My baby was blue....

[broguemum]

I was wondering how many babies are blue and floppy when they are born - do you know? I've done some goggling but not got any idea of percentages.

The reason I am asking is that DS was blue and floppy when he was born 3.5 months ago. It was a relatively easy vaginal delivery although he was big and got stuck for a short while with the cord wrapped around his arm and shoulder. He was given to me as soon as he was born and he just lay there, totally immobile. I then clearly heard the midwife say something like, "Oh God, a still birth." Then my doctor replied, "No, he just needs some stimulation," and then rubbed him a bit and he started moving. It freaked me out a little and I haven't told anyone in RL about this although I have discussed it with DH who was also freaked out by it. The funny thing is I remember this conversation as being in French and DH remembers it as being in German - memory is a funy thing isn't it? We're in Luxembourg BTW.

So what are the stats? Are many babies born blue and floppy? Was it reasonable for the stillbirth comment to be made?

Thanks for any info as it will, I hope, put my mind at rest.

what do you think of the comment the midwife made, max? i'm wondering if the 'flat' birth thing might make sense of why you and dh don't remember it being said in the same language? perhaps the simultaneous translation was wrong, in a way?

My DS was blue and floppy when born - he had to have oxygen, and his APGAR was only 4 at 1 minute. He had a shoulder dystocia though and cord was cut straight away, not sure if this had anything do do with it.

He is just fine now though

The comment the midwife made was shocking, but of course it may have been a miscommunication of some sort. I can't ever imagine anyone saying that in real life.

Have just spoken to DH about this again for a couple of hours. I got a bit teary but feel all the better for it. I also feel a lot better after hearing your experiences and knowing that lots of babies are born blue and floppy and that nothing was really wrong.

As you probably guessed, I had been dwelling on this a lot and, amazingly, it was only last week that I mentioned it to DH for the first time - I asked him if he had heard the comment too as I thought it might have been me going fruit loop. DH gave me a strange look and said that he had heard it and had been thinking about it as well but didn't want to mention it me as he thought I hadn't heard it and he didn't want to worry me. Well, now we've talked it through thoroughly and I feel better. The lesson I've learnt - talk to DH more.

I've been thinking back and I am pretty sure that what the midwife actually said was a question, "Est il mort?" (is he dead) rather than a statement, "Il est mort," although I can't be sure. What I am 100% sure about is that the doctor replied in a v. no nonsense manner and said, "Non, il a seulement besoin d?une peut du stimulation." (No, he just needs some stimulation). The doctor then reached up and rubbed DS vigorously and within a very short time DS turned from a dark blue absolutely still baby to a pink snuffling baby who was pretty cross about being born!

I will, however, speak to my doctor about the birth and the comments I heard as it did cause me quite some distress.

It's been a real help talking to you all so thanks for your comments. Will focus on my beautiful DS now (please let him sleep until 7 tomorrow morning, please...).

Good night.

oh broguemum i am So Pleased that you are feeling a bit better, and what a fantastic lesson to have learned from this. talking to dh more is goiing to stand you in good stead wrt a lot of this parent stuff. fingers crossed for that long sleep, now get to your bed.

Broquemum, my friend now has your email so I'm sure she'll be in touch soon

Thanks Aitch and Yorky. I'm now defo off to bed. Good night.

My son was born in August 2005 and was awfully white-past blue and wasn't breathing and very floppy. He needed rescue breaths and the help of the (excuse spelling) ambi bag to help him breathe. This was we think as a result of a 3hour 9 minute pushing stage and the fact he had the cord around his neck. When it was all happening he was delivered onto my tummy as i'd wanted but immediately taken onto the resusitation machine to be helped. I didn't feel worried to much as my midwife, partner and Mum (a trainee midwife now in her last few months of the course) were all so calm so it helped me. It wasn't until after when he came to i realised how bad he was. He then grunted for a while and then didn't actually cry until around 24hrs later. Nowdays he is an amazing and very clever 2.5yr old looking forward to the birth of his brother or sister in August! x

Both of my two were blue and floppy when they were born. Both were whisked off, rubbed vigorously and given oxygen to get them going. DD took a minute before she cried, and DS took two minutes to respond. DD's birth was more traumatic as the midwife yelled to us to push the emergency button as she took DD away. No-one came to help for at least 5 minutes, but fortunately by that point, she was completely fine. After that not great hosptial experience (there was other bad stuff as well), we decided on a home birth for DS. His birth was much less stressful. The two midwives didn't panic at all when he arrived and just got on with helping him to breathe. They repeatedly told me it would be ok and I believed them. Both births were easy and short but both kids were born at 37 weeks and I wonder whether their lungs were fully developed. Both children have absolutely no long term problems at all and are now happy and healthy. It has made me more wary about whether I should have a homebirth again if we decide to go for a third. I'm considering asking if I could have the injection to speed up lung development, but I don't know if the medics would go for that or not.

My dd was blue (well more mauve/grey - I remember thinking that she was a very similar colour to her room) and had to be laid on me for ages for extra stimulation. After a couple of minutes (maybe seconds? Time is weird during childbirth) she started screaming, and continued to scream for 15 minutes before being whisked away for some tests. For some reason I was very calm about it, even though ds (firstborn) had been a beautiful pink and very alert, so she was very clearly in not such a good way. I think that the way the midwife reacted was what made me think that it was all okay. The midwife's lead is everything, so no wonder you feel weird about it.
DD's apgar was 7, then 9 at 2 mins and 9 at 10mins. She was very bruised too. It was a very very quick delivery and she'd gone from breech to posterior to being the right way around, and while being monitored at a mw appointment at 41 weeks, she had a major decceleration, so maybe she had cord problems too.
Are there apgar scores in Lux?
I think it's very important to talk these things through. You're birth experience has a big effect on your wellbeing later on.

When ds was born they told me it was a boy placed him on me and I rememeber looking down and he was flat and grey looking with eyes closed. Then I heard a nurse/midwife say 'Call a paediatircian NOW' and he was whisked off me.

They worked on him (not sure what they did) for a few minutes (it felt like ages but I worked out it was only about 2-3 minutes) and he started to cry. He also grunted for a while and as they were concerened about that he spent a couple of hours in ICU for monitoring.

He was fine though.

Message withdrawn

Hey Yorky, just wanted to say thank you very much - I just met up with your friend today for a cup of tea and a chat. We're going to be keeping in touch. It's great to know that there is someone local to me that I can pick up the phone to.

Also a thanks to everyone for posting on this thread. Your stories / comments / feedback have been very helpful to me.

DS was born at home after a shoulder dystocia - he was huge (10lbs 12oz) very pale and still. An ambulance had been called and was on its way because of the long delay between the birth of my son's head and the birth of the rest of him (6 minutes in all, but it probably felt 10 times that long to the midwives!). I remember the midwives rescitating him on the bed between my legs using a bag and mask. It was the most incredible thing ever - to see him start to breath and go pink all over - the colour spreading through his body and down his arms and legs (though his hads were dead white for ages!). I think what stopped me experiencing this as horribly traumatic was the calm expertise of the midwives. They were amazing - so collected, so focused. I think other people's fear can totally traumatise you at the birth - you're so suggestible and vulnerable at that moment.

DS1 was born blue and flat, Apgar score 2 (his little heart was beating, but no respiration, muscle tone etc). He recovered well (Apgar 7 at 5 minutes). I remember asking "Is he breathing?" and the MW or doctor saying "yes, he is". DS2 was stillborn. DD1 was born absolutely fine by CS but was then in NICU for 2 weeks on a ventilator for respiratory distress syndrome. DD2 had no problems.

Just to reiterate what maxbear said, babies are born a blue/purplish colour and only pink up when they take their first breath which can take up to a minute or so. This is perfectly normal.