Gabrielle Lee's epic birth story!

The Birth of Gabrielle Lee Morris

Tuesday, March 15, 2005
39 Weeks 4 Days
It has been an eventful morning to say the least.
Went into the MDAU (Maternal Day Assessment Unit) with my little sister, Erin, and got put on a monitor straight away. My BP was high (160/95) and remained that way for the next hour or so. Bub's heart beat was going nuts (as usual) and I was getting loads of movements. I gave Erin the button to push for a while for when there was a movement. I think she thought it was pretty cool.
Anyway.... the Dr. came in and checked my reflexes and felt my belly etc. and we had more of a chat about my BP and headaches etc. She said that she would have to speak to her registrar about what course of action to take considering my BP was still up.
We waited when the midwife came in to tell us that from what she could tell, they were wanting to look at inducing me. So they put me back on a bed and told me I would need to have more blood taken.
The Dr. came back with the registrar and he basically said that even though I am not presenting any other symptoms of pre-eclampsia, he is worried that my BP is so high. He said that basically waiting for bubs to come naturally is like waiting for something bad to happen. He did an internal and my cervix has moved forward a little bit and he said something about it measuring 2cms. He did say that induction when bubs isn't engaged can sometimes result in a c-section. In saying that, however, he said it is about weighing up the risks and the high BP could cause more complications than having a c-section. He explained it all really well and then asked me how I felt about it all. I just said that I didn't care, so long as bubs was happy and safe.
So, I am booked in to be induced tomorrow morning at 8am. I rang Neil to let him know and asked him to come home so that he could rest up and have a few hours to collect his thoughts. It didn't take much to convince him! Not sure how I am feeling about it atm. Kind of surreal.
I was told that at 8am they will put me on a monitor again then I will be given 1 lot of gel. I have to stay in the hospital grounds for a couple of hours after that then go back in for more monitoring. Usually, if all is well, they send people home for a few hours but, given my high BP, I will probably have to stay in the hospital. At about 2pm, I will be given another lot of gel (if needed) and hopefully things will start moving (though I get the impression that it can take quite a few hours). Either way, Little Nobba should be out in the world by Thursday!! Yay! I finally get to use all the cool stuff I have bought and been given!! Yay!
At the moment I feel a little sleepy and I have a dull pain - sort of like period pain. Apparently this is a good sign that things are moving along so hopefully the induction tomorrow will just help things along rather than hinder them.

Thursday, March 17, 2005
39 Weeks 6 Days
I have had 3 lots of gel. The administration of the last lot hurt like hell!!!! That was this morning. I was given some sleeping tablets last night and thankfully got some sleep (though very broken and hardly good quality). I was in agony with the worst "period" -type pain ever! I got panadol for that (like that's gonna do much) but had to wait 2 hours for doctors to approve it!
Anyway, our midwife came in this morning with bad news. 7 women had gone into labour last night, taking up all of the birthing suites (bar one which they have to keep free for emergencies). So they were cancelling any inductions until further notice. Meanwhile, I was still experiencing period pain and felt loads of pressure (kinda like needing to do poos and wees AND having a horrible period all at once).
Thankfully, the birthing suites freed up a couple of rooms and approved for one person to be induced. So I went to the MDAU to have a 3rd dose of the gel (the one that killed!). With this one, my cervix had come forward but bubs still wasn't presenting well. I had a slight bit of show aswell (though nothing else for the rest of the day... grrr).
So, I have spent today in agony!! I can't sit down, can't lay down, can't walk long distances, can't concentrate to read or watch TV and basically am fed up.
I finally cracked the poos and our lovely midwife, Janine, put me on a CTG to see what was going on as she believed I was having contractions (as opposed to doctors and other midwives that told me I was just having prostin pain). Sitting down for the CTG was difficult because I am so restless atm. The first round of pain hit but there were no uterine contractions recorded on the machine. After that, I kept getting the pain every 5 minutes. I was on the machine for 40 minutes but I took it off and unhooked myself after a while because I just had to get up and move! The midwives are so busy up on the ward that they can't really stay with you for long.
So, we sorta figured that the fact that the pain comes and goes regularly that they WERE contractions but the new midwife that took over pretty much told me they are just pains from the gel.
Neil was over it after a while so he buzzed the midwife at about 5pm. He was getting sh*tty because I haven't been examined by a doctor all day. 2 of them came in and spoke to me this morning but that was just to determine who would get to be induced.
Basically, I am booked in to get my waters broken tomorrow (I was told this yesterday too so I am not holding my breath). If I am not dialated enough, I may have to have a c-section (though that is just speculation from the midwife).
Thankfully I got a few hours day release to come home tonight. I am so much more relaxed here. I wish I could stay all night. At least I can potter around and keep my mind off the pain.
I was trying to be brave and not complain but it bloody hurts and to go through 2 days of it (expecting to see bubby!) is messing with my mind.
The midwives on the ward are not nearly as attentive as the ones in the birthing units because they have to attend to more patients. I just feel like I have been stuck in a room and forgotten about! I tell you, I will be demanding sleeping pills again tonight -otherwise there is no way I will be able to sleep!
Hopefully they will break my waters tomorrow or, at the very least, examine me to see if anything is happening cos it sure feels like things are happening!!

Friday, March 18, 2005
40 Weeks - Our due date is here!!
I'm here at home once again after another eventful yet not eventful day!!
I was booked in to have my waters broken this morning (or so I was told). So I went back to the hospital last night after a few blissful hours at home, had some panadol and sleeping tablets and got a relatively good night's sleep (though very broken). At 3am I was getting the prostin pains again but I found that doing my pelvic floor exercises helped to massage them away a little.
I got up at about 7am and went to the loo where lo and behold, there was my show! I gagged a little when I saw it but I was still very happy to see that something was produced from the 2 days of pain that I have endured!
I jumped in the shower feeling pretty positive that today was going to be the day!!
Neil got to the hospital at 8am and we ate breaky together. I had a new midwife come in, Tina who was lovely. She pretty much told me that the pains I am getting are in fact just prostin pains but she went more in-depth with the explanation which was really good. She said it was really good that I had a show and got me to do a wee sample.
It is absolutely flat out in the hospital at the moment so when anyone says "I'll be back in a tick" it usually means at least half an hour. I had a snooze while Neil watched TV. It got to about 11am when he had to go and move the car and he wanted to go into work to let them know what is (or isn't!!) going on.
10 minutes after he left, the midwife came in and announced that she had good news - I was heading downstairs! I was so relieved! (downstairs is the birthing units). I rang Neil and told him so that he knew I wouldn't be in the room. I asked about my belongings and if it was ok to leave them in the room for Neil to fetch later. "Yeah, no worries".
I did get taken down stairs but not to the birthing suites, to the bloody MDAU again!! I am beginning to hate that place. While I was sitting and waiting, I heard the midwife talking about giving me another lot of gel!! I freaked out. When she came in, I said "Are you gonna give me more gel?". She was confused. "Didn't they tell you that is what you were coming down for??". I burst into tears. I basically said there was no way in hell I was having any more of that stuff just so that I could sit in agony for another day and not even have contractions. She could see I was very upset so she got the Dr.
I rang Neil and told him to get there ASAP. He was soooo peed off! He was there within 10 minutes to my relief. After the last lot of gels, I was dreading them doing it without him there.
The Dr. came in.
Basically, the registrar had said to give me another dose (after they told me yesterday that that most they give is 3 doses!!). She understood that I wasn't interested in another dose, especially after she said there is no guarantee that a 4th lot would start contractions. She felt my tummy and for the baby's head which is still mobile and only 4/5 engaged (meanwhile, Tina had said to me in the morning that she doesn't know why they induce women that aren't engaged!). She did an internal which still knocked the wind out of my sails but still wasn't as bad as the one the day before. She said that it isn't possible for my membranes to be ruptured yet.
She went to speak to the registrar to let him know that I wasn't interested in more gel and to see what else he could offer.
Pretty much, they told me that if I didn't want more gel, the only thing I could do was give it time for the process to happen. Because my BP has remained on the high side of normal but steady, they said I could go home and come back on Monday to see if bubs had engaged and if it is possible to break my waters. If not, I may have to have a c-section.
Needless to say, I was rapt at the idea of going home. I was put back on the CTG for half an hour then sent upstairs to get my stuff.
So now I am at home. I still have the prostin pain but at least I can potter around and do things. Hopefully things will come along in the next couple of days and my water will break on its own. Either way, I don't bloody want to go back to the ward until I have my baby with me!!
It sucked coming home without a baby but I would rather be here than stuck in that bed! I really think a more relaxed environment will help me out. I can take a fricken panadol when I want to and not have to ask for approval and I don't have to be woken up at 6am to have my BP taken and bubs heart beat found. YAY!

Sunday, March 20, 2005
40 Weeks 2 Days
I am soooo over this! I have been in agony all day with "prostin pain" every 15 minutes. I haven't been able to get out of bed and I feel all backed-up! It's horrible. Neil convinced me to call the midwives as I think he was getting really worried about how much pain I was experiencing. I rang the birthing suites and explained what was happening. She was like "Well, what do you want to do??". I just said I had no idea what to do, all I knew is I was in agony and if something wasn't done, then there was no way I was going to get any sleep and be totally knackered before labour even started.
So, she encouraged me to come in and get put back on the CTG (man... am I getting sick of that!!). My BP was ok when I first got in there but, boy, was it a bumpy ride! I could feel every nook and cranny in the road and we didn't even go in the ute this time!!
I explained everything and was put back on the CTG. Little Nobba was having a fricken party in there which wasn't helping one little bit! I think the little bugga loves hearing the sound of it's own heartbeat or something cos it always goes nuts on the monitor.
Anyway, the midwife sat with me the whole time and paid attention to the monitor esp. when I was getting the pain which was coming at 10 minute intervals. Sitting up straight and not being able to move makes it 1000 times worse. Afterwards she said that while the monitor wasn't picking up uterine contractions, she could feel my stomach tighten. What she thinks might be happening is that I am having mild contractions like at the beginning stages of labour but because of the prostin, it is far more painful than it should be.
She took my BP again straight after one of the "pains" and it was high. When I said I wasn't surprised, she asked why. When I explained that after each bought of pain I feel really hot and my heart is racing, she took my BP again a couple of minutes later and it was back down again. There you go!
She got a doctor to come in and speak to me. Basically, there was no way at that time of night they were going to break my waters. They did offer to do an internal to see how far along I was but I refused as there is no point in going through that if nothing is going to be done about it.
I had some blood taken but the doctor said I could go home and she would call if there was anything wrong with it. She gave me some panadiene forte and some sleeping tablets so I could get some rest when I got home. I had the panadiene when I got back to the car and thankfully it kicked in about 30 minutes later and it made me feel really groggy and sleepy. I took the sleeping tablets and headed to bed.
Not even 2 hours later, Neil came running into the bedroom because I was crying out in agony. Even though I was doped up, I was still experiencing the pain every 10 minutes. It was aweful! He got me a hot water bottle and that helped a little bit but only in between. I got up and had a bath at about 2am and that helped a bit but I was still getting the pain whilst in the bath. I tried to go back to sleep after that but, again, I was woken up every 20 minutes or so and having to breathe through it all.
I tell you what, these HAVE to be contractions. If it was just prostin pain, surely the pain killers would allow me to sleep through it (like they did in hospital??). It's 4:30am now and I am wide awake. Every 10 minutes or so I have to stand up and breath through at least 30 seconds of pain.
Neil asked the doctor what we can expect tomorrow and she was reluctant to give us any straight answer. She said that everyone was different. The doctor may just tell me to wait it out a bit longer if they can't break my waters. There is no way in hell I am going through another night like tonight! They either break my water or I want a c-section. It's just getting beyond the joke! 5 days of absolute agony with no promise of it actually being labour has gotta drive anyone insane!!

Monday 21/03/05
The day Gabrielle arrived!
On Monday morning, I called the hospital and explained that I couldn’t wait for my appointment at 11am at the clinic because I was in so much pain AND I didn’t fancy screaming down the clinic walls whilst waiting. That would be very disconcerting for all the other pregnant women waiting for their appointments.
So they told me to come into the MDAU (my favourite place – NOT!) when I could. We got there a little after 9:30am when we were sent up to the clinic anyway because the MDAU was too busy!!!
We sat waiting for at least 45 minutes with me struggling to be quiet with each contraction. Neil was worried and hassled them to get me in earlier.
When we finally got called in, a gruff, male doctor finally gave me an internal to check how I was presenting. This internal wasn’t as bad and he agreed that my waters could be broken! Yay!
He said he would give the birthing suites a call and see if I could go there straight away but he warned that I may have to wait until the next day. Neil and I crossed everything!!!
We waited for another 10 minutes when they announced that I would go downstairs and have my waters broken. Finally!!!
We went down to the birthing suites and were shown to our room. Our midwife was lovely. The Doctor that broke my waters was very upbeat and pleasant. They broke pretty easily without any pain. It was a bizarre feeling! There was a little bit of meconium in the waters so they were a little yellowish in colour.
I asked to be put into a hospital gown and I was given pads to put between my legs. As I was up and moving around, I couldn’t believe how much liquid was coming out of me!! At one stage it went all over the floor. Neil walked along behind me throwing pads on the floor to soak it up. So funny to see this trail of pads all over the floor! What a dag! The contractions started getting stronger as Mum and Lauren arrived (I got Neil to call Mum when we got news that my waters would be broken). Lauren freaked out a little seeing me in pain so she didn’t stay for long. I was also getting ****ed off that there was nothing to lean on that would stay still (all the tables etc. had wheels on them and the bed had been lowered).
I asked about an epidural and when it was the right time to ask for one because I didn’t want to leave it too late like I have heard of happening. It was explained to be that because of my high BP, an early epidural could help because it can lower BP and help things along. So I agreed to have one straight away.
While I was waiting, I got out the bean bag and put it beside the bed. I knelt on the bean bag and leaned on the bed and rode out a couple of strong contractions. Lots of water came out and went all over the bean bag. Ewwww!
The anesthetist that came in to do my epidural was the same one that did a talk at our antenatal classes and she recognized me which was nice. She explained what she was going to do and told me to just yell out when I was going to have a contraction. I was show the gas to help me ride the contractions out while I sat on the edge of the bed. It was fantastic!! I sucked and breathed on it like crazy during each one. I also screamed the occasional “Ouch!!” between sucks. I saved the swearing for when the midwife was out of the room, hehehe. It really helped me to focus on something else. The Doctor, Mum and Neil were all very supportive. The epidural administration didn’t hurt at all. After it was put in, I was put on a CTG again to monitor the baby’s heart beat and the contractions. The machine wasn’t picking up the heart beat very well so the doctor put a head clip monitor on the baby’s head which only left a little mark. She also put in a catheter which was a very unpleasant feeling. Neil said the look on my face while they were putting it in was priceless! Things aren’t meant to go up THAT hole!!
As soon as backs were turned, Neil decided to help himself to the gas! He had a few good sucks and said that his chest felt all light.
Pretty soon, I felt nothing. The epidural made me feel a little shaky and my legs felt really heavy but the painful contractions were gone (for the first time in 5 days!!).
I then had an IV put in and the sintocin drip was started to get the contractions going. After a while, it became evident that the baby’s heartbeat was decreasing with the contractions so the drip was turned off a couple of times. They gave it a couple of hours and a few tries but it looked as though something was compressing the cord with each contraction and it was stressing the baby out. Her heartbeat would decrease dramatically.
So, the decision was made to have a caesarean.
I was transferred to a different bed and an inflatable warming blanket was put over me because I was shaking like mad and Mum said that I felt really cold. Before I knew it, I was being wheeled down the corridors to theatre. I remember looking up at the ceiling and seeing the lights go by, one by one like in the movies.
We got to the surgery section where I signed consent forms and Neil got dressed into a very funky outfit. He looked like a baker with a white jumpsuit on, slippers and a hair net. It made me laugh. The anesthetist then started numbing me more. They used ice to make sure it was working. They put it on my face to demonstrate how cold it felt then put it on my legs to see if I could feel the cold. All it felts like was someone touching me. They had to wait a little while for it to take full effect.
The IV they had put in my hand actually hurt a lot and I yelled in pain when they put anything through it. Neil said he felt more nervous about that than when I was having contractions! They were going to re-do it but, because it was working well, I told them not to bother. I would just put up with the pain. Later they put in a local anesthetic to numb it a little.
All the staff were wonderful in coaching me through everything. It felt very strange with all the tugging and pulling but I felt no pain.
I did, however, start to feel very nauseated. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast but I did have some water. I told Neil that I didn’t feel very well and before I knew it, there was a kidney dish and suction thingy next to my head. Apparently the water I had drunk earlier had come up. It was so hard being sick and trying not to move (not that I could)!.
After more tugging and pulling and a weird strap being attached to the bar above my head (obviously holding ‘something’ up – I didn’t want to ask!), they announced that the head was out. They asked Neil if he wanted to look but he declined for some reason! ;0)
Before long, we heard a little cry and it was the most amazing sound in the world. I said; “That’s my baby!” and burst into tears. She was taken over to a table for them to do all that they do and Neil wandered over. He came back and told me it was a girl. He didn’t have one look of disappointment on his face at all! She was brought over to us, her eyes wide open and looking so peaceful. The nurses then got to take our first family photos. After the initial thrill, I was starting to feel a little over the whole thing. I could still feel tugging and pulling and I just wanted to get up and walk out. It took longer to stitch me up than it did to get her out!
Finally I was wheeled into recovery and my little; precious girl was put on my boob. Gosh it was awkward! I went to have a look at her feet but I was told off because she needed to keep warm (party poopers!). I was still pretty shaky.
We were only in recovery for short time when I was wheeled up to my room. Neil and I checked over our list of names and decided on Gabrielle Lee with Gabby being her every-day name. Neil called Mum who was somewhere in the hospital and she came up to get a look of her first grandchild. She was as proud as punch! My sisters also came up to visit and get photos with their first niece.
Gabby was taken down to special care after it was found that her blood sugars were low. They don’t check all babies but because of the c-section and the fact that there was meconium in the waters, they checked her. It was hard having her down there for the first couple of days but I was able to get some rest which was good.
So, that is my very long story on how Gabrielle Lee Morris came into the world! My perfect little angel!

[{sarah}]

Great story Deb What a shame that Miss Gabby had to go to the Special Care Nursery for a few days. AT least it gave mummy a bit of rest.

Yeah, it did suck a bit. And, it was hard because I wasn't told that I could go down there anytime until lunchtime the next day. Otherwise I would have been down there and having her on the boob earlier. Mum thinks that the reason I had such a tough time getting my milk in was because Gabby was taken away from me for so long. In hindsight, I would have got them to bring me one of the breast pumps and gone nuts while my bubs was downstairs. Ah well. Highsight is a valuable thing, isn't it??

[BumbleBea]

Wow Debs,

What a story!! Congratulations though, for getting through it with your usual sense of humour!

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us!

No worries, Gabby. I do try to keep my sense of humour or otherwise I would be a basket-case I reckon!! LOL

[Astrolady]

What a beautiful story Debbie, love hearing all the minute by min accounts and what you were thinking etc etc.

Love

Thanks Kathryn!
I actually started writing the story out while I was in hospital because I want to include the story in Gabby's scrap book.
Neil's Mum wrote a brief run-down of his birth and it is invaluable (she died when he was 6). It is really the only piece of info I have on how her pregnancies went. So, I can see the value of writing these things down. I wish she had put more of her thoughts and feelings in there but it's better than nothing, hey??[/b]

[Astrolady]

Yep I have both of my boys stories printed off and put into folders. I also printed off all the congrats messages from the forums I was on at the time of Kam's birth and from BB for Lachlans birth and they are in there as well

Love

[mouse_9_2001]

wow deb, congratulations! i ahd to laugh at neil having a go at the gas

im glad everything turned out ok even though she had to go to special care it must of been hard for you!

take care
Lesley

[Trish]

Deb, What a fantastic and beautiful story. It took me back to when I had Noah by c section. Almost had tears in my eyes but I've gotten tough lately

How good is it to have that perfect little girl all to yourselves now. It's a great feeling hey


Thanks for sharing your story.

Take care
Trish

[Antheia]

Deb, thanks for sharing. That was amazing. I'm so glad to all ended well, after everything you had gone though. Well done and congratulations again.

[Angel]

What a gorgeous birth story, Deb! Thanks for sharing it with us. LMAO @ Neil getting into the gas!

Kathryn - that's a good idea (printing out the congrats). I will definitely do that too!

Trish - you tough-nut!! LOL

Shannon - yes, those names are pretty close! You are right, there's lots of Lees around for sure!

Lesley, Tegan and Angel - thankyou!!

[visitor2]

Debbie what a wonderful story.

It must have been hard for you to go through all that and then end up with a c-section.
You have such a beautiful little girl

[Fi]

Deb - great story!! I think you guys did so well with all that you went through to get to the labour. I'm so pleased that Gabby is a gorgeous little thing, and that everything went safely.
I am now however a little grossed by the idea of using those bean bags at Geelong - specially with all your (and probably lots of other peoples) waters all over them!! YUCK!! Can I take my own? LOL.
Fi

[zola]

I can't believe how well you managed after going through all that!! Well done you, I say!! I'm just glad that it all worked out in the end and Gabby arrived safely!

Felius was trying the gas at our ante natal classes! I can only imaging how he would have been if I'd gone through labour!

[Ambah]

What a wonderful story Debbie! Its sound like it was quite an ordeal, but its great that you have come through it all and are doing so well!

Was LMFAO at reading about Neil sucking on the gas! DP tried to do that during my labour, but I wouldn't give it up for even 1 second for him to try, LOL.

Congrats again! And I have to say that you have picked the prettiest and loveliest name for Gabby, I love it!

Fi - I'd say that they would disinfect them, LOL. But, yeah, pretty gross to know that other people's "liquids" have been all over the place

Michelle - thankyou! I think she is beautiful too

Fletch - I think she is going to look more and more like her Daddy as she gets older.

Zola - I bet Felius would have gone at the gas like a fiend just like Neil. They are funny creatures those men of ours!

Ambah - thankyou for the compliments on Gabby's name. We have been getting quite a few of them. I think it's a name that's not overly common but is still quite "traditional" iykwim? Very feminine too! I would expect there to be a few more Gabrielle's soon as it is one of the character names in Desperate Housewives!