Squiggles
24-02-2007, 05:20 PM
Connor Mackenzie entered the world at 9:50am on Monday the 5th of February after almost 33 hours of labour.
Friday 2nd Feb I went out to do some shopping and have a coffee with MIL and FIL. MIL joked on the way home that FIL's driving would prob start something happening. I got home and to my surprise I was bleeding. I was pretty excited and waiting for something to happen. Sunday 2am I woke up after only about 2 hours sleep and was having contractions about 4 mins apart for about 30 secs. I lay in bed and hoped this was the real thing, I didn't want to get up and jinx it. Sure enough they kept coming. I woke DH about 3am ish to tell him that it was time. He had some sleep and I wandered around the house until about 6am when he got up and we went for a walk outside. I had a shower and then a sleep for a few hours. By about lunchtime on Sunday I was wondering if things were going to speed up and DH kept asking when we had to go to the hospital. By 4pm I was in pain and I called the hospital they told me to stick it out at home as long as I could. 9:30pm we called my mum and Dad and the IL's and headed off to hospital.
It was a weird drive down. I was in pain but I made the comment to DH that I was surprised that "it really hurts but no where near as much as I thought it would" - little did I know what was to come.
At the hospital (in the labour ward) I was hooked up to the CTG and all was well. My midwife was Andrea and she was lovely. She said she had read my birth plan and respected the fact that i had chosen to have a natural birth with no pain relief to be offered. My contractions were getting much stronger and closer together but I was only 2cm dialated. Andrea called my Ob to check what to do. She said to break my waters and then see how I went from there.
My waters were broken and almost straight away my contractions were out of this world painful. This all went on while DH was sound asleep in the recliner chair! Andrea worked with me to try some breathing which helped a little. I then woke DH up and hopped in the shower. It didn't so a thing to help me. When I got out Andrea said that she would let me go for another hour and then she thought I would prob need to discuss pain relief. I went until 4 am then finally decided to give the gas a go. I had a suck on it and all it did was make me feel dizzy after the contractions (which were now coming hard and fast) and did nothing for the pain.
DH was asleep again and Andrea asked me if I would like to consider and epidural. I was in so much pain I agreed. DH woke up and I explained to him what I was doing. The aneasthetist arrived and I had the epidural put in - I was screaming from the pain and also the fact that I really hated the fact that I could feel this weird sensation in my spine. I remember thinking to myself that this was by far the worst experience ever and wished that I didn't have it done - totally regretted it. I had a strong one and my legs were totally numb and I felt sick and horrible. Little did I know I also had to now be hooked up to the CTG full time which was making me even more uncomfortable. The pain from the contractions went away but I couldn't stop crying - I just hated the feeling. This only lasted about 40 mins before I felt pain again and was offered a top up with a different mix of drugs "an epi cocktail" - which I was assured would make me feel better. This one was much better it helped with the pain and I could still feel my legs.
My ob came in and by 4:45am I was 10 cm dialated. Yet again the epidural wore off only after 40 mins or so and I asked for another top up of the cocktail.The middies had change of shift and My new middie was Pam who was lovely but informed me that I would have to wait as they couldn't locate the key to the place where the drugs were kept, they assumed one of the night shift people had taken them home. The pain got stronger and stronger and I was just screaming in agony. My ob came in and told me it was time to push. I was asking for something for the pain, she said I couldn't have anything as I needed to feel when I was pushing.
DH was holding my hand and they offered me the gas again... I sucked on it but I was going hysterical as I was so tired. I remember saying that I just couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't feel where I was supposed to be pushing. I pushed for about another hour until the time came when I was completely exhausted and had given up. I was given a top up again with the epidural - the cocktail mix - and my ob decided it was time to try the forceps. My legs were put up into the stirrups and for the next 15 - 20 mins my Ob tried unsuccessfully to pull him out with the forceps. No luck, he was stuck. His heart rate was dropping rapidly and he needed to come out so the next step was vaccum extraction. I went into shock and my heart rate started dropping as my Ob tried desparately to get him out. After about 3 or 4 attempts Pam put a towel over my chest ready for me to hold him. Connor was born at 9:50am. I just remember feeling him being quite forcebly removed from me and then my ob saying very assertively to Pam "I need the red light on - its a red light" and she walked over to the wall and flicked a switch. Next thing I knew the room filled with about 6 or 7 people and I saw my baby for the first time a lump of grey flesh being carried away to the corner of the room to be revived. I looked at my ob and she was covered in blood from cutting the cord. I looked at DH and he looked panicked and I started screaming "its dead, is it dead?" The mood in the room was anxious and me screaming only made it worse. One of the midwives was saying "it will be ok, it will be ok" while I watched another standing over him saying "come on little one" I have never felt so scared or hurt like I did for those few moments. My Ob tried to calm us down by distracting us and saying "so do you want to know whether you had a boy or girl" DH walked over to the corner of the room and looked back at me - he said "its a boy" Ob asked what his name would be and in my messy state I told her proudly "Connor Mackenzie". Finally he began breathing and he was whisked away to the special care nursery.
It turns out that his shoulders had got stuck and resulted in me having 3rd degree tearing, a large episiotomy and I tore my Abdominal muscles clean apart.. My Ob told me it was a close call as she would not have been able to perform an emergency C Section as he was too far out and would have had to have been pushed back in for a C section and there was a very slim chance of survival for that. I was stitched up and DH went to see our little man and touch his hand. 2 hours later and after much crying I was wheeled in a wheelchair to have my first cuddle with my son - both of us hooked up to monitors and him hooked up to oxygen. It was the greatest feeling.
Connor weighed in at 7lbs 13oz measured 53cms...and born with a full head of hair!
My Ob was truly wonderful and I have the up most respect for her. I truly credit her for her efforts. No more VB's for me - she has told me number 2 will not be worth the risk and it will be a C section - fine with me... not an experience I ever want to go through again. In saying that, I couldn't ask for a more beautiful son - I absolutley adore him and he is worth every second of it all.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q44/bigdogbrodie/Connor044.jpg
Friday 2nd Feb I went out to do some shopping and have a coffee with MIL and FIL. MIL joked on the way home that FIL's driving would prob start something happening. I got home and to my surprise I was bleeding. I was pretty excited and waiting for something to happen. Sunday 2am I woke up after only about 2 hours sleep and was having contractions about 4 mins apart for about 30 secs. I lay in bed and hoped this was the real thing, I didn't want to get up and jinx it. Sure enough they kept coming. I woke DH about 3am ish to tell him that it was time. He had some sleep and I wandered around the house until about 6am when he got up and we went for a walk outside. I had a shower and then a sleep for a few hours. By about lunchtime on Sunday I was wondering if things were going to speed up and DH kept asking when we had to go to the hospital. By 4pm I was in pain and I called the hospital they told me to stick it out at home as long as I could. 9:30pm we called my mum and Dad and the IL's and headed off to hospital.
It was a weird drive down. I was in pain but I made the comment to DH that I was surprised that "it really hurts but no where near as much as I thought it would" - little did I know what was to come.
At the hospital (in the labour ward) I was hooked up to the CTG and all was well. My midwife was Andrea and she was lovely. She said she had read my birth plan and respected the fact that i had chosen to have a natural birth with no pain relief to be offered. My contractions were getting much stronger and closer together but I was only 2cm dialated. Andrea called my Ob to check what to do. She said to break my waters and then see how I went from there.
My waters were broken and almost straight away my contractions were out of this world painful. This all went on while DH was sound asleep in the recliner chair! Andrea worked with me to try some breathing which helped a little. I then woke DH up and hopped in the shower. It didn't so a thing to help me. When I got out Andrea said that she would let me go for another hour and then she thought I would prob need to discuss pain relief. I went until 4 am then finally decided to give the gas a go. I had a suck on it and all it did was make me feel dizzy after the contractions (which were now coming hard and fast) and did nothing for the pain.
DH was asleep again and Andrea asked me if I would like to consider and epidural. I was in so much pain I agreed. DH woke up and I explained to him what I was doing. The aneasthetist arrived and I had the epidural put in - I was screaming from the pain and also the fact that I really hated the fact that I could feel this weird sensation in my spine. I remember thinking to myself that this was by far the worst experience ever and wished that I didn't have it done - totally regretted it. I had a strong one and my legs were totally numb and I felt sick and horrible. Little did I know I also had to now be hooked up to the CTG full time which was making me even more uncomfortable. The pain from the contractions went away but I couldn't stop crying - I just hated the feeling. This only lasted about 40 mins before I felt pain again and was offered a top up with a different mix of drugs "an epi cocktail" - which I was assured would make me feel better. This one was much better it helped with the pain and I could still feel my legs.
My ob came in and by 4:45am I was 10 cm dialated. Yet again the epidural wore off only after 40 mins or so and I asked for another top up of the cocktail.The middies had change of shift and My new middie was Pam who was lovely but informed me that I would have to wait as they couldn't locate the key to the place where the drugs were kept, they assumed one of the night shift people had taken them home. The pain got stronger and stronger and I was just screaming in agony. My ob came in and told me it was time to push. I was asking for something for the pain, she said I couldn't have anything as I needed to feel when I was pushing.
DH was holding my hand and they offered me the gas again... I sucked on it but I was going hysterical as I was so tired. I remember saying that I just couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't feel where I was supposed to be pushing. I pushed for about another hour until the time came when I was completely exhausted and had given up. I was given a top up again with the epidural - the cocktail mix - and my ob decided it was time to try the forceps. My legs were put up into the stirrups and for the next 15 - 20 mins my Ob tried unsuccessfully to pull him out with the forceps. No luck, he was stuck. His heart rate was dropping rapidly and he needed to come out so the next step was vaccum extraction. I went into shock and my heart rate started dropping as my Ob tried desparately to get him out. After about 3 or 4 attempts Pam put a towel over my chest ready for me to hold him. Connor was born at 9:50am. I just remember feeling him being quite forcebly removed from me and then my ob saying very assertively to Pam "I need the red light on - its a red light" and she walked over to the wall and flicked a switch. Next thing I knew the room filled with about 6 or 7 people and I saw my baby for the first time a lump of grey flesh being carried away to the corner of the room to be revived. I looked at my ob and she was covered in blood from cutting the cord. I looked at DH and he looked panicked and I started screaming "its dead, is it dead?" The mood in the room was anxious and me screaming only made it worse. One of the midwives was saying "it will be ok, it will be ok" while I watched another standing over him saying "come on little one" I have never felt so scared or hurt like I did for those few moments. My Ob tried to calm us down by distracting us and saying "so do you want to know whether you had a boy or girl" DH walked over to the corner of the room and looked back at me - he said "its a boy" Ob asked what his name would be and in my messy state I told her proudly "Connor Mackenzie". Finally he began breathing and he was whisked away to the special care nursery.
It turns out that his shoulders had got stuck and resulted in me having 3rd degree tearing, a large episiotomy and I tore my Abdominal muscles clean apart.. My Ob told me it was a close call as she would not have been able to perform an emergency C Section as he was too far out and would have had to have been pushed back in for a C section and there was a very slim chance of survival for that. I was stitched up and DH went to see our little man and touch his hand. 2 hours later and after much crying I was wheeled in a wheelchair to have my first cuddle with my son - both of us hooked up to monitors and him hooked up to oxygen. It was the greatest feeling.
Connor weighed in at 7lbs 13oz measured 53cms...and born with a full head of hair!
My Ob was truly wonderful and I have the up most respect for her. I truly credit her for her efforts. No more VB's for me - she has told me number 2 will not be worth the risk and it will be a C section - fine with me... not an experience I ever want to go through again. In saying that, I couldn't ask for a more beautiful son - I absolutley adore him and he is worth every second of it all.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q44/bigdogbrodie/Connor044.jpg