What happened?

[Nunyabiz]

Sorry this is going to be a bit of a drip feed as I need to figure out what happened in my last labour, and am including all the information in case anything is relevant. Will also try not to add to much emotion and stay as factual as I can. I have sent away for my medical notes but they were sent to wrong address and now they are having trouble tracking them I'm due with DD2 imminently so want to run this by hopefully someone who is clued up about this (a MW?) and can avoid it or similar happening again.
Also please if you are nervous about birth and trying to avoid horror stories this is not the thread for you.

So 3 years ago at 40 weeks + 4 days I went into labour with DD1. Normal healthy pregnancy, nothing out of the ordinary. Due to this I opted to give birth at a midwife lead birthing unit.
At 1.37am my waters broke. No prior contractions/Braxton hicks/tightenings nothing.
After my waters broke I had my first INTENSE contraction. They were regular and lasted a long time so all was going well and progressing perfectly. Text book.
I stayed at home and laboured in the bath until 5am. I then asked DH to drive me to the MW unit.
On arrival the midwife checked and I was only 2-3cm dilated. She helped 'break my waters' a bit more (just released some pressure).
We drove home.
I got back in the bath and laboured a further 2 hours.
At 7am I told DH I wouldn't be able to move if we did not make the journey again.
On arrival I was pleased to hear I was 5-6cm and would be able to move onto the birthing suite.
The MW immediately filled the tub and I laboured about another hour in the bath. I was offered gas and air but I didn't like it.
By about 8.30/9am i was 10cm and felt the urge to push.
At this point my contractions died off a bit. Her head was crowning but I couldn't push her out because the contractions weren't strong enough. I was advised to get out if the pool. I knelt over a ottoman style couch thing and continued to push... And push...and push. The MW I had in the room called in another midwife to assist her. At around 10.30am her head came out! Finally! I was told just a couple more pushes, but nothing happened. 5, 6, 7... It felt like eternity. The midwife flipped my on my back and reached in and hooked under her shoulders and pulled her out. She was born at 11.07am the same day weight 4.7kg (10lbs 4oz).

I held her for a brief moment before they took her. The MW said I was bleeding a lot and she was giving me a synto shot to expel the placenta.
They waited a few moments and the placenta wasn't dislodging so they said they would try another shot of synto (I was in agony at this point- far far worse than normal contractions).
The second MW said she would going to give the chord a 'little tug' to see if it would dislodge the placenta.
It didn't.
The chord snapped.
The placenta was still lodged inside.
The room filled with people very quickly.
They told me that I needed to go to theatre but there was no anaesthetist available.
They were going to attempt to manually remove it.
Attempt 1.
Attempt 2.
Attempt 3 and ANOTHER shot of synto.
I was taken upstairs to 'wait' until I could go to theatre.
Meanwhile I had more new people attempting manual removal. They actually had their hands up me - up to elbows, reeding around.
I was screaming in pain and DH told them to leave me alone now.
Finally at around 12.30 i was taken to theatre. They forced the gas and air on my fave even when I told them I didn't want it. They gave me pathadine (sp?) and an immobile epidural.
The surgeon removed the placenta in tact.
He commented in the size.

So when I went through this with my new MW she told me it wasn't a retained placenta.

Can someone please explain to me what it was then???

Thanks if you got this far!

Ohhhh can you be my MW shaky?? You sound like one in a million!!

Sure, no problem! I'm all yours

Yay! Seriously though it takes a special type of person to do what you do. To care so much and to listen and make women feel secure at the most vulnerable and uncontrollable time of their life. I can't stress enough what a difference it makes to meet someone who takes you seriously and doesn't make you feel like you are being dramatic or ridiculous. I was lucky in my first labour that when I said (screamed) "it hurts!" My MW said, "I know... It's really horrible isn't it?" And suddenly I found the strength to keep going.
If only every care worker/MW/nurse could show such compassion and concern.
Anyway now I'm rambling. Just feel really touched by your words.

Not rambling at all, saying what you feel, when you feel it it so important, and thank you for YOUR kind words. That means a lot too.

For what it's worth, my colleagues think I am as soft as shite but I think that is a GOOD thing that I am, i love my women. The minute you get hardened and cynical is the time to get out.

I had a traumatic birth with my ds, different to yours, different circumstances could NOT get the little bugger out! Ended in emergency CS after 24 hrs of labour but traumatised non the less. I had terrible Post Traumatic Stress and PND afterwards, this means I am very, very aware of the symptoms of my women and can spot it brewing at 20 paces.

Also no pregnant woman is ever ridiculous, no matter what your ridiculous or most embarrassing question is, midwives are pretty much unshockable. If we don't know the answer we will dig and dig until we find it.

I bloody love my job.

shaky you do such an important job. My community MW is great and has cared for me in all my pregnancies, including several that ended early. It's been so great to have her support and particularly to feel she knows me and what is 'normal for me'
Until this week being consultant-led has been a complete waste of time and effort because it's always someone different and they've been totally dismissive. I get the impression I was just bloody lucky to see someone who actually gives a toss even at this late stage I think I am a little bit in love, I'm so grateful

Hey everyone, thanks again for all of your advice! I just wanted to give a quick update.
I had a MW appointment at the birthing centre today (where I planned to give birth) and so we went through my plan and discussed previous birth in detail.
The MW I spoke to was so lovely and attentive and actually took me seriously (finally). She said that what I went through was basically:

Haemorrhage
Shoulder dystocia
Macrosomia
And retained placenta

She said for all of these reasons she would not be recommending me for a birth at the birthing centre- they have quite strict guidelines, but i will be giving on the ward where I can be better monitored and the team can all be more informed of my medical history. I have been told they have very similar facilities for a more active labour if I wish, although I won't be allowed to give birth in the birthing pool as I had hoped but can use it up until pushing stage for pain relief.

She has also referred me to a senior obstetrician who will be requesting a copy of my birth notes (hoorah!) and go over statistics with me, and help me write a detailed birth plan to manage my next labour better.

I am slightly disappointed as i was hoping to redo things the way I wanted last time- I am a bit stubborn

But I am equally relieved that I finally am getting answers and being taken seriously which is so much more reassuring.

Thanks again, you've all been really helpful

Hurray! I'm so glad that you have found a lovely midwife and are finally being listened to. Hopefully, your obstetrician and you can come up with a plan that you are happy with. However, it is so, so important that YOU are happy with the plan, if you do not agree, you must tell them.

I highly recommend writing a list of your questions and concerns and take it with you to the appointment. Also take your dp or a friend with you as sometimes they give you a lot of information in a short space of time which can be tricky to take it all in.

If you were one of MY patients, I would be bringing you back to my next clinic to discuss the plan and making sure you were happy and answering any questions for you.

Good luck Nuny let us know how you get on

Sounds good nunya hope you can come up with a plan you are happy with and that all goes well. Will you report back? When is your EDD?