Right. Birth story time. Really need to write it down.
My due date came and went. I lost my mucous plug. I was having a lot of cramps and pelvic pressure. 41 weeks came and went. I had a sweep. And another sweep. AND ANOTHER SWEEP. Instead of induction, we went with expectant management after a very positive meeting with the SOM at 41+6. The plan was to have daily CTGs, have a home birth if labour started, and meet again at 42+3 if labour had not started. It was also agreed that if I changed my mind, an induction on the Home from Home unit (MLU) would be supported.
Despite a positive scan on the Friday, (healthy placental function, normal fluid levels) I battled with anxiety about the baby over the weekend, and opted to go in Sunday morning to commence induction.
So I called our midwife, and then our doula on Sunday morning, to let them know what we'd decided. Then we went in and settled in to the room at the Home from Home unit at St Thomas'. The MW put the pessary in at about 3pm, giving us 24 hours before the next stage of induction (ARM). We went and walked around the South Bank and ate yummy food from the market
The pessary only brought on sporadic, mild surges that ebbed away whilst we watched Annie Hall (!) and then disappeared overnight and were gone by the following morning. It was a little demoralising but we tried to be positive that things still had time to happen before the ARM later that day.
However the proverbial hit the fan later that morning, when the CTG picked up a serious dip in baby's heart rate and all of a sudden a million doctors were in the room and we were rushed into theatre where they were prepping me for a crash c-section. They put an IV in me, and started removing my clothes... THANK GOD baby righted himself and the WONDERFUL consultant obstetrician decided after scanning him quickly, that she was happy with his well being, so we could continue with the induction, albeit now as "high risk" (so hourly CTG monitoring and not in the Home from Home unit anymore)
After I'd finished wigging out, they gave us a new room opposite the theatre, just in case. We phoned our doula and asked her to come. It had been extremely scary. DH -had even had to change into scrubs!
So we watched Father Ted for a bit (kicking Bishop Brennan up the ARSE is exactly what you need when you're in shock ) and waited for the 24 hour cut off for ARM.
Then they ruptured my membranes (it took a midwife, a junior obstetrician AND a registrar to do it). The registrar was a bit sniffy, was clearly convinced I'd never go into labour and made it obvious by saying she'd prescribe me the hormone drip and set it all up for me to have in an hour's time.
They left, saying they'd be back to monitor me in an hour and then we'd start the drip (no pressure then!). I sat on the ball for a bit and had my first surge. DH was feeling faint and rubbish so our doula sent him for some food and a walk to calm himself. She was so right - he needed a break. We took the birth ball to the weird garden room thing they have at St Thomas' (room full of fake ferns and shrubs, looks like something out of Jurassic Park) and we sat there chatting quietly, whilst my doula massaged my feet and timed my surges which were coming regularly
DH joined us, feeling better and we all felt happy and positive that things were starting to happen.
We returned to our room to be monitored, but no one was there. So I continued to rock on the birth ball whilst the doula and DH dimmed the lights, dotted some LED candles about, fed me melon, and coconut water, gave me Clary Sage to smell (divine stuff!), and helped me put on my TENS machine. Things began to really happen then! I took off most of my clothes (always a sure sign isn't it!) and started dancing about. A midwife came to listen in. All was well. Surges were coming fast and they were big, but never bigger than I could handle. I was so happy to be in labour and so excited to be meeting our baby soon. I just focused on how good I was going to feel when he was here.
I then had a strong feeling of needing a big poo and said so! I disappeared into the bathroom on my own in the pitch dark. I sat on the loo and felt him move down. I'd had no VEs at that point so decided I'd do it myself! I felt his head, and could tell my cervix was very open but how open? Then I felt very pushy. I'd been in labour for 3 hours at that point.
The doula heard me being pushy and sent DH to grab a midwife. I could hear him impressing upon them that they needed to come NOW!
They came, helped me up into the bed to lean over the back in an upright position that felt good. I asked for gas and air. I got gas and air - WOOP!
The sniffy registrar from earlier came in and said "Why is she pushing? She's not in labour yet!" I yelled at her to bloody check then. She found I was fully dilated (it was very painful and I totally swore at her!) So I got up again and started pushing.
Then it all got scary again. The midwife couldn't find baby's heart beat and asked DH to pull the emergency cord. The emergency team from earlier burst in. They found his heartbeat quickly but it had dipped during pushing and yet again we found ourselves in theatre being told we had 10 mins to deliver the baby. I was fully dilated but baby was still a bit high. I was terrified but adamant I didn't want a caesarean, but the lovely obstetrician from our earlier scare looked me right in the eye and gently told me we very well might need one, that or ventouse, unless I could push my baby out. I was scared, and lying on my back, so hardly the best circumstances for pushing, but I knew I had to do it. They were seconds away from giving me a spinal for a c-section when the obstetrician, looking at me, halted them and supported me to give birth to my baby myself.
It took 3 pushes for his head and 2 for his body. They had to take him away to resuscitate him His first Apgar was only 6, but he quickly perked up to 8 and they handed him to DH.
That bit was the most intense mixture of absolute elation and birth high, and complete shock at what had just nearly happened. It was extreme and completely epic.
I had a small 2nd degree tear and had some stitches. Then they took us to the recovery ward, and tucked baby in with me so he could feed.
Thank goodness for oxytocin because at this point, despite everything, I felt AMAZING.
I then ate an enormous ham and cheese sandwich and an entire bag of Percy Pigs.
So. There you go. Not the calm home birth we planned. Not even the calm birth in the midwife-led unit we compromised on.
It was very scary. We've been told there is no way of knowing whether the dips in heart rate were a reaction to the induction or whether they were due to post-maturity. Ho hum. Probably BOTH.
HOWEVER: I feel very positive about the way we were supported in our decision every step of the way. We were respected, listened to, and kept informed throughout all the scariness. The team (apart from that one, sniffy registrar) were so gentle and caring, even in the midst of emergency - I was kept covered, wrapped in warm blankets, cleaned up afterwards and everyone came to congratulate me.
I feel thankful that we had enough luck to come away with a healthy baby, a healthy mama, no c-section, no instrumental delivery, no drugs, no syntocinon drip, and a 3.5 hour labour start-to-finish.
Baby is beautiful and perfect. He weighs 6lbs 14 ounces, and feeding is going well so far. His name is Spike Felix Johannes Maidenname Surname
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Childbirth
Badgerina's birth story
11 replies
Badgerina · 13/10/2012 13:19
OP posts:
PeahenTailFeathers ·
13/10/2012 13:32
Congratulations 
and what a wonderful, beautiful story. My heart was in my mouth up to the lovely ending.
imustbepatient ·
13/10/2012 14:08
Wonderful news and an amazing story! Well done you and DH - congratulations! 
Shagmundfreud ·
13/10/2012 17:40
Blimey!
You're a marvel.
You can bet those doctors and midwives went off on a high too!
Asmywhimsytakesme ·
14/10/2012 22:44
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
Pleasenomorepeppa ·
18/10/2012 21:38
Congratulations. How amazing you must feel. I'm 28 weeks with DC2 and positive birth stories like this make me really excited for my birth. Thank you for sharing it .
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