hodbert
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Beware, this is pretty long!
My beautiful baby girl was born at 8.58am on Sunday 19th December via c-section after a long 40 hour failed induction. She weighed 7lb, 4oz and measure 19 inch long, she has blue eyes and brown hair. Here is her birth story:
We arrived at the hospital at 5pm on Friday 17th December for my scheduled induction. We were taken to our room in Labour and Delivery and I was given the Cervidil to soften my cervix this would stay in for 12 hours. I have to say it absolutely killed, as did any internal the nurses gave me, and I was in tears! Once it was in they hooked me up to the monitor to check babys heart rate and strength of my contractions. I started to gradually get stronger and stronger contractions and so didnt sleep much that night. My hubby, John stayed with me all night, apart from nipping home to walk our dog. He had to stay on this chair that pulled out into a bed, but it looked like the most uncomfortable thing ever, bless!
At 6am on Saturday 18th the Cervidil was removed and the pitocin drip started. By this point I was 1cm dilated and from now on was on a clear liquid diet. All day the contractions got stronger and stronger and they kept checking me, but nothing was really happening. I was getting concerned as my doctor was giving it until 5pm and if nothing had changed she was discharging me, to try again in a few days and I really didnt want this. Plus the internal exams were so so painful I cant even tell you, I was in tears every time. However when the nurse checked me at 5pm I was 3cm dilated and definitely staying in. The doctor decided to break my waters and recommended I get the epidural just after. By this point I was pretty tired and as soon as my waters were broken the contractions were agonising, so Im glad I got the epi. They gave me some painkillers via the drip (cant remember the name) to ease the contractions whilst I waited for the epi and although they helped me sit still whilst I had it, they made me really dizzy and disorientated which was horrible. The epi was great though and didnt really hurt at all, I just felt a small prick when they put the local in. But because I am so small the first try he couldnt get the needle in so he had to pull it out and try another spot, which freaked my hubby out a bit as he saw blood coming out of my back when he pulled the first one out! It was fine though and Ive not had any problems since the birth, just a bit of bruising, so I would definitely recommend it.
I slept a little through Saturday night but at about 2am I started to feel the contractions. I tried pressing the button to increase the epi but it didnt help so they called the anaesthesiologist to give me a top up. By the time he got here I was almost screaming in pain and it took about half an hour to kick in, I would have to say that was the worst part of the whole labour as I went from feeling nothing to feeling agonisingly painful contractions in a few minutes. This happened again about an hour later so I had to have another top up. Needless to say after all this epi my lower half was a dead weight!
At about 5am I had got to 9cm dilated but by 7am I was only 9 ¾ and then when the doctor came in at 8am to check me my cervix had swollen and I had gone back to 9cm. She suggested that it probably wasnt going to happen vaginally and a c-section would be my best option. By now I had been going for nearly 40 hours with barely any sleep and had not eaten for over 24 hours. I was exhausted and just wanted the baby to be here. John and I had a quick chat and decided that the c-section would be for the best.
Pretty quickly the doctor, nurse and John were in scrubs and I was being wheeled into the OR. It was all a bit crazy and overwhelming and I kept tearing up. I wasnt upset at getting a c-section, though, I knew it was best for me and the baby. I think I was just exhausted and also overwhelmed that soon she would be here, as well as anxious about the c-section as I was not at all prepared for it.
Once I was in the OR they transferred me to the OR bed, which took 5 people as my bottom half was like lead due to all the epidural! The screen was then put up and I was given more epi and anaesthetic. I was shivering, I think mainly due to anxiety but it was also cold, so they put some heat thing over my top half. Then John was wheeled in (he had to be in a wheelchair sat next to me) and they began. It was such a weird feeling and I was quite uncomfortable. They had being going for about 5 or 10 mins when I felt the knife. I gave a sharp yelp and they stopped quickly and topped me up. They waited 5 minutes and started again, but I could still feel it. The anaesthesiologist then said to me he was going to give me something else and it may make me a bit drowsy. The next thing I remember is waking up and John wasnt there. I asked where he was and was told he was in recovery with the baby. I was so surprised! I just said The babys here? to which they said yes I had missed her being born! When I think about it now I am a little disappointed, but at the time I just wanted to see her. As I waited for her to be brought in the doctor told me it had all gone fine but baby had been quite low in my birth canal so her head was very cone-like! She also said that there was very little chance that she would have been able to get down the birth canal alone and seemed to have got stuck, so the c-section had been the right thing to do.
A few minutes later John was wheeled in holding her and I just cried, I couldnt believe she was here! John said he had been really worried about me as I just passed out and he was taken straight out of the OR as the baby was born. I think I was only out for 5 minutes though. Anyway, we sat there whilst the doctor stitched me up and I just kept staring at my baby and John, it was so unreal. John and the baby were then taken back into recovery and I was wheeled back in there myself not long after, where I got to hold her for the first time. Whilst I was in recovery John went home to walk the dog and tell friends and family the news. As I laid holding her I ran through all the names we had talked about trying to see what fit, but nothing was right. Then I remember wed briefly discussed Holly, but had dismissed it as our surname is Hodson and we werent sure about having two Hs. But when I looked at her she just suited it. When John came back I mentioned it to him and he said hed also thought of Holly when he was holding her, so we decided that would be it. I wanted her middle name to be Laura as that is both of our sisters names, so Holly Laura was decided on.
I stayed in hospital for 3 nights and came home on the Wednesday. I cant rave about the staff at the hospital enough, they helped me so much and showed me what to do. As I was not expecting a c-section I had no idea how hard the recovery would be, but they were great. My recovery has been pretty up and down because I laboured for so long before she was here and pumped full of so many drugs and IV (I had 9 IV bags over the course of my stay!), so it has been a harder process, but Im feeling a lot better now and loving every moment with Holly!
So there we go, thats my birth story! I hope it wasnt too long and boring, thanks for reading!
My beautiful baby girl was born at 8.58am on Sunday 19th December via c-section after a long 40 hour failed induction. She weighed 7lb, 4oz and measure 19 inch long, she has blue eyes and brown hair. Here is her birth story:
We arrived at the hospital at 5pm on Friday 17th December for my scheduled induction. We were taken to our room in Labour and Delivery and I was given the Cervidil to soften my cervix this would stay in for 12 hours. I have to say it absolutely killed, as did any internal the nurses gave me, and I was in tears! Once it was in they hooked me up to the monitor to check babys heart rate and strength of my contractions. I started to gradually get stronger and stronger contractions and so didnt sleep much that night. My hubby, John stayed with me all night, apart from nipping home to walk our dog. He had to stay on this chair that pulled out into a bed, but it looked like the most uncomfortable thing ever, bless!
At 6am on Saturday 18th the Cervidil was removed and the pitocin drip started. By this point I was 1cm dilated and from now on was on a clear liquid diet. All day the contractions got stronger and stronger and they kept checking me, but nothing was really happening. I was getting concerned as my doctor was giving it until 5pm and if nothing had changed she was discharging me, to try again in a few days and I really didnt want this. Plus the internal exams were so so painful I cant even tell you, I was in tears every time. However when the nurse checked me at 5pm I was 3cm dilated and definitely staying in. The doctor decided to break my waters and recommended I get the epidural just after. By this point I was pretty tired and as soon as my waters were broken the contractions were agonising, so Im glad I got the epi. They gave me some painkillers via the drip (cant remember the name) to ease the contractions whilst I waited for the epi and although they helped me sit still whilst I had it, they made me really dizzy and disorientated which was horrible. The epi was great though and didnt really hurt at all, I just felt a small prick when they put the local in. But because I am so small the first try he couldnt get the needle in so he had to pull it out and try another spot, which freaked my hubby out a bit as he saw blood coming out of my back when he pulled the first one out! It was fine though and Ive not had any problems since the birth, just a bit of bruising, so I would definitely recommend it.
I slept a little through Saturday night but at about 2am I started to feel the contractions. I tried pressing the button to increase the epi but it didnt help so they called the anaesthesiologist to give me a top up. By the time he got here I was almost screaming in pain and it took about half an hour to kick in, I would have to say that was the worst part of the whole labour as I went from feeling nothing to feeling agonisingly painful contractions in a few minutes. This happened again about an hour later so I had to have another top up. Needless to say after all this epi my lower half was a dead weight!
At about 5am I had got to 9cm dilated but by 7am I was only 9 ¾ and then when the doctor came in at 8am to check me my cervix had swollen and I had gone back to 9cm. She suggested that it probably wasnt going to happen vaginally and a c-section would be my best option. By now I had been going for nearly 40 hours with barely any sleep and had not eaten for over 24 hours. I was exhausted and just wanted the baby to be here. John and I had a quick chat and decided that the c-section would be for the best.
Pretty quickly the doctor, nurse and John were in scrubs and I was being wheeled into the OR. It was all a bit crazy and overwhelming and I kept tearing up. I wasnt upset at getting a c-section, though, I knew it was best for me and the baby. I think I was just exhausted and also overwhelmed that soon she would be here, as well as anxious about the c-section as I was not at all prepared for it.
Once I was in the OR they transferred me to the OR bed, which took 5 people as my bottom half was like lead due to all the epidural! The screen was then put up and I was given more epi and anaesthetic. I was shivering, I think mainly due to anxiety but it was also cold, so they put some heat thing over my top half. Then John was wheeled in (he had to be in a wheelchair sat next to me) and they began. It was such a weird feeling and I was quite uncomfortable. They had being going for about 5 or 10 mins when I felt the knife. I gave a sharp yelp and they stopped quickly and topped me up. They waited 5 minutes and started again, but I could still feel it. The anaesthesiologist then said to me he was going to give me something else and it may make me a bit drowsy. The next thing I remember is waking up and John wasnt there. I asked where he was and was told he was in recovery with the baby. I was so surprised! I just said The babys here? to which they said yes I had missed her being born! When I think about it now I am a little disappointed, but at the time I just wanted to see her. As I waited for her to be brought in the doctor told me it had all gone fine but baby had been quite low in my birth canal so her head was very cone-like! She also said that there was very little chance that she would have been able to get down the birth canal alone and seemed to have got stuck, so the c-section had been the right thing to do.
A few minutes later John was wheeled in holding her and I just cried, I couldnt believe she was here! John said he had been really worried about me as I just passed out and he was taken straight out of the OR as the baby was born. I think I was only out for 5 minutes though. Anyway, we sat there whilst the doctor stitched me up and I just kept staring at my baby and John, it was so unreal. John and the baby were then taken back into recovery and I was wheeled back in there myself not long after, where I got to hold her for the first time. Whilst I was in recovery John went home to walk the dog and tell friends and family the news. As I laid holding her I ran through all the names we had talked about trying to see what fit, but nothing was right. Then I remember wed briefly discussed Holly, but had dismissed it as our surname is Hodson and we werent sure about having two Hs. But when I looked at her she just suited it. When John came back I mentioned it to him and he said hed also thought of Holly when he was holding her, so we decided that would be it. I wanted her middle name to be Laura as that is both of our sisters names, so Holly Laura was decided on.
I stayed in hospital for 3 nights and came home on the Wednesday. I cant rave about the staff at the hospital enough, they helped me so much and showed me what to do. As I was not expecting a c-section I had no idea how hard the recovery would be, but they were great. My recovery has been pretty up and down because I laboured for so long before she was here and pumped full of so many drugs and IV (I had 9 IV bags over the course of my stay!), so it has been a harder process, but Im feeling a lot better now and loving every moment with Holly!
So there we go, thats my birth story! I hope it wasnt too long and boring, thanks for reading!
