Jacob Mathew's Story- 17/04/08
first, the background info!
Despite being quite overweight, my pregnancy was totally average- Blood pressure had been fine and passed 2 gestational diabetes tests with flying colours. My fundal height started dating ahead at about my 24 week check up- so my ob suggested a growth scan @ 32 weeks. At that scan bubs was shown to be approx 2.5kg already- so bubs was diagnosed with macrosomic growth. At 34 weeks I was told that I would no be delivering at the public hospital instead of the private hospital I was booked into. Around this time my blood pressure spiked, I filled up with fluid and was constantly reminded how high risk I was. I was put on medication, had another scan at 36weeks with bubs still big and told that if nothing happened before hand that I was to have an induction at 38 weeks. Doctor was worried- day I went in for induction I'd put on almost 30kgs since conception!
Despite having a few episodes of severe BH contractions- I was told to be at the hospital on sunday morning for the gels. Gels were put in at about 10am, given some pain meds and sleeping tablets and sent home to get some rest. All day sunday and sunday night I was having contractions between every 7 to 10 minutes. Monday morning I go in to get the gels taken out- nothing. No dilation at all. Ob has a fight with head midwife as they already have 4 inductions booked in for tuesday. So I go home and get told to come back @ 5pm tuesday to have the atards put in to force my cervix to dilate.
Tuesday night have atards put in about 7pm. Hurts like hell. Get taking down to a ward about 10pm with pain and sleeping meds. Contractions all through the night about 10 mins apart which keep me up a lot of the night- but manage to sleep between them. Go back up to delivery suites at 8am to have atards out.
Have dilated a total of 2cms! Ob decides to break waters and put drip in with heartbeat probe in bubs head- bub is 3/5 engaged. Waters break and feel instant relief- waters nearly splash all over the ob. Drip attached and contractions start almost immediatley- but pretty far apart and not to strong. Ob wants me to stay in bed as much as possible as everytime I stand up the floor has to get mopped due to fluid everywhere.
Drip put up to 6ml/hr at midday and am 'officially' in labour. Drip up to 8ml/hr and contractions up to 4 every 10 mins. Starting to get painful- but not coping too bad. Drip up to 12 ml/hr by internal at 6pm. Only 3 cms dilated. Drip put up to 16ml/hr at 7pm. Meconium staining present in waters- but bubs heartbeat fine. Breathing through contractions until about 8pm. Screaming for drugs and reminded if I want an epidural to ask early cause of possible difficulties cause of my size. Get checked at 9pm and given all clear for morphine. Given morphine at 10pm. Still sitting up in bed breathing through contractions- 5 in 10 mins- pain in back still intense but morphine making me sleep between peaks! 2 hours passed in what felt like 10 mins! At about 11.30 got all shivery and
at midnite ob comes in for internal ready to deliver a baby naturally... only to discover bubs at 4/5 engaged and me only 3cms dilated still!!!
Emergency c-section ordered, drip turned off and epi ordered. Luckily, senior anaethesist on duty came straight up. Contractions stopped as soon as drip turned off and epi went in almost pain free and first go!
After waiting for a theatre to become available, Ceasar went off without a hitch and Jacob Mathew was born at 2.10am weighing in at 4180g or 9lb 3 1/2, 53cms long and hc of 35.5 cms.
After a week in hospital, including 2 days in bed with epi still in, 2 days of Jacob in NICU with Jaundice and dehydration, and another week at home with bubs on formula- Jacob had put on a pound, and I had lost 20kgs and another 2 kgs lost by the 3 week post baby mark!!
Thanks for reading!
