I have a wonderful 12 wk old daughter. Which is the first thing to be grateful for. Although I still can't get my head around the ordeal I endured during my labour. I already have a 3 year old son. I had him naturally after a very long labour and him being 12 days late. My daughter wanted to beat this by causing me to be induced. After 3 days in hospital (making me 42 weeks and 2 days - 16 days late) being induced, having 7 internals and being told the head was engaged and yet I was not dialting and cervix or head could not be reached....! I had been contracting but still not dialting -no one seemed concerned that this was
my second labour and nothing was happening. Thank god that after the 3rd night in hospital and heavy contractions for 8 hours my waters broke - at last! I was examined and promptly told oh dear I can feel feet! I was mortified.... I was then rushed through and greeted by a doctor who then also confirmed that I wasn't the 4cm that the MW had stated but in fact 7cm and was given options for c section or normal delivery. Still in shock and first chance of pain relief, I was a little high on gas and air and not taking it in. Then I was told the risks were greater for baby for normal birth due to her being footling breech. Agreed for c section but then needed it emergency as I was fully dialated and ready to give birth. All went ok ish but I only now am starting to recover fully physically. My daughter has hip displacement due to being breech and is in a brace and I have the obvious physical scar that will fade but the deep scars are the mental ones I am battling with. I was breech at my 20 week scan - why was it not followed up? I was supposedly head fully engaged from 37 weeks ( basically assumed as they couldn't feel the head) and yet they couldn't sweep me as couldn't reach head. The same message echoed during induction process in hospital and no one thought to wonder why I wasn't reacting to the process or wondered why the head appeared to be engaged and yet my cervix was not reachable. I may not have been able to change the breech position but if someone had picked it up I could have been mentally prepared for c section, had baby at term, not had 3 days in hospital treated like meat with unnecessary internals. Had sufficient help for my 3 yr old son when recovering from c section. Been prepared for some of the issues that breech babies an suffer from. I sometimes wonder should I just get over myself but I feel I can't until I get some answers. I was told the hospital were carrying out an internal audit but yet to hear findings. One midwife even dared to patronise me by suggesting my baby turned after she examined me....!