Here's a quick draft of my birth story (I'm racing against a wriggling baby in the moses basket!):
Andrew William McNaughton was born at 10.36pm on Wednesday 9 November 2011 (38w 2d) weighing 6lb 10oz.
The induction, scheduled at 38w due to my diet-controlled GD, was started by pessary in the early afternoon of Monday 7 November. The internal immediately before the pessary was inserted showed I was between 2cm-4cm dilated but due to polyhydramnios causing the baby's head to be high it was not safe to break my waters.
After a scan which showed baby's hand dropping below his head but the cord out of the way, a second pessary was inserted 24 hours later as although I was still only between 2cm-4cm dilated his head was far too high. I started experiencing irregular contractions from 6.30pm on the Tuesday so put my TENS machine on.
The following morning (Wednesday) I lost both the plug and the second pessary whilst attempting a bowel movement (let's say the hospital food left a lot to be desired!) A controlled rupture of membranes was arranged for 3.00pm that day and a third pessary was inserted (I was still 2cm-4cm dilated.) By this stage I was experiencing regular contractions lasting 90 seconds every 2-3 minutes but there was still no progress as the baby's head couldn't move down due to excess fluid. So, in effect, the contractions weren't making a difference but bloody hell they still hurt!
I was moved down to delivery and told that the theatre was busy but they would get to me shortly. I was encouraged to stay upright and I spent the next 6 hours walking around the room, climbing on and off the bed, bouncing on the ball as the contractions got stronger and stronger. By the time the consultant came to examine me and prep me for an emergency section I was well into the gas and air! In fact I felt like I'd entered transition about 6pm as I started shouting at Liam to switch the f-ing radio off otherwise Abba would be going through the f-ing window! I also had a go at him for turning the TENS machine up with every contraction when I now realise it was the intensity of the contraction I was feeling. We had taken birth music and hypnotherapy CDS but he was warned off playing them on pain of death!
I remember feeling really hungry and having a go at the student midwife who popped in about the shit hospital food and what was the point of managing my GD with a healthy diet if this was the crap they served. I'd ordered salmon and cucumber sandwiches for my tea and they weren't there. I banged on and on and just wanted to cry because I wanted MY sandwiches and wanted to know who had eaten MY sandwiches
I was finally prepped for a c-section just after 9.00pm. By this time I was on the bed on all fours. An internal showed I was only 4cm so all that hard work had made no difference
My waters were finally broken at 9.10pm and his head dropped into my pelvis safely. The relief as the waters gushed out was incredible but the intensity of the contractions ramped up immediately.
By this point I was exhausted. I'd hardly slept the night before the induction, then I'd had a sleepless night on Monday due to overheating, another due to irregular contractions on Tuesday and now we were into a fourth night with still no baby. I simply couldn't move from the bed, so I got laid on my left hand side and focused on each contraction.
After about (what I think was) half an hour later I got the urge to push. I told the midwife and she examined me and said I was ONLY 5cm. Well, that finished me off. I remember thinking I was never going to have the baby and there was no way I was going to manage to get to 10cm and push the baby out with just gas and air. (With my elder son it took just under 15 hours to get to 10cm and another hour of pushing to get him out.)
The midwife offered me pethidine as she thought there was still some way to go so I reluctantly accepted. Not long after the injection I got the urge to push again and told her. She shouted at me not to push and at this point I was convinced I was shouting out that I needed a poo! She said there was no way I was ready to push and as she examined me she started shouting at me to pant! Turns out I was fully dilated and the little bugger was already crowning!!! I remember someone saying look at all that hair and I felt really pissed off because I'd tidied up my lady garden!!!
I think I must have pushed no more than 6 times before this thing was put on my chest. I was looking at it wondering what was going on. I only wanted a poo and now someone had put this creature on me! I was absolutely out of it due to the pethidine which I'd only been given about 20 minutes before he actually arrived. If I'd known it was going to be so quick I would never had had it.
So I went from 4cm to birth in less than 90mins once my waters ruptured. Still can't believe it happened so quickly in the end. I had a very minor tear which didn't need stitching.
Andrew was born with an extremely long cord which had been wrapped twice around his neck. We've no idea whether that was stopping him dropping or not. The midwife pointed out a knot in the cord which was quite tight. Whether this contributed to his lower than expected birthweight we don't know. Although he was quite light, he has very long arms, legs, fingers and toes.
Liam cut the cord and Andrew was placed skin to skin with me. He was laid there for about an hour and got the chance to feed a little before being taken to SCBU to have the excess fluid suctioned out. His APGAR was 9 after 1 minute and 10 after 5 minutes which was great.
Whilst Andrew was in SCBU I managed a quick bath which was fantastic. The midwife brought Liam and I tea and toast and it was very welcome - my salmon sandwich still hadn't turned up!
We were finally moved to the ward just before 2.00 am which was about the time I started to come back to earth as the pethidine left my system. I could never be a druggie - definitely don't like that spaced out feeling!
I think that about covers it!
It has been a long few days as we've had issues re blood sugars, feeding, sleeping, weight and jaundice but I shall post about these next time I get time to get back on to BnB.
I promise I will catch up on all your journals, but it will take me some time. Liam is trying to update FB for me so at the moment that's more "real time" than BnB. If you're not already a friend send me a request and I'll get you added.
Liam's new phone has been a godsend. He's taken dozens of photos and they're fabulous quality so keep an eye out for those on FB. I'd post them on here but have no idea how to! Stalkers are welcome to post pics here on my behalf!
Finally, my weight. Well on the morning of Monday 7 November (the day I went in for my induction) the scales showed me at 13st 8lb (before a BM) with body fat 43% meaning a net gain of 8lb for the whole pregnancy. On the afternoon of Friday 11 November (when I got back from the hospital) the scales showed me at 12st 8lb (before a BM) with body fat 37%! Since then I've successfully managed to go to the loo and all that's back to normal thankfully. I'm back into my pre-pregnancy clothes (albeit size 16) as my maternity clothes won't stay up!
I've been exclusively breastfeeding and can feel my uterus tightening every time I feed. I'm not even thinking about the rest of my excess weight but feel confident that if I'm sensible and look after myself I will be able to drop the extra 2st I need to lose by my target date of Andrew's first birthday.
Right, I'm off now otherwise I'll be in bother for not resting enough.
Take care and good luck to the ladies still to deliver.
Pip x
I found out the doc who will most likely deliever me is brand new and I've not even heard of him. I know it's so much more comfortable to be with the person you know! I guess I just try to think of the UK ladies who never know who is delivering them.
