go for a pub meal with me contracting at the table. I still felt so calm.

We then went home and I took some para and went to bed with a hot water bottle.

A few hours later things felt like they were picking up so I started proactive labour, walking around and bouncing on my birthing ball.

By late evening my sister had arrived and this helped me a lot. But Unfortunately my contractions weren't getting closer together and I was getting tired. So decided to try and sleep.

At 4am the pain was getting too bad so we called the unit and they reminded me that I was booked in for an induction at 8am if nothing had progressed.

At 8am we were back at the maternity ward to be told that the midwife unit was now not an option as both my baby and I were at risk of infection due to prolonged rupture of the membranes. I literally sobbed and begged the midwife to let me labour longer even though I knew it probably wouldn't help - I'd been walking the aisles of the 24 hr Tesco and climbing the hilly streets by our house during the night and still my contractions hadn't increased.

The midwife was understanding and examined me. I was 3cm. Though the consultant in that day wasn't happy she gave me two hours to walk around and things moving. I walked round the hospital for two solid hours.

When I got back to the ward it was evident that it hadnt worked and I was hooked up to Syntocin. This was at 12pm. My contractions increased in pain and frequency from every 5 minutes to 6 every ten minutes. The pain became unbearable, my hypnobirthing went out the window and by 4.30pm, after 35 hours of being in pain I asked for gas and air.

I was on a different planet. I felt like everything around me was a dream, and only the pain was breaking through. With the drip I was strapped to the bed as my baby was being monitored and everytime I arched my back to try and relieve some of the pain the midwife would have to come in and tell me to stop as the monitor was losing the baby's heart rate. So far from what we had planned for our birth.

At 8.30pm I was examined again and found to be at 3/4cm. My sister and husband both burst into tears but I was just in shock. After all these contractions, literally hundreds of them, how could I only be that far dilated?!

A few minutes later a consultant came in and said it was now important that the baby be delivered urgently and that a c section was needed. This was literally my worst phobia but by this point I was so exhausted and in so much pain that I agreed.

By 10.30pm I was on the table an my little girl was born at 10.39pm.

I know the important thing is that she is here, happy and healthy but i can't seem to get over how. I felt out of it on the table and cried the whole way through the operation. When I was handed her in recovery, I think I was in shock. Even now, 3 week later, I look at her and think how did you get here? Where are my memories of reaching down and welcoming you into the world? I feel like I missed my own daughters birth if that make sense.

Thank for reading. x
 
I want to give you a big hug :hugs: I think you've certainly been through birth trauma. It's OK to mourn and be in grief over such a difficult thing (and 35 hours before reaching for G&A is very admirable, you should be proud of such an achievement).

Congratulations on the birth of your baby. I don't think one ever really gets over being "out of it" for a birth that goes so off plan (I still don't remember my 1st child's birth well), but you bond over time and fall in love with the little person they are. But it can take time, and that's okay, you'll get there :hugs:
 
Congratulations on your baby. My story is somewhat similar to yours, I didn't have a homebirth planned but I did have a natural birth planned. Things of course went very badly and I'm still traumatized by my EMCS.

It gets better over time. Healthy baby is the reward, the experience matters very little in the big picture :hugs:
 
I know the feeling. You will always mourn what you missed but you learn to focus on the positive.
With my first I had to have an emergency c-section and I wasn't even awake for it they had to put me completely under. It felt like one minute I was pregnant and the next I had a baby. I know ppl would say well at least you never had to feel anything. But I wish I had of felt it all and saw him come into the world. He is now 5 and I still feel I missed a lot. But I tell myself there is nothing I could have done to change things and he was healthy and I got healthy too and that is what is most important. I have had a second and I had a completely natural birth because I was determined not to miss anything. I am thankful I got to have the two different births because now I have experience with both ways and I can now relate to both experiences. And there were good things about both.
 
Im sorry your birth didnt go to plan. I also had an EMCS with my first son due to pre-eclampsia and as we were seperated for the first night it took me a few months to completely bond with him. I felt I missed out on the critical bonding time and was just handed this little baby to look after. I love him to bits and I am so grateful that we are both healthy. I just had my second son on the 11th dec and due to my previous pregnancy I had a section again but this experience was so much better.

It does get better and just enjoy your baby x
 
:hugs: sorry you had a traumatic and unexpected experience. :hugs: I just wondered why they were concerned about your height and size of baby? Was your little girl big in the end?
 
:hugs: sorry you had a traumatic and unexpected experience. :hugs: I just wondered why they were concerned about your height and size of baby? Was your little girl big in the end?

Hi there. I'm 4"9 an my little girl was 7lb 10 in the end.

We had a growth scan cause she was measuring small but all was fine. Then suddenly at 38 weeks they start talking about how my height made me high risk for having a baby; yet there was no mention of this the whole way through my pregnancy. Completely knocked my confidence in my own body. They said the birth canal hasn't been tested before and so they were unsure as to whether I would be able to deliver vaginally or not etc
 
Wow I've never ever heard of that before. My mum is 5 foot 1 and had me and sister naturally (both 7 - 8 pounds) I thought it was more to do with natural variation of pelvis size no matter your build. Anyway at least your little girl is here safe and well but sorry you had that experience.
 
Wow I've never ever heard of that before. My mum is 5 foot 1 and had me and sister naturally (both 7 - 8 pounds) I thought it was more to do with natural variation of pelvis size no matter your build. Anyway at least your little girl is here safe and well but sorry you had that experience.

Exactly! The midwife said to me, well didn't you think there may be a problem with your height? I was like no! Never even crossed my mind as my mom an nan were both under 5ft and had 2 babies each vaginally. My nans were good old fashioned home births delivered by her sisters with no medical intervention.
 
Yes it does seem strange! Whereabouts in the uk are you?
 
As it happens I am going for a private welfare scan check on baby today. Midwives and doctors say I am having a big baby when they feel my tummy but fundal height is only ever a week ahead :saywhat: so we are confused! Hubs is a bit more concerned as he was 10 pounds when born and so was his dad! His grandma told me her tearing / forceps delivery horror story lol! I'll let you know what they say about birthing big babies naturally if mine is big. Im 5 ft 7 though but a ten pounder would equal things up wouldn't it!! X
 

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