Charlotte's birth story

Jessica Annabelle Featherstone - 31st October 2013 - 6lbs 2ozs

Soooooooooooooo we went to a wedding the weekend before (26th October) where I was a bridesmaid (I was absolutely shattered after this) being 9 months pregnant everything was a struggle (no dancing for me). Emilia and Daddy had a good time and were up dancing to compensate. About a week before I had started to get this itching rash on my body, very similar to what I had with Emilia so told my midwife who did blood tests on the Thursday night before the wedding and was told that if there was an issue someone would be in touch. It got to the Monday and had not heard anything so decided to call the hospital, good job I did as was told I had to go in immediately as my liver bile acid results were raised, which turned out to be obstetric cholestasis. Went in to see them and was told I was going to be induced the next day.......GULP!!!! Jessica was only 37 weeks......SCARED!!!

Had to rush home and pack my hospital bag (which i had been putting off thinking i had a few more weeks to go) and so they started the induction on Tuesday morning but had to stop it on Wednesday night as they didn't have any beds on labour ward. I spent the nights by myself as Matt had to go home, so he was putting Emilia to bed (who kept asking where mummy was). Thursday morning was taken upstairs to the labour ward and monitored then told they could break my waters and so they did as they needed to get Jessica out because of the obstetric cholestasis. I had to have a synthetic hormone to induce the labour contractions, 7 hours later (although only took 2 hours 6 minutes from established labour) Jessica was born however not all the placenta came away, one minute 3 people in the room next there were 8 rushing in and had to be rushed to theatre after losing 1.5 pints of blood and the placenta not all coming away, so had to have it all removed, oh and a couple of stitches to boot downstairs too........VERY SCARY have never been so scared ever!!

Thankfully we were told we could go home Friday afternoon, which was great as I just didn't want another night on the ward. Also we had no newborn clothes for Jessica as she was ALOT smaller than Emilia (8lbs 5ozs) so all the clothes swamped her so had to stock up on our way home.......poor little Jessica, so she had her 1st trip to the shops and was the centre of attention - people actually thinking she was Emilia's dolly.

The midwives were amazing however severely understaffed, most were working overtime, not having breaks and generally being run ragged and after the news today http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24856772 I feel very strongly that the government should be getting more midwives into the community/wards.

So that was my birth story, little Jessica is gorgeous and Emilia is trying to be a good big sister with lots of kisses......now the real fun begins with a toddler and a newborn!!! Also want to say that my husband has been and was amazing, could not of done it all without him and he is being such a massive support to me at the moment whilst we try to adjust to family life as 4.

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