dom85
Mum of 2, 3rd on the way
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I finally have five minutes so i thought that it was about time that I put my birth story up and share some piccies of my lovely little man. Just to warn you though, I was in hospital for 5 days having him so this will be a bit long!
Well, after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 28 weeks I knew that my baby boy would be being delivered early because of the higher risk of stillbirth and to prevent him from growing too big. I went on to insuin at 30 weeks but my control was very good, so as the end got nearer I discussed different options with my consultant and she was very supportive of a natural birth although recommended that I see the aneathatist (sp?) to discuss an epidural as I would have a lot of monitoring equiptment and drips on me and would not have very much mobility and with the hormone drip to induce labour she thought that the epidural was necessary and would also help to control my blood sugars in labour.
I went in on the 7th October in the evening to start the process off. I was examined and told that my cervix was closed and very posterior but at 38 weeks this was no big surprise. So I had my first gel put in and hoped that it would take effect quickly and I would be one of the lucky ones who would dilate and go into labour on the first one.
No such luck though
all it did was give me contractions every 5 minutes but somehow I knew that they weren't really doing anything. I was so jealous when the lady opposite me who had come in at the same time went into labour and was whisked off to delivery 7 hours after we came in.
I had another gel on Thursday morning after it was confirmed that nothing had happened to my cervix. Again I had contractions, and they were a bit more intense than the day before but they started to ease off at about 10pm that night and they wouldn't do another gel until the morning. So Friday morning came, and I was very fed up at this point, I hadn't been getting much sleep because I was still having some pains and I had never been in hospital before so the whole experience was completely foreign. My Mum had been with me all through the day, from 9am to 9pm which was great, I couldn't have done it without her. I had another gel that morning and after being monitored for an hour after I was allowed to have a bath. I was having contractions again and these ones were A LOT more intense, every 5 minutes for at least a minute. I went back to my bed crying because of the pain and being so fed up, the midwife said it was a good sign lol!
After a full day of contractions I was feeling really positive that something MUST be happening, but I was examined before the shift change and no, nothing! Not even a fingertip dilated!
Saturday rolled around, and I was told that I was being reviewed by the doctor today, however, protocol was that I had to be rested for 24 hours because I had had 3 gels. I was so not happy about this!!! When the doctor came he exmined me and said again how far I wasn't dilated and that these things can take a while especially seeing as they were doing it 2 weeks early. My told him that my understanding was that the 24 hours rest was if you had had 3 gels in 24 hours, but I hadn't, I had had 3 over 3 days which he agreed with and told the midwives to do another one. Again, I started to have contractions like the day before, but they went away after lunch and I was allowed another gel at about 5/6pm. I was so fed up with the whole process and having to be monitored all the time, and there had also been a really awful woman next me for the day as well who was doing my head in.
As the X Factor was on my Mum went home a bit early that night and I was in tears saying goodbye because I was in pain but I could tell that it was no different from before. As I said goodbye I told her to have a lie in the next day and to come up a bit later. The midwife on the night shift that night then came breezing in and opened all the curtains, all I wanted to do was watch the X Factor in peace and have a good cry. She asked what was wrong and I told her, and asked if I could have my curtains closed and she was like, 'we're going to be sociable tonight, it will make you feel better. Baby WILL come' and she got someone to change my bed for me and gave me a cuddle and some painkillers
As we all sat there watching the X Factor I could feel the contractiong easing off, and then in walks the bloody midwife with someone's baby!!! She bought her over to me and said, 'here have a cuddle' she was called Ruby and was 11lb 2oz ! It was lovely seeing her but I couldn't help thinking how bizarre it was, and did Ruby's mum know where she was??!! The lady opposite me (now the 4th different lady since I went in) said 'that might set you off', apparently there's an old wives tale that if you're close to the end of pregnancy and are around newborn babies it can induce labour. Never heard of this one though. But lo and behold, at 4am I woke up and I suddenly felt like I had been kicked in the stomach (and not in the baby way) and then I was wet!!!
The midwife looked and said that my waters had gone but I told her not to tell me how dilated I was, I didn't want to know until I was at least 3cm. She gave me some pethidine so I could try and get some rest and they would transfer me to delivery at 9am.
When I got to delivery I was hooked up to 3 drips for my glucose, insulin, fluids and the hormone and was put on the monitor and told that I would be on it for the entire delivery now. I was 3cm at this point and they called the aneasthatist for my epidural. When she examined my spine she said that she wasn't sure she could do it, and my heart sank. I've got psoriasis and the point where they normally do it was just too close to it and there was a risk of taking infection in with the epidural. The next best place she said she could do but was reluctant because it was higher and there was a risk of it stopping me breathing. She was lovely though and said that we both needed to think about the risks and she left the room to leave me think about it. She came back about 5 minutes later though and said that she couldn't do it, she had called some other hospitals and there were cases of people with psoriasis developing absesses in the spine because infection had been taken in with the epidural. She was so apologetic though and asked about the aneathatist I had seen when I was pregnant, and she said that she could do a spinal when I was 9 cm as there was less risk of infection with this as nothing is left in the back.
I was in shock at this point, and really disappointed that things were not going to plan. I could handle all the monitoring in order to have my natural birth but I wasnt sure I could hande the pain if I couldnt be mobile and I was on the hormone drip. I said to the midwife that if I had known this earlier then I would have opted for a section and she went off and got a consultant who persuaded me to see how the labour progressed and if I could just get to 9cm then I could have the spinal.
I found some more focus and used the gas and air, they also said that I could have a higher dose of pethidine but I wanted to save that for later. They turned the drip on and I was breathing through the pain fine, my sugars were stable and Brady was doing well until about 5pm when suddenly something had changed and the pain was just too much. Brady had turned back to back and it was awful, I had had a cathor fitted by this point so could move and the pressure on my back was horrible. There was no gap in my contractions either, every 2 minutes for 2 minutes and on top of that Brady had started to get tired and his heartrate was very flat so the midwife was jiggling my belly to try and rouse him a bit which would set off another contraction just as one had started to peak.
I had the pethidine, but it didn't touch the pain, I had to ask if they had done it because I couldn't feel any difference it had made. I was puking everywhere as well, I went through 3 gowns in the end. I had only got to 5 cm at this point and the consultant came in. He asked me if I thought I handle it for another 5 hours until I could get the spinal, as if 5 hours was nothing, and I told him that there was no way and that I wanted them to turn the bloody drip off and they did not have my permission to turn it back on. They fitted a clip onto Brady's head as they were concerned about his heartrate. They said that I would be having a section as the labour wasn't progressing but there were two other emergencies ahead of me.
I had to wait until 9pm until I was taken to theatre and the anaesthatist from before stayed on to do my spinal as it was so delicate and the new shift guy was being funny about doing it and asking if I would consent to general. Three people held me in position for her to do the spinal, I dont know who was more pleased that it worked, me or her! She came to see me the next day after she finshed work bless her.
Brady was delivered at 21:23 and given to my mum. I could just about see him as they had put a bloody machine right by my shoulder
He had to go under the heat lamp twice when I was in recovery as he wasnt regulating his body temp well and he had to have forumla as well as his blood sugars were too low. Other than that he is perfectly healthy and doing well now. He was 8lb 6oz, so it's a good job they did deliver him early! I'm over the moon, he is very content and just lovely.
Well, after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 28 weeks I knew that my baby boy would be being delivered early because of the higher risk of stillbirth and to prevent him from growing too big. I went on to insuin at 30 weeks but my control was very good, so as the end got nearer I discussed different options with my consultant and she was very supportive of a natural birth although recommended that I see the aneathatist (sp?) to discuss an epidural as I would have a lot of monitoring equiptment and drips on me and would not have very much mobility and with the hormone drip to induce labour she thought that the epidural was necessary and would also help to control my blood sugars in labour.
I went in on the 7th October in the evening to start the process off. I was examined and told that my cervix was closed and very posterior but at 38 weeks this was no big surprise. So I had my first gel put in and hoped that it would take effect quickly and I would be one of the lucky ones who would dilate and go into labour on the first one.
No such luck though
all it did was give me contractions every 5 minutes but somehow I knew that they weren't really doing anything. I was so jealous when the lady opposite me who had come in at the same time went into labour and was whisked off to delivery 7 hours after we came in.I had another gel on Thursday morning after it was confirmed that nothing had happened to my cervix. Again I had contractions, and they were a bit more intense than the day before but they started to ease off at about 10pm that night and they wouldn't do another gel until the morning. So Friday morning came, and I was very fed up at this point, I hadn't been getting much sleep because I was still having some pains and I had never been in hospital before so the whole experience was completely foreign. My Mum had been with me all through the day, from 9am to 9pm which was great, I couldn't have done it without her. I had another gel that morning and after being monitored for an hour after I was allowed to have a bath. I was having contractions again and these ones were A LOT more intense, every 5 minutes for at least a minute. I went back to my bed crying because of the pain and being so fed up, the midwife said it was a good sign lol!
After a full day of contractions I was feeling really positive that something MUST be happening, but I was examined before the shift change and no, nothing! Not even a fingertip dilated!
Saturday rolled around, and I was told that I was being reviewed by the doctor today, however, protocol was that I had to be rested for 24 hours because I had had 3 gels. I was so not happy about this!!! When the doctor came he exmined me and said again how far I wasn't dilated and that these things can take a while especially seeing as they were doing it 2 weeks early. My told him that my understanding was that the 24 hours rest was if you had had 3 gels in 24 hours, but I hadn't, I had had 3 over 3 days which he agreed with and told the midwives to do another one. Again, I started to have contractions like the day before, but they went away after lunch and I was allowed another gel at about 5/6pm. I was so fed up with the whole process and having to be monitored all the time, and there had also been a really awful woman next me for the day as well who was doing my head in.
As the X Factor was on my Mum went home a bit early that night and I was in tears saying goodbye because I was in pain but I could tell that it was no different from before. As I said goodbye I told her to have a lie in the next day and to come up a bit later. The midwife on the night shift that night then came breezing in and opened all the curtains, all I wanted to do was watch the X Factor in peace and have a good cry. She asked what was wrong and I told her, and asked if I could have my curtains closed and she was like, 'we're going to be sociable tonight, it will make you feel better. Baby WILL come' and she got someone to change my bed for me and gave me a cuddle and some painkillers
As we all sat there watching the X Factor I could feel the contractiong easing off, and then in walks the bloody midwife with someone's baby!!! She bought her over to me and said, 'here have a cuddle' she was called Ruby and was 11lb 2oz ! It was lovely seeing her but I couldn't help thinking how bizarre it was, and did Ruby's mum know where she was??!! The lady opposite me (now the 4th different lady since I went in) said 'that might set you off', apparently there's an old wives tale that if you're close to the end of pregnancy and are around newborn babies it can induce labour. Never heard of this one though. But lo and behold, at 4am I woke up and I suddenly felt like I had been kicked in the stomach (and not in the baby way) and then I was wet!!!
The midwife looked and said that my waters had gone but I told her not to tell me how dilated I was, I didn't want to know until I was at least 3cm. She gave me some pethidine so I could try and get some rest and they would transfer me to delivery at 9am.
When I got to delivery I was hooked up to 3 drips for my glucose, insulin, fluids and the hormone and was put on the monitor and told that I would be on it for the entire delivery now. I was 3cm at this point and they called the aneasthatist for my epidural. When she examined my spine she said that she wasn't sure she could do it, and my heart sank. I've got psoriasis and the point where they normally do it was just too close to it and there was a risk of taking infection in with the epidural. The next best place she said she could do but was reluctant because it was higher and there was a risk of it stopping me breathing. She was lovely though and said that we both needed to think about the risks and she left the room to leave me think about it. She came back about 5 minutes later though and said that she couldn't do it, she had called some other hospitals and there were cases of people with psoriasis developing absesses in the spine because infection had been taken in with the epidural. She was so apologetic though and asked about the aneathatist I had seen when I was pregnant, and she said that she could do a spinal when I was 9 cm as there was less risk of infection with this as nothing is left in the back.
I was in shock at this point, and really disappointed that things were not going to plan. I could handle all the monitoring in order to have my natural birth but I wasnt sure I could hande the pain if I couldnt be mobile and I was on the hormone drip. I said to the midwife that if I had known this earlier then I would have opted for a section and she went off and got a consultant who persuaded me to see how the labour progressed and if I could just get to 9cm then I could have the spinal.
I found some more focus and used the gas and air, they also said that I could have a higher dose of pethidine but I wanted to save that for later. They turned the drip on and I was breathing through the pain fine, my sugars were stable and Brady was doing well until about 5pm when suddenly something had changed and the pain was just too much. Brady had turned back to back and it was awful, I had had a cathor fitted by this point so could move and the pressure on my back was horrible. There was no gap in my contractions either, every 2 minutes for 2 minutes and on top of that Brady had started to get tired and his heartrate was very flat so the midwife was jiggling my belly to try and rouse him a bit which would set off another contraction just as one had started to peak.
I had the pethidine, but it didn't touch the pain, I had to ask if they had done it because I couldn't feel any difference it had made. I was puking everywhere as well, I went through 3 gowns in the end. I had only got to 5 cm at this point and the consultant came in. He asked me if I thought I handle it for another 5 hours until I could get the spinal, as if 5 hours was nothing, and I told him that there was no way and that I wanted them to turn the bloody drip off and they did not have my permission to turn it back on. They fitted a clip onto Brady's head as they were concerned about his heartrate. They said that I would be having a section as the labour wasn't progressing but there were two other emergencies ahead of me.
I had to wait until 9pm until I was taken to theatre and the anaesthatist from before stayed on to do my spinal as it was so delicate and the new shift guy was being funny about doing it and asking if I would consent to general. Three people held me in position for her to do the spinal, I dont know who was more pleased that it worked, me or her! She came to see me the next day after she finshed work bless her.
Brady was delivered at 21:23 and given to my mum. I could just about see him as they had put a bloody machine right by my shoulder
He had to go under the heat lamp twice when I was in recovery as he wasnt regulating his body temp well and he had to have forumla as well as his blood sugars were too low. Other than that he is perfectly healthy and doing well now. He was 8lb 6oz, so it's a good job they did deliver him early! I'm over the moon, he is very content and just lovely.
