~♥ Jasmines Arrival ~ December 2005 ♥~
Jasmine was born at 1am on December 15th 2005!
She weighs 8 pounds, 9 ounces and is 53cm in length with a head circumference of 33cm.
It was an induction due to my GDM and her size, which they were pretty much spot on about with the measurements they had done with the ultrasounds prior to the birth.
You're getting the very long detailed version too!! Ive left out ALOT too, but left in the parts that it needs to make sense. Its not a horror story, it was just a very long process due to the induction...
First lot of Prostin gel was applied at 11pm on the Monday night. The internal VE hurt more than anything Ive ever experienced (at that stage) Its supposed to be applied every 6 hours, this gel. Anyway, my next internal VE comes at 5am Tuesday morning. Apparently Im dilating nicely, though they would still prefer to use all three doses of Prostin. So the 2nd lot of gel is used around 7am. So that meant another VE. The contractions at this stage, did not seem too bad, they were very oddly timed and nothing at all like the BH pains I had felt during the pregnancy, more like severe period pain. Then 1pm comes along. Another VE. Im told I have a swollen cervix and they cant really tell if Im dilated, as it appears thick again compared to the thinning out of the last exam. However, they will use the gel again to make sure. But... they dont come back to do the gel until 6pm the Tuesday night. Another VE is necessary of course. I start to vomit from around here on in, usually atleast once per half hour. I cant even keep water down, so they put me on a Saline Drip (I think I was given 7-8 saline bags in total) from now until the very end :cry:
At this stage, the discussion turns to the fact that the induction has failed, and that protocol is to rest for 24 hours, then start the gel and entire process all over again. However my contractions are becoming worse and worse, and faster and faster. Around 2am on the Wednesday they are a minute apart and they stay this way until 6-7am that morning. 2 more VEs are done in that time. So by this time, my "bits" are so extremely swollen and sore, Im just happy for a rest. The contractions I was having, was apparently false labour, bought on by the Prostin gel, because they stopped completely after that.
Then 2 different Doctors are arguing over my VE results. One wants to take me up to Birthing Unit and break my waters and put me on the Sinto drip to just kick the induction along (he believes its working) The other, says its not working, no point in going up to B/U and to come back the next day. 3rd Doctor comes, gives me another VE. Apparently Im 4cm dilated, thats more than enough to get me up to Birthing Unit and have my waters broken, so I start to prepare to go upstairs around 4pm Wednesday afternoon.
By this time of course, my contractions are really something else! I was not expecting to be in so much pain. I was screaming and most of the time I didnt even realise. Im still vomiting too, so that makes everything just such a drama! Apparently, in my last VE, the Dr gave me a stretch and sweep, on my already swollen bits, so if it wasnt hurting enough from the effects of Prostin, it was hurting even more from the s&s, not to mention the bleeding! The only thing I could do during contractions was sit on the side of the bed, and hang onto the pole from the drip for dear life. Walking makes the contractions worse and worse, it takes me half an hour just to get to B/U! Mind you, I was making some awful noises by then, I can only imagine what passers by thought! I could get through them easier if I took really deep breaths, and pushed the air back out with some deep "ohh" noise that I didnt know I could even make.
Birthing Unit, another Vaginal Exam. Im bleeding, vomiting, screaming....and so tired. Im remembering that its Wednesday now and this has all been happening since Monday and I had not slept for more than 40 mins at one single time. Im begging for the epidural, and until he arrives, most of what happened is a blur. But after I had the epidural!!!!! Ohhh so happy! I should have had it the moment I walked in the door. Ive never been so grateful to anyone in my life. I was having bad contractions and I didnt know about them, they broke my waters, I didnt know lol everything was going great. It didnt hurt going in, and even though my contractions were very very bad whilst I was getting it done, I managed to stay very still. It was so great. I cant rave about it enough!
But of course, the whole process seemed to slow right down. I stopped dilating. So 2 more internal VE's are done. Im so delirious over my fantastic epidural by this stage I dont care lol. The first one was when they told me nothing is happening. The 2nd one the Dr starts to talk about c-section. At this stage of course, I dont care either way. Then midnight comes, my support person, who is also a midwife at that hospital is called out of the room, and I hear them all discussing theatre and that I will be sectioned within the hour, due to my BP and how long its taking etc etc.
I start throwing up again strangely enough!! Then everyone comes into the room, they tell me all about the c-section and book the theatre. But just one more VE for the road needed to be done! The midwife goes to do the VE and she says "Actually I cant do it, there is a head in the way. Can you push? Youre ready, the head is right there"
Im of course really surprised, and by this time I can completely move my legs and everything, as the epidural was given hours earlier. My support person D, (a midwife) was actually allowed to do the delivery. So she pretty much did everything with another midwife who I know personally also. So it was very casual and I wasnt stressed once I knew she was allowed to be in control. They did it as a total favour, as she wasnt on shift and doesnt even work in Birthing Unit anymore, she works in another Maternity section in the hospital! Anyway D says "We can have her out by 2am if you push well, considering her position" I thought it was 1.45am so I was happy.... but it was 12.45am so I wasnt happy when I realised the time. However I just pushed and pushed and after 15 mins of pushing, Jasmine was born at exactly 1am on Thursday morning!
I did have an episiotomy, which my friend D did for me also, so I know it was a nice clean cut lol Jasmines head just wouldnt come completely out, and I was going to tear. I dont know how many stitches because the cut was more internal than anything so it was all just the one stitch going over and over again IYKWIM, but it took just over an hour to stitch me up. I would have been in such a state without D being there for me, I cant imagine if I had have asked someone else to be there. She just toughed out every single moment with me, and then delivered my baby. Im so lucky to have such a great friend whom I can entrust my life, and my babies life to also!
So the real labour (stage 1) took 8 hours 43 minutes. The birth (stage 2) took 15 mins and the stitching and the placenta delivery etc (stage 3) took 1 hour 11 mins! The three days prior to that were pretty much chalked up to failed induction and false labour, real pains but not the real thing. So the entire process overall went from Monday night, to Thursday morning! :lol:
I came home today (Friday) at around 2pm on an early discharge as I had been in there long enough already, and Jasmine is really well. She is a fantastic sleeper, but she is only 48 hours old, so I wont bank on anything yet! She has a touch of jaundice, which will get worse over the next few days, but then will be gone and other than that is perfect. Jasmine also feeds very well. At this point in time, its around 30mls every 4-5 hours on average. I have to wake her to feed, or else she would sleep right through Im sure! She loves to "suck" with her mouth, and was sucking on her blanket in her sleep, so on advice, Ive given her a dummy which she spits out when she is tired of it, and it doesnt bother her if its not there. Not much bothers her at all actually. She slept in the car, in the rocker, in the cradle, everywhere and anywhere I put her down, she will sleep! I can only pray it remains like this! [-o<
Im a bit sore, but mainly due to all the internals. Im sure if I didnt have so many, I would be alot better off. My feet are swollen from all of the fluids, they actually look like Ive got two broken ankles, but its painless. The stitches really dont hurt that much, theyre just annoying cos I know they are there. My upper arms ache from grabbing my knees when I was pushing but that is ok too. Other than that, Im just tired. But I cant sleep. Im quite happy to sleep when Jasmine sleeps, but for her first night home, Im more than happy to just be mesmerised and run on whatever I have left going right now!
Thats my story! If you made it this far, thanks for reading & letting me share the story!!
