Kids at school, baby fed. Hello computer...I've missed you!
Much catching up to do, but congratulations to everyone who's had a baby in the last few days, and "come on"!! to the rest of you...we're running out of June!
Well, I think I kept you fairly well updated until tuesday! So, here's the rest of it.
In case anyone missed it, I had a condition called polyhydramnios. Too much amniotic fluid. Way too much. There are several things that can cause it, problems with mother, or baby. However, both me and baby are fine, so I was one of the very rare cases with no actual cause. Because of all the water the babys head can't engage properly, so when the waters go the cord can fall through the cervix, or the placenta can be ripped away. Either way, it could be nasty.
The plan was, to break my waters in a controlled manner, with the surgical team on standby (first idea was to actually do it in the operating theatre) so I could be operated on immediately if there was a problem. If my waters broke themselves we were told to use the emergency bell in the room. It sets of a siren and everyone in the department has to come running.
So, we get to Tuesday. I'd been told that I'd be taken down to delivery at about 6am.
I woke a couple of times in the night with niggly back pains, and finally gave up trying to sleep around 5.30 as it was starting to get noisy on the ward. After my monumental tantrum on monday night (salad-gate) they had agreed to leave me alone and forget the routine checks for a while so I could have a bit of peace. When DH turned up at 9 I sent him off to find out what was happening. The twinges were a bit more often by then. They were, again busy and would "get back to me", but by about 10.30 I was convinced that the time was coming and sent DH to find me a midwife. I managed to convince her to part with a couple of painkillers. At about 1.30 the contractions were coming thick and fast. I was sat on a small chair leaning on my bed and I felt the trickle. Oh heck! As I stood up more came out...PUSH THE BUTTON!!!!
The siren started wailing and about 10 people burst into my room and bundled me onto the bed. All but 2 left, and they examined me (Oooh...said one...we've got a gusher...) and said I was 5-6cms dilated. Luckily it was my hind waters that had gone, not the front ones.
I got down to delivery just after 2. Pain wasn't too bad although it wasn't long before I was using the gas and air on contractions (Just because it was there really...I like it). The midwife was in and out consulting with the doctors. She wanted to break the membrane, but they wouldn't let her. As the normal baby monitors didn't work well on me because of the fluid, they wanted to attach one to babys head, but without breaking the membrane they couldn't, so there was some umming and ahhing over that.
Suddenly the pain ramped up. Despite asking for pethidine, (actually I asked for everything they could throw at me) it was suddenly too late. I went from 7cms to "Push when you're ready" in minutes. Apparently I'd been pushing for a few minutes, and the midwife said "it'll be done in less than 20 minutes" my reply was "I'm not doing this for another 20 fucking minutes" and a couple of shoves later at 3.45pm baby, and a tanker full of water flew out.
No joke...the bed was about 2 inches deep in places! It was like waterfalls over the edges. I was drenched, the midwives were drenched, the doctor who had appeared at the last minute was drenched...!
Baby was basically fine, although he was quite floppy. Heart and breathing were ok so they weren't too worried. Another thing put down to the water, but within about 20 minutes he was tucking into a bottle and I'd rung the family with the news.
I got to shower and we were back on the ward by 7pm.
Next day the paediatrician came up. She reckons Travis has a large head, then looked at DH. "you have a big head" she said and asked to measure it. Turns out that DH's head is 66cms. The average is 55!! So, nothing to worry about there then!
Only problem then was getting discharged. It took til almost 5pm to get someone to discharge us, they are so busy and understaffed.
So, now I'm off to inject myself in the leg with anti-coagulants and then change into an indecently low cut top and walk round town, showing off the massive new boobs I woke up with this morning!