May 2017 Special: the 'been there done that' thread!

[Rustler74]

Who has got the T-shirt? Please get sharing xxx

Just place marking. No story to share yet...

Place marking

Shall we request to move to post natal clubs

Not yet @lullaby23 I wouldn't want our bunch to be split up. I think we will move ourselves eventually anyway when everyone has gone and given birth x

Ok. My (long) birth story.
I will say it was a pretty straightforward birth with some complications after delivery.
DS was born 23/04 at 37+3.
12:30 Saturday morning, (22/04 - 37+2) woke up after 3hrs sleep needing to pee. Not unusual. Had an itch at the top of my thigh, so reached to itch before getting up. Touched wet skin. Honestly thought I'd peed myself. Clenched everything and 'jumped' out of bed. Water now on carpet as I fight sciatica and waddle to the loo. After 5 mins (and a wee ) I'm now convinced my waters have broken. I'm excited and nervous. No aches or pains. Go back into the bedroom to DH, start talking to him to ask him to fetch notes from car.. he agrees and promptly goes back to sleep. I talk again, saying I need them now as I need to make a call. He again agreed and rolled over to sleep. So I said 'babe - my waters have broken' - bolt upright with shock and panic within milliseconds!
Called the number on my notes, due to history was told to come in for a check. Blood pressure varied a fair bit on checking in the MLU, so they told me I had to stay in for 4hr obs and moved me to a ward. It was about 4am by this point. DH went home for sleep. I got about an hours sleep on the ward. Was advised in the morning that there are no slots for induction so just try to bring on contractions myself and let them know if anything changed. (Walking around, drink plenty of water) Obs the whole of the next day until 6pm when a mw came to tell me an induction slot had come available and did I want it? By this point I'm bored, and have been having light contractions during the afternoon so I quickly agree and am allowed to walk to the labour ward. At some point between 6-10 my cannula was inserted and I had an internal which deemed me at 3cm, and the drip was connected around 10pm when a delivery suite became free. (not MLU)
Spent the next couple of hours on the ball, clockwise rotations being most comfortable, contractions coming on stronger. I'm very tired, so although contractions hurt much less when standing my legs were weak. Around 2-3am I'm now upright on the bed and I tell my midwife that the stupid tracer straps must come off. They had not worked properly since I'd been in delivery and the constant touching and adjusting along with the contractions was now hurting. I'm now on gas and air too as the contractions are strong. Antenna clamp was placed on babies head, but checked by another midwife. I hear them discussing how far dilated I am. 4cm. I call out - 'did you just say 4cm' ... the nervous reply comes back, 'yes but a stretchy 4'... my response- '4cm. F**k off'... and I promptly cried, well, sobbed for a few mins. I was exhausted and felt like I'd done absolutely nothing.
According to my notes and my DH around half an hour later as my mw had left the room (student mw remained) I claim I need to push. Student looks for baby and isn't sure so buzzes. Another mw strolls in, looks, tells me if I want to push I can and wanders back out to update my mw who re-enters room rather quickly!
I'm kneeling facing the upright head of the bed with my arms over the top. I can feel baby moving down with my pushes a lot easier than with first birth. I feel baby almost at bottom, managed about 3 big pushes for each contraction and remember completing 3 full contractions with baby 'almost out' before crowning on the 4th, and birthing on the 5th at 04:00. DH was instructed to announce sex of DS and I opted for delayed cord clamping. The next sequence is a bit blurry, but I think I was turning over so I could sit and hold baby, when I literally gushed blood. Mw asked if I had pushed, I confirmed I hadn't. Then a second gush. I managed to get over with help and sat down to another mw coming in, and a cleanup going on. DH had DS. I delivered healthy placenta. No further gushes. My legs and the bed and floor looked a bit like a horror scene! I was slightly amused. Another drip was inserted due to blood loss (about a ltr) and I got skin to skin and first feed in with DS. I sent DH home around 6am as figured I'd be sent to the ward soon. MW shift change at 7:30, new mw tells me I need to pee. I disagree, but agree to try and am presented with bedpan. Holy Mother of all that first pee stung. Soooooo much. I'm not going to lie, I was doubled over just trying to pee. I present my achievement to mw. She tells me it's not enough and I need to pee more. I tell her it hurts and I don't need to go. She discusses catheter. I promise to drink more water and go so I don't have to have one!
A couple of hours later (still in delivery suite) I managed another wee by pushing my fingers around to make a kind of dam to help the pee only go forwards and not backwards. It still hurts like peeing blades. I show mw who says she will check but not enough either. I get up and walk around bottom of bed to other side and back. Feel dizzy. Sit down on side of bed. Mw comes back in. I report dizziness and ask for water. She comes straight back with water to me saying the dizziness is getting worse and promptly blacking out where she controls my fall sideways onto my bed. The alarm is pressed. I'm out for around 30 seconds. I'm coming back around to my mw talking to me and lots of other people trying to get me flat on the bed. The doctor in the room insists on a catheter. My mw refuses stating we have discussed and I don't want one. The doctor brings all the catheter items. Once I'm alert enough my mw and I discuss catheter again and I refuse. I agree to an in and out catheter rather than a main one.
It goes in. (That hurts too) they drain about 550ml of pee. It comes out. (That hurts too) I wonder why I didn't just pee whilst I blacked out as that would have been easier!
I'm told to rest, drink lots, and pee at least 3x300ml more in next few hours. I discover holding a pad to my sore undercarriage and leaning forward to pee helps immensely.
I was kept in until Tuesday afternoon awaiting bloods and fluid checks for me, and jaundice check for DS. Finally discharged on iron tablets.
7 days post birth I'm still feeling delicate, easily dehydrated and lethargic, but getting better.
I still class this as a good birth, and the actual birth bit was pretty easy! Midwives were brilliant.
My notes say birth time from 4cm to delivery of placenta was 50 mins!! (5hr50 first time with DD)

Wow @WishIWasSleeping what a warrior you are! That's a busy sounding birth but I'm glad you feel it went well and consider it a good birth. Hope you're healing up ok.

Thanks for sharing wish!

Yes thanks for sharing Wish. Sounds like you did really well.

Thanks for sharing @WishIWasSleeping glad you feel it went well. I'm impressed with only one sweary word

Baby Ghosts arrival story:

Weds - Thursday had loose bowels. Going pretty much every time I needed the loo.
Had also been loosing what I thought was bits of mucus, but it was quite clear so wasn't sure if it was just a change/increase in discharge.
Saturday - a definate "show". This time thick, jelly like and streaked with blood. This continued every time I used the loo. Not an awful lot, but enough to recognise it as a definate show.
Told DH at this point I was confident he wouldn't be going to work on Monday.
Saturday all day had irregular contractions that were stronger than BHs but not painful. At times they were every half hour, then some 10 mins apart, then 20 mins etc so no real pattern.
Saturday evening they started getting more regular - every 8 to 10 mins, but no more painful.
Saturday night, just before bedtime I had one or two more painful ones. Told DH I had a feeling we would be awoken during the night with it really starting.

I was right.

1.15am, I awoke to three contractions in quick succession that were quite painful, got up and felt I wanted DH to get up with me.
We sat about downstairs to see if they were still regular and with pain. They were. I say "pain" just to differentiate from BHs. I wasn't uncomfortable or anything, I just knew at this point they were the real thing.
(As a side note, when you read about what contractions feel like, most say something like "they start at the back work there way round etc", for me, they started exactly like braxton hicks, with the tightening, then during the tightening you get an achy feeling in the pelvic area - like crampy period pain. Then the pain goes with the tightening. That's how I was pretty sure the real thing was starting)
When after 2 hours my app told me they had been coming every 7-8 mins, I gave the ward a call, said as I thought, to wait until either every 5 mins or when I needed pain relief. I was happy with this. It was then only about half an hour later I said to DH I think we had better make our way in. (We live around 40 mins from the hosp).
I was glad we did as in the car they really ramped up. Got to the hosp around 4.40am.
Hooked up to the monitor that confirmed the contractions and the midwife said that even though they were still quite far apart, when they did come they were really quite strong. Again, they were definitely getting stronger but I was still ok.
Within maybe half hour I was at the point where i had to breathe through them.
Doctor gave permission for MW to examine me. 4cm but cervix still very far back and 2cm thick. She let us decide what we wanted to do but was happy for us to go home. I was too but we decided it was best to stay local incase it all happened quickly. So 7.20am ish we made our way back to the car.
Well my goodness me did it happen quickly.
As we were walking out of the hospital entrance, my waters broke. We turned right around to the ward we had just said cheerio to.
MW hooked me back up to the monitor as they said they like to check how the baby's doing after your waters break. A few decelerations with the contractions. My contractions were at the point now where I was making noise. I had one and to my despair, could feel pressure in my bum. It brought back the memory of pushing my daughter out so at that point I made it clear to everyone who would listen that I wanted an epidural. Examined for only the second time, about half an hour after the last time - 5cm. I asked if it was normal to feel pressure in bum this early on. I was shaking and crying and panicking (all signs of transition)
Another contraction during which I screamed that this baby was on it's way. I was quickly wheeled to labour ward. During this time I didn't have any contractions, was able to get onto the bed and get to know the midwives who would be looking after us. (Again another sign of imminent arrival - your body gives you a chance to recuperate before pushing baby out).
Reminded everyone of my want of an epidural. They went on about needed bloods for the anaesthetist to allow one, so I demanded they bloody well take the blood then! Cannula inserted, bloods taken away.
Contractions were coming thick and fast now, almost on top of one another. I really got into the rythym of using the gas and air properly (start at the very first sign of a contraction coming, inhale like you've never inhaled before!)
I was aware now of the sensation of the head being on its way, I think people in the next county would have heard me proclaim that I wasn't pushing this baby out until I've gotten the epidural.

Next push baby was on my chest.

Just over an hour after we were on our way out of the hospital doors, contemplating going home.

I will never ever get my head around how quickly and dare I say it - easily - she was born.

Our bodies really are truly amazing. I was so worried about birth after the experience with my daughter (v long and v hard), but you can do it ladies. And of course it is all worth it. I'm sorry that was so long but I know I need details when I'm reading up on something!

It's sounds wonderful @Ghostonthedancefloor ! Apart from not getting the epidural but you sound like you did amazing on gas and air. Well done.

Hurrah for baby ghost!

Well done ghost. That sounded amazing. Really hope my baby boy arrives that quickly & easily, as I had a difficult birth with dd last time. Congratulations xx

Fabulous @Ghostonthedancefloor sounds you did very well and were quite verbal about what you felt and wanted. Big hugs and congratulations xxx

Well done ghost! Did they let you go after just an hour then? That sounds ideal. And good tip on the gas and air. I had forgotten there is a nack to it.

Sorry esmes maybe that read a bit wrong. I mean baby arrived when only an hour earlier we were contemplating going home to let labour progress.

Oh I see ghost! That makes more sense

@Ghostonthedancefloor such lovely reading ☺️ really does make things seem much more real! Well done x

You make it sound easy Ghost!
Also that going from 4cm to birth in an hour sounds more normal!
I'll totally admit the panic remembering exactly what happened last time certainly kicks in on a couple of stages - especially if there was a part to your last labour you weren't happy with - but as you said it makes you focus more!
Luckily you have a brand new experience now too! (And obviously baby Ghost!) xx

Ok here goes!

Had my show Sunday morning so was starting to think about this happening reasonably soon. Spent Sunday in the pub watching the football with some friends, with irregular cramping/tightening throughout the day. Had irregular contractions all night that were 8 minutes apart at their most frequent. Died down throughout the day on Monday but I had pretty much zero movement from baby. Monday evening the irregular contractions were back, 5 minutes apart at their most frequent. Rang triage who were happy for me to stay home until they were more regular, until I mentioned no movement all day.
They asked me to go straight in so we did (about 11pm Monday night) to be monitored. Babies heartbeat was fine and he finally started moving again after about 30 mins. Had a scan and they had concerns about not enough fluid around him, so we were asked to go back Tuesday for a growth scan. Midwife wanted to check and do a sweep so that was fine then we finally left about 1.30am.

Tuesday husband worked from home so he could take me to the scan, got there and they were happy with the level of fluid, but noticed a big jump on the growth chart since my 38 week appointment. Other then that no real concerns so home we went.

Tuesday afternoon I was still getting irregular contractions, and about 4pm had what I assumed was the start of another. Pain started around my lower back and gradually spread round, then I was hit with an againiding sharp pain right across my pelvis area. Unlike the contraction type pain it didn't go, and after 2 1/2 hours of me crying and crouching on the floor in pain my other half rang 111 (he was definitely panicked). They sent a paramedic out to me who took all my vitals and then called for an ambulance, as she was worried the pain was due to my placenta separating. Ambulance arrived but we managed to persuade them to let me go in my husbands car as we would need our car anyway and everything was already packed in it.
Went into hospital and got taken straight to labour ward where I was hooked I up to the monitoring machines. Was told I was still having stronger irregular contractions, but I couldn't even feel them over the sharp pain in my pelvis.

Waters were broken and canulla and fluids inserted. Contractions started coming more regularly until I could feel them over the pain, and I was then given an epidural before. Ring given the drip to induce me. Finally the pain eased off with the epidural and after 3 nights of no sleep due to irregular contractions I was able to get some rest! Around 4am the midwife told us they would probably need me to start pushing around 7am. At 6 they came and checked again, and told me it was time to get ready. Epidural stopped to help me feel contractions and know when to push but I still needed help to be told when to push, as my feeling was limited.

Pushed with contractions for 1/2 hour and they were happy they could see babies head and we were close. Then they noticed a little meconium in the fluid and so were a little concerned about baby. Encouraged to keep pushing hit when baby didn't make an appearance with the next few pushes and the meconium increased they said we would need assistance as baby was in distress (heartbreak dropped very low) thankfully with all the mess I was a little unaware and just focused on pushing but my other half has since told me how nervous he was, and how they were talking about prepping to take me to surgery if it wasn't quick enough.

Episiotomy and forceps used along with pushing and baby made his appearance into the world! They immediately checked baby over then put him on my chest, before letting dad have a hold. Did some further checks whilst I was being stitched up and then told us he may have swallowed meconium as they had concerns about his breathing, so he was rushed off to the neonatal ward, and dad went with him.
Was definitely unnerving being left alone, but the midwife stayed with me until I was a little more with it, and then helped me up to shower etc. Had pretty much no control over stopping one of my legs shaking so was in a wheelchair and helped to dress etc. Text other half to say I was being moved to post natal so he came down to help me. Moved into a room on postnatal ward and then other half took me up to neonatal to see our little boy!

Was pretty overwhelming seeing him all wired up but he was doing good, and their only real concern was his blood sugar levels so after a few hours he was sent down to our ward and we started breastfeeding.
Over the next 24 hours they did constant blood sugar tests, introduced formula top ups and finally took him back to neonatal and tube fed him for a few hours. The whole situation post birth was not well communicated, or particularly well handled but the midwife who took over Thursday morning took control of the whole situation really well, took away formula top ups and did the blood sugar tests without.
Blood sugars stabilised and we were finally allowed home Thursday evening!

Sorry for the essay! Definitely not the birth we had planned but the midwife I had in the labour ward was incredible at making sure me and my husband were ok with everything, and even came to check on usin the post natal ward Thursday when she was back on shift! Little man now home and happy, and doing well, so despite his slightly dramatic arrival he makes everything worthwhile!

Wow Vicki! Glad you're both home and recovering well. xx

Thanks for sharing ticki - no idea what the sharp pain was then?

So great to hear your stories ladies. ticky that sounds really frightening, but you sound so calm & collected!

Glad all babies are home & well.

@savagehk they still thought it was an issue with my placenta, tested it once that was delivered but seemed ok so not entirely sure!

@sipperskipper I have definitely had some time to get over the shock now!

@Tickyboovicki thank you for writing it down, it helps doesn't it? Sounds a bit like my first delivery, certainly not what I would have wanted and very overwhelming at the time. Well done on the feeding!