Positive 1st birth despite high blood pressure, Syntocinon drip and a 10 pound baby.

[honeytea]

My due date was 8/12/12. That date came and went with no sign of labour. From 37 weeks I had high blood pressure and at 39+6 the dr wanted to induce me but they let me continue a little while longer with regular monitoring.

I had a scan at 39 weeks because of the high blood pressure, they checked the placenta was working ok and the water was good. They also checked how large my baby was as they said that often babies born to mother with high blood pressure can be small. They estimated that the baby was already over 9 pounds and could possibly be over 10 pounds if I went over my due date.

I have been very worried about having a big baby as I have a relative who was brain damaged due to getting stuck at birth.

I spoke to the Dr about the possibility of having an elcs rather than being induced and made it very clear I would refuse induction as I felt the risk was greater to my baby.

They booked me in for a growth scan on the 18th (40+10) the deal was that if the baby was measuring at 4.5 kg-ish or above I would have an elcs that day if he was measuring below 4.5 kg I would be induced (because of the high blood pressure.)

I had an attempted sweep on the 14th but my cervix was closed and high. I had another sweep on the 16th and my cervix was open 2 cm and soft, I actually cried I was so happy. That evening we went and did all the Christmas food shopping. My braxton hicks were getting regular but not painful.

The night of the 14th I felt really sleepy early but my DP persuaded me to stay up watching a tv program. We went to bed around 11 and as usual I was up needing to wee every hour. I sent my DP to the sofa as he was snoring and I couldn't sleep.

As the night went on i started getting painful contractions, I could still sleep between them so I just tried to rest as much as possible. Around 4.30 I was unable to sleep between the contractions so I woke my DP and we started to time the contractions (he also phoned work and said he wouldn't be coming in, he was so pleased to get the day off work, little did he know it wasn't going to be a restful day!) My contractions were 10-12 mins apart so I knew it was going to be a long time yet. I had a bath and DP read to me, we watched some tv and I had a little bit more sleep. Around lunch time we called the hospital, my contractions were still not that close (they advise you come in when you have 3 contactions in 10 mins here.) we wanted to check how busy the hospital was as often they are too busy to take you and they send you to another hospital. When they looked at my notes and saw I had high blood pressure they asked me to come in for a check ASAP.

The drive to the hospital seemed to make my contractions go away but once we got there they came back. They examined me and I was 3-4 CM dilated. My blood pressure was extreamly high, higher than it had ever been and the Dr wanted me to have my waters broken to speed up labour. I agreed to this as I felt my body had got itself into labour so hopefully my baby was in a position to be born. I asked for a little more time to see how my body did naturally, they said we could wait a couple of hours. We walked around the hospital and went to the hospital cafe for a late lunch, my contractions were getting longer and stronger.

We went up to the labour ward in the early evening and they checked me again, I was only 4 CM dilated still so they broke my waters. After they broke my waters they gave me gas and air which was lovely and fun!

They left me for and hour but sadly after an hour I hadn't progressed and they were pushing for me to have a Syntocinon drip to speed things up. I was really really upset by this and but the midwife and Dr reasured me that it was the best thing to do for my baby.

I agreed to the drip but only if I had an epidural 1st so I had an epidural and the drip put in at the same time. I felt like my pain levels didn't change, the epidural certainly didn't take away the pain, also I could still stand up. I stood for the majority of my labour it hurt so much when i had to lie down.

The next time they checked me I was 9-10 CMs dilated I needed to wait because the baby's head had not come down far enough.

It took a couple of hours for the baby's head to come down, this was a scary time but they had an electrode on the babiy's head and his heart rate was perfect all the time.

When it was time to push I sat on a birthing stool, it was a great position my dp sat behind me holding me, the midwife, nurse and sil sat on the floor and they al shouted push push push with each contaction. I could feel my dp holding me and i felt 100% safe. The epidural had run out and I stopped using the gas and air because I wanted a clear head to push and also I wanted to remember the moment my baby was born.

After 15 mins of pushing my baby was born, he was just perfect, the midwife held him and blew on his face and I saw him take his 1st breath. I remember feeling my dp sobbing behind me and they gave my ds to me as soon as he took his 1st breath. His body was the same temperature as me, it was like we belonged together.

The midwife needed me on the bed to deliver the placenta, I stood up holding my ds and walked to the bed, he still had his placenta attached so it felt odd walking with his still attached to me.

I lay on the bed with ds on my chest as the placenta was delivered. I then had 2 hours of skin to skin and he breastfed very well.

I needed stitches as I had a 2nd degree tear, they weighed and measured ds whist I was being stitched, he was 4.455 kg (nearly 10 pounds) and 55 CM. Me and dp are both average height I don't know how ds got so tall!

Giving birth was the most amazing experience, I really hope I get the chance to do it again!

Ds is doing great, he is a very calm and happy baby, it was such a special experience giving birth to him despite the drip and the epidural :)

[VisualiseAHorse]

Lovely :)

[StillSlightlyCrumpled]

Congratulations! Lovely birth story. Enjoy your baby. X

[Artura]

Your story sounds remarkably similar to mine for my first DD, who is now 2. I've just had second DD, born this Tuesday. This pregnancy was completely different, normal blood pressure, no protein, no oedema. And the delivery was 5 hours from start to finish, no drips, home within a few hours. So wishing you the same for any future honeytea pregnancies!