Molly Charlotte's birth story (sorry its long )
I just thought I would quickly share what happened for Molly's birth. Sorry I am not a born writer so things will be factual etc not flowery and pretty
On September 1st I was booked into to the hospital for CTG and Blood pressure monitoring. Over the last few weeks my BP had started to creep up and I was always having to increase my medication. I headed in knowing that I would be there for 5 hours but took my suitcase as my OB had advised just in case. I had also been told that if I passed all the monitoring that at my OB appointment on Wednesday he would make a decision about when Molly would be arriving.
The monitoring was long and boring. Molly always seemed to be asleep when they monitored her. I had been in every week for the 5 weeks previously and the MW would call Molly a "zen baby" as she was always meditating (or sleeping). Most other woman this would take 20 minutes but with Molly it always took an hour or more. As the time dragged on I began to hear the nurses talking about patients and occasionally I would hear my name so I had an idea that things were not as it should be. 2 other ladies got told that they weren't going home that they were being admitted. I remember thinking that it comes in 3 and sure enough a doctor came and took me into a room and explained that while my BP was only up slightly, the protein in my urine had risen significantly in the week. There was some debate as to how far along my pregnancy actually was as my dates put my due date at 24th Sept but the ultrasound said it was 29th Sept (really got sick of having to explain that one while I was in hospital). So after the Dr went to discuss my case with her supervisor (nearly an hour later) she came back to tell me that I was being admitted overnight to be monitored further.
I rang Cody (DH) to let him know what was happening so he came to the hospital after work. By this time it was 430. I was taken up to the ward and left in a room until a nurse came (the person who took me up there didn't even tell me how to turn on the light so I sat in semi darkness trying to turn the damn light on ) I was tagged and laid around on the bed until a doctor came in to see me about 4 hours later. The doctor then went through everything again that I was showing signs of pre-eclampsia, that I was 36 or 37 weeks pregnant which is considered full term, there were concerns etc. She then dropped the bombshell that I would be in hospital until the baby was born and that someone would be in the next day to advise me of my options and when they would suggest the baby be born.
We decided that it would be best for Cody to go to work the next day and if I needed him he could leave work and come to the hospital (he only had a week and a half leave so we didn't want to waste it sitting around the hospital for doctors to decide what they were doing. The doc assured us that if a decision was made he would have heaps of time to get there).
Tuesday morning dawned and my room became busier than Flinders Street Station with Doctors, registrars, dietitians (I am diabetic), and endocrinologists coming in and going for all their discussions.
So about lunchtime the doctor in charge of me arrived to tell me that they had decided that it was time for Molly to come out and that they were going to induce me rather than give me a c-section. That surprised me as everyone kept telling me c-section was the likely choice but no-one would actually make a decision. So after an internal exam it was decided that I would be induced the next day. I must say he was a nice doctor and the only one through the whole process who didn't hurt me during the internal (Not important for you to know but there so I remember). I was then left to ponder the news but before I could get my head around the fact my daughter (Ok by this time I had convinced myself that they might have gotten it wrong on the scan) would be there in the next few days the doctor walked back in again. He brightly then announces that there was a spot down in delivery now and I could get the gel now.
He then explained that I would be back up in the room in about an hour while I waited for the gel to start working and would probably need another dose 6 hours after that. I decided to call Cody when I came back as nothing would really be going on for hours. The joys of public patients I was still down there for another 5 hours (Gel put in about an hour before I left the labor and delivery area). Cody rang the hospital to talk to me and got put through to the room where I was. He was kind of annoyed that I hadn't told him but I tried to explain why. Cody then said he would come after work and sit with me for my second dose.
Long story short I didn't receive my second dose that night as they were too busy so after sitting there another 5 hours waiting I was taken back to my room at midnight and DH was sent home with instructions to come back in the morning. My next dose of gel was administered late Wednesday afternoon in the labor prep room and by about 7pm I was getting regular contractions. I can't remember exactly but they were about 3-4 minutes appart lasting for 45 seconds. At this stage I was allowed to walk around and try and find positions that eased them. Cody decided to go get my labor bag from the ward where I was. When he came back after quite some time he told me my bags had been moved as someone else was using my room and no-one knew where they were. I remember getting ****ty at him thinking why are you bothering me with this. These contractions F&^$%#g hurt. The bags were eventually found. Stupid hospitals. Then the doctors told me the worst news. I was going to have to go back on the CTG machine. I was already sore and sorry for myself from the couple of hours I had been on it earlier. Now they were telling me I had to sit on the bed to have it done again. My poor tailbone was so sore and I had to deal with contractions as well.
Not long after that all the nurses seemed to disappear (we later found out that there was some sort of emergency in one of the rooms) and my contractions were constant pain. I no longer had times of relief. The MW reappeared and I was moved to a labor room. I hadn't dilated very much (sorry I can't remember how much) and they finally offered me some pain relief. I was given some pethidine which i took even though during child birth classes I told Cody I didn't want it as it could make me sick but by that stage I just wanted pain relief. I was still on the stupid CTG machine and my rear end felt like it was on fire from the pain.
Not long later I said to DH that I felt like I was going to be sick and promptly projectile vomited everywhere.. the poor MW copped it. I kept apologizing to her and crying between trying not to be sick again.
I was then offered an epidural at some stage which I took gladly. I don't remember much about them putting it in but the guy who did it was lovely and chatty. By this stage the pethadine had made me so groggy I wonder if I made any sense at all but DH said he could understand me. The bliss when it started to work was great. By now it was the small hours of Thursday morning and I and I began to realise that something wasn't right as I had a lot of docs coming and going from my room again. There were 2 young doctors that were telling me about what was going on. They were still talking about continuing the induction. I remember trying not to giggle as one of then kept patting me on the knee telling me that everything was going to be right. Cody was given a bed to have some sleep on and I slept too. At some stage the 2 doctors were back telling me that I was going in for an emergency c-section as the CTG was showing that the baby was in more distress and they felt it was safer for me to have and the baby to have a c/s (cue the doctor to pat my knee again. "It will all be alright"). Trying not to giggle wondering what my face looked like if he thought I was worried, because I felt high as a kite from the drugs I nodded my agreement. I know at some stage I signed consent forms etc but couldn't tell you when or what my signature looked like. I think DH got about 1 hour sleep and had been up nearly 24 hours by this stage. I know I was more worried about him than what was going to happen next. DH nearly passes out at having injections and blood tests and here he was gearing up to go into an OR.
I was transfered onto a gurney and taken to an OR (for some reason everything seemed funny in my head) and as they ran me down the hallway to the OR I was thinking that it looked just like a scene from ER. I also was trying not to be sick I was then transfered to the operating table and covered up and prepped for the c/s. The anesthetist (sp?) was giving me a running commentary of what was happening and why. He then announced that Cody had arrived and told him where to sit. His commentary continued and while I couldn't feel what was happening it almost felt like the baby was moving (KWIM?). I could hear the anesthetist ask Cody if he had a camera as he might want to get it out as it the baby was here. The look on Cody's face was priceless. Cody was then told to follow the baby and they took her to be weighed. I am not sure if they had to suction her or not. Cody was taking photos and the commentary was still running.
At some stage I heard the baby cry and thought well its baby, then they bought the baby over and laid her on my chest. I asked Cody what we were calling it (for some reason I still couldn't remember if they told me that she was a girl). He said "I think she is a Molly" and I said Done. The docs then told Cody to follow Jackie the MW and they would fix me up. I would then see him later after I got out of post op. They disappeared and I was fixed up while everyone was chatting to me (yeah I was still high) and I was trying to form my words carefully.
I was taken to post op where the Anesthetist came to visit to make sure I was ok. My temp was a little low and I started to be sick again. They covered me with a space blanket thing. I think I stayed there for just over an hour when I was taken back to my room. Cody was sitting there with our daughter and I wanted to cry cause I was happy... but I laughed as Cody was just sitting there gazing at Molly in his arms and looked like he was too scared to move. Poor Cody had never held a small baby before and the MW just kind of dumped her in his arms (not as cold as it sounds she was a lovely MW). Molly looked kind of funny as the MW had made a hat out of a singlet and put it on her head to keep her warm. Kind of looked like a homeboy.
So that's the hazy memory I have of my daughter being born. Thanks for reading. I hope you weren't too bored.
