I am home, so can now fill you in on what happened with Niamh's birth.
As you all know as I had been moaning for the past week I had been having contractions on and off some times getting as regular as every 5 minutes lasting 45 seconds. Due to my pre-eclampsia i was at the hospital all the time and they had checked me on the Friday and said that my cervix was closed but that things were soft down there. I was starting to wonder how much more I could take as I was in alot of pain and could not sleep.
Saturday - I had slept on the sofa so that Duncan culd get a proper nights sleep without me groaning and getting up every 5 minutes. Got up at 8am as had to be at hospital at 9.30am for BP check. As I walked up the stairs my waters went! I thought I had pee'd myself but soon realised as more and more proceeded to come that It was indeed my waters.
I rang the hospital to say that my waters had gone and there was no point coming in for my BP check at 9. As I was not contracting regulalrly we decided I would go in at 1 instead to give the contractions some time to build.
Contractions continued to build I coped with tens machine which was actually brilliant as I was made to take it off in hospital and my god i noticed how well it worked once it was gone. At 12.15 we got in the car to go to the hospital. All my pain was in my back and my bum and before Duncan had begun to drive I had jumped out of the car twice. A few choice words were had and I eventually managed to sit long enough for him to start the car. That 45 minute car journey felt like a life time.
Got to the hospital and went along to the day unit to have my BP profile done and to be examined. All the time my waters still continued to gush with each contraction. 1st vaginal exam showed that I was at 5cm and in established labour so off to Labour and Delivery we went.
Once in delievery suite I was told that I would have a midwife with me at all times until baby was born due to the pre-eclampisa and also that I would be on the CTG and confined to the bed for the whole labour. Well I at that point I fllipped. No way could I lie on the bed my back and bum were in agony. The baby was felt and I was told that she was now back to back with me and I was experience back labour so the little minx had moved position from just the day before
I was strapped up to the bands and was probably on the bed for all of 5 minutes before I jumped off and proceed to lose the plot crying with the midwife to take me off the band and let me have a bath or atleast stand up. She said no and said I have to stay rested on the bed on the monitor the whole labour for both mine and the babies health. She then said that she was going to call the anethitist about giving me and epidural so that im pain free and can go on the bed. I continue to cry and plead with Duncan to tell them that I need a bath. . . . . They say no.
Anethitist comes by this point im have 4 contractions in 10 minutes. I agree to have the epidural done. Within 15 minutes of it being administered I am pain free. You can feel your legs and you can move your legs. Each dose only lasts for about an hours so should you decide at any point you want to feel things again you will be within an hour. The epidural was brilliant and meant for the rest of my labour I was able to lie on the bed talking and joking with Duncan and the midwife. The epidural did not slow down my contractions and I progressed well in terms of dilation. By 11pm I was 10cm and ready to push but babies head was too high.
It was decided that we would wait an hour for it to descend so not to distress her. I was happy with that. At 12 head still in same position, given another hour for her to move. 1am still head is high given synotcin to strengthen contractions checked at 3am by consultant who says to begin pushing for an hour and if the head does not move it will be an emergency c section.
4am - Head still high off to theatre we go.
My experience of a c section is not that bad at all. The spinal was not my favourite as it feels weird to be so paralysed but it was manageable. It all happened really quickly and the staff were really good at explaining what was happening. Within 10 minutes Niamh entered the world crying, to all the staff commenting on what big girl she is and how much hair she has. Daddy cut her cord and I lay there behind my screen blubbering to myself. She was then brought over to me for skin to skin but I was shaking so much from a mixture of the shock of having a c section, the spinal and the shock at my baby being there that I could not hold her safely so she was given to her daddy.
Stitched up really quickly and all in all I was back in delivery room 40 minutes after I had left. Feed Niamh and was put on some drips. Recovery has been good so far. I had no adverse effects to any meds and have felt pretty well. Walking is difficult and does hurt but that is more to do with my pelvis where her head was stuck. My incesion site does not really hurt at all. The Dr who performed the procedure came to see me after and told me that I never stood a chance of birthing her as I have a really small pelvis and they had a hard time pulling her out of it. The poor little love has a big bruise on her arm where she was yanked out.
We are both home now and are getting use to being a family. She really is so gorgeous. I dont have any photos on the computer yet to put up by will text a photo to anyone that wants to have a look. Linds I shall text you in a minute so we can compare hair!! Lol.
So all in all it was not at all what I expected and invoilved everything I wanted to avoid (prolonged monitoring, epidural,c section) but everything was absolutely fine and I was really well looked after. I would do the same all over again and writing this and looking back im actually quite proud of myself and will only ever think that day as a postive day and a positive experience.
SB and Wez - Lots of luck it does not sound like you are far away at all
Doods - Hope the sweep takes effect.
DM - Sophie is so gorgeous, hope Harry is better.
To everyone else suffering from the heat lots of
its boiling hot.
So pleased to hear they arrived safely! And I'm glad that you're both recovering so well from your c-sections.
I can't imagine waiting that long just to get induced. What if it doesn't work right away??? My baby is starting to get a little too comfortable inside me. It feels like he's pitched a tent with no intention of leaving. No squatters allowed!! The worst is my mom had to book specific days off of work and if I go two weeks over she will pretty much miss the baby all together. She is booked to come a week after my due date. My BH have been picking up but nothing serious. I am hoping my doctor starts checking my cervix at my next appointment on Thursday because I'd love to see if any progress has been made.
