Mrs-C
Mummy to 1 DD & 2 dogs
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- May 30, 2010
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My little girl was due on Easter Sunday, but instead she arrived exactly 3 weeks early, on Mother's Day.
On the Tuesday I went to my normal midwife appointment. She checked my blood pressure and didn't say much and checked my sample. She then said "I'm going to ask you to go to hospital for some tests, as your protein is high and your blood pressure has shot up".
Off we go to the hospital and spend 4-5 hours waiting for test results. Eventually they send us home. Then, on Thursday morning I get a call at 8am to say that my levels came back high and they need to do another blood test to see if it was a fluke.
I called DH and he came home from work to come with me. They decide to run all the tests again. They also noticed just how swollen my hands, legs, feet and face were. I was measured and had to wear super sexy stockings to prevent DVT - in the biggest size they had (I was a size 12 before I was PG).
We spent the whole day sitting around in the ward and measuring my output, monitoring the baby's movements and heartbeat.
At the end of the day they said I had to stay overnight for monitoring so I was transferred to the extended care labour ward to sleep. That's a joke! Try sleeping in a room with women in labour and people with their new baby's!
On the Friday DH came back in the morning and they ran all the tests AGAIN. None of the level's dropped. At this point the consultant said pre-eclampsia and that the levels were particularly high. I was to be induced that afternoon, and again 24 hours later if nothing happened. At that point, a c-section was on the cards.
I was not impressed - I wanted a waterbirth and had opted for the Domino - to go home within 6 hours. I hated the idea of staying overnight in hospital and I was going to have to stay even longer than I had already.
They induced me for the first time on Friday afternoon and sent me off to go for walks to try and get things going. I was still having to measure my output to check the water retention, have blood pressure checked regularly and blood tests. They also kept monitoring the baby's movements and heartbeat.
Nothing happened on Friday, or Saturday. By this point I was feeling ill and exhausted. I was teary when my DH wasn't there when the period pains kicked in and I just couldn't get comfortable. They checked again on Saturday afternoon and nothing much had happened. They induced me again and a consultant came and said that if that didn't work I had two options. One have a day off and try the induction again, or book in for a c-section on the Monday morning.
I really didn't want the operation. I was terrified of the thought of being in theatre and didn't want to go through the recovery having seen the effect on my SIL.
I was uncomfortable and shattered on the Sunday. I was really emotional from the nights of no/little sleep. The midwife offered me half a dose of pethidine to knock me out to get some sleep. I had said I didn't want to use it, but I was so tired I decided it was better than carrying on.
I managed to get some sleep. At around 3pm on Mother's Day they came to see me to say the consulatant would be checking me at 4.30. If they could break my waters, they would and then we would be off. If not, they would remove the pessery and I would have to decide if I was going to have the c-section on the Monday.
I really didn't want that so they said try a last walk to see if it helped. At 3.20 I woke up enough to get out of bed. As I did, my water's broke by themselves. Yay!
When they moved me into the delivery room they checked and I was 1cm dialated. That wouldn't have been enough to manually break my waters, so I was lucky.
They put me on the hormone drip and things were off. It all moved quite quickly. I was struggling with the pain as the drip makes the contractions more intense. I remember seeing the output chart hitting the top on each one. I was offered the epidural but wanted to go without it if I could.
I had gas & air. It made me spaced out and gave me a dry mouth. After about 4 hours I had another set of pethidine to help me sleep, as I was so tired. When I was checked a little later I was 5 cm. Soon after that I was checked again, when I was really struggling. I was ready to push!
After an hour or so (I think) of pushing, Caitlin was born at 21.06 weighing 5lbs 13 oz. She was placed straight on my chest and promptly pee'd all over me! She was alert and looking straight at us. I must have had her for around 2 mins, whilst they gave me the injection for the placenta. Then she was whipped away from us and it was clear something was wrong.
I don't remember much of what happened, but DH said it was scary and he had no time to be sentimental about the baby, as he had to help me. The room suddenly filled with people, including two doctors/surgeons. The placenta wasn't coming away and I was loosing blood. All I remember was them scooping liquid away. Probably lucky I don't remember any more than that!
After over an hour I was fixed up and moved into a clean bed. I had lost 3.5 pints of blood and had a 2nd degree tear.
I spent another three days in hospital, with daily tests, two transfussions and real sleep issues. Caitlin struggled to feed and with all the conflicting advice we had a lot to think about with the best way to feed her. She also had a low temperature. After some skin-to-skin, she warmed up.
Now we are home she is getting to grips with eating, is spending more time awake and my blood pressure is dropping.
It sounds like if I had had this happen during the home birth we were thinking of, I might not be here today.
My DH and I are trying now to keep up with her and catch up on the sleep we lost before and after her birth. She's worth it all - but I won't be rushing for baby # 2 any time soon!
Thanks for getting this far! I hope everyone else has an easier time of it.
Her's a photo of our beautiful girl.
https://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/puggymumma/caitlingrace.jpg
On the Tuesday I went to my normal midwife appointment. She checked my blood pressure and didn't say much and checked my sample. She then said "I'm going to ask you to go to hospital for some tests, as your protein is high and your blood pressure has shot up".
Off we go to the hospital and spend 4-5 hours waiting for test results. Eventually they send us home. Then, on Thursday morning I get a call at 8am to say that my levels came back high and they need to do another blood test to see if it was a fluke.
I called DH and he came home from work to come with me. They decide to run all the tests again. They also noticed just how swollen my hands, legs, feet and face were. I was measured and had to wear super sexy stockings to prevent DVT - in the biggest size they had (I was a size 12 before I was PG).
We spent the whole day sitting around in the ward and measuring my output, monitoring the baby's movements and heartbeat.
At the end of the day they said I had to stay overnight for monitoring so I was transferred to the extended care labour ward to sleep. That's a joke! Try sleeping in a room with women in labour and people with their new baby's!
On the Friday DH came back in the morning and they ran all the tests AGAIN. None of the level's dropped. At this point the consultant said pre-eclampsia and that the levels were particularly high. I was to be induced that afternoon, and again 24 hours later if nothing happened. At that point, a c-section was on the cards.
I was not impressed - I wanted a waterbirth and had opted for the Domino - to go home within 6 hours. I hated the idea of staying overnight in hospital and I was going to have to stay even longer than I had already.
They induced me for the first time on Friday afternoon and sent me off to go for walks to try and get things going. I was still having to measure my output to check the water retention, have blood pressure checked regularly and blood tests. They also kept monitoring the baby's movements and heartbeat.
Nothing happened on Friday, or Saturday. By this point I was feeling ill and exhausted. I was teary when my DH wasn't there when the period pains kicked in and I just couldn't get comfortable. They checked again on Saturday afternoon and nothing much had happened. They induced me again and a consultant came and said that if that didn't work I had two options. One have a day off and try the induction again, or book in for a c-section on the Monday morning.
I really didn't want the operation. I was terrified of the thought of being in theatre and didn't want to go through the recovery having seen the effect on my SIL.
I was uncomfortable and shattered on the Sunday. I was really emotional from the nights of no/little sleep. The midwife offered me half a dose of pethidine to knock me out to get some sleep. I had said I didn't want to use it, but I was so tired I decided it was better than carrying on.
I managed to get some sleep. At around 3pm on Mother's Day they came to see me to say the consulatant would be checking me at 4.30. If they could break my waters, they would and then we would be off. If not, they would remove the pessery and I would have to decide if I was going to have the c-section on the Monday.
I really didn't want that so they said try a last walk to see if it helped. At 3.20 I woke up enough to get out of bed. As I did, my water's broke by themselves. Yay!
When they moved me into the delivery room they checked and I was 1cm dialated. That wouldn't have been enough to manually break my waters, so I was lucky.
They put me on the hormone drip and things were off. It all moved quite quickly. I was struggling with the pain as the drip makes the contractions more intense. I remember seeing the output chart hitting the top on each one. I was offered the epidural but wanted to go without it if I could.
I had gas & air. It made me spaced out and gave me a dry mouth. After about 4 hours I had another set of pethidine to help me sleep, as I was so tired. When I was checked a little later I was 5 cm. Soon after that I was checked again, when I was really struggling. I was ready to push!
After an hour or so (I think) of pushing, Caitlin was born at 21.06 weighing 5lbs 13 oz. She was placed straight on my chest and promptly pee'd all over me! She was alert and looking straight at us. I must have had her for around 2 mins, whilst they gave me the injection for the placenta. Then she was whipped away from us and it was clear something was wrong.
I don't remember much of what happened, but DH said it was scary and he had no time to be sentimental about the baby, as he had to help me. The room suddenly filled with people, including two doctors/surgeons. The placenta wasn't coming away and I was loosing blood. All I remember was them scooping liquid away. Probably lucky I don't remember any more than that!
After over an hour I was fixed up and moved into a clean bed. I had lost 3.5 pints of blood and had a 2nd degree tear.
I spent another three days in hospital, with daily tests, two transfussions and real sleep issues. Caitlin struggled to feed and with all the conflicting advice we had a lot to think about with the best way to feed her. She also had a low temperature. After some skin-to-skin, she warmed up.
Now we are home she is getting to grips with eating, is spending more time awake and my blood pressure is dropping.
It sounds like if I had had this happen during the home birth we were thinking of, I might not be here today.
My DH and I are trying now to keep up with her and catch up on the sleep we lost before and after her birth. She's worth it all - but I won't be rushing for baby # 2 any time soon!
Thanks for getting this far! I hope everyone else has an easier time of it.
Her's a photo of our beautiful girl.
https://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/puggymumma/caitlingrace.jpg
glad your recovering x
