Hi all - short version is the Scarlett Anne was born by emergency c-section at 10.36 on Thursday 30 March weighing 8lb 9oz.
Long version for those that love the details and so I can get it off my chest...!
Had a show on Tues am and then (prob tmi) 3 more lots of mucous fell outlater that evening. Felt waters trickling overnight but no big gushes. However, in morning realised how yellow/brown they were so went and sat on a towel awaiting arrival of mw who was booked for a sweep anyway. She did an internal but as I was not dilated at all no sweep possible - she called hospital & sent me straight there due to high levels of meconium. (Bang goes tens machine/water birth/staying at home for as long as possible etc!)
Got to hosp about 12 noon, mw inserted pessary about 3ish - took 3 attempts. Checked again at 9pm and was 2 cm but they realised only hindwaters had broken, not forewaters so out came the big crotchet hook. Forewaters very full of meconium and I went back to being only 1 cm without their pressure on my cervix! Was then told I had to go straight onto syntocin drip starting at 3ml and increasing every half hour to 60ml. No active birth likely now strapped to 2 monitirs and 2 drips! By 4am the (2nd shift) mw were confused as my contraction trace was like a mountain range but I was not feeling anything. mw could feel my tummy tightning on the outside but I still couldn't on the inside. Also baby's heartbeat was not varied enough - very flat. Stayed on max dose syntocin until 9am when the drip bag ran out. Had another internal (using gas and air as my cervix was so posterior they needed me relaxed) to discover I was now.....wait for it..... 1.5cm dilated! Now on 3rd shift of mw plus had 3 x ob/gyn, 2 docs & a prof in the room - come to see "the lady that cannot contract"
9.35 am they decided baby had been in meconium too long and could be in distress. Forms signed, put next in line for theatre and had spinal block about 10.15. They had to use forceps to get her head out then pushed out her body using outside pressure. dh said "it's a girl!" and I was overjoyed when she cried and they were happy with weight/apgar etc.
Uterus did not behave and would not contract back down for closing me up - 3 different drugs and some massage did the trick eventually although it took another half hour and lost me 1500ml of blood. dh was not sure what to think - I was alternately trying to be sick (v. difficult with open stomach!) trying to sleep or telling him he needed to sort the garden out!
Anyway Scarlett is beautiful (even if still a little stained) and we are very glad to be back home now. She was bfing well every 3 hours ish but is being a bit fussy today as I go from colostrum to my milk starting to come in.
Am going to have a bit of a rest now then will be very pleased to finally join the March post-natal thread - yea!