Question regarding the birth - can any midwives help?

[mum2Bomg]

My DD is now just over 5 weeks old and I have a question about the birth that I cannot get out of my head. I was wondering if someone would be able to help.

All in all I had a 10hr labour which started nicely with 5cm dilated and I floated about in the pool with strong contractions for two hours. After this I was no further dilated and so moved to the more medical part of the ward.

Things escalated quickly and DD's oxygen levels dropped and she became distressed. She then did a giant poo and so I had an emergency c section. All managed very well and I don't feel upset or traumatised about any of the actions taken.

Have healed well and getting to know DD but there is something in my notes I don't understand and can't get to the bottom of without a formal appt which I don't really want to have to do.

The notes say that DD was "prevented" from breathing in meconium and I'd really like to know how this was done - I have pictures in my head and ideas which I find disturbing but don't know what they would have done. Can anyone help please

I may be wrong, but my DDs birth was similar. They cleaned her mouth and suctioned mucus etc so she didn't aspirate meconium. I think it sounds like the same thing in your notes.

Thank you - I hope so! From the notes it sounds like they stopped her breathing and I've tried to not think about it but it keeps popping into my head. Silly, I know.

I think it's more that they moved so quickly she was prevented from the harm that breathing in meconium could do iyswim

what the sentence syas really depends on how you read it.

On first read I read it as "prevented from breathing while she was in meconium."
Then read John's post and re read it as "prevented from breathing the meconium into her lungs"

Very different pictures come to mind.
I am sure John is right, they always clear out mouth and nose to stop the meconium getting inot their lungs, they have to be quick before they inhale.

Thanks again all - I think they must have prevented her from breathing it in, rather than preventing her from breathing as otherwise they would have had to explain what they did? It helps to chat it through as I would feel silly doing so with family/friends.

Are they perhaps using this as an explanation for the Caesarean. Lots of babies pass meconium and its not a problem, it happens when the baby's gut matures. When a baby shows signs of fresh meconium during labour they will want to monitor the baby more closely in case the baby becomes distressed later. When a baby becomes very distressed they can inhale the meconium which can cause an infection.

The other time it can happen, however, is when a baby becomes distressed. So that is a sign alongside an alarming heart trace that an intervention is needed to prevent danger to the baby and also inhalation of the passed meconium. So your caesarean was carried out because of this reason and hence the notes.....just a guess!

It means we don't stimulate the baby to breathe , normally at birth babies get a vigorous rub down with an Nhs towel post delivery to stimulate the first cry if it's not spontaneous.
When there is meconium the baby's mouth and cords are visualised first and suctioned to prevent the baby crying and that poo being inhaled into the lungs. Hth.

Thank you carlyr100 - I can put this to bed now and stop it from going round and round in my head.