Mischief
04-05-2006, 04:02 PM
To quote a famous movie…..labour is “like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get”.
I thought I was going into it fully prepared for the worst. I was hoping for 6 hours, planning for 20 and expecting 14. Instead my contractions started at 130 on Monday morning at 10 minutes apart and I didn’t give birth to our baby boy until 732 on Tuesday evening.
We went to the hospital Monday morning for a check and was told I was 1cm dilated, that this would probably mean I would have our baby some time that day. They gave me a couple of Panadine Forte and sent me home, telling me to come back when I couldn’t cope with the pain anymore. We arrived back at the hospital at 930 that night, were examined and told that I was only 2 or 3 cm dilated. I felt so discouraged, they checked us in, and gave me some Pethadine to help dull the pain so I could have a little sleep.
Best laid plans went out the window when Tuesday morning I was still only 2 or 3cm dilated (I had been 1cm dilated at 930 Monday morning) and an examination showed that my waters had broken. Being GBS positive this meant that it was necessary to speed things up, I was told that a drip would be started to make me contract harder and stronger. The Doctor and Midwife both told me I should have an epidural as the pain was going to get much, much worse and I was already lagging.
I was terrified, an epidural was the one thing I had said 100% I did not want. I was petrified of something going wrong when it was administered. Steven just sat there looking as if he was going to cry, he was just as scared of them as I was. I kept asking him what he though, and he said it had to be my decision. He knew how much I didn’t want one, but the Doctor and Midwife were really persistent that I should have one. They said that I would be unable to have any more Pethadine, and since Gas and Air was not working for me at all, it was important that I listen to them and get the Epidural. I tearfully said Okay, and the anesthetist walked straight in.
I was then moved to a labour room and was “prepped” for the Epidural and drip. It was very scary and as I was contracting, very hard to sit still while they inserted the Epidural. Steven was my rock. He held my hand and helped me to stay calm and still, he gave me the courage to go on.
One the Epidural was in the pain relief was amazing. I had been in pain for over 24 hours, and to have it gone was like a new lease on this whole labour. Things suddenly seemed okay again, I could cope. I knew that with the induction “today was the day” we were going to meet our little baby soon!
After several hours and several examinations later, we were told that I could start to push at about 450 in the afternoon. An hour later the Midwife told me to rest for a few contractions, and not to push, Steven ducked off quickly to grab a drink. Almost as soon as he walked out the door, 2 Doctors walked in. They examined me and the baby. After that everything happened so fast. They told me I would be going to theater….the babies head was being molded to much, he wasn’t fitting, and would be in distress if this went on much longer. I was told that I would most likely need a C-Section, but they would try to delivery the baby by Ventouse or Forceps first. I was given some forms to sign, and they started to get me ready to go.
Steven had only been gone about 2 minutes it seemed, as he walked back he was grabbed by the doctor who had just left and told to prep for theater. He was given a “suit” and told to go and change.
They prepped me for theater, including a change of clothes. I was in total shock, so was Steven. One second we had been doing great, expecting to meet our baby any second, the next we were being raced off to theater…I started to shake badly and I couldn’t stop. It was horrible; I felt so out of control.
Fiona, our midwife was wonderful; she explained everything to us calmly and carefully. She held my hand and offered support to both Steven and myself. When we got to theater it looked so cold and scary. I kept thinking that this was how I imagined a morgue to look like. There were people everywhere, and lots of bright lights. I was drugged up further and we had to wait to make sure all the anesthetic had taken effect properly…just in case I needed an emergency C-Section. It wasn’t long and we were able to start.
Although I was totally numb, I could feel the Doctor pulling with each contraction…..it was horrible, I could feel the pressure and knew that was pulling on our baby’s head. I was thinking of all the terrible things that could happen…”what if they break his neck…what if he is brain damaged”. Soon the Doctor said he would need to give me an episiotomy, and once that was done I was told to push as hard as I could. I could still feel the pressure, but it was better now I could do something to help speed up our baby’s delivery. The next thing I knew Steven was telling me the head was out, and I was told to push hard again and the body was born.
They lifted our baby up onto my chest and Steven told me we had a little boy, he cut the cord and we cried and cried. It was an amazing time. Our little baby was finally here, safe and sound at 732pm Tuesday 18 April 2006. He was laying there with his eyes wide open making his arrival loudly known to all! Fiona wiped him off for us and put the cord clamp on.
Suddenly I started to feel really sick and dizzy. Our baby was given to Steven and .................
I thought I was going into it fully prepared for the worst. I was hoping for 6 hours, planning for 20 and expecting 14. Instead my contractions started at 130 on Monday morning at 10 minutes apart and I didn’t give birth to our baby boy until 732 on Tuesday evening.
We went to the hospital Monday morning for a check and was told I was 1cm dilated, that this would probably mean I would have our baby some time that day. They gave me a couple of Panadine Forte and sent me home, telling me to come back when I couldn’t cope with the pain anymore. We arrived back at the hospital at 930 that night, were examined and told that I was only 2 or 3 cm dilated. I felt so discouraged, they checked us in, and gave me some Pethadine to help dull the pain so I could have a little sleep.
Best laid plans went out the window when Tuesday morning I was still only 2 or 3cm dilated (I had been 1cm dilated at 930 Monday morning) and an examination showed that my waters had broken. Being GBS positive this meant that it was necessary to speed things up, I was told that a drip would be started to make me contract harder and stronger. The Doctor and Midwife both told me I should have an epidural as the pain was going to get much, much worse and I was already lagging.
I was terrified, an epidural was the one thing I had said 100% I did not want. I was petrified of something going wrong when it was administered. Steven just sat there looking as if he was going to cry, he was just as scared of them as I was. I kept asking him what he though, and he said it had to be my decision. He knew how much I didn’t want one, but the Doctor and Midwife were really persistent that I should have one. They said that I would be unable to have any more Pethadine, and since Gas and Air was not working for me at all, it was important that I listen to them and get the Epidural. I tearfully said Okay, and the anesthetist walked straight in.
I was then moved to a labour room and was “prepped” for the Epidural and drip. It was very scary and as I was contracting, very hard to sit still while they inserted the Epidural. Steven was my rock. He held my hand and helped me to stay calm and still, he gave me the courage to go on.
One the Epidural was in the pain relief was amazing. I had been in pain for over 24 hours, and to have it gone was like a new lease on this whole labour. Things suddenly seemed okay again, I could cope. I knew that with the induction “today was the day” we were going to meet our little baby soon!
After several hours and several examinations later, we were told that I could start to push at about 450 in the afternoon. An hour later the Midwife told me to rest for a few contractions, and not to push, Steven ducked off quickly to grab a drink. Almost as soon as he walked out the door, 2 Doctors walked in. They examined me and the baby. After that everything happened so fast. They told me I would be going to theater….the babies head was being molded to much, he wasn’t fitting, and would be in distress if this went on much longer. I was told that I would most likely need a C-Section, but they would try to delivery the baby by Ventouse or Forceps first. I was given some forms to sign, and they started to get me ready to go.
Steven had only been gone about 2 minutes it seemed, as he walked back he was grabbed by the doctor who had just left and told to prep for theater. He was given a “suit” and told to go and change.
They prepped me for theater, including a change of clothes. I was in total shock, so was Steven. One second we had been doing great, expecting to meet our baby any second, the next we were being raced off to theater…I started to shake badly and I couldn’t stop. It was horrible; I felt so out of control.
Fiona, our midwife was wonderful; she explained everything to us calmly and carefully. She held my hand and offered support to both Steven and myself. When we got to theater it looked so cold and scary. I kept thinking that this was how I imagined a morgue to look like. There were people everywhere, and lots of bright lights. I was drugged up further and we had to wait to make sure all the anesthetic had taken effect properly…just in case I needed an emergency C-Section. It wasn’t long and we were able to start.
Although I was totally numb, I could feel the Doctor pulling with each contraction…..it was horrible, I could feel the pressure and knew that was pulling on our baby’s head. I was thinking of all the terrible things that could happen…”what if they break his neck…what if he is brain damaged”. Soon the Doctor said he would need to give me an episiotomy, and once that was done I was told to push as hard as I could. I could still feel the pressure, but it was better now I could do something to help speed up our baby’s delivery. The next thing I knew Steven was telling me the head was out, and I was told to push hard again and the body was born.
They lifted our baby up onto my chest and Steven told me we had a little boy, he cut the cord and we cried and cried. It was an amazing time. Our little baby was finally here, safe and sound at 732pm Tuesday 18 April 2006. He was laying there with his eyes wide open making his arrival loudly known to all! Fiona wiped him off for us and put the cord clamp on.
Suddenly I started to feel really sick and dizzy. Our baby was given to Steven and .................