Birth of Channing 24th June 2008- V E R Y L O N G
Birth of Channing 24th June 2008 V E R Y L O N G
A little about the pregnancy first. I have a daughter who was born in 2001 (induced 10 days overdue 6 pounds 49 cms long head 32 cms labour 13 hours), then I had a blighted ovum in 2006 (which took the drs 4 weeks to work out that?s what it was ended up having D & C). So in 2008 when I found out I was pregnant (even though I was trying to get pregnant) I was very worried because of the blighted ovum. Then my worst fear happened I started bleeding at 2 days after I found out I was pregnant. Went for ultra sound but they did not see a heart beat or foetal pole (so I thought another blighted ovum). I was told to come back for another ultra sound in a week. When back a week later 5w 2d (still bleeding) and they found a heartbeat. It was such a relief but I was still bleeding. Called the OB to see if I can get an appointment sooner the midwife at the ob office said ?no the earliest they would see me was 9 weeks? (which I already had). I told her about the bleeding and she said ?well if you are bleeding you are probably going to miscarry and there is nothing we can do so let us know if we need to cancel the appointment?. I am not silly I know there is nothing they can do but it doesn?t make you feel any better. So back to normal GP she orders me to have blood tests every 2 days till my 9 week appointment with the Ob. Hcg levels were rising good.
Had a big bleed the night before the ob appointment I went to bed that night and I was saying to myself (well that?s the end of it I am going to miscarry) I woke up in the morning thinking I was going to see heaps of blood but nothing I had stopped bleeding. The day of the appointment with ob arrives. Little did I know that the ob was going to do a full exam of my body. First checks the breasts (says the nipples are tough that will be good if you can breast feed) then an internal and tells me that I have a good size pelvis and I will have no problem fitting a baby through there. Anyway he then did an ultra sound internally we saw the heart beat again and he tells me that he knows where the bleeding is coming from. He told me that I have abruption placentae (separation of placenta) and I also have placenta praevia. He told me that it could either get worst or stay the same. He then asked if I would like to know the sex of the baby, he told me it is a boy. He says that he wants to see me every week till the 2nd trimester. After the appointment I gave the hubby a call and told him about everything and that the ob thinks it is a boy. Hubby said ?well if the dr can already see something he is definitely my son?. Next appointment he tells me that my condition has not got any worst and he thinks that if nothing else changes the baby will be alright.
Got to 30 weeks pregnant and hubby informs me that we are moving to a new town. GREAT 30 weeks pregnant and moving from a place that has the best Hospitals and heaps of obs to a place that has 1 hospital and only 1 ob (what are the chances that I can get that ob). It turned out really good, he became my new ob (he turned out to be the best ob). Had another scan everything looks good I was told I would probably be having a 8pound baby (saying to myself sh** I thought a 6 pound baby was hard to get out how is an 8 pound baby meant to fit out)
To speed story up my EDD 15th June 2008, came and went I had an ECG (I think it was called) on the 17th June to see if anything was happening ? nothing. Saturday the 21st June went to hospital to see ob and he tried to do a stretch and sweep, he couldn?t do one the cervix up to high. He told me that if nothing has happened over the weekend to come in 4 pm Monday 23rd June and they will use some gel.
Monday 23rd June we went to hospital; got internal (done by midwife 1) no change so at 5pm in goes the gel. By 6 pm I can start to feel something was happening. Things started to move along by the time Hubby and daughter left at 9pm I couldn?t sit still the pains were coming between 5-7 minutes apart. By 10pm I was in alot of pain I told the midwife (midwife 2 not a very nice midwife) she said to me ?your not in labour it is just an effect of the gel? I knew that it was not an effect of the gel but she didn?t believe me. I tried a hot shower to help that didn?t work; they gave me panadole that didn?t work. Midwife 2 even gave me a sleeping tablet to try and knock me out. That did not work. 11pm midwife 2 hooks me up the ecg to check if I am having contractions (laying flat on the bed when having contractions is bad cause you can?t move) anyway the tell me I am not in labour I am not have contractions why because the d*ckheads forgot to turn to record button on. I told them I was not going to lay on the bed again for another 20 minutes so midwife 2 gets midwife 1 to do any internal and behold I was 4 ? cms dilated. Midwife 2 tells me I am doing well and I should stay in my room (all the way down the opposite end of the maternity ward all myself no one else around with all the lights of in the hallway).
Anyway 2am now In alot of pain I called the midwife, midwife 2 comes I tell her that I have had enough and I want to go to labour ward and get an epidural. She says okay but we will give you pethidine and see how that goes for a few hours. I then said to her you can give me pethidine but you are still calling the anaesthetics. She then says ?I would first need to ring the ob and he will have to give the okay to call the anaesthetics? ?why don?t you see how the pethidine work because it is 2 in the morning and everyone is sleeping? I then replied to her ?I don?t give a sh*t if their sleeping wake those b*st*rds up. By 2.40 anaesthetics arrives and he puts the epi in (it is the type that you top yourself up when you need it). 10 minutes later I felt no pain, I finally got some sleep. I then wake up to pain it was 4.30am I topped up the epi but it was not working very well I could still move my legs and I could feel the contractions on the right side of my body and down in the pubic area. Midwife 2 comes in at 5.30am to do an internal she tells me I am 8 cm dilated and we should ring up hubby and daughter to come in. 6.00 they arrive and I am starting to feel more and more pain the epi is really not working now. So I topped myself up again with another shot of the epi it still does nothing.
By 7am new midwife starts (midwife 3 ? best midwife) my ob comes in to see how I am and to break my waters. 8.00 am midwife 3 does an internal I am 10 cms. She goes to call the ob to tell him what is happening. She comes back and said the ob won?t make it to the delivery of the baby because he is up in theatre and she will deliver the baby. So at 8.15 am the midwife 3 tells me to start pushing by 8.35am she tells me to stop because it is not working. She said we will try pushing again in about an hour and see what happens. I start to worry that they may have to your forceps, vacuum or even cut me to get the baby out. I made a decision then and there that I was not going to top myself up anymore with the epi, even though the epi was not really working I still could feel each contraction, I needed to be in control and push this baby out. An hour came and pasted by.
10.30am arrived and in comes in midwife 3 and we are going to try and push again she will just inform the ob that we are going to push. So I tell hubby who is on the phone what?s going on. Anyway at 10.50am midwife 3 and ob walks in and the ob says ?are we ready to get this baby out? Of course I say YES. My daughter takes her place right near the Ob with a great view of what is going to happen ?midwife says to her don?t get to close blood might fly out? hubby is still on the phone. 6 minutes at 10:56am 14 hours and 50 minutes of labour and he was finally out. They put him on my stomach I start to cry. Daughter wonders why I am crying I tell her they are tears of joy. Thank goodness she was looking at the baby on my tummy because after I delivered the placenta, blood started flying out. The ob started pushing on my tummy and the midwife jabbed something in my leg to try and stop the bleeding. I finally stopped bleeding don?t ask me how long it was but. Midwife said he is a big boy. But looking at him I thought he was small because he was alot easier to push out then the first. (I tore alot with my daughter) and just a little with this one. His weight was 9 pounds, length 53cm and head cir 36cm. Apgar score at 1min 9 and 5 min 10. I am still shocked that I fitted a 9 pound baby out.
On the way back to my room my daughter was pushing the baby and the midwife said to her ?you can move a little faster if you want? my daughter replied ?I don?t want to give him toxic shaking baby syndrome? we all laughed. The midwife said ?you will make a good baby sitter? daughter then replied ?you?re not meant to sit on a baby?. Another good laugh. Both baby and I were well so 5pm we left the hospital and went home.
Nearly 9 weeks later and all is fine. Still people are telling me his is a very big boy. It now weighs over 6kg and is more than 60cm long.
Thank you for letting me share my birth story.
