A very dramatic birth story
Now I'm a mummy of two! Isabelle Rose was born on St. Patricks day at 6:14am by emergency c-section after being induced at 11 days overdue, I am now so glad I went overdue and didn't go into labour at home as if my waters had of gone my baby girl might not be here now... But I'll start from the beginning.
So after 2 failed sweeps I went to the drop in clinic on Sunday 16th March to have another to see if we could get things going, I was booked in to be induced on 19th and I had tried so many different things to bring on labour itself but it just wasn't happening. At the drop in clinic the midwife said my cervix wasn't dilated at all - previously I was apparently 2cm but now I was 2 cm at the bottom but not at the top it was completely closed, like a funnel shape and as the lady attempted a sweep I screamed and she took her hands away, gloves with blood on. I have had sweeps before and they never hurt like that - something was weird. Great I thought. Baby's movements had also slowed down and theres an old wives tale that babies slow down before they're about to make there entrance into the world - the midwife told me this isn't true and I needed to go to the hospital maternity triage to be monitored.
We had Oliver with us so we had to make arrangements for him, he had a party that afternoon and Michael's mum kindly took him. We had lunch, got my hospital bags - had a feeling I wouldn't be coming home again until I had the baby. (As I'm writing this, I have this cute little face looking up at me) So off to hospital we went, doctor came to see me after baby had been monitored, they said she's fine but that they will induce me because it's not worth risking her not being fine as 11 days overdue already. Ok, I'd prepared myself for the worst case being induction and now that was happening I was a little frightened. My labour with Oliver was super fast and I've always blamed the fact I was induced - he was out after 2 hours 45 minutes but I spent a further 2 hours trying to get the placenta out, finally it came out but it was very stressful. So after being induced close to the time visting ended, knowing Michael was leaving me absolutely terrified me. I knew if I went into labour that it would be quick and I didn't want to have my baby on my own.
Michael left and I got into bed... not for long at all though as about 11pm pains started. I'm not someone who can sit down or lay down through pains, so I spent most of the night walking up and down the hospital ward. Midwife sat in her room on her phone... Idiot! I asked her to check me and she said "Sorry we don't check again as it increases the chances of infection!"... erm. ok. I got ignored the first time I was in labour too - I go silent. I can't moan or scream through the pain, I just sway side to side so gone 2am I called Michael as the midwife made me cry. She said "Just get into bed and sleep, or you will be tired tomorrow!" I replied with "how can I sleep when I'm having contractions like this?" Then she came and put her arm around me and apologised saying I'm sorry I know it hurts, would you like me to check you? .. "YES" -about an hour after I asked. This midwife was useless and if I ever meet her agian, I'll tell her to change career, something that requires less people skills would be good!
So she checked me and guess what? 4cm. Yeap. Then she asked me if I wanted to go to the birthing centre and OMG am I glad that another midwife corrected her saying that I'd been induced and was too dangerous. I did originally have my heart set on the birthing centre but theres no way after being induced I'd of gone there. I wanted my baby to be safe. So I called Michael and said you are allowed back now - he wasn't allowed to be with me until I was 4cm. He raced to the hospital and caught me just as I was walking to the delivery suite. The midwife asked if I wanted a wheelchair? Whats the point of that... moving about all night, why stop now? I'd never been so happy to see Michael and he brought sainsburys brownies - oh btw, if you like brownies - sainsburys!! Best ones ever. Apart from Maggie and Rose in london but thats a completely different story..
Getting back to my labour, when we got to the room at one end of the ward the midwife looked at me and said actually sorry lets change rooms... we did and ended up with a room right next to the theatre - lucky because after 3 hours of being 'in labour' my blood pressure went sky high and the midwife left the room to get a doctor. I had a feeling of something really pushing down but when the doctor checked I was still 4cm. I couldn't understand why my body had just stopped. Then she asked if I wanted an epidural - no way, no way never ever. Far too scared to have one of those I said. She then broke my waters and looked at the midwife and very calmly whispered something. The midwife, not so calm by this point, said "you're joking?!" then pressed a button and everyone started running in. *que the tears, maybe not ready to write this post but dont want to stop*
The doctor started to push her hand further up into my cervix as she started to explain that I had a cord prolapse and they need to get the baby out right now, I needed to have a c-section. Before I knew it I was being wheeled off to the theatre without my Michael. He was getting changed into scrubs to come in too. There was so many people in that room, I was looking around terrified, they put an oxygen mask on me and then got me to pull myself over onto another bed while a lady - not a small lady I might add, had her hand up my you know what! She was pushing the babies head back up so it wasn't pushing on the cord. I hadn't ever heard of a cord prolapse before, let me copy and paste so you know what it is... Umbilical cord prolapse happens when the umbilical cord precedes the fetus' exit from the uterus. It is a rare obstetric emergency that imminently endangers the life of the fetus. Cord prolapse is often concurrent with the rupture of the amniotic sac. After this happens the fetus moves downward into the pelvis and puts pressure on the cord. As a result, oxygen and blood supplies to the fetus are diminished or cut-off and the baby must be delivered quickly.
> They had planned to bring Michael in once my spinal injection had been done but then they changed there mind the doctor said something about obs and they decided I had to be put under general anaesthetic. Although they said this to me at the time I didn't realise that meant Michael wouldnt be joining me - silly I know but all I kept saying was "please don't let my baby die". I didn't know what cord prolapse was but the way everyone was moving so fast and even they looked shocked, it made me realise something is really wrong. I kept taking the oxygen mask off saying I'm not asleep, it's not worked, can you take the tens machine off? it's still buzzing on my back! The next thing I knew I was in the recovery room and there was my Michael holding some one tiny wrapped up in towels. It took me a while to realise that was actually our baby! I didn't push her out, so it took me some time as I was drugged up to realise. Michael said I kept saying thank you but I can't remember! The doctors were impressed at how organised my hospital bag was - that's before Michael got his mitts into it... they loved that it was in order of how I'd need it and the mittens were inside the hat. Control freak = why c-section was my worst nightmare but it saved my baby and I am incredibly greatful to everyone that was in that room.
My labour story didn't end up how I expected it to but I'm delighted Isabelle is ok. She's more than ok, shes perfect and her big brother Oliver is over the moon with his little sister.
My postnatal care unfortunately wasn't as good... no breastfeeding help at all and pain relief 2 hours late. I couldn't wait to come home. Another thing which I haven't told anyone but I couldn't sleep, I'd close my eyes, flash back to being in labour and wheeled to the room crying and then I'd open my eyes. Soon as I was home, next to Michael. I was fine. We've had a few problems since then though, day 5 my blood pressure had gone sky high so off to the hospital we were sent again. There was a trace of protien and they needed to check me every day. My blood pressure gradually came down though. Isabelle's weight had dropped - normal I know, from 8lb 6oz to 7lb 11oz but at day 10 instead of going up it had gone down again to 7lb 9oz, it's only gone up by 1oz and she's getting weighed again today so hopefully she will have put weight on.
Health Visitor came. What an awful lady. She was horrible and when she left I cried my heart out. Never will I see her again, I'd rather travel and see someone nice than that woman.
She also told me I wasn't feeding my baby enough - her nappies say otherwise! I did read somewhere that having retained products can affect your milk supply and guess what? More bad luck... Monday I woke up with what felt like period cramps, had a feeling something was pushing down all day and it got to gone 5 when I called Michael and said get home now! He returned to find me in the toilet saying something was coming out it wasn't a blood clot, I think it's my uterus?! Am I going to just die!? He called maternity triage and they said to come in to be looked at. Once there a doctor came to examine me and even she was shocked at what she found. Membranes left behind. Not small either, big. She used the word "phenomenal", the midwife who was helping her had to adjust her shocked face when I glanced at her. It was massive and after my c-section they left it behind! How did they miss something so big? they removed it and the next day sent me for a blood test and scan. The scan showed that I have one more left thats 2cm so they've left it saying it will come out naturally. eek?
Other than this drama, everything is going well apart from this terrible pain in my back I just cant get rid of. I better go get ready to get Isabelle weighed, keep your fingers crossed for me that she has put on weight! I really want to continue breastfeeding.
Mary-Kate x
