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mishlc
27-09-2007, 15:52
The Birth of Marc Simon Elsey - Caesarean :thumbsdown: after failed VBAC

D.O.B 12/9/07
7lb 7oz
HC 35cm
L 52cm

It all started on Monday 10th September.
I had niggling contractions all day, I started timing them from about 4pm but they were very irregular and all over the place so nothing to get excited about, but still…something was beginning.:smiliedance:
I didn’t sleep very well Monday night, if at all as I was still having these pains all night. In the morning I started timing them and from 9am they were 5 mins apart. They were bearable though so I was still not really getting my hopes up just yet.
My midwife was due to visit me in the afternoon so I figured she could tell me if anything was happening then.
Mum was spending the day with me “just in case” so we went back to my house and went on a huge cleaning frenzy…we cleaned and tidied my whole house, which worked out well, as it was pretty clean when I came home from hosp *big thumbs up*
Midwife came about 4pm and did an internal, about 2cm dilated! She did a Stretch and Sweep and said to give her a call when they are regular 5 mins apart and I have to breathe through them.
They did keep going but still very irregular. I went to bed about 8:30pm and tried to get some sleep. I must have got some sleep because I remember waking about 10:30pm and they were getting a bit more full on. They starting becoming a bit regular and from 1am on they were 2-3mins apart. I had rang my Mum at 1am and told her and she said give it about and hour and ring if they became more intense etc, so DH rang her about 2ish and said they were regular and we were going to head to hospital. I said to DH we should let Mum come over and give us her opinion as to whether we needed to get excited and head in, as I thought it was too early. “No, No, when your Mum gets here we’re going to the hospital” he said, and rang the midwife to tell her aswell. :rolleyes:
So off we headed to hospital.
We went to the assessment room and they strapped me up, put in an IV and sent me off to Labour Ward.
This was it, no turning back now!
Upon getting into the Labour room I was again strapped up to the CTG.
*Looking back now, I forgot about the conversations with my Ob that continuous CTG was only once I was in established labour so until I hit the magic 4cm I didn’t have to be monitored continuously, but I forgot that and reluctantly let them strap me up! Silly me….I should’ve spoke up!
Once I got to the hospital however, all the contractions eased up….:(
I was so annoyed. I was really hoping for a nice quick labour so after the 2 days of pre-labour stuff I thought I wouldn’t have long to go. An internal was done, still 2cm!
I played around with all the different aids in the room to get a feel for what was comfortable…laying against the beanbag, stool, fitball etc but the best thing was standing and leaning on the bed sinking my head into the pillow…?
I had a couple of showers and when in the shower they became regular again, 2 mins apart but when I’d get out they went all over the place again…?
*Looking back, this was probably because I wasn’t being monitored in the shower so relaxed a bit more. My first shower however the stupid midwife came in with me for a bit with the Doppler??? I had just been strapped to the CTG for the past 5hrs and now she needs to come in the shower with the Doppler??? Anyway…..
My Independent Midwife in the meantime was getting very tired as she had been up all night the previous night with another lady in labour so she asked if I was ok with her going home for a rest and give her a buzz when things were moving along. She offered to call the back-up midwife but I didn’t think it was necessary so said no.
*I probably should have got the back-up as you will see…
So by the afternoon, about 1pm the midwife suggested I get up on the bed and try to get some sleep as I would be needing my energy later…so I got up and they shoved pillows all around me to try to get comfy and I tried to sleep….
I managed to get some sleep because I woke about 4pm-ish with really full on pains and started crying, DH was asleep on the beanbag next to me and no-one else was in the room…he woke to me crying, helped me unstrap myself from the monitors and get off the bed to go to the toilet. The midwife came in a minute later to see if all was ok as I had taken the monitors off. I asked where my Mum was and she said Mum had gone home for a shower and rest and was coming back in later.
It seems the midwife was very happy to take this opportunity to start to hassle me about ARM as, as far as she was concerned I was not progressing quickly enough.:rolleyes:
We (DH & I) talked and decided we’d wait until our midwife and my Mum returned. The midwife said she’d agree to wait until 5:30pm. I had decided I’d wait until everyone was there, whatever time that was…
So it got to 5:40pm and they hadn’t come back yet and the midwife was pressuring us to do the ARM and I caved…I said OK.
5:55pm ARM was done and just as they did it, my midwife walked in and a little while later so did Mum, always the way!
As soon as they did it, I was most definitely in labour!:yes:

mishlc
27-09-2007, 15:53
Contractions were coming every 2 mins and were a lot more painful. I couldn’t move. I had always said I did not want to be laying on my back but I couldn’t move because if I did, boy was it painful and awkward.
I felt a need to wee or something so the got a commode (the seat/toilet thing) and I managed to get on that between about 3 contractions and once on it, it seemed the most comfortable I’d been.
I started having the gas, this was getting a bit much for me! I didn’t get the sick feeling people talk about, I just didn’t notice a lot of difference? After a couple of times though, what I found was that I would start breathing it with a contraction and half way through would spit it out and breathe myself and I felt in a daze doing it. It just sort of took the edge off.
At one stage a stupid, stupid Dr came in who really annoyed me and started talking to me, while I was having a contraction and was saying they were getting worried about bub as his heart rate was having decelerations and that there was meconium in my waters. This freaked me out! :eek:
*What she failed to say was that the decelerations were picking up ok and that the meconium was actually just some of the plug. The midwife (not my independent one, the hospital one) said it was meconium and the Dr said they had better air on the side of caution and treat it as meconium.:mad:
I don’t remember how it came about but I must have asked for an epidural or something because then the Anaesthetist came in and I was getting prepped for this. Could possibly have been after the Dr had told me that’s stuff and I was starting to reside in the fact I was going to theatre so asked for the epidural now as no point in having all this pain when it didn’t seem likely I would give birth anytime soon.:no:
The Anaesthetist getting the epidural in my back was a whole other story! He kept hitting bone and having to take it out and go back in etc and all that in between contractions. It is very hard to stay still, sitting up with your back in a cat like arch in between contractions!
So that finally got in place and the relief was amazing. The tiredness started to kick in…I wanted to sleep!
So now all this had happened along came the Caesarean talks. My Ob came in and next minute there were about 10 people in the room!
My midwife later told me they were talking of calling a code, but she assures me it was never that serious, they were just freaking out because bubs heart rate was decelerating, but she said it was picking up ok and she wasn’t overly worried.
After talking to my Ob, I decided to go to theatre.
Off we went! I remember someone (I think my midwife) saying they would do an internal before they start to see how I’m going. I think if I’d of been 6cms or more they probably would have let me keep going but unfortunately I was only 4cms upon getting into theatre so no vaginal birth for me…
The theatre was busy when we got down there so I was put in a little room just off it and we waited. The Anaesthetist topped up the epidural to numb me right up and blood pressure thingys were put on me and pressure stockings etc all ready to go!
I fell asleep and during the waiting time in that room bubs heart rate really dropped once, enough my midwife said she worried a bit there, but it did pick up ok again so, who knows what the little bugger was doing in there. We all figured he was either laying on the cord or pinching it in his hands or something???
Going into theatre this time was not as daunting as with my DD.
The staff were much friendlier and little things were looking more promising…like my midwife asking them to move the little table the Paediatrician checks baby on, over so I can see. They were also asking if I wanted the curtain lowered so I can see them pull bub out etc so I was feeling a lot more involved.
The freakiest thing was hearing the snipping when they were cutting me open….that was weird!
Next minute came all the pulling and pushing etc trying to get bub out. He was really a way down so was a bit more difficult to get him but then my Ob said to lower the screen and she pulled my boy out and showed him to me! :wave:
Amazing, that’s the only word to describe that feeling of seeing him!
10:32pm, my boy came into the world….
I’m not sure what she did but she pulled him out and showed me him, then a couple of seconds later, showed me him again, then he was whisked over to the table and I watched as the Paediatrician did all the checks. They got DH up to cut the cord and photos were taken, the midwife videoed…it was fantastic.
Then they wrapped him all up, snug as a bug…handed him to DH for a little cuddle while I was de-hooked from all the cords hanging off my arms and I finally got to hold my handsome little bundle of loveliness…
It was magic!:wizard:
I held him the whole time they stitched me up, then DH held him while they changed me onto the other bed and wheeled me into recovery…then I held him again and gave him his first feed in recovery. He stayed with me while I was wheeled up to my room and in there they did all the weighing and measuring, right in front of me and we got to record it all.
I fed him a bit more and then the rest of the night is very blurry as I was very drugged and very, very tired!:sleeping:

What a marathon event!
From the first sign of contractions on Monday morning to 10:32pm Wednesday night.
How fantastic are us women to do this.
I am amazed at myself and can’t get over it today.
I didn’t get my vaginal birth but I didn’t get another horrible experience either.
I have a beautiful healthy baby boy, who is a dream baby. I feel fantastic considering and the day after coming home from hospital was out at the shops etc which is a far cry from last time where I didn’t leave my house for 3 weeks.
I truly feel that starting labour myself made all the difference to me and to my baby and am so glad I got to experience some labour.
Call me crazy I know, but it is something I had to do.

Sorry it’s so long…but had to include all the details, hahaha

xxx Mish

honeydew
27-09-2007, 22:45
Congratulations on the birth of your little man! Wow, I had tears in my eyes at the bit where you saw him for the first time. Thanks for sharing your story :)

ikis84
27-09-2007, 23:02
Thanks for sharing your story with us. Sorry you didn't get the vaginal birth that you had wanted :hugs: Go gently, and enjoy your lovely little man :D Gotta love newborn booby snuggles!

twitch
28-09-2007, 10:46
WOW! What a great story. Well done to you, it sounds like you did a fantastic job and you've got your gorgeous little man to show for it!

Thanks for sharing.

mishlc
28-09-2007, 15:39
Thanks guys!

xxx Mish

Amity22
28-09-2007, 18:31
Mishlc what a wonderful birth story Im glad that you are happy with how it all turned out even though you didnt get your VBAC

You did an amazing job

monkeytoes
29-09-2007, 16:21
Mish,

What a great story. I'm sorry you didn't get your VBAC, but it's great to see that you had a positive C/S.
It's fantastic that you were able to bond with your lil' man in the recovery room.

Your story gives me hope and strength. Thank-you for sharing...........

XXX

mishlc
29-09-2007, 21:06
monkeytoes...no worries!

I've got heaps of good advice for ya if you go through KEMH, so much stuff I forgot etc, so be good for you!