The Birth story of my Gorgeous Little Chloe
I think you will do yourself a favour if you had a cuppa right about now........
After a pregnancy full of u/s's every 2-4wks due to a previous small bub and then this bub being small, also getting told that my thyroid was underactive and needed to be on thryoid meds, then after that told that I had gestational diabetes, then needing to be insulin dependent. Then the added stress that bubs may need to be delivered at 35wks if her growth was not good, which we were lucky that we did get to push it to as far as 38wks. Then getting told that at approx 34wks that I should consider doing an amnio, to which I politely declined, as I didnt get this far with only a few weeks left to put bubs at risk of an amnio.
Anyhow we finally got there, seemed to be one of the quickest pgcy's Ive had, even on top of all the stress. You would have thought it would have dragged on.
So we get to just having a few days to go before bubs arrival, and my next door neighbour comes over to ask if we had running water. Well I go and check only to find out we didnt. Then she tells me that Ohhh I better stand back as my DS has whooping cough!!!!! WTF, I couldnt believe it. So here I am calling the MW's at the hospital and making appt with the GP, just to make sure my bub will be ok. I also ended up getting two of my kids checked which they were both fine. Thankgoodness.
So then finally comes Monday the 20th, my oldest DS's 19th birthday. I had to go into hospital for day assessment prior to delivery the next day. Well after speaking with the MW doing the assessment and meeting the aneathesist who will be preparing me for surgery the next day, it turned out that i was to be admitted that day for monitoring overnight due to being insulin dependant GD. So had to rush getting kids bags packed for nanna's and rushing them down to nannas and back home so I can get home to meet DH so he can take me back to hospital. I was so not expecting being admitted that day. They had told me that I needed to have the insulin drip in as well, which turned out I didnt until a couple of hours before surgery the next day.
That night I shared with a lady that was being induced which had failed. They kept monitoring my bub and said they couldnt tell which way bub was laying, yet due to the c/s it wasnt too much of a concern. Then they start checking the lady next to me and said that they couldnt tell whether her bubs head was either. Turned out that her bub had turned breech again after checking on u/s, and had decided not to try anymore inducing. They ended up sending her home the 22nd, two days later still utd.
So back to me, lol.
That night we both could not sleep, we had such a terrible night, both anxious, yet we both kept our spirits up by chatting and making ourselves laugh, if you can believe we both were going to have eleven kids between us. Which was nice to be able to share a room with someone who has a large family also.
Well, I think that night and the following morning was the longest wait I had experienced the whole pgcy. I was so nervous about this c/s and meeting my newest addition, and how everything was going to go for the both of us, bub and I.
Well here we go;
11pm - insulin drip in, with BSL's checked every half hour before Op.
1pm - Got ready into gown and lovely white stockings that help prevent blood clotting and gorgeous surgical hat.
1.15pm approx - Was taken down to theatre and met some of the lovely Dr's and nurses that were going to be in theatre with me.
1.40pm - Was moved into theatre as DH waited for them to prepare me with the anesetic and spinal block.
Well here is where it gets to be the most trouble.
As I am crouched over and the back is prepared for the anasetic needle then spinal, I feel my back being wiped over, boy was I nervous. not really sure why as i had been through it before and knew what to expect. Well I feel the first needle, trying to stay still when you have a sensitive back is really fun, but I did it. Then in with the spinal, then I hear we need more anasetic, then I am getting told how great I am doing. Then i get asked to curl my back more, then more jabs with the needle then more washing of my back as well as feeling something drip down my spine. Then more your doing really well. This process just went on and on, my nerves were getting more unbareable as I tried to understand why it was taking so long for the spinal to be done. I was asked again to roll more forward, in which i replied I cant the bump is in the way, to which the nurse holding my hands and keeping me still also replied she has a baby in there, how do you expect her to. Still getting told how wonderful I was doing. I asked the nurse how much longer was it going to take, to which she replied not much longer. By this time it felt like more than an hour curled over and just feeling the aches and pains of being crouched over. Then the aneathesist said to me that there has been some complications and that they are going to have to look at sending me to sleep with a general. I felt so disappointed hearing that, yet they still continued alittle more trying to do the spinal. More anasetic they said. Then the needle went in again, to which I had finally started to feel my legs go heavy. They ended up doing an epidural.
Finally the curtains went up as I laid down, canulas and drips went in as well as the cathetar. My DH was finally aloud in, i can only imagine what was going on through his mind, as the whole process took close to an hour, approx 40-45mins just for the spinal to be done.
So here we are approx 2.40pm and the surgeon has finally come in to perform the c/s. My gorgeous little Chloe was born at 2:56pm, her cry was simply the best to hear, they then passed her over to DH so he could lay her next to me as he held her and I could see her lovely face. I am sure i heard them say as she was being pulled from me, are you ready dad bub is ready to be born. Yet everything is such a blur, yet the aneathesist took a nice photo of both DH and i and little Chloe together.
Chloe was with me for approx 5mins, before they rushed Dh and her out of theatre.
They continued finishing the surgery, in which I started with the shakes, Ive had that before with my other c/s's too. So expected that. I could also feel some pain near my bellybutton as they played around near that area, but I didnt say anythign to them as it wasnt too painful, yet other than that mostly just the pulling and tugging. Not sure why i felt abit of pain when they played around near the belly button region though.
So then finally I could hear them doing the stitches, and i just knew it was staples. I was dreading staples, and thats what i ended up with.
The surgeon when finished looked over to me and said, I would suggest you have no more children, some parts are stuck. So I can only assume that parts are stuck due to the previous scar tissues.
Then the aneathesist said to me that how sorry he was that I had trouble with the spinal, and that they had gone to far in with the needle. Yet they didnt think that I would end up with a spinal headache, yet to be on the safe side they were keeping the epidural in for 24hrs and that I was to make sure noone removed it when in the ward.
Finally I was taken to recovery, at approx 3.30pm.
So now I am down in recovery and all I wanted to know was, how was my baby girl? What time was she born, how much did she weigh and how long was she? I was told she was little but they only had the time she was born.
They monitored the bleeding and at one point were worried that maybe I needed to go back into theatre. The nurse monitored it for a while before calling another nurse over to check on the bleeding which she thought was ok and didnt need to go back to theatre. Thank goodness, as the first nurse was worried about me needing to end up having a hysterectomy. Phew!!!!!!
Finally I had made it back to the ward at 6pm, to which I was hoping that I would get taken up to see bub in NICU due to being told that thats what would happen once back to the ward. Well it didnt happen. (I wasnt told the reason for being unable to see bub that day until the next day when I was told it was due to the morphine they had added to the epi and due to them not having the MW's available to go up with the wardsman ) I also kept asking about how big bub was and how she is etc, yet it took a little while before i was told her details. Chloe was 2.375kgs, 43cms long and 33cms HC. My smallest bub. Yet only 5gm lighter than my little V was.
Well, not long after being in the ward I started getting a headache, then this tightness at the back of my neck and a pain that would run down my left shoulder blade down my arm. I mentioned this to the MW's, who seemed to think it was from being crouched over for so long in theatre. Yet the pain moved over to the other shoulder blade as well. Eventually they let the aneathesist dr's know who ended up concerned. They just kept giving me pain relief.
Well the next morning they came in to check up on me, and as i described the pain and how it would be fine as long as i was laying down and not sitting up. They then knew it was a spinal headache. I was then told that they will monitor the headaches and hopefully they will get better. Also that i could have as much endone meds as I needed and to just let the MW's know when I needed it.
Although i kept asking about how bub was, to which i was told she was dong well, I didnt get to see her until the next day. it was such a horrible feeling not being able to see my little one and to know for sure that she was ok.
I finally got to see my little bub almost a day later, I was wheeled up in bed to see her, yet the endone had made it hard to stay more awake to what I would have liked, and just felt so horrible, that I couldnt stay longer with my gorgeous girl. I needed the wards man to take me back, as I felt like i was falling asleep holding her. Yet just seeing her and getting to hold her was the most wonderful feeling, as it just didnt seem real that I had my baby due to her not being with me. She had a drip in her little hand also was being tube fed. It was in NICU that they had told me that her sugar levels were low and that she needed insulin and was admitted to NICU 28mins after birth.
That night my Dh had finally finshed work and we were able to decide a name for our most newest addition. He came up with many names that wasnt really to my liking until he said what abotu Chloe. So as you know thats what we called her. That was around 5pm, So she was nameless for a day, yet I also wanted to meet my little girl and see all of her not just her face, as thats all i got to see of her when in theatre. I didnt even know what colour hair she had.
Still the spinal headaches were not getting any better, so come the next morning the 23rd the aneathesist came in again to see how I wa going. I was then told that they should have had me lay flat the day it happened as it would have had a better chance of healing. The epidural that had been left in had also been removed the day prior 22nd.
So I was then told that in hopes of helping the healing process that I was to be on complete bedrest and was to lay flat for 24hrs. Well that was fun, the only good thing about that was laying flat there was no headache.
Chloe was brought down to me for a visit due to me not being able to go up and see her which was so nice, I was even given the opportunity to try and BF her. Laying on my side was the only way of doing that. I was told if all went well with me then I could have her room with me the next day. That was music to my ears.
Well the morning of the 24th came around and due to all the meds they were giving me as well as the meds to help me open my bowels, which i thought was quite funny due to me not being able to stand up, and still having the cathetar and drain bag attached. I was worried about how i was going to go to the loo, if I needed to open my bowels, I definately didnt want to go on a bedpan which they were suggesting. Thankfully I didnt need to go that day, but that night I couldnt wait any longer and needed to open my bowels and there was no way in hell I was going to do that on a bed pan, especially with an audience, such as the lady next to me and her DH. So I had asked to be helped into the bathroom for that, it was painful but the head didnt start really throbbing until after I stood back up. They kept calling out to me to make sure I was ok, lol, I was in there for quite a while. In the end I just kept telling my Dh and the MW that I was still ok. This was the first time since my c/s that I had gotten up to walk.
Finally at around 2pm in the afternoon, Little Chloe was brought down to me to stay. Except the only problem was that I was unable to attend to her, and she was only discharged from NICU due to the understanding that I would have the midwives help. Well that didnt happen. Although I was finally able to move from laying flat to having the bed slightly raised, I was still unable to do anything for my little one. The aneathesist had been coming twice a day, to see how everything was going, and they had mentioned doing a blood patch, but due to the bruising on my back that it would be best to wait until the following week after the public holidays over xmas. They were talking about Wednesday. However they would do the blood patch if I couldnt handle the pain any longer over the long weekend but emergency staff would only be on, so they preferred not to. Yet they would continue to come in and see how i was twice a day. Ok so it was decided, wednesday will be the day for the blood patch unless I couldnt cope.
That night I didnt get the help to look after Little Chloe that I needed and ended up in tears. I had an irritating person in the bed next to me, that thought it was a wonderful idea to keep her light on all night, so that didnt help. The MW's that were on were not helpful at all, even with me pleading to have some help, even for the light to be turned off, as I hadnt slept Chloe was awake and wouldnt sleep and it was already 3.30am, and she was starting to stir again. I asked one MW about the light who just looked at me like I was insane, even after me telling her about the headaches which she should have already known. She did end up turning the light off, but then once the light was off, the lady next to me decided to wake up and turn the damn thing back on. So then I just broke down in tears to a MW after me asking for some tissues. She said " ohh all you have to do is ask to have Chloe looked after by us" I couldnt believe it, everytime I had called them it wa taking more than an hour for someone to come. So what was i to do but get up the best way I could to help my little girl. In the end I ended up calling the MW back to take Chloe just so I could get some rest and sleep, yet a different one came in and was like ' ohh but she is asleep, I said yes but she is stirring and I have been battleing headaches since her birth and have been put on bedrest and cant help her. She then finally took her and she slept for several hours for them, so they say. Im sure i could hear her cry, which didnt help with my rest. Even the damn stockings had started to cut into my legs, still to this day I have cut marks behind my knees from them.
I even had to have my sister come in and bath Chloe that day in the hopes that it would help as she had failed her hearing test with the right ear the day before. I was unable to get up and do it myself as I couldnt even go to the bathroom due to the headaches. As they did try and get me up to have a shower and I actually thought I was doing pretty well until I stood up and my head was ready to fall off again. I was hoping to watch my sister bath bub, but needed to stay bed bound. I just couldnt do it.
So now it is xmas day the 25th, the nurse has come around to remove the cathetar and the drain bag. Wasnt looking forward to that at all. Yet ended up not so bad. It was nice to have something taken off me. The aneathesist came back around again to see how i was but due to the MW's giving me the clexane injection just a few minutes before they came around, they were unable to do the Blood patch that day. Although they just kept saying that it is a public holdiay and only have emergency staff on and if a car accident came in they would be treated first. Well i said thats fine, i wouldnt expect to go into theatre unless there werent any emergencies. I even suggested we book the procedure for the Wednesday, yet they replied well we cant have you in forever. So I was more or less running around myself with what they were saying. They then said that they stop the clexane on Wednesday then do the blood patch on Thursday, I just couldnt understand why they were pushing it further away. They also told me that it can get better but may take months, I just couldnt imagine being bed bound for months and not being able to do anything for my kids especially little Chloe and V. I just couldnt handle it anymore. Yet they also said it may not work, and may cause more problems. Yet they would come back around that night and in the morning before and to make sure no one gives the clexane until after they see me in the morning.
So here I am in hospital on xmas, my Dh and kids are at my mums celebrating xmas, which I wanted them too. Yet it was horrible not being able to share the day with them. However Santa came around and little Chloe and I had a nice photo done with him. I said to Santa, Ohhh I look terrible and he was so lovely and said ohh you look beautiful. (Liar, lol.) How nice was he, they came around with the picutre all printed and in a nice photo frame. Chloe was also a favourite to the MW's and they had to come in and have her in there Santa photos. lol. i found that really sweet.
So although it wasnt a expected way to spend xmas, it turned out not too bad, and I did have the best gift my Little Chloe. Ohhh and the dreaded staples were removed this day too. They werent too bad being removed actually better than what i thought they would be, not so painful. except for the last two that were put in a funny way, they were painful to remove. Ohhh the surgical tape they had placed around my stomach after surgery was horrific to remove too. Yet when the drain bag was removed I was still leaking some blood where the tube was inserted into my stomach, so you know the white and blue pads they have you sit on in bed incase of lots of blood loss, wel they placed that ove my stomach and taped it down again with tape. I made them laugh as i said to them I felt like I was a xmas present being wrapped up.
Well onto the morning of the 26th.
The anathesist came in the morning before any clexane was given, and due to me not being able to cope with the pain anylonger the blood patch was arranged, for that afternoon.
I had my sister come over to stay with Chloe at lunch time when they took me down to theatre. Of course they go through all the risks again. I went into theatre when they prepared my back and put a new canula in to replace the existing one, as I had been on the drip for most of my stay in hospital so a new line had to be done. Then I had to get 30mls of blood taken from my arm at the same time of the spinal being done, they then took the blood and placed 25mls back into my spine to help with the leak.
After the procedure I was put on flat bed rest for 4hours, but it was to start after recovery even though on flat bedrest there too.
I ended up back in the ward at about 4pm, I could feel a headache starting and it just got worse and worse, I even had visitors that I couldnt even sit up with as i ended up so sick. I was given some mpore endone that did nothing and ended up with some oxytocin ( i think that was the name of it) a slow release pain relief. My visitors ended up having to leave as i was so ill. i ended up having to have the cathetar put back in, which OMG was a horrible experience. I was then placed on 24hrs bedrest again, and put on 2hrly obs, (however the MW's didnt adhere to the Dr's instructions as they didnt have the staff) so ended up with 4hrly obs. They had to make sure I was able to move my feet and hands etc, yet the headache was different to the spinal headache as it was there laying down, which gave them some hope that the blood patch worked. Yet they were starting talk of MRI's. I have to say it was such a horrible night, even the lady next to me had her Dh there and he would not shut up. The MW's ended up booting him out due to how sick I was. what a relief that was, that couple had driven me insane the whole time she was there.
My Dh came in again after he had taken the kids home, and was soooo worried about me. I ended up telling him to go, but he went and stayed with Chloe for another hour which was nice. There realyl wasnt much he could do for me that night. I just wanted to sleep.
The next morning the 27th, I felt somewhat better the headache wasnt near as bad, but was still there. it didnt completely ease up until after lunchtime. They then came in and got me up for another shower and removed the cathetar again. The drip was also removed, not that it did anything as it stopped working through the night. yet the canula remained in. I was still given all the pain relief.
I finally felt like i coudl sit up with Chloe and do the things I was meant to do for her. It was such a nice feeling, yet BFing her was not working. Even after all the attempts to get some help early on in the week. Ohhh and the annoying lady and her Dh left that day. The MW's then let me stay in the room on my own after that. Woohoo... That night I was walking around, then then aneathesist came to see me and saw how well I was doing and with all the Im so sorry's he had given me, had turn to relief in his tone of voice. (This is the one that did the procedure originally) He then had to go and talk to his boss and let them know how i was doing.
They had closed my door to the ward so i couldnt hear everything they said. Yet I do know that he was asked What had gone wrong for this to happen to me. it was after that I dont know what was said.
The 28th another lovely day of being mobile, and enjoying moving around and looking after my Chloe. Yet still headaches were around just not like they were. This was the last day for the strong pain meds Oxytocin. Little Chloe was weighed this day for the first time since the day she was born and weighed and was a tiny 2.190kg
The 29th was discharge day, yet the peads were unsure as to whether to let little Chloe home. Thankfully due to her already being booked in to see Little V's pead, they ended up being happy with that and let her home. Just before we left at 5pm they had finally removed the last canula. I was given so much in the way of pain meds everyday, that today was the only day that voltaran and panadol were given. Ohhh and I was finally able today to get little Chloe's hospital photos done this day too. I also went home with the added bonus of being constipated since I was unable to go to the loo since the day of the blood patch. Not a very pretty experience.
Little Chloe, had a brain scan done while in NICU which showed a echogenic focus, I found out by the pead that they think it may be an old heamorrage from birth, so a new scan will be done later.
She also had a kidney u/s done which was all good. As were her chromosome tests. her karyotypes Im not sure, but I think were good too, as the pead would have said something. She has a hearing test at the childrens hospital at westmead next week, so praying all comes back clear for that. Her pead is also looking at maybe doing a heart ultrsound, like they did with little V to be on the safe side. He said to his receptionist last Friday that Little Chloe will be one of his frequent flyers like her sister. He also weighed her this day and my olittle Princess had gained some weight and waas now weighing 2.290kgs however her Pead had mentioned that if she hasnt gained her birth weight by next weeks appt then he is considering tube feeds. Im not overly concerned about that though as I know she wont need it as she will put that weight on. Also little Chloe since her birth she has a cough and a croaky voice, which her pead is also keeping an eye on. Chloe will also be seeing the same genetics team as little V did when she was born too.
So please keep my Little Chloe in your thoughts, as you did with my Little V. Im still getting the headaches 3wks today that Little Chloe had arrived and 2wks after the blood patch. Back pain since arriving home too. Just hoping for the day when I am free of them.
(If you have gotten through all of this then you deserve a medal.
