Sarah Louise born to ~Kate~ on 27/9/07 (Late and long)
Okay so I know that I am late with this but have only just gotten around to posting and I'm hoping that by posting this I can get it out of my system and stop dwelling on it.
Bit of background info. I had always dreamt of a waterbirth but seeing as local hospital didn't recommend it I didn't push the issue, I just thought that if I jumped into the bath when in labour that it might just happen (lets see them try to get a 9 month preggers woman out of a tub ;)) Other than that, if not waterbirth I wanted a fairly natural birth...vag, no drugs, different positions, shower etc. Was pretty against c/s as I wanted to do it the 'old fashioned' way. I was lucky enough to have my sister as a midwife at the same hospital I was heading to so also knew her collegeues. Thought that was a bonus when the time came.
On Wed 26th Sept I had my regular midwife appointment at the hospital and was asked if I wanted to have an internal or wait until the next appt. I thought 'bugger it, go ahead', didn't realise that it would hurt as much as it did but luckily my middie was fantastic and kept it relatively easy. While she was there I asked her to do a S & S as I wasn't even 1cm dilated and I wanted my baby out.
Went home and relaxed and thought nothing more of it, I was woken at about 1.30am by an urge to go to the toilet where I felt a bit of a trickle on the walk. I thought that I had either pee'd myself or my waters had broken. I had a pad on due to being told that I should after the internal and the colour of the waters didn't look quite like I expected. I ummed and ahhed before calling the hospital to check it out. They said that I better come in to get checked out just to be on the safe side. I was always going to ring my sister to check with her but as she had a 2 year old as well I didn't want to wake her for nothing. I woke my DH and said that I think my waters have broken and that I was going to head up to hospital (5 mins away). I asked him if he wanted to come with me or if he wanted to stay sleeping. I told him that it might take a while and that it could be a false alarm so might be best to get some sleep now while he can. I was also thinking that if it was a false alarm and he had to go to work that day that he would have been buggered if he didn't get enough sleep. Thoughful wife, I know.
Anyway, jumped into the car with my handbag and a couple of magazines and drove to hospital. As I walked down to the emergency entrance (afterhours entry) I felt this massive gush and had a flash back to an old movie called 'Coneheads'
**Sidetrack - Coneheads were aliens who came to earth and one was pregnant. She went into labour and flooded the basement of the house when her waters broke. **
Was shown up to Maternity and put onto some monitors for testing. They checked my waters and found a bit of meccy so put me on drip to get contractions going (hadn't had any so far). Kept me monitored which I didn't want but just kept thinking that its in bubs best interest.
I finally called DH at about 5.30am when he was due to get up for work and told him to come on in. He caught a taxi (seeing as I had car) and he brought in my bag. Also sent msgs to mum and my sister.
Don't remember much else of what happened from here on out in detail so will give you a brief overview.
Drip was increased and internals done. They put me into the birthing suite and found that I was only 3cms dilated. I was gutted as it was now about 10am. Mum and my sister had come in and where helping out and my DH was trying to help but looked like a fish outta water. I was getting some contractions but they were not long or strong enough to do much. The monitors kept losing bubs heartbeat so they put a scalp monitor on her instead. Realised that it wasn't the monitors fault but bubs heartbeat was dropping low. She was in distress and midwives wanted her out. I was still only 3cm and not having any decent contractions. Originally it was the trainee midwife who was monitoring me, she went and got another midwife, who got the head midwife, who got the intern ob, who in turn got the head ob. So had all these people in the room as well as my 3 support people. My dr was Indian and I was having trouble trying to understand him but as I was listening for one word, nothing else mattered.
Then he said the word I didn't want to hear and my world crashed. Caesarean. I lost it and started crying and sobbing. It was the sheer emotion of having to go completely against my birth plan but mainly fear for my daughters life. I looked at Dh who had no idea what was happening until my sister explained what was going to go down. I had someone taking off my jewellery, another adding drips, another taking the scalp monitor off and even another explaining forms and getting my signature.
They wheeled me out and I was lost as to where DH was, still crying mind you. My DH and sister came into theatre with me. I was given a spinal block which was not taking affect as quickly as it was supposed to. I was given the option of general which I was definately against, If I couldn't have the birth the way I wanted I was going to stay awake for this even if I could feel more than was supposed to. Luckily after they waited for a little bit longer they were given the okay to start.
They started cutting and fumbling around, I liken it to trying to find car keys in your handbag. They then pulled out my beautiful baby girl at 12.46pm and laid her on my chest. She was very alert and had great apgar scores. I had beautiful skin to skin time while they stitched me up.
I told them that she was coming into recovery with me for a breastfeed and they were fine with that seeing as my sister was able to help monitor me.
Sarah Louise was born on the 27th September at 12.46pm weighing 7 pound 1 ounce (bit of controvesy over that seeing as someone couldn't read the scales, told me first that she was 7 pound 10. misread the decimal places) and 51cm long.
I was later told that I had a placenta abruption (sp?) and that a c/s was the safest option. Could have bled out if laboured longer.
I still feel jealousy when reading natural birth stories and mourn the lose of my ideal birth but looking at my daughter today helps ease that. :baby::babygirl::cheer::loveshower:
