My Birth Story - The All Night Pain and the Emergency Section
During my whole pregnancy on my first baby I had a feeling that I was going to be kept waiting to meet my baby.
I ended up in the hospital at the assessment unit at ten days overdue with no sign of baby. At that stage I had a lot of people asking if there's any news! They did some checks like putting me on a trace and checked the baby's movements and heartbeat. They did a scan to check fluid levels. All was OK so I was told to come back the next day for a repeat trace.
At twelve days overdue I was admitted for an induction. I had to go back to the assessment unit where they did the trace again and checked my blood pressure. Then I was brought to an antenatal ward in the maternity ward. The doctor came around and examined me and started the induction process with the insertion of a gel. They put me on a trace again and then I had to stay lying down for a while to give the gel a chance to work.
That evening I was brought to the labour ward. The doctor examined me, and I was put on another trace. I wasn't progressing much. However, it was decided as I was having contractions not to attempt a second dose of gel. They would see how the night went and decide on the plan the following morning.
My hubby had to go home as I wasn't in established labour and I was left alone. I got into bed to attempt to sleep but that's when I started getting awful contractions in my lower back. I found the only way to relieve the pain a little was on the floor on my hands and knees where I ended up spending most of the night.
I tried walking around the hospital in the middle of the night. When I just couldn't deal with the pain any more, I went searching for the midwife who was looking after my ward at 5am. I had thought that she'd come and check on me at some stage but there was no sign. Anyway, she brought me to a room in the labour ward and did a trace and then examined me. I still wasn't progressing enough. She then suggested a hot bath which I tried. And then gave me paracetamol. Neither helped. And then I went back to the ward waiting for the night to pass.
In the morning, after my hubby came back, we were brought to the labour ward. I was put on a trace again. The midwife left the room for a few minutes. While she was gone I had a really bad contraction, the worst one I had had. My hubby was watching the printout of the trace that was behind me and I noticed that he was looking very worried. He said that the baby's heartbeat was rising and rising and then suddenly dropped and dropped and dropped. It was so scary.
I was just about to tell hubby to run and get help when the midwife came back. After seeing what had happened, she called the doctor who came immediately. The doctor said that he couldn't let me continue like that as the baby didn't like the contractions. He said that the options were that they would try and break my waters or else perform an emergency caesarean section. The attempt to break my waters failed as I still hadn't progressed enough. So, the only option left was a section. At that stage I would have done anything to get my baby out safely.
They went through the possible risks of a section and I had to sign a consent form. I couldn't take it all in. They asked loads of questions like did I have nail polish on, and did I have all my own teeth. They put stockings (to prevent clots) and a gown on me. Then I was rushed downstairs and transferred to another bed outside the theatre. I saw hubby for a minute with a gown on him, but he wasn't allowed to come into the theatre yet.
In the theatre there were so many people there I started to panic, and I couldn't catch my breath. The midwife was there that had been looking after me in the labour ward. She noticed and held my hand and helped me to breathe. She was there while they put a drip in my hand and helped me to stay still so they could do the spinal block. I was put lying down and my legs went numb. During the operation it was a very strange feeling. It wasn't sore but I could feel them working on me. My hubby was allowed back in. Then I could hear a baby's cry and our baby was held over my head and they said congratulations you have a baby girl. I only saw her for a second and then the cord was cut. She and hubby were brought away while I was stitched up and brought to recovery.
I had to stay in recovery until the feeling came back in my legs. They used a spray to check and they kept spraying until I could feel the cold. It took a while and then we had to wait for someone from the maternity ward to come down for me. Eventually I was brought back to the maternity ward. We passed a room and they called my hubby to follow us with the baby.
She was put on the bed beside me. I was left lying down so I couldn't hold her properly. I had wanted to try breastfeeding, but I just couldn't get in the right position lying down and I was sore. The midwife was so dismissive and said I had flat nipples and I would need nipple shields. I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to think she might be wrong, so I just ended up giving formula instead.
My family and my in-laws had arrived while I was still in recovery and got to see her. They came to me for a while but didn't stay long as I was drowsy after the operation. Hubby left after a few hours too. It was horrible not being able to get up to see my baby and I called the nurses a few times to make sure she was OK. The nurses took her for the night. I tried to sleep. I was let sit up and stand up the next day. I finally got to hold my baby girl and it was the best feeling ever.