I was the most amazing WBA2C that wasn't at the beginning of this week! K had two previous CS at her closest hospital but she decided to change Trusts to use an MLU that has won awards for faciltating VBAC and WBAC. She asked for the VBAC friendly cons, Dr U, and he did not bat an eyelid when she stated her preference for a WBA2C on the MLU. He simply wrote it up in her notes and signed it off. The MW she was in contact with there were fab and one in particular had emailed a few times and given her contatc details in case it was needed!
K called me in early labour on Monday morning and as I was due to take her to see cons that day I went down early. K had not slept much during the night or through the day, except for dozes and she eventually decided to go to the MLU, arriving at 4pm, to be told they were chocca and we had to wait in Obs unit till pool ready, She cried! She was eventually assessed as FULLY effaced but only 1 or 2 cms, again she cried! We pointed out how positive that actually was. K's mum and her dh arrived. She had first lot of IV ABs for GBS. Eventually she was taken to bath at about 6.30ish and I went out to speak to her mum. Came back in about 7 to find them coming out as 10 secs after she got in bath on MLU, her waters broke and mec was everywhere.
Quick assessment in birth pool room which was now ready and she had now got to 4/5 ish and mec was fresh. Blast!!! But progress was good.
Moved back through to obs unit and she laboured like an absolute star till 3.30am, she was standing by bed whole time, using G&A and had 3 lots of diamorphine. She was standing asleep by this point so mw checked her as she had been gutteral for a little while, and yes, unfortunately she had been pushing down on 8cms which then thickened up cervix. Mw suggested epi to allow her to sleep and hopefully cervix would thin again and then fully dilate. She and hubby napped, Doc checked her at 5am while i was out and it was still only 8cm. 7pm showed her still to be 8cm, she was knackered, GBS carrier, baby had been in mec for 12 hours and no progress for 4.... decision to move to calm CS. Mind you all obs had been perfect all the time and baby's HR never wavered through any contraction, It was steady as a rock!!!!!! so why had she passed mec? been wracking my brains for any sudden shocks/loud noises etc. Think it was just that she was a ready baby.
When I was sat waiting for news of op Dr U, walked passed, recognised me after me attending ONE appointment with K and asked how things were. I gave him snapshot and he went to get news. Came back and confirmed they were all perfect and arranged for me and K's mum to get on recovery fairly swiftly.
K had been so pleased to see him pop in on her, was delighted with labouring on her own terms, even with it all going to pot with the mec.
Parents elated with a 8lb 14 girl who was latched and chomping like she'd been around for weeks not barely 2 hours. K got skin to skin, which had never happened in previous 2 births, dad got to cut cord and they got to examine placenta. All their wishes were respected, and if only we had walked straight in to birth pool room from the begining and baby had not passed mec? Nothing we can do to change that.
I can truly say it was a very successful, empowering labour that she coped with with amazing strength, and dad and I worked together so well.. I can't really describe it.... i mean she moblised the entire time till epidual!!!
I have been hit by the anti climax now and mum is a bit baby bluesy too. I hope to see her soon and we can do a birth debrief.