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4,658 Posts
My birth story:
My (shortened) story starts on Wednesday 31st Aug, my original due date from my clinic, but 6 days past my scan dates. I woke around 5/6am with contractions I originally thought they were just the af pains that had been waking me for the 2 nights previous, however these were coming every 20 mins. I had a clinic appt to discuss induction that afternoon so I just sent DH to work and got on with it, I did the hovering and mopping, walking the dogs etc until my clinic appt, by this time the contractions were 15 mins apart I put on my Tens before we left. After a very painful examination I was told that my cervix was very soft but not yet dilating, the doctor admitted me and put me on a monitor, just because it was an IVF pregnancy!! The monitor confirmed my contractions were strong, at 6pm DH and I decided to discharge myself and wait at home, we were told to come back when the contractions were unbearable.
At around 2am Thurs morning (contractions now 7 mins apart) DH took me back to the delivery suite as it was an half hour drive away, I was still not dilating so was transferred to the maternity ward they let DH stay the night with me, around 10am I was re-examined and only 2 cm, 12 hours later still only 2 cm by this time I had given into pethadine as I didn’t want to risk gas and air as I was already throwing up with the pain of the contractions. Dh was sent home that night and I was left alone, I tried to nap between contractions but found the only way to get through a contraction was to stand up, I was also having to go to loo with every contraction as the baby’s head was pushing hard on my bladder each time.
At 0310 am Friday I went to the loo and heard a pop and felt a gush of fluid when I looked it was mainly blood, spoke to the midwife whom I don’t think believed that it was my waters that had gone at first, but as I had been having a show constantly since the Wednesday I knew this was different. I was finally in established labour.
I couldn’t get a bed on Delivery until 10am and I requested an epidural immediately I just needed to sleep. The anaesthetist came to administer my epidural but got called away just as he was about to start, I could of cried (I think I did lol) after half an hour a different anaesthetist came and did the epidural but unfortunately it was only working on one side, the right side didn’t take and I kept getting back pain and a overwhelming urge to empty my bladder with each contraction. After 4 hours I finally got another anaesthetist to adjust the epidural (just a case of moving the tube up slightly) and relief at last and a few nodding dog sessions.
I was by now just 4cm dilated so a decision was made to give me a sytocyin drip to speed things up. After a few hours Caitlin started getting a bit distressed so they turned the drip off, unfortunately this stopped my own contractions from being regular. Eventually at 9.15 pm a decision was made to perform an emergency c-section as Caitlins hb was dropping to around 40 bpm and it was confirmed she had presented at a strange angle by this stage I had got to 7cm, if anyone else had wanted to do and internal examination I would probably of punched them. I was prepared for surgery and at 1002 pm , 2nd Sept 2005, Caitlin Michelle finally made her appearance, she had gone back to back and when I was opened up she was looking up at the surgeon. The only thing I got that was on my birth plan was that DH told me the sex of the baby!
I feel totally disappointed with my treatment in general and the whole experience, being told that another lady had been in hesitant labour for 6 days whilst only on my 2nd day does not do wonders for your moral and wellbeing. Every examination that the doctors did was horrendous, however the midwives where so much more gentler when doing the examinations.
Would I do it again, YES without a doubt, the feeling I got when I heard Caitlin cry and I got to see her more than made up for the entire journey from trying to conceive for almost 4 years, the IVF, the pregnancy and last but not least the birth.
Caitlin is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am so very lucky to have her, thankyou Norfolk Clinic and Barts I am eternally grateful
Love Mish and Caitlin xx
My (shortened) story starts on Wednesday 31st Aug, my original due date from my clinic, but 6 days past my scan dates. I woke around 5/6am with contractions I originally thought they were just the af pains that had been waking me for the 2 nights previous, however these were coming every 20 mins. I had a clinic appt to discuss induction that afternoon so I just sent DH to work and got on with it, I did the hovering and mopping, walking the dogs etc until my clinic appt, by this time the contractions were 15 mins apart I put on my Tens before we left. After a very painful examination I was told that my cervix was very soft but not yet dilating, the doctor admitted me and put me on a monitor, just because it was an IVF pregnancy!! The monitor confirmed my contractions were strong, at 6pm DH and I decided to discharge myself and wait at home, we were told to come back when the contractions were unbearable.
At around 2am Thurs morning (contractions now 7 mins apart) DH took me back to the delivery suite as it was an half hour drive away, I was still not dilating so was transferred to the maternity ward they let DH stay the night with me, around 10am I was re-examined and only 2 cm, 12 hours later still only 2 cm by this time I had given into pethadine as I didn’t want to risk gas and air as I was already throwing up with the pain of the contractions. Dh was sent home that night and I was left alone, I tried to nap between contractions but found the only way to get through a contraction was to stand up, I was also having to go to loo with every contraction as the baby’s head was pushing hard on my bladder each time.
At 0310 am Friday I went to the loo and heard a pop and felt a gush of fluid when I looked it was mainly blood, spoke to the midwife whom I don’t think believed that it was my waters that had gone at first, but as I had been having a show constantly since the Wednesday I knew this was different. I was finally in established labour.
I couldn’t get a bed on Delivery until 10am and I requested an epidural immediately I just needed to sleep. The anaesthetist came to administer my epidural but got called away just as he was about to start, I could of cried (I think I did lol) after half an hour a different anaesthetist came and did the epidural but unfortunately it was only working on one side, the right side didn’t take and I kept getting back pain and a overwhelming urge to empty my bladder with each contraction. After 4 hours I finally got another anaesthetist to adjust the epidural (just a case of moving the tube up slightly) and relief at last and a few nodding dog sessions.
I was by now just 4cm dilated so a decision was made to give me a sytocyin drip to speed things up. After a few hours Caitlin started getting a bit distressed so they turned the drip off, unfortunately this stopped my own contractions from being regular. Eventually at 9.15 pm a decision was made to perform an emergency c-section as Caitlins hb was dropping to around 40 bpm and it was confirmed she had presented at a strange angle by this stage I had got to 7cm, if anyone else had wanted to do and internal examination I would probably of punched them. I was prepared for surgery and at 1002 pm , 2nd Sept 2005, Caitlin Michelle finally made her appearance, she had gone back to back and when I was opened up she was looking up at the surgeon. The only thing I got that was on my birth plan was that DH told me the sex of the baby!
I feel totally disappointed with my treatment in general and the whole experience, being told that another lady had been in hesitant labour for 6 days whilst only on my 2nd day does not do wonders for your moral and wellbeing. Every examination that the doctors did was horrendous, however the midwives where so much more gentler when doing the examinations.
Would I do it again, YES without a doubt, the feeling I got when I heard Caitlin cry and I got to see her more than made up for the entire journey from trying to conceive for almost 4 years, the IVF, the pregnancy and last but not least the birth.
Caitlin is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am so very lucky to have her, thankyou Norfolk Clinic and Barts I am eternally gratefulLove Mish and Caitlin xx
It's so hard when things don't go according to our expectations, and I know exactly how you feel! Caitlin is gorgeous though!!
