Chel
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I'll say this first, this is me needing to vent out my labour experience, so I dont recommend mummas without their bubbas to read this, just because nothing about my labour was normal or planned and without any real immediate danger, it was nearly the 'worst case senario' labour - I will say though, I'd do it again in a heartbeat, because my little man was absolutely worth it and also I think its remarkable how when needed you can draw on an inner strength to get through anything, when it really is beyond what you expect you'd ever be able to handle. I'm also recovering really really quickly from the c-section, which is great, still frustrating... I HATE being housebound!
On Monday night my partner and I arrived at the hospital to begin the induction process at 6pm. Due to some minor complications, we ended up not actually being able to start the initial stage until about 11pm - then I was allowed to go to sleep in the maternity ward.
In the morning, there was absolutely no change in my cervix, so they repeated the same procedure with applying artifical prostigalins and we had to wait another night to see if it worked.
Wednesday morning, first thing, they checked me and I'd dialated 2cms, so they were able to rupture my membranes and start the oxytocin drip to bring on contractions, at around 9:30am.
At first it was great, I was SO excited to be having contractions, even though they hurt. By 11am I was in the swing of it, handling the contractions well and they were fairly strong and about 2-4 minutes apart.
At 1pm it became VERY intense and they midwife encouraged me to use the gas, because it was an induction, it was going to be more painful and intense than a natural labour, and with gas, I was handling it all great, my contractions were lasting 1 minutes and 1 minute between. I was so focused on what I was doing with each contraction the rest of the room had faded away, which was an amazing feeling, I did in that phase feel so powerful and in control - with the occasion outbursts of tears, I'll admitt!
At around 4pm I went to the toilet and there was heaps of black goop in my knickers and I panicked and called for help - this is where my memory of events is foggy because I (fortunately for my sanity) went into emotion shock.
Basically, bubba had pooped because he was stressed and because he was breech it came straight out - not the best way to find out the baby is breech. I can remember lots of doctors appearing and asking me lots fo questions - I had to try to fill in the gaps in my medical history between contractions and prove that I was mentally capable of consenting to an emergency c-section. They quickly ran through all the possible risks and complications and I dont remember a word anyone said.
I remember being really freaked out because an epidural scares me, I asked for a general... which of cause they said no... but...at the time, it was worth asking.
By the time I as ready for surgery I felt totally dead, I wasn't even scared anymore, but when my hubby was able to come and see me and he held my hand and talked about the baby we would have in just a few minutes I felt human again and after a few painless minute I heard the baby crying and I started crying, because everything was okay.
Jasper was born at 5:25pm, Wednesday 19th November, 7.8 pounds and perfectly healthy, 11 days overdue and well worth the wait.
I'd also managed with my labouring to get to 8cm dialated, so given another hour or so I'd have delivered him on my own if he'd not let us know he was breech, which I feel very proud to have gotten that far, even though it was a little bit of a shame it didn't really count!
Basically, over the next 3 days I spent in hospital all of the medical staff who'd examined me leading up to my delivery (I'd had 5 inernals by 5 different people during the 2 days before labour) came and apologised to me for not realising he was breech until I was well into labour, which was nice, although I'm just now realising how much it hurt me to have had that experience when they could have either not induced me and had a planned c-section or had they realised a few weeks ago, possibly actually re-position him and I'd have had a normal labour, possibly without the need for an induction!
I'll admit I didn't put him down for 3 whole days and nights, I barely even let his daddy hold him for more than a few minutes because I'd been so scared and so traumatised by the whole experience, I needed to hold him to make i it all okay... Its only been the last 2 days that I've been happy to let him sleep in his own bed - which he does beautifully, he feeds and sleeps so easily, I guess I deserve a little bit of an easy ride!
NOW for the bit that makes it ALL better! My baby boy!!!
On Monday night my partner and I arrived at the hospital to begin the induction process at 6pm. Due to some minor complications, we ended up not actually being able to start the initial stage until about 11pm - then I was allowed to go to sleep in the maternity ward.
In the morning, there was absolutely no change in my cervix, so they repeated the same procedure with applying artifical prostigalins and we had to wait another night to see if it worked.
Wednesday morning, first thing, they checked me and I'd dialated 2cms, so they were able to rupture my membranes and start the oxytocin drip to bring on contractions, at around 9:30am.
At first it was great, I was SO excited to be having contractions, even though they hurt. By 11am I was in the swing of it, handling the contractions well and they were fairly strong and about 2-4 minutes apart.
At 1pm it became VERY intense and they midwife encouraged me to use the gas, because it was an induction, it was going to be more painful and intense than a natural labour, and with gas, I was handling it all great, my contractions were lasting 1 minutes and 1 minute between. I was so focused on what I was doing with each contraction the rest of the room had faded away, which was an amazing feeling, I did in that phase feel so powerful and in control - with the occasion outbursts of tears, I'll admitt!
At around 4pm I went to the toilet and there was heaps of black goop in my knickers and I panicked and called for help - this is where my memory of events is foggy because I (fortunately for my sanity) went into emotion shock.
Basically, bubba had pooped because he was stressed and because he was breech it came straight out - not the best way to find out the baby is breech. I can remember lots of doctors appearing and asking me lots fo questions - I had to try to fill in the gaps in my medical history between contractions and prove that I was mentally capable of consenting to an emergency c-section. They quickly ran through all the possible risks and complications and I dont remember a word anyone said.
I remember being really freaked out because an epidural scares me, I asked for a general... which of cause they said no... but...at the time, it was worth asking.
By the time I as ready for surgery I felt totally dead, I wasn't even scared anymore, but when my hubby was able to come and see me and he held my hand and talked about the baby we would have in just a few minutes I felt human again and after a few painless minute I heard the baby crying and I started crying, because everything was okay.
Jasper was born at 5:25pm, Wednesday 19th November, 7.8 pounds and perfectly healthy, 11 days overdue and well worth the wait.
I'd also managed with my labouring to get to 8cm dialated, so given another hour or so I'd have delivered him on my own if he'd not let us know he was breech, which I feel very proud to have gotten that far, even though it was a little bit of a shame it didn't really count!
Basically, over the next 3 days I spent in hospital all of the medical staff who'd examined me leading up to my delivery (I'd had 5 inernals by 5 different people during the 2 days before labour) came and apologised to me for not realising he was breech until I was well into labour, which was nice, although I'm just now realising how much it hurt me to have had that experience when they could have either not induced me and had a planned c-section or had they realised a few weeks ago, possibly actually re-position him and I'd have had a normal labour, possibly without the need for an induction!
I'll admit I didn't put him down for 3 whole days and nights, I barely even let his daddy hold him for more than a few minutes because I'd been so scared and so traumatised by the whole experience, I needed to hold him to make i it all okay... Its only been the last 2 days that I've been happy to let him sleep in his own bed - which he does beautifully, he feeds and sleeps so easily, I guess I deserve a little bit of an easy ride!
NOW for the bit that makes it ALL better! My baby boy!!!
take care of yourself x
