Hi all
My son was born 3 weeks ago but to be honest it has taken me thing long to be able to write what happened as I have had a bit of a time coming to terms and dealing with it - I am fine now but still teary when I think about it too much!
Anyway here's what happened.
Sunday 10pm lied in bed moaning how crap the TV programme we were watching was so rolled over to go to sleep and woosh - waters broken. I was 36+4 with my 2nd. I rushed to the bathroom (which has a lino floor - practical as ever! as I didn't want the carpet to get wet). Everytime i moved a little gush and was going through towels (i mean hand towels not sanitary ones) like no ones business - there was loads!!! Anyway shaking like a leaf phoned L&D who asked me to come in as was 36w. So phoned parents to sit with son and off we went - big pants, incontinence pad on and sat on towels and a bin bag in the car!
Luckily has part packed my bag so grabbed it a few other bits. I felt fine, in no pain at this stage just nervous!
Arrived at hosp and was set up on the monitors. Midwife tried to examine me but said she couldn't see. She also felt my tummy but said she could not feel the position of bubs so they scanned me and bubs was head down and side on, facing my left hand side. They gave me antibiotics as was not feeling contractions and left me to be monitored. MW checked me and asked if I needed pain relief - I must of either looked blank or confused and said no thanks and she asked me if I could feel the contractions to which I replied "what contractions?" lol that answered that one!
Decided it would be ages before anything happened so as I thought bubs would be born the following day so sent hubs home to get some sleep and look after son as was around 1am by this time and I agreed to call him when I was in labour or he'd pop back in the morning.
Anyway mw noticed bubs heart rate was dipping to made be change positions, left me for 30 mins, made me move again, left me for 30 mins, move again etc etc as bubs still kept dipping so she called the dr who decided to move me to the labour ward as it was only 1 mw on the other ward which had lots of other ladies in it and they didn't like the dipping.
Anyway, waddled to the labour room which freaked me out a tad with all the equipment etc but dr arrived and asked if he could examine me to which I agreed (same dr that just scanned me). There was a mw present also and he said to her, do you wanna do this one or shall I - its ok she said you do this one so he proceeded to have a good old rumage around my lady bits and looked at me, literally within seconds, and said right we need to get you theatre you're going to have an emergency c section. He then looked at mw and said i wish you'd done this one! lol Not really understanding what was happening i said ok but can you just wait while i call hubby and get him back as i don't want him to miss it to which he replied a firm no.
This bit gets a bit hazy as tbh all hell broke loose and there were people everywhere. He must of said to mw i had a prolapsed cord and must of i assume said he couldnt move his hand (still firmy up my lady bits!
) but i dont recall. I called hubby and told him to get back as I was going to theatre and within seconds i was being wheeled down the corridor - dr sat at end of bed and his hand still in position! I remember him explaining to me that he might need to put me to sleep and i remember pleading to have a spinal as i have a massive fear of aneasetics (sp sorry!). Anyway we arrive in theatre and there is just a sea of people - must of been around 10 and they all started grabbing me in various places - one on each arm inserting canulas, one stuck pads on me, someone asking me questions, someone erecting a screen, someone doing a catheter etc etc is was literally all go - not going to say panic as they weren't but they certainly weren't hanging around - you could tell speed was an issue and the dr was sat with his hand still you know where pushing very very hard - that probably hurt more than anything anyone else was doing!!.
Anyway they agreed I could have a spinal as bubs was not distressed which was administered (that was fun as was moving onto the operating table bearing in mind dr's hand is still in position and I had to lie on my side and curl up in a ball!) and they checked it had worked and put ice on me, asked me to move which I couldn't do etc etc. I do remember saying to the surgeon that if he was feeling creative and wanted to do a zig zag cut or a fancy swirly one, then go for it I didn't mind what sort of scar i had!
Whilst this was going on in walked hubby all gowned up - I was soo releived his had just made it in the nick of time!
I am not sure how long, minutes if that I could feel someone pushing on my belly hard and then bubs screamed - it was that quick!!! They didn't give him to me or let me see him but I could hear him crying to was happy he was ok. I was a bit overwhelmed and was talking to hubby and then it dawned on me that I didn't know if it was a boy or girl! It felt like about 10 mins but I don't know if it was they brought him over and showed us he was a boy and all was fine, no need for intensive care etc etc - he was 5lb 7oz at 36+5 so close to 37 anyway but technically premature. Hubby held him as I was shaking (side effect of spinal) and I didn't notice the rest but they were obviously stitching me up etc. I do remember saying to the surgeon if he could see his way to giving me a tummy tuck whilst he was there that'd be good.
(he didn't).
The rest is hazy but I remember a team rolling me onto a board and then sheet to move me across beds and I had bubs given to me and was wheeled back to the labour room where i was previously. Son was born at 4.34am so must of been 5-6am but this time I spose so hubs when home for some sleep as they said they were transferring me to a ward shortly.
The dr came to see me, explained what had happened but all was ok, explained that there is no reason why I can't have a natural birth next time and also offered me counselling for what had happened at which point I still didn't fully appreciate what had happened and was like why would i need that i am fine?!
Anyway everything else was fine and was sent home 2 days later when bubs was 37w - he only lost 1oz and a week later was 6lb! They also checked his cord gasses and they were normal and he never went into distress so they were happy.
TBH it was only when the midwife came to see me at home that it really hit home what had happened and how serious it was. I guess due to the rush etc it didn't fully register with me, maybe a good thing at the time as I didn't panic like I would of. She basically said he is lucky to be here, in her 30 years she has had one other prolapsed cord and that baby didn't make it - they would of had 30 mins to get him out and he was out on 20. If i was at home, didn't ring and waited for contractions, didn't go in or his birth was delayed etc etc it would of been a totally different story. She told me how good the dr was and how swift things moved when he spotted it and he literally saved his life - for which I will be eternally grateful to that dr. I literally cried for days at what if's and everytime I looked at him i burst into tears and then i understood why i was offered counselling etc etc. TBH i still cry and get teary about it now but feel soo blessed and lucky. I have a thank you card for the dr now I am ready to deal with it but it just seems so feeble and inadequate.
The section was very sore and recovery is slow and frustrating at not being able to drive etc etc but that is neither here nor there in the scheme of things.
Anyway, thanks if you have read all of this, it's helped me to get it all out and i hope no one is upset or freaked out by it. It really is a very rare occurance (they think as bubs was so small and there were lots of water the cord slipped past).
Here is a pic of Xavier for you
My son was born 3 weeks ago but to be honest it has taken me thing long to be able to write what happened as I have had a bit of a time coming to terms and dealing with it - I am fine now but still teary when I think about it too much!
Anyway here's what happened.
Sunday 10pm lied in bed moaning how crap the TV programme we were watching was so rolled over to go to sleep and woosh - waters broken. I was 36+4 with my 2nd. I rushed to the bathroom (which has a lino floor - practical as ever! as I didn't want the carpet to get wet). Everytime i moved a little gush and was going through towels (i mean hand towels not sanitary ones) like no ones business - there was loads!!! Anyway shaking like a leaf phoned L&D who asked me to come in as was 36w. So phoned parents to sit with son and off we went - big pants, incontinence pad on and sat on towels and a bin bag in the car!
Luckily has part packed my bag so grabbed it a few other bits. I felt fine, in no pain at this stage just nervous!Arrived at hosp and was set up on the monitors. Midwife tried to examine me but said she couldn't see. She also felt my tummy but said she could not feel the position of bubs so they scanned me and bubs was head down and side on, facing my left hand side. They gave me antibiotics as was not feeling contractions and left me to be monitored. MW checked me and asked if I needed pain relief - I must of either looked blank or confused and said no thanks and she asked me if I could feel the contractions to which I replied "what contractions?" lol that answered that one!
Decided it would be ages before anything happened so as I thought bubs would be born the following day so sent hubs home to get some sleep and look after son as was around 1am by this time and I agreed to call him when I was in labour or he'd pop back in the morning.
Anyway mw noticed bubs heart rate was dipping to made be change positions, left me for 30 mins, made me move again, left me for 30 mins, move again etc etc as bubs still kept dipping so she called the dr who decided to move me to the labour ward as it was only 1 mw on the other ward which had lots of other ladies in it and they didn't like the dipping.
Anyway, waddled to the labour room which freaked me out a tad with all the equipment etc but dr arrived and asked if he could examine me to which I agreed (same dr that just scanned me). There was a mw present also and he said to her, do you wanna do this one or shall I - its ok she said you do this one so he proceeded to have a good old rumage around my lady bits and looked at me, literally within seconds, and said right we need to get you theatre you're going to have an emergency c section. He then looked at mw and said i wish you'd done this one! lol
Not really understanding what was happening i said ok but can you just wait while i call hubby and get him back as i don't want him to miss it to which he replied a firm no. This bit gets a bit hazy as tbh all hell broke loose and there were people everywhere. He must of said to mw i had a prolapsed cord and must of i assume said he couldnt move his hand (still firmy up my lady bits!
) but i dont recall. I called hubby and told him to get back as I was going to theatre and within seconds i was being wheeled down the corridor - dr sat at end of bed and his hand still in position! I remember him explaining to me that he might need to put me to sleep and i remember pleading to have a spinal as i have a massive fear of aneasetics (sp sorry!). Anyway we arrive in theatre and there is just a sea of people - must of been around 10 and they all started grabbing me in various places - one on each arm inserting canulas, one stuck pads on me, someone asking me questions, someone erecting a screen, someone doing a catheter etc etc is was literally all go - not going to say panic as they weren't but they certainly weren't hanging around - you could tell speed was an issue and the dr was sat with his hand still you know where pushing very very hard - that probably hurt more than anything anyone else was doing!!. Anyway they agreed I could have a spinal as bubs was not distressed which was administered (that was fun as was moving onto the operating table bearing in mind dr's hand is still in position and I had to lie on my side and curl up in a ball!) and they checked it had worked and put ice on me, asked me to move which I couldn't do etc etc. I do remember saying to the surgeon that if he was feeling creative and wanted to do a zig zag cut or a fancy swirly one, then go for it I didn't mind what sort of scar i had!
Whilst this was going on in walked hubby all gowned up - I was soo releived his had just made it in the nick of time!I am not sure how long, minutes if that I could feel someone pushing on my belly hard and then bubs screamed - it was that quick!!! They didn't give him to me or let me see him but I could hear him crying to was happy he was ok. I was a bit overwhelmed and was talking to hubby and then it dawned on me that I didn't know if it was a boy or girl! It felt like about 10 mins but I don't know if it was they brought him over and showed us he was a boy and all was fine, no need for intensive care etc etc - he was 5lb 7oz at 36+5 so close to 37 anyway but technically premature. Hubby held him as I was shaking (side effect of spinal) and I didn't notice the rest but they were obviously stitching me up etc. I do remember saying to the surgeon if he could see his way to giving me a tummy tuck whilst he was there that'd be good.
(he didn't).The rest is hazy but I remember a team rolling me onto a board and then sheet to move me across beds and I had bubs given to me and was wheeled back to the labour room where i was previously. Son was born at 4.34am so must of been 5-6am but this time I spose so hubs when home for some sleep as they said they were transferring me to a ward shortly.
The dr came to see me, explained what had happened but all was ok, explained that there is no reason why I can't have a natural birth next time and also offered me counselling for what had happened at which point I still didn't fully appreciate what had happened and was like why would i need that i am fine?!
Anyway everything else was fine and was sent home 2 days later when bubs was 37w - he only lost 1oz and a week later was 6lb! They also checked his cord gasses and they were normal and he never went into distress so they were happy.
TBH it was only when the midwife came to see me at home that it really hit home what had happened and how serious it was. I guess due to the rush etc it didn't fully register with me, maybe a good thing at the time as I didn't panic like I would of. She basically said he is lucky to be here, in her 30 years she has had one other prolapsed cord and that baby didn't make it - they would of had 30 mins to get him out and he was out on 20. If i was at home, didn't ring and waited for contractions, didn't go in or his birth was delayed etc etc it would of been a totally different story. She told me how good the dr was and how swift things moved when he spotted it and he literally saved his life - for which I will be eternally grateful to that dr. I literally cried for days at what if's and everytime I looked at him i burst into tears and then i understood why i was offered counselling etc etc. TBH i still cry and get teary about it now but feel soo blessed and lucky. I have a thank you card for the dr now I am ready to deal with it but it just seems so feeble and inadequate.
The section was very sore and recovery is slow and frustrating at not being able to drive etc etc but that is neither here nor there in the scheme of things.
Anyway, thanks if you have read all of this, it's helped me to get it all out and i hope no one is upset or freaked out by it. It really is a very rare occurance (they think as bubs was so small and there were lots of water the cord slipped past).
Here is a pic of Xavier for you
