Sorry it's a bit long - was a long process!
Wednesday 5th November - Had regular doctors visit where we made the decision to induce because of the PUPPPs rash. We went to hospital at 3pm and had Cervadil inserted (like a tampon but with drugs to ripen the cervix). Was montiored for an hour and then sent home.
Thursday 6th November - Cervadil fell out at 6.30am but was back at the hospital anyway at 8. Inserted second cervadil and was monitored. sent home. Went to see 'W' at the movies (was rubbish by the way). Afterwards I was worried the cervadil had fallen out so we went back to the hopsital. It had slipped a bit but still in so I was sent home to come back in the morning.
Friday 7th November - Went back at 8am having not really felt any cramps or anything so I was expecting a third Cervadil and home again. In fact things had progressed to a stage where they were ready to admit me and start the induction process. They didn't have a bed ready for me til 11 am so we went and had some breakfast and sent some emails out in anticipation of Baby Phillips arriving.
Got to the birthing room at 11 and was delighted to find that the Rockyview Hospital lived up to its name. Had a gorgeous view of the mountains. I could appreciate it at that point! Got hooked up to the IV (ouch!) and the started the Oxytocin. Nothing much happened for a while so they kept upping the dose. I read for a bit and Rob went to check emails, have lunch etc. Was getting some contractions but they were easy to manage. Until about 5ish anyway (not sure on times). Then it was time for the gas and air. I wasn't convinced it was doing anything other than tasting bad but apparently I started going on about the episode of Friends with "smell the fart acting" ooops.
About 7pm (just as Rob had gone to get some dinner) they came and checked me and decided it was time to break my waters. That was pretty grim - not only did I have the doctor with the crochet hook up there, but Mikey's head was too low for them to be able to get a grip on the sac so the nurse had to puch hard on my stomach to creat a bubble to get hold of. It was over in a few minutes with a big gush of fluid. After that the contractions got a lot more intense. All the nurses recommended I had an epi because induced labour is often harder than natural labour. Because it goes straight into hard labour with no natural progression.
I tried for a couple of hours but was really struggling with the contractions so we took the doctors advice and the anaesthetist was called. By 9pm I was still only 1 cm dilated so another reason for the epi was to relax my pelvis etc. Had the epi at around 9. The anaesthetist shouted at me
( - well I had a contraction just as he was administering the epi and I was not allowed to move. Try not moving through a contraction! Ha! At least he apologised after.
Once the epi had kicked in I was able to get some sleep and when they check me at 1am I was 3cm dilated. They check me again at 3 and no change at which point the doctor called the physician and they decided that this baby was not coming out the conventional way. From making the decision to go for a c-section to Michael being born took about 20 minutes! They topped up the epidural and wheeled me in. Oh yeah, and i started vomiting - nice! I was crying too coz I was scared/upset about having to have a section but it was the best thing in the end. My onlymemory if it really was the anaesthetist asking Rob is he wanted to see his baby being born and him saying no thanks. Followed by a short pause and then "What am I saying, yes of course I do!". Afterwards in recovery I was so completely out of it that I had no input at all in the first feed. Rob and the nurse managed to breastfeed Michael for 40 minutes while I just lay there!
I was more concerned with not panicing because I had no legs! I came round in my room about 7.30 am and felt great...just needed a husband and a baby. they arrived not long afterwards. rob had been wheeling him around the unit for a couple of hours...even got lost and had to get security to bring him back.
Michael is 9 days old now and so gorgeous. We are figuring out the feeding thing. It's not easy but we are learning from each other.
It's taken me a week to write this so I will leave it there. Just need to add some pics now!
Wednesday 5th November - Had regular doctors visit where we made the decision to induce because of the PUPPPs rash. We went to hospital at 3pm and had Cervadil inserted (like a tampon but with drugs to ripen the cervix). Was montiored for an hour and then sent home.
Thursday 6th November - Cervadil fell out at 6.30am but was back at the hospital anyway at 8. Inserted second cervadil and was monitored. sent home. Went to see 'W' at the movies (was rubbish by the way). Afterwards I was worried the cervadil had fallen out so we went back to the hopsital. It had slipped a bit but still in so I was sent home to come back in the morning.
Friday 7th November - Went back at 8am having not really felt any cramps or anything so I was expecting a third Cervadil and home again. In fact things had progressed to a stage where they were ready to admit me and start the induction process. They didn't have a bed ready for me til 11 am so we went and had some breakfast and sent some emails out in anticipation of Baby Phillips arriving.
Got to the birthing room at 11 and was delighted to find that the Rockyview Hospital lived up to its name. Had a gorgeous view of the mountains. I could appreciate it at that point! Got hooked up to the IV (ouch!) and the started the Oxytocin. Nothing much happened for a while so they kept upping the dose. I read for a bit and Rob went to check emails, have lunch etc. Was getting some contractions but they were easy to manage. Until about 5ish anyway (not sure on times). Then it was time for the gas and air. I wasn't convinced it was doing anything other than tasting bad but apparently I started going on about the episode of Friends with "smell the fart acting" ooops.
About 7pm (just as Rob had gone to get some dinner) they came and checked me and decided it was time to break my waters. That was pretty grim - not only did I have the doctor with the crochet hook up there, but Mikey's head was too low for them to be able to get a grip on the sac so the nurse had to puch hard on my stomach to creat a bubble to get hold of. It was over in a few minutes with a big gush of fluid. After that the contractions got a lot more intense. All the nurses recommended I had an epi because induced labour is often harder than natural labour. Because it goes straight into hard labour with no natural progression.
I tried for a couple of hours but was really struggling with the contractions so we took the doctors advice and the anaesthetist was called. By 9pm I was still only 1 cm dilated so another reason for the epi was to relax my pelvis etc. Had the epi at around 9. The anaesthetist shouted at me
( - well I had a contraction just as he was administering the epi and I was not allowed to move. Try not moving through a contraction! Ha! At least he apologised after.Once the epi had kicked in I was able to get some sleep and when they check me at 1am I was 3cm dilated. They check me again at 3 and no change at which point the doctor called the physician and they decided that this baby was not coming out the conventional way. From making the decision to go for a c-section to Michael being born took about 20 minutes! They topped up the epidural and wheeled me in. Oh yeah, and i started vomiting - nice! I was crying too coz I was scared/upset about having to have a section but it was the best thing in the end. My onlymemory if it really was the anaesthetist asking Rob is he wanted to see his baby being born and him saying no thanks. Followed by a short pause and then "What am I saying, yes of course I do!". Afterwards in recovery I was so completely out of it that I had no input at all in the first feed. Rob and the nurse managed to breastfeed Michael for 40 minutes while I just lay there!
I was more concerned with not panicing because I had no legs! I came round in my room about 7.30 am and felt great...just needed a husband and a baby. they arrived not long afterwards. rob had been wheeling him around the unit for a couple of hours...even got lost and had to get security to bring him back.
Michael is 9 days old now and so gorgeous. We are figuring out the feeding thing. It's not easy but we are learning from each other.
It's taken me a week to write this so I will leave it there. Just need to add some pics now!
