Oh my god I am the worst thread host in the whole world haha So sorry I've not been around to update the first post!! What with working full time, plus uni and two kids I've just had no bloody time to get on the laptop to come on here (it's rubbish on my phone). I need a smacked bum haha I promise I will update- I think it'll be easier if people PM me with their updates? Or would you prefer a new one set up under the parenting section once everyone has had their babies? (although I'd recommend that someone else does this given that I'm totally crap at updating!!)
As for me, I ended up with an April baby! I went for a routine growth scan at 37+2 and they picked up a problem with the blood flow through the cord, so I ended up being induced that night! Jessica Rose was born on 26th April weighing 7lb 6oz- this was also my 35th birthday, so I now share my birthday with her! I'll paste my birth story below for those that are interested
I was due to go for a growth scan at 38 weeks (I was having extra scans due to high BMI) but at my midwife appointment at 37 weeks, the midwife brought the scan forward as my bump measurement had only grown 1cm in 2 weeks. Baby had always measured big so she wasn't worried but she wanted to check if the growth had dropped off. So off I went for the scan at 37+2 not expecting much, but they picked up a problem with the blood flow through the cord. The sonographer said it probably isn't a problem and spouted off some medical jargon but said to see the doctor for a review anyway. Baby's growth had tailed off a little too, but she said not so much that they'd be worried. So we waited to see the doctor who eventually casually strolled over with my notes and said baby's growth had slowed and there was a problem with the blood flow, so that's why we are inducing you... I was like what?! When?! He said it needed to be asap so I was told to go home, gather my things and come back that night to be induced. Having never been induced before I was apprehensive but happy that they'd picked up the problem before it affected baby too much. It was also my birthday the day after, so I was wondering if we would share a birthday! So we went home, faffed about getting stuff together, got a shower, sorted a sleepover for the kids and went back to hospital for around 7.30pm.
The pessary was put in around 9.00pm and I was told my cervix was completely closed so I would likely need another 24 hours later, so to get some sleep. Hubby went home with instructions to be near his phone! About half an hour later I started with strong period pains that were coming regularly. I tried to ignore them and sleep but I got a constant, awful cramp feeling in my bum that was excruciating! It felt like when you get a bad cramp in your calf but it wouldn't go away. I called the midwife and asked for some paracetamol probably around 12pm, she put me on the monitor and could see I was getting strong contractions close together already. She examined me and said I was 1-2 cm but they needed to keep an eye on it, as I shouldn't be getting such strong pains close together like that so soon. Time is a bit of a blur from here! I went to and from the toilet as I felt desperate for a wee but nothing would come out. I couldn't lay on the bed as the cramp in my bum was absolutely killing me, it was worse than the contraction pain by far. A student midwife examined me again at some point (I think it must have been around 2.30am) and said I was still about 1-2cm but she was wondering if they might be able to break my waters to get things going. Another midwife came in around 3am followed by a doctor and said that baby was looking a little unhappy with the constant contractions and so they were taking the pessary out and would take me down to delivery to get an injection to slow the contractions and keep an eye on me.
I called hubby to come in and waddled down to delivery suite. Got the injection to slow the contractions which did naff all! Was still contracting every few minutes but they were manageable and I didn't want any pain relief at that point. I was given fluids through a drip for some reason, not sure why, I think my heart rate was up a little. I was strapped on the monitor but they kept struggling to monitor baby's heartbeat, so they took the decision to break my waters and put a clip on babies head to better monitor her. I was still desperate for a wee but couldn't go, so the midwife emptied my bladder with a catheter thing and then broke my waters and put the clip on baby's head. I was around 4cm by this point. This was about 5.30am.
Contractions started coming thick and fast after that, the midwife said it wouldn't be long and baby would be here! The midwife asked if I minded if a student midwife assisted and I said not at all, so she came in too. I was in loads of intense pain from this point, got on the gas and air and nearly bit the bloody thing off haha I was asking for an epidural at one point and they were laughing saying it's too late for that! hubby kept saying "she really doesn't want one" and he was right, I really didn't! I was feeling the urge to push around 6.30am and literally couldn't help it. I was examined and there was still a bit of cervix but the midwives said I'd probably push it away, especially with it being my third baby. She said baby was back to back and that can make you have the urge to push too soon sometimes. So I pushed (involuntarily) for about half an hour, she kept coming down and sliding back up. I was getting really tired at this point, I literally felt like I had no energy whatsoever and couldn't move! They tilted the bed so it was like a chair with my bum down and put my legs in stirrups- something my physio said was an absolute no no due to my PGP, but there wasn't much of a choice! The midwives were absolutely wonderful, there was an older lady who held my hand and stroked my hair all the way through pushing, they were so encouraging and just fabulous. There was another experienced midwife supervising the student and she was fantastic too. She examined me regularly and at some point said I was fully dilated and so I'd pushed the cervix away. I had to push so so hard, I don't remember it being that hard with my other two, but then they were the right way around by this point (DD1 was back to back but turned during labour). I howled and howled, much noisier than I was in labour with my other two! haha Eventually her head came out, quickly followed by the rest of her. Hubby said it was weird watching her come out face up, he said it was like a printer hahaha Jessica Rose was born at 7.05am on 26th April, which was also my 35th birthday
The student delivered her and she did fab, I think it was her first delivery, she was less than a year into her course!
I got a second degree tear and was stitched in the room by the supervising midwife who was teaching the student, so it took bloody ages! I got an hour or so skin to skin which was fabulous (very important to me, as I was whisked into theatre after DD1 with a suspected 3rd degree tear, so didn't get it until after about 2 hours in theatre) and she had a little go at feeding. She was so alert and looking around it was lovely. She weighed 7lb 6oz, so a decent weight for 37+3. Oh and if anyone is interested, the scan the day before estimated her at 8lb, so they were half a lb out! We went up to the ward around 9.30am, when I was wheeled out of the delivery room all the midwives were at the midwives station thing and they all shouted "happy birthday!!' to me! Hubby picked up DD1 and DD2 from school early to come and meet their new sister. They are absolutely smitten with her! We were home by 4pm which was lovely. Jessica struggled with breastfeeding, she was super sleepy and we struggled lots with latch and getting her to stay awake when feeding. By day 3 my nipples were cracked and bleeding and I almost couldn't bare to feed her anymore, I was crying. She had lost 12% of her birth weight by day 5 and was jaundiced so we took the decision to switch to formula. The same thing happened with my first baby (she was also early and actually ended up back in hospital) and I really beat myself up over it at the time. I got very depressed and it was an awful time. My second breastfed better and for longer (she never got jaundice) but I said to myself I would never torture myself over switching to formula if bf didn't work out again, it just isn't worth it, especially when I look at my now nearly 8 year old and how happy and healthy she is. Jessica is now feeding so much better, she is jaundiced and had a blood test to see if she needed treatment, but she doesn't so we just need to feed her up now to get rid of this jaundice and get some weight back on her.
