The Very Early Arrival of Anneliese Bethany
This is going to be a novel, as it goes on over a few days... just a warning! Hope you enjoy the rollercoaster ride of a story that was my pregnancy...
Wednesday 7th June... I spent the majority of my day on BB, had alot of stomach pains after a fall the thursday before, and eventually went into the Royal Womens Hospital (RWH), Melbourne. Was told it looked like i had a UTI, and would be sent out a script when the lab results came back. Went home tired, and still in pain...
Thursday 8th June... Off to Tullamarine Aiport, my mum and sister were flying in from Perth for a visit. They were very disappointed that they couldnt come around my due date, but neither could get holidays, or afford to come again. I was still excited to see them, have been missing my family terribly since we left perth 2 months ago... met them at the airport (were they surprised, they were just going to cab it to our place, as we live 5 mins from the airport!!) went shopping, then home to relax and chat. My SIL callled to invite me out to a local pool hall, Pockets, for kareoke. $1000 up for grabs!! Baby clothes shopping spree!! I didnt really feel like going, but mum and Kellie (sister) talked me into it, saying i should take the opportunity, as i dont get to go out very often... So at about 8pm, i was dropped off at SIL's place, and off we went! Played some pool, had a glass of wine, which took me forever to drink-i was only having the one, was going to make it last!! Then, just before kareoke began, i felt a strange 'pop' and a small gush down my leg! 'Oh buggar" i thought, 'ive peed myself!' but a quick trip to the toilet, and more gushing told me that this was much worse than that. Luckily, the pool hall is very dimly lit, and wearing dark jeans, i decided i could quickly dash over to where everyone was sitting without letting too many people see. I grabbed my SIL and explained what had happened, and she led me outside, where i went into shock, sharted shaking, and was really quiet and calm. I pulled out my mob, called DH, who freaked and did like 120kph to get to me, then called an ambulance. The bouncer at the door was great, kept offering me (non-alcoholic!) drinks, a chair, towels, his jacket... then DH and the ambulance arrived, off to RWH (again!) regular customer in this place... I started feeling really nauseous in emergency, where i was dumped for about 20 mins, nurses asking me 'are you sure its your waters?' the smell was so strong i just told them yes yes... was finally taken to the labour was, wherew i promptly puked everywhere. Maxalon shot was given, then baby checked, fine, not in labour... put down to maternity ward to rest (how can one rest with fluid gushing out, and babies crying everywhere?) sent DH home, and off to sleep i went...
Friday, 9th June... I got up to have a shower around 6am, but i noticed my fluid had changed colour slightly. Notified the nurse, who, after my shower, brought the dr in to see me. They were quite concerned. It was decided that i would be sent back up to labour ward, where i could be monitored closer, and put on a ctg to check bub. then i started getting worried... 10am i was put on the monitor. around 12, the dr came back, and saw that i had had a few contractions, irregular, so nothing much to worry about... then she noticed that when i was contracting, bubs heartrate was dropping from around 160 to between 120-80bpm. worrying. it was decided that i wouldnt be coming off the monitor as planned, i would stay on and see how things progressed. Had an internal, swabs done to check for infections, nothing showing up yet. Started feeling really cold, hot, nauseous... Asked the nurse to close the window and turn off the lights, the brightness was giving me a really bad headache... The nurse must have alerted the dr to all these facts, as i had the 'big boss' ob come down from goodness knows where, and they turned the lights on. A nurse was ordered to check my temp (noone would tell me what it was) then the dr sat on my bed, totally serious, which scared the crap out of me, and said "Simone, while nothing has shown up on the lab tests yet, it is becoming increasingly obvious to us that you have an infection of some sort, and also due to the fact that your baby's heartrate is dropping every time you contract, we have deicded to book you in for an emergency caesarean at 6pm.' (it was about 2.30/3pm by this time) I didnt cry, i think i was in shock at this point. i nodded and they left the room, and the nurse came in and a bawled my eyes out. How could i have a baby at 30w? This is what i had wished for for weeks, to not be pg anymore, but now i was going to have my wish, i didnt want it anymore... The midwife was brilliant, she sat down, hugged me, reassured me that this wasnt my fault, it was no-one's fault, and it was best for our daughter. It wasn't a decision made lightly to take a baby out at 30w. Then i called DH, who hadnt left the hospital til 1am, started work at 6am, then onto a job interview at 4pm. I told him everything, and he was going to skip his job intervew, but i wouldnt let him. He promised he would make it, regardless. Then the midwife came back and started all the prep for the caesar. canulla, cathetar (she did this in my room, to try and save some of my dignity - rather than doing it in theatre. Thank god she did this, as she was the only female in the room!!) then, just before 6pm, the ctg was taken off me, the bed to take me off to theatre rocked up-and DH came racing through the door. He hadnt even waited for a lift, in case he missed me. He ran to the 4th floor! He was given pj's and a hat, i walked to the bed, and off we went.
The BIG Moment... DH was made to wait outside while i was taken into theatre, (he hates needles anyway!) and i was given my spinal block, and then layed down. my gown was lift over the screen in front of me (goodbye dignity) and just before they made the first cut, DH was brought in. he held my hand while i was pulled and stretched, and minutes later, there was the most magical sound... a cry. Anneliese Bethany Moore had made her appearance to the world at6.51pm on Friday the 9th of June 2006, at 30w4d. She weighed 1680g/3lb 11oz, head circumference of 28cm, and her APGARS were 8 and 9. She didnt require oxygen and was flashed in my face before being taken up to the special care nursery. DH started to cry, he had been so worried, we both cried together. Then he was taken up with Anneliese, while i was being stitched up. Then taken to recovery, were it was dicovered that i was having a reacion to the local used for the spinal block-i couldnt stop itching or shaking. the itching was bad, as i couldnt feel most of my bady, i was drawing blood when i scratched!! After an hour or so, i was taken up to my room, where i was given a polariod of my beautiful daughter. I wanted to get up and see her, but i was told not until my spinal had worn off. Sent DH home, and drifted off to sleep, thinking of the day's events...
Saturday 10th June... I woke at 3am to DH, he had come back to see how i was doing. So i decided to get up and go see my baby. But this is alot harder than it sounds, especially it being only hours after surgery!! But i did it, i made it to the wheelchair. But by the time i got up to the SCN, i was in so much pain i had to go back to bed. I didnt attempt getting up til the afternoon. it was still painful, but not that searing in your stomach pain i felt earlier... had lots of visitors, but i spent most of the day sleeping.
The Next 2 Weeks... I stayed in hospital until wednesday, by which time my mum and sister had gone (i barely saw them!) and Anneliese was going from strength to stength.. She is on 25mls of breast milk every 2 hours, fed to her by nasal gastric tube, but tomorrow her feeds are going 3 hourly. Her weight gain has been good. She dropped down to 1550g, then back up to 1660g, then 1742g, and today she's 1780g. Great size for her age! She is taking to breast feeding great, she has a go about once a day, and her best effort is both sides, and she went for 15 mins. She had a problem with jaundice, going back under lights twice, but her levels are stable... for the moment. She is still in a humidicrib, but only because she needs a kammed bed (a heated pad) to be beneath her when she's in a cot, she is not big anough to hold her on temp yet. I was readmitted to hospital, taken back by amublance 1 week after the caesar, and kept in. They dont know what happened, my family reckon i just tried to get back into the swing of things too quickly, like picking up Declan (who is 15m old, and weighs about 15kgs!!) stayed for a weekend. It is hooped that Anneliese will keep going well, and will be home by DH's birthday, July 25. She is beautiful, and so tiny...
PS i forgot to add that my infection was called choroamnioitis (or something along those lines). The dr said that it had crossed my placenta, and was turning the inside of my uterus yellow. 12-24 more hours, and my daughter would've been septic (and possibly stillborn... that fact still sends chills up my spine) We were both pumped with antibiotics, and i was pretty sick for the first few days, but we're both much better now.
