birth stories?

Contractions started Monday morning,but never became regular. Sent the big kids to school and went between napping, bouncing on the fitball, and doing housework, then called my younger sister to come for a sleepover incase things happened overnight.
Dozed overnight, then Tuesday morning decided to go to the hospital and get checked out. (I was booked to be induced on Weds morning)

I arrived at 5cm dilated, and we chilled in my room for a bit, waiting for the shift change(the afternoon midwife L, is a friend, and waterbirth trained)
When L arrived she asked to do an internal, and said that she thought my membranes had ruptured, but there wasnt much fluid, so we would keep an eye on it.
I had a cannula put in (Im high risk after a uterine inversion and severe PPH with my oldest) as a precaution.

Laboured in the birth suite casually, filled the bath, had a chat,then the contractions got a bit stronger, but not much closer. L had a 'feeling' and checked JJs heartrate with the doppler. The next contraction she asked to put me on the monitor, and I heard his heartrate dropping dramatically.

Then L hit the emergency button, they called my OB, and asked to put the skull monitor on. Next contraction his heart failed again, and the duty surgeon rushed in, took one look and called a category 1 cesarean.

My Ob arrived as we were heading to theatre.

Thankfully the theatre was ready to go for another procedure, so I was wheeled past the poor patient who had been about to go in, and the anesthetist told me he was going to have to give me a General Anesthetic. (Which meant that DH couldnt come in)

I begged him to try a spinal, and he said he would have one go, while they got the GA ready. He is an absolute legend, and I managed to sit still through a contraction while he did it.
DH hadnt finished changing before they started cutting, but isnt squeemish. When he entered the theatre I was open with bit out already,and he held my hand as they lifted our son out.

I asked the anesthetist if he would lower the curtain so I could seem him and he said "ummmm, No" (he was in a very bad way I realised later)

I could hear them suctioning JJ, but at that stage wasnt too concerned as I know thats common after a Cesarean. Then minutes passed and I hadnt seen him yet. It was surreal as I watched them reassemble me, via the reflection in the overhead light.

The pediatrician (who had seen our oldest child as a small bub, so we knew her) brought him over for a peek and said they were taking him to the nursery for a bit of oxygen.

At this stage I still wasnt too worried.

Then I was taken to recovery alone, while DH followed to the nursery. The nurses had been told to take me back to my room, but they made the decision to take me to the nursery instead and play dumb (one told me "a mum needs to be with her wee bub so we will sort it out") which Im so grateful for as I got to see him and even hold his tiny hand as they gave him manual oxygen (the med student sat there for 6 hours holding the o2 mask, while we waited for the RFDS to arrive and intubate JJ before transfer).

Everyone told me how calm and brave I had been and I honestly felt fine, my baby was here and surely nothing serious was wrong.

We were told that he would have to be transferred to the city,but surely only for a few days, right? And DH could go too, since I couldnt fly so soon after surgery.

Then after hours of stabilising my little boy, the RFDS were ready to go, and handed DH directions to the NICU.
"but Im flying up with you arent I?"
And they replied that no, there was no room. (due to the flight timing the RFDS pilots had to change over so there was no seat for DH, who drove up the next morning)

And then I started crying. My son was being sent away alone, and I might never see him again.

They left.

I went back to my room, and sent DH home to sleep before he started driving. The doctor sedated me that night, and I pretty much spent 3 days very drugged up and crying.

After 36 hours of labour we went from topping up the birth pool to me being cut open within 20 mins, and our boy JJ was alone on a plane to the city for NICU.

I'm still not sure what happened in labour, his heartrate slowed then stopped within 3 contractions, so we rushed to theatre they got a spinal on on the only try and he was out.
He aspirated meconium, his lung collapsed, and he wasnt breathing on his own for 2 weeks.

After 3 days of being sedated DH drove 900km to pick me up, so I could get my first cuddle at 4 days old.