kaygeebee
Mum & Cautiously Pregnant
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- May 11, 2008
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I went in to hospital on Monday 24th August at 39+3 to be induced due to my having low platelets. I had been having treatment in the haematology day unit all the previous week to try and bring my platelets up to safe level for delivery above 50. I already knew that if my platelets were not above 80 and stable, I couldnt have an epidural or spinal, and that if my induction ended in a c-section and my platelets were low then it would be under general anaesthetic. On the Friday morning, my platelets had been at 93. Id had more treatment on the Friday, so as I went in on the Monday morning I was feeling nervous about the prospect of being induced, but happy with the platelets that there would at least be no issue there! I had also had a sweep the previous Thursday, and told at the time that I was 2 cm dilated and therefore favourable for induction. Im pretty sure that this was down to the gallons of raspberry leaf tea Id drunk, and the fact that Id taken Evening Primrose Oil in the last couple of weeks.
So, on arrival at the antenatal ward I was given a bed, and a doctor arrived to do an internal. She did a fairly vigorous internal, (I think she actually did another sweep) and I started to bleed a little straight away. She said I was 1-2 cm dilated. They took bloods to check my platelets, and an anaesthetist came to chat to me to explain my options for pain relief with different platelet levels. It was fairly clear that they wanted me to have an epidural in place if they could in case the need arose for a section.
I was put on the foetal monitor, which was a pain as the trace wouldnt pickup babys heartbeat unless I lay a certain way and held it in place for an hour. Grrrrr!! The trace showed I was already having contractions, and I was asked if I could feel them I could, but they were pretty much just tightenings and not painful at all. I was given the prostin tablet to start the induction, and put back on the monitor for another hour.
At this point, my platelet results from that morning came back. They showed that my platelets were 53. Eeek!! They had gone down over the weekend despite the extra treatment I had had on the Friday. It was decided that they would stop the induction for the time being while they arranged for me to have more treatment, so I spent the afternoon back on the haematology day unit hooked up to IV.
Later, back on the antenatal ward, mum and hubby visited, and I was having period-like cramps while they were there. I was hopeful that things would progress anyway but didnt think anything would happen anytime soon, so hubby went home and I settled in for a long uncomfortable night. In the next half hour, the midwives told me that the next shift of doctors had changed their minds about proceeding with the induction I was told they were going to carry in and I could have another prostin, they put me on the trace again to check heartbeat.
After a few mins on the trace, with me trying my best to hold the probe in a position where it could pick up the heartbeat, the monitor went haywire, and the paper in it that records everything scrunched up. I called the MW to tell her. She looked at the race and told me that I couldnt have another prostin because the trace showed I was already having contractions. She took the printout of the trace, and said shes be back in a minute.
In about 2 mins, she appeared back again, with another MW, my notes and a wheelchair, and told me that I was being moved over to delivery as the trace showed a massive deceleration in the babys heartbeat with each contraction. I was in delivery within 2 minutes, shown into a suite, ad a MW put the trace back on. I was constantly asking them to call my husband to come back in, and they said they would after I had seen a doctor.
Doctor came in and told me that he was going to break my waters, and that they were going to prepare me for theatre in case . I knew that this meant a General Anaesthetic, but at this point had stopped caring as long as the baby arrived safely. I had a cannula inserted, and a theatre gown put on. My waters were broken at around 9pm which didnt hurt, but was a really strange sensation! The MW had put a pad down on the bed, but there was so much water that it kept flowing and flowing, until we had waterfalls off both sides of the bed, landing in my one and only pair of shoes that fitted!! Eeek! The doctor said he would be back to do an internal to check my progress in 4 hours time, unless the decelerations kept happening with each contraction. At this point I begged them to please call my husband and they finally took the number and called him in.
The MW kept watching the trace, and told me that the decelerations meant that the cord could be wrapped round the babys neck, or that the baby could be holding it and clamping down with every contraction. My contractions stated coming every two minutes now, and getting progressively more painful. However, the decelerations stopped happening with each contraction, and were showing a more variable pattern, which they were happier with, and they decided to let me progress for a while and see what happened.
As hubby arrived, the contractions were starting to get more painful, but I was able to breathe through them, and between them, I had no pain at all. I was told sometime around this point that I was 3-4 cm dilated, and that they now expected me to progress at the rate of about 1 cm per hour. As the contractions got more painful I was asked about pain relief, and because I knew an epidural was out of the question, and I wasnt keen to have pethadine / diamorphine I tried to manage without for as long as possible. At some point, I put my TENS machine on, and it was pretty good, the boost button helping to distract me during contractions. I managed with the TENS machine for a couple of hours, until the distraction was becoming more of an irritation, and at this point started on the Entonox.
The Entonox really was wonderful - it was like feeling happy drunk and really took the edge off the pain. As the contractions progressed, I started to find that the gaps between them were shorter and that I really wasnt able to focus at all during them. I was aware however, that I was progressing faster than 1cm per hour. At around 3 a.m. I was 10 cm dilated, but the rim of my cervix was still in the way on one side. I was told I would see the baby within the hour. Well, the rim proved quite difficult to shift they had me up on all fours, sitting in the edge of the bed, I went to the loo, etc. Eventually the rim was gone, and I was told I could start to push as soon as I felt ready. The pushing phase started at 4AM. I have to say, I never really did feel ready to push, and didnt experience the body pushing on its own thing. I pretty much held off pushing for as long as possible to let the head descend on its own, and Im glad I did. I was aware during this time that I was going through transition I distinctly remember telling my husband that I had had enough and wanted to go home now please!! Cue the midwives and hubby having a giggle and telling me I wouldnt get very far!!
I also distinctly remember having a moment where all of a sudden there was clarity I got a definite second wind, and felt right, lets meet this baby then. I started at this point to push properly. The pushing phase was exhausting. you dont feel you are making any progress! The MWs kept telling me not to groan, and to put all my energy into pushing instead. That was tough! At about 4.30 they suggested getting a mirror, so I could see the babys head and see what effect my pushes were having. Id never considered this beforehand, but it really helped me focus my pushing. The MW poured warm water over my ladybits as the head crowned and this really helped me relax. During the last phase, I really couldnt help pushing as I wanted it over! The Entonox was forgotten during the pushing phase as it made no difference really, so I did it without pain relief.
At 4.42AM, the head was out, and the body followed very quickly with the next push. Hubby saw straight away that it was a boy, and told me at the same time as the MW. We had to shout though, over the babys screams!! He literally came out screaming there was no hesitant pause. He had AGPAR scores of 9 at 1 min and 10 at 5 mins. He was put on my tummy straight away and spent the next 10 mins screaming at me!! Hee hee! He still does scream a lot now I think its his way of saying anything!
I got away really lightly with my recovery. I had a small nick to the side of my labia, but thats all. The MW said she wasnt sure it needed stitches, but because Im a bleeder she put 2 in. I needed gas and air for this!! I didnt even have a bruised perineum I could sit down straight away, and since the first pee everything has been fine.
So, active labour lasted 6 hrs 26 mins, and Owen Glyn was born at 4.42AM weighing in at 7lbs 12oz.
We paid for the easy delivery and my easy recovery though - we went home the next day but were readmitted 24 hrs later by the community midwife. Our little boy had jaundice and a mystery infection and needed 7 days of antibiotics on SCBU. This was a really testing time very difficult for us all. Im glad to say that hes now completely better and is doing well at home. After having to express breastmilk for 3 weeks and give it in a bottle, we are now back to breastfeeding, which is so much easier!!
And now some pics ........
https://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs266.snc1/9316_133798316676_604746676_3071240_7413610_s.jpghttps://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs266.snc1/9316_133801386676_604746676_3071268_2073287_s.jpghttps://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs246.snc1/9316_133798311676_604746676_3071239_3207021_s.jpghttps://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs266.snc1/9316_137855771676_604746676_3122900_3283988_s.jpghttps://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs266.snc1/9316_144424456676_604746676_3200815_1532249_s.jpg
So, on arrival at the antenatal ward I was given a bed, and a doctor arrived to do an internal. She did a fairly vigorous internal, (I think she actually did another sweep) and I started to bleed a little straight away. She said I was 1-2 cm dilated. They took bloods to check my platelets, and an anaesthetist came to chat to me to explain my options for pain relief with different platelet levels. It was fairly clear that they wanted me to have an epidural in place if they could in case the need arose for a section.
I was put on the foetal monitor, which was a pain as the trace wouldnt pickup babys heartbeat unless I lay a certain way and held it in place for an hour. Grrrrr!! The trace showed I was already having contractions, and I was asked if I could feel them I could, but they were pretty much just tightenings and not painful at all. I was given the prostin tablet to start the induction, and put back on the monitor for another hour.
At this point, my platelet results from that morning came back. They showed that my platelets were 53. Eeek!! They had gone down over the weekend despite the extra treatment I had had on the Friday. It was decided that they would stop the induction for the time being while they arranged for me to have more treatment, so I spent the afternoon back on the haematology day unit hooked up to IV.
Later, back on the antenatal ward, mum and hubby visited, and I was having period-like cramps while they were there. I was hopeful that things would progress anyway but didnt think anything would happen anytime soon, so hubby went home and I settled in for a long uncomfortable night. In the next half hour, the midwives told me that the next shift of doctors had changed their minds about proceeding with the induction I was told they were going to carry in and I could have another prostin, they put me on the trace again to check heartbeat.
After a few mins on the trace, with me trying my best to hold the probe in a position where it could pick up the heartbeat, the monitor went haywire, and the paper in it that records everything scrunched up. I called the MW to tell her. She looked at the race and told me that I couldnt have another prostin because the trace showed I was already having contractions. She took the printout of the trace, and said shes be back in a minute.
In about 2 mins, she appeared back again, with another MW, my notes and a wheelchair, and told me that I was being moved over to delivery as the trace showed a massive deceleration in the babys heartbeat with each contraction. I was in delivery within 2 minutes, shown into a suite, ad a MW put the trace back on. I was constantly asking them to call my husband to come back in, and they said they would after I had seen a doctor.
Doctor came in and told me that he was going to break my waters, and that they were going to prepare me for theatre in case . I knew that this meant a General Anaesthetic, but at this point had stopped caring as long as the baby arrived safely. I had a cannula inserted, and a theatre gown put on. My waters were broken at around 9pm which didnt hurt, but was a really strange sensation! The MW had put a pad down on the bed, but there was so much water that it kept flowing and flowing, until we had waterfalls off both sides of the bed, landing in my one and only pair of shoes that fitted!! Eeek! The doctor said he would be back to do an internal to check my progress in 4 hours time, unless the decelerations kept happening with each contraction. At this point I begged them to please call my husband and they finally took the number and called him in.
The MW kept watching the trace, and told me that the decelerations meant that the cord could be wrapped round the babys neck, or that the baby could be holding it and clamping down with every contraction. My contractions stated coming every two minutes now, and getting progressively more painful. However, the decelerations stopped happening with each contraction, and were showing a more variable pattern, which they were happier with, and they decided to let me progress for a while and see what happened.
As hubby arrived, the contractions were starting to get more painful, but I was able to breathe through them, and between them, I had no pain at all. I was told sometime around this point that I was 3-4 cm dilated, and that they now expected me to progress at the rate of about 1 cm per hour. As the contractions got more painful I was asked about pain relief, and because I knew an epidural was out of the question, and I wasnt keen to have pethadine / diamorphine I tried to manage without for as long as possible. At some point, I put my TENS machine on, and it was pretty good, the boost button helping to distract me during contractions. I managed with the TENS machine for a couple of hours, until the distraction was becoming more of an irritation, and at this point started on the Entonox.
The Entonox really was wonderful - it was like feeling happy drunk and really took the edge off the pain. As the contractions progressed, I started to find that the gaps between them were shorter and that I really wasnt able to focus at all during them. I was aware however, that I was progressing faster than 1cm per hour. At around 3 a.m. I was 10 cm dilated, but the rim of my cervix was still in the way on one side. I was told I would see the baby within the hour. Well, the rim proved quite difficult to shift they had me up on all fours, sitting in the edge of the bed, I went to the loo, etc. Eventually the rim was gone, and I was told I could start to push as soon as I felt ready. The pushing phase started at 4AM. I have to say, I never really did feel ready to push, and didnt experience the body pushing on its own thing. I pretty much held off pushing for as long as possible to let the head descend on its own, and Im glad I did. I was aware during this time that I was going through transition I distinctly remember telling my husband that I had had enough and wanted to go home now please!! Cue the midwives and hubby having a giggle and telling me I wouldnt get very far!!
I also distinctly remember having a moment where all of a sudden there was clarity I got a definite second wind, and felt right, lets meet this baby then. I started at this point to push properly. The pushing phase was exhausting. you dont feel you are making any progress! The MWs kept telling me not to groan, and to put all my energy into pushing instead. That was tough! At about 4.30 they suggested getting a mirror, so I could see the babys head and see what effect my pushes were having. Id never considered this beforehand, but it really helped me focus my pushing. The MW poured warm water over my ladybits as the head crowned and this really helped me relax. During the last phase, I really couldnt help pushing as I wanted it over! The Entonox was forgotten during the pushing phase as it made no difference really, so I did it without pain relief.
At 4.42AM, the head was out, and the body followed very quickly with the next push. Hubby saw straight away that it was a boy, and told me at the same time as the MW. We had to shout though, over the babys screams!! He literally came out screaming there was no hesitant pause. He had AGPAR scores of 9 at 1 min and 10 at 5 mins. He was put on my tummy straight away and spent the next 10 mins screaming at me!! Hee hee! He still does scream a lot now I think its his way of saying anything!
I got away really lightly with my recovery. I had a small nick to the side of my labia, but thats all. The MW said she wasnt sure it needed stitches, but because Im a bleeder she put 2 in. I needed gas and air for this!! I didnt even have a bruised perineum I could sit down straight away, and since the first pee everything has been fine.
So, active labour lasted 6 hrs 26 mins, and Owen Glyn was born at 4.42AM weighing in at 7lbs 12oz.
We paid for the easy delivery and my easy recovery though - we went home the next day but were readmitted 24 hrs later by the community midwife. Our little boy had jaundice and a mystery infection and needed 7 days of antibiotics on SCBU. This was a really testing time very difficult for us all. Im glad to say that hes now completely better and is doing well at home. After having to express breastmilk for 3 weeks and give it in a bottle, we are now back to breastfeeding, which is so much easier!!
And now some pics ........
https://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs266.snc1/9316_133798316676_604746676_3071240_7413610_s.jpghttps://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs266.snc1/9316_133801386676_604746676_3071268_2073287_s.jpghttps://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs246.snc1/9316_133798311676_604746676_3071239_3207021_s.jpghttps://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs266.snc1/9316_137855771676_604746676_3122900_3283988_s.jpghttps://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs266.snc1/9316_144424456676_604746676_3200815_1532249_s.jpg
