My little boy was due on Feb 28th, but he had other plans. He was born at 35 weeks 5 days... here is our story:
Things started on Friday morning (Jan 29th) when I woke up feeling very sick in my stomach. All morning everything I ate or drank came straight back up again. To make things worse I had horrible diarrhoea as well. Had to sit on the loo with a bucket in my arms (sorry tmi). I had a tight feeling in my belly every time I was sick but put that down to the usual spasms your belly does when you vomit.
I googeld my symptoms to see if it was preg related. Got several different things it could be: Some said stomach bug, others said they had had those symptoms all through their last month of preg, and few said they had it right before going into labour. So I thought most likely I was just going to be like this for a month.
I did manage to sleep for a couple of hours in the afternoon but woke up still feeling very ill. I continued to be sick all afternoon and evening.
I went to bed at about 9:30 and I was just dozing off at 10:00 when I felt a very strange popping sensation "down there". So I went to the loo, and as soon as I sat down there was a huge "woosh" of my waters breaking! What a surprise!!! So I went to tell my husband and he called the midwife, because they said if waters break before 37 weeks then we should call right away.
The midwife came to our house and checked me out, she felt to see if he was engaged (he was) and also took a look at some of the fluid I had collected to see if she thought it was amniotic fluid. She then drove us to the hospital. We had hoped to have our baby at home, but because he was premature we had to go to the hospital instead.
During the drive I felt a few cramps but didn't think they were contractions because they didn't really hurt much.
At the hospital they put sensors on me to check Declan's heart beat and to see if I was having contractions. They also went to test the fluid for themselves, to check that it was really amniotic. My contractions were getting stronger now and after observing me going through one the midwife said "yeah, this is happening now". They moved me to a birthing room.
By 3 hours I was already 3cm so they put a sensor on Declan's head so they could check his heartbeat more accurately.
By 4 hours I was 5 cm and the contractions were getting very painful. My husband was a total star making me concentrate on my breathing and encouraging me the whole way.
At 5 cm Declan was reacting badly to the contractions, his heartbeat was all over the place and the nurses started to get worried. This is also the time when I first asked for pain meds. (They don't do gas and air for pain relief during labour in Holland, which is where I live) There was a big flurry of activity as the nurses put an IV in my hand and took some blood from me and Declan (from top of his head) At the time I thought the IV was the pain meds but it turns out it was something to weaken my contractions and calm Declan's heartbeat.
The gynaecologist came to explain what they had given me. He also said that if the blood from Declan showed he was stressed and I was not dilating more the next time they check, then they were going to do an emergency c-section.
By the time the blood test came back I was at 8 cm and Declan's heartbeat had gone back to normal. So no c-section (although I was beginning to think it would be good if they would knock me out!!!) I asked for pain meds again but the gynaecologist said that I was so close to the end and the risk to Declan was not worth it. I wanted to punch him! but another contraction hit me then, the strongest one yet. I went from 8cm to 10 in one go!!!
Then the pushing started, which I have to say was more painful that dilation contractions but somehow you feel like you are achieving something more with them. So they were not as stressful as the previous ones. I did 3 sets of pushing contractions and his head crowned. The gynaecologist gave me local anaesthetic "down there" because they were getting ready to give me a cut. But when the last contraction came I was so concentrated on pushing that I didn't hear the doc when he said "stop" so unfortunately I tore, but Declan was in the world!!
I was able to hold him on my chest for a few moments, he was wide awake and looking around! Just making some little grumbling noises, no screaming. Then they took him away to check that he was ok, my husband went with him so he could talk to Declan and soak up those precious moments before he became sleepy.
The docs came back to tell me he was doing really well and that his weight was good for 35 weeks 5 days: almost 6 pounds.
I kept saying to myself "I did it. I can't believe I did it!!"
My labour lasted 6 hours from the moment my waters broke, although I am pretty sure that the sickness I had was pre-labour, it disappeared as soon as my waters broke.
About 2 hours later I was all stitched up (7 stitches - ouch!), the placenta was out and I was running high on endorphins and adrenalin. They took me to Declan so I could try to bf and give him a cuddle. I cried, of course!!
I must say there is no way I would have gotten through it so well without my husbands constant support and encouragement. He held my hand and made me keep doing the breathing every time I gave in to wailing in pain. If it was not for him I would have been screaming blue murder like the 2 women in the wards next to me. But he kept me focussed and strong the whole time. I didn't think I could love him any more than I did on our wedding day, but I do.
Declan then spent the next 9 days in the neonatal ward, he had some jaundice for a while - very normal for a premature baby - and he was also so tired that he couldn't feed well. They put a tube in his nose for a while so that he could get all the food he needed. Over the 9 days he got stronger and stronger, his jaundice cleared up and he was able to drink all his bottles. We are still trying to get the BF going, but because it is such hard work for him I can only try 2 times a day or he gets so tired he can't drink all his bottles. I am using a pump and producing double the amount of milk he needs, so everything he drinks comes from me.
The nurses said I should keep trying the BF and eventually he will get it, but it is unusual for a premature baby to pick it up quickly. I hope that with time and patience we will get there eventually. At least for now he is getting the "right stuff" - if not directly from the source.
Declan was finally allowed to come home on Sunday, we have been soaking up every second of him since! We cannot believe we have been so blessed with this beautiful little boy. Our hearts are full!
If you would like to see some photos of Declan, you can visit my blog: https://lifecraftinessandeverythingelse.blogspot.com/2010/02/welcome-to-world-my-baby-boy.html
So that is our story, I hope you enjoyed reading it.
Anna
Things started on Friday morning (Jan 29th) when I woke up feeling very sick in my stomach. All morning everything I ate or drank came straight back up again. To make things worse I had horrible diarrhoea as well. Had to sit on the loo with a bucket in my arms (sorry tmi). I had a tight feeling in my belly every time I was sick but put that down to the usual spasms your belly does when you vomit.
I googeld my symptoms to see if it was preg related. Got several different things it could be: Some said stomach bug, others said they had had those symptoms all through their last month of preg, and few said they had it right before going into labour. So I thought most likely I was just going to be like this for a month.
I did manage to sleep for a couple of hours in the afternoon but woke up still feeling very ill. I continued to be sick all afternoon and evening.
I went to bed at about 9:30 and I was just dozing off at 10:00 when I felt a very strange popping sensation "down there". So I went to the loo, and as soon as I sat down there was a huge "woosh" of my waters breaking! What a surprise!!! So I went to tell my husband and he called the midwife, because they said if waters break before 37 weeks then we should call right away.
The midwife came to our house and checked me out, she felt to see if he was engaged (he was) and also took a look at some of the fluid I had collected to see if she thought it was amniotic fluid. She then drove us to the hospital. We had hoped to have our baby at home, but because he was premature we had to go to the hospital instead.
During the drive I felt a few cramps but didn't think they were contractions because they didn't really hurt much.
At the hospital they put sensors on me to check Declan's heart beat and to see if I was having contractions. They also went to test the fluid for themselves, to check that it was really amniotic. My contractions were getting stronger now and after observing me going through one the midwife said "yeah, this is happening now". They moved me to a birthing room.
By 3 hours I was already 3cm so they put a sensor on Declan's head so they could check his heartbeat more accurately.
By 4 hours I was 5 cm and the contractions were getting very painful. My husband was a total star making me concentrate on my breathing and encouraging me the whole way.
At 5 cm Declan was reacting badly to the contractions, his heartbeat was all over the place and the nurses started to get worried. This is also the time when I first asked for pain meds. (They don't do gas and air for pain relief during labour in Holland, which is where I live) There was a big flurry of activity as the nurses put an IV in my hand and took some blood from me and Declan (from top of his head) At the time I thought the IV was the pain meds but it turns out it was something to weaken my contractions and calm Declan's heartbeat.
The gynaecologist came to explain what they had given me. He also said that if the blood from Declan showed he was stressed and I was not dilating more the next time they check, then they were going to do an emergency c-section.
By the time the blood test came back I was at 8 cm and Declan's heartbeat had gone back to normal. So no c-section (although I was beginning to think it would be good if they would knock me out!!!) I asked for pain meds again but the gynaecologist said that I was so close to the end and the risk to Declan was not worth it. I wanted to punch him! but another contraction hit me then, the strongest one yet. I went from 8cm to 10 in one go!!!
Then the pushing started, which I have to say was more painful that dilation contractions but somehow you feel like you are achieving something more with them. So they were not as stressful as the previous ones. I did 3 sets of pushing contractions and his head crowned. The gynaecologist gave me local anaesthetic "down there" because they were getting ready to give me a cut. But when the last contraction came I was so concentrated on pushing that I didn't hear the doc when he said "stop" so unfortunately I tore, but Declan was in the world!!
I was able to hold him on my chest for a few moments, he was wide awake and looking around! Just making some little grumbling noises, no screaming. Then they took him away to check that he was ok, my husband went with him so he could talk to Declan and soak up those precious moments before he became sleepy.
The docs came back to tell me he was doing really well and that his weight was good for 35 weeks 5 days: almost 6 pounds.
I kept saying to myself "I did it. I can't believe I did it!!"
My labour lasted 6 hours from the moment my waters broke, although I am pretty sure that the sickness I had was pre-labour, it disappeared as soon as my waters broke.
About 2 hours later I was all stitched up (7 stitches - ouch!), the placenta was out and I was running high on endorphins and adrenalin. They took me to Declan so I could try to bf and give him a cuddle. I cried, of course!!
I must say there is no way I would have gotten through it so well without my husbands constant support and encouragement. He held my hand and made me keep doing the breathing every time I gave in to wailing in pain. If it was not for him I would have been screaming blue murder like the 2 women in the wards next to me. But he kept me focussed and strong the whole time. I didn't think I could love him any more than I did on our wedding day, but I do.
Declan then spent the next 9 days in the neonatal ward, he had some jaundice for a while - very normal for a premature baby - and he was also so tired that he couldn't feed well. They put a tube in his nose for a while so that he could get all the food he needed. Over the 9 days he got stronger and stronger, his jaundice cleared up and he was able to drink all his bottles. We are still trying to get the BF going, but because it is such hard work for him I can only try 2 times a day or he gets so tired he can't drink all his bottles. I am using a pump and producing double the amount of milk he needs, so everything he drinks comes from me.
The nurses said I should keep trying the BF and eventually he will get it, but it is unusual for a premature baby to pick it up quickly. I hope that with time and patience we will get there eventually. At least for now he is getting the "right stuff" - if not directly from the source.
Declan was finally allowed to come home on Sunday, we have been soaking up every second of him since! We cannot believe we have been so blessed with this beautiful little boy. Our hearts are full!
If you would like to see some photos of Declan, you can visit my blog: https://lifecraftinessandeverythingelse.blogspot.com/2010/02/welcome-to-world-my-baby-boy.html
So that is our story, I hope you enjoyed reading it.
Anna
You must be so glad to have him home with you!
