2 August 2008 - The much anticipated arrival of Mehkelti Addisyn Jayne
So EVERYONE knows that I was overdue and it was driving me crazy - where was my VBAC!??!
On Friday 1st August I had a wellbeing scan done after a session of acupuncture to try to bring on labour. The sonographer didn't say anything other than that bubs looked comfy and all fluid was good. So I wasn't too concerned. I picked up the results before picking up DH from work, and then on the way home in the car, got nosy and decided to read the results. I started to worry when reading the last paragraph when it mentioned placenta was deteriorating - hmmm.. alarm bells.... that doesn't seem right. At this time it was 5.15pm. I rang my OB at her office. Her receptionist took my name and my message and put me on hold. She came back onto the phone and told me to get to the hospital ASAP and that my OB would meet me there. She said she would ring the hospital to inform them that I was coming and to monitor me when I got there.
DH and I got to the hospital (after I cried in the car cos I was worried and KNEW that something bad was gonna happen) and they were full to the brim with patients, so I sat in the parents lounge with the CTG on me for about an hour.
Then my OB came in and sat down with DH and I and said the words I didn't want to hear. The baby was having to work 5 times as hard to get blood through the cord, as the cord was not functioning properly, and the placenta was deteriorating. She said "Mel, this baby has to come out ASAP". She gave me the two choices - to induce me or to have a c-section. She said that she could induce me with the balloon method and try to break my waters, but since I had had no real signs of labour and bubs was still up high, and the cord being a bit iffy, there was a real chance it could end up in an emergency c-section anyway. DH and I agreed that I would have a c-section. She said that she agreed with our decision.
DH then went and picked DS up from day care whilst I waited in the lounge and cried. My OB came back and went through the consent forms with me, all whilst I was crying. She leant down and said to my belly "you aren't being very nice to your mummy..."
I think I cried for most of the night, the disappointment of not having a VBAC was crushing... plus I was in hospital on my own as DH had to stay with DS at home. I was woken every four hours for monitoring as they were worried that the rabbit may not make it another night in my little womb.
The next morning I was taken to theatre for surgery. This time it was much more relaxed (being saturday, hardly any staff) plus my anaethetist listened to my complaints about my last epidural, and did a spinal block - with no morphine - and got it in the right spot straight away. My OB put music on in the theatre and everyone was really nice. (BP went down too low and I nearly fainted, but other than that, it was pretty good).
Mehkelti came out at 10.07am, weighing 8 pounds, 11.5 oz, 54cm long and 35.5cm HC. Much different to the 10.4 pounder they estimated at the scan the day earlier, plus the 40cm waist measurement was not accurate either.
So although it didn't go to plan, and I was horribly horribly disappointed, angry at myself for doing this, just wanted to experience labour for the first time... I have bonded with my little girl better than I did with my son - purely because it was made a more pleasant experience.
I know that this was different to my first c-section, even though I chose to have a c-section over being induced - I don't consider it an elective c-section as I had NO choice. I made the choice for my daughter to live. And thats a pretty fine way to look at things.
