Birth Story: Munchkin number 2 has arrived alhamdulillah

Those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook will know that I had my second princess on 15th September 2012 at 4.06am, weighing 7lb 2oz.

Here is my birth story. Be warned it is long and includes everything.

Due to gestational diabetes my consultant wanted to induce me after 38 weeks. It appears to be their hospital policy which frankly I didn’t understand. If I was well, baby was a good size then why induce me? However, I was scared of something going wrong if I didn’t get induced and would never forgive myself. So I went ahead with the induction.

On 11th September I was booked to have a sweep and then an induction on 13th September when I would be 38+5.

I went for the sweep and was very scared as I am not very good with things like that. I and baby were monitored. I almost fainted because the student midwife (MW) made me lie on my back to monitor baby; I can’t lie on my back when pregnant! The midwife herself did the sweep as she could see how anxious I was about it – there was no way I was going to let a student MW near me anyway!! It was pretty much a failed sweep as my cervix was closed and because I was so distressed she did not want to try to open it.

So next step induction.

On 13th September I phoned at 8am and was told there was no bed and to phone at 12. Same thing again at 12 but they decided that I should go in and just have baby monitored again. As they were so busy we were stuck at hospital for over 2 hours for a 20 minute monitoring.

On 14th September I phoned again at 8am and was told the MW was busy and would phone back. 2 hours later still no call back so I chased it up myself. I was then told to go in at 12pm. They would definitely have a bed. We got there at 12 and were waiting in the waiting room until 1pm. We were finally taken to the room to settle down.

My MW eventually monitored me and baby and the first pessary was inserted at about 3.30pm. I was very nervous about this but I managed to get through it as the MW said if the doctor has to come and do it he won’t be as gentle…..so I gritted my teeth and somehow managed it. Another pessary had to be inserted at 9.30pm and she said they would give me gas and air to get through it again as I found it so distressing.

So now a waiting game. I had to be monitored every half hour or so.

The midwives, changed shifts and the new one introduced herself. However because it was so busy they seemed to forget to monitor me. My MW came in after 9.30pm (my hubby had then just gone home) and said a lady was in labour and she would be busy with her and she will come check on me afterwards. I said to her I was getting some pains and not sure if contractions or it was due to feeling a bit constipated. In all honesty she should have checked me then but she had to rush off to her lady in labour.

Half an hour later the pain was getting worse so I called a MW. She came in and I explained I was in pain. She seemed more interested in what my newspaper said on the front page. She then said she would get me some paracetamol. Almost an hour later she still hadn’t given me it so I buzzed again and another MW brought it to me within 20 mins.

I tried to sleep but the pain was getting unbearable and I couldn’t get comfortable. About an hour or so after the paracetamol I buzzed again and said the pain is getting worse, I was literally struggling to concentrate. They decided to give me a stronger dose of painkiller. No idea what they gave me but was 2 pills. Noone thought to check to see if I was in labour.

I think I managed to doze off for less than an hour before I woke up in extreme pain. I heard a pop which I realised were my waters breaking. I somehow managed to get to the toilet and noticed blood and waters leaking so buzzed them. I almost fainted in the bathroom. A nurse came and I explained what had happened so she asks if I think it was my waters? HELL YES!! Give me some bloody pain relief. She goes off to look for the nurse and I think around 10 mins later still noone so buzzed again as the pain was literally becoming unbearable. They finally came in with gas and air and I am shouting at them that I can’t cope with this pain anymore and to give me an epidural. They FINALLY examined me and realised baby was on way so then in all honesty it was panic stations. In the midst of this am asking for a epidural and she is saying yes but we may be pushing it. They somehow managed to get me onto a wheelchair, (I was high on gas and air by this point because I was already feeling the need to push and I wasn’t in the delivery room). I heard someone say they had called my hubby and he was on his way. Although I wasn’t sure he would get there on time.

Next thing I know I am in the delivery room and have managed to get on the bed somehow. Then the search for my MW began. They didn’t know where she was and the one who was with me was on ward duty and needed to go. All this time I am feeling the need to push.

My MW eventually rushed in and I heard them having a discussion that I wanted an epidural but it was too late. In the midst of this I realised my hubby had arrived (although poor thing wasn’t much use and he hid outside eventually).

My MW examined me and said baby was on the way and eventually said she can see the baby’s dark hair. I was exhausted and in pain and my MW told me off (in a nice way) that I needed to push and she didn’t want to get the doctor in but would have to if baby was getting distressed. Baby’s heart rate was increasing. She stopped me using the gas and air as I was using it to get through the contractions and not using it to push. It is funny now but I was saying I can’t do it and need the gas and air and she was like NO. I know you probably want to hit me but you can hold it and not use it. Umm…what use is just holding it?!

After a few pushes, baby arrived alhamdulillah, screaming! Sadly she turned at the last minute which resulted in a nasty 3rd degree tear. My MW examined me to see if she could stitch me in the delivery room but had to get the doctor in who said it would require surgery to repair.

So although I had a natural birth alhamdulillah, I now had to go into surgery to get stitches. Baby at this point was well and was being held by her dad. My blood loss up to this point was normal so there did not appear to be any reason to rush to get me into theatre for surgery. However, I felt the blood and mentioned to MW I’m bleeding but she did not seem too concerned because the doctor had said there was no rush. She left to get ready to take me to theatre and after a few minutes I started to feel odd and faint. I was just about to tell hubby to get the MW as I was going to faint but it was too late. The next thing I realised I was being moved quickly to theatre and I could hear my MW calling me from a distance (although she was right next to me) trying to wake me up and pretty much saying ‘Don’t do this to me now!’

By the time I was in theatre I had woken up, but felt faint and could not stop shaking as I felt so cold. They checked my blood sugar levels which were on the high side ( I was meant to have been monitored throughout my labour but it had all happened so quick) but they thought the fainting was due to blood loss as I had suddenly started to lose alot of blood. My pulse rate was sky high aswell.

I then had to have a spinal block to numb me from the waist down so they could do the stitches. This is in itself was horrible as it took her a few attempts to get the injection in the right place in my back. She had given me about 3/4 injections to numb the area initially.

The first MW who had not given me the paracetamol was in the theatre room. She had the grace to look slightly uncomfortable and made out that I had not emphasised how much pain I was in and had managed to give birth on paracetamol! Um hello?? I was being induced?? Did you not think that the fact I was in pain meant I may be in labour?!

I was put on a drip to get my womb to contract (I think) to stop the bleeding while I was having the stitches, and was monitored throughout surgery. I was eventually taken back to the delivery room where hubby and baby were waiting for me. My MW gave me a sandwich and a drink and a couple of hours later I was moved to the transitional care ward as baby had to have her blood sugar levels monitored. We were then allowed home on Sunday afternoon.

So that is my birth story. Very different to my first birth which was a breeze compared to this one…..but alhamdulillah.