Baby Jydan - The Birth Story

The Birth Story:
Monday, 2:00pm-4:00pm.
Monday the 12th of November my mum came over for a visit and I mentioned that I was extra swollen, my mum agreed that it seemed to be even more lately. We went to the chemist at 2:00pm and checked my blood pressure. My blood pressure was 139/89. Afterwards I debated if I should call the Pregnancy Assessment Clinic and if I should go in and get it checked properly.
I decided to call and they said that I needed to come in as soon as possible. So mum and I made the trip to the hospital at about 3:30pm. I texted hubby that I was on the way to the hospital, I didn't call him because I wasn't concerned. I was seen at about 4:00pm and my blood pressure was now 142/92. They checked my urine and I had +++ protein, which is quite concerning! I was then wheeled to the labour ward into an assessment room in a wheelchair by the midwife as I wasn't aloud to walk!!... I had pre-eclampsia.
 
Monday, 5:00pm-9:00pm.
I then called hubby and let him know, he said he would finish up at work and come down. I was put on a fetal monitor, and bubby's heartbeat was great. My reflexes were tested and I had exaggerated reflexes on the left side, this is a symptom that pre-ecampsia is on it's way to turning into eclampsia. At 5:00pm my blood pressure was checked again and it was now 170/110. I was given blood pressure tablets and began a fluid drip to try and flush out the protein. At 7:00pm the decision was made that I would be induced, starting of with a tablet that's inserted into the cervix to help soften and dilate the cervix. I was told that it would be left in for 12 hours and my waters will be broken at 8:00am. An hour later I went to a room in the maternity ward to stay the night.

Monday 10:00pm- Tuesday 5:00am.
The next two hours I spent talking to the lady next to me, she was induced at the same time, in the bed next to me and now we were waiting it out together. (we ended up swapping numbers a few days after and still talk!). I started to get some mild contractions that started of as period pains, they then went more painful and then they started in my back.

Tuesday 5:00am- 11:00am
I was moved to a birthing suite and my contractions were monitored, they were 2-3 minutes apart. They were pretty painful at this stage but the scariest part was when the midwife said they are only mild! They were going to get ALOT worse. I texted my mum and my husband, I told my mum to come straight away, because I was in too much pain to be by myself. I was only 2 centimeters dilated but as I was having regular contractions, they took the tablet out and broke my waters at 6:30am. My mum arrived at 7:00am and Tim arrived about 8:30am. By 9:00am the contractions were REALLY painful and all in my back and I had my first round of 'water injections' which worked absolutely amazingly. I was checked again at 11:00am and I was 4-5cm dilated. I was so excited to be 'almost' halfway. My dad had also arrived by this stage.
 
Tuesday 12:00pm - 3:00pm
The contractions were absolutely hideous, I tried water therapy, hot water packs, massages and more water injections.

Tuesday 3:00pm - 7:00pm
I was checked again at 3:00pm and was still only 5cm (I was also told that they could feel some hair on bubby's head!) so I was put on a potocian/syntocin drip to bring on the contractions harder and faster to help try and dilate more. Because I had to be on the drip the baby's heartbeat had to be monitored so I couldn't be free to move. I had another water injection but it didn't work because my contractions were too severe. I couldn't handle the pain anymore so asked for gas around 5:00pm. The gas helped but I felt like I couldn't handle it anymore. I felt so agonisingly broken. My labour was all in my back. I spoke to the midwife about other drug option and we decided to wait till after the next check and try some water therapy until then. So I had a shower for 20 minutes, which is all I was aloud because I had to go back on the heart monitor machine. Being without gas or anything for 20 minutes was horrible, I was in so much agony but the shower did relieve a bit. When I had to turn the shower off, getting dressed and walking back to the machine was possibly the most pain I had ever been in when a contraction arrived.
I decided that I would like some morphine so I buzzed the midwife who explained that I would need another exam to see how dilated I was because I couldn't have morphine if I was too far dilated. So I was checked at 7:00pm where I was still 5cm. It was recommended that I have the epidural instead because they would now need to turn the drip up on full, making my contractions much more excruciating then they all ready were and having that much pain could affect my blood pressure. Having to stay still for the epidural while having a contraction was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do *teary*. I think I almost broke my mum's hands! 
 
Tuesday 7:00pm-11:00pm
After the epidural my labour was actually enjoyable! I actually napped on and off. I could still move my legs and feel my contractions tighten. I was really happy that I could still feel something because I knew it would help with pushing my little guy out. The contractions started to get painful through the epidural so I turned it up probably four times over the four hours which ended up meaning that I couldn't move my legs much at all.
 
Tuesday 11:00pm- Wednesday 12:30am.
I had another check at 11:00pm where we were hoping that I was at least 8 centimeters. I wasn't. I was 5-6. This time I was checked by a doctor. The doctor said I was probably only 5 but she stretched it open to 6. She also told us that baby's head was beginning to swell by trying to get through but he couldn't. She had to go off and talk to her supervisor on what to do next. I wasn't sure what she meant. The midwife spoke to us after she left and said they were going to discuss what will be best to do, either let me keep going, or go for an emergency c-section. I remembered what I had in my birth plan; "Although I prefer a natural labour I would like the decision for a c-section made as soon as it’s needed. Please do not wait for improvements in the baby or my labour to determine an emergency c-sections and make an immediate decision. " My mum reaffirmed that I should make this decision too.
The doctor returned at 11:30pm and said they have decided to go ahead with an emergency c-section. I was told it would happen within half an hour, I was told of any potential complications, signed permission forms and prepped for surgery. While waiting to be bought into surgery I was so scared (teary again!). All I could do was stare at the T.V. I couldn't look at my husband, mum or dad. Every time they would talk to me I would get teary, tune out of the conversation and give them a quick nod. I was so shocked and scared. I was wheeled off to surgery at about 12:30am.

Wednesday 12:30am-2:00am
When we arrived at theatre, Tim got changed into scrubs and my epidural was increased. I started getting shaky which they said was caused by the epidural. They ran through what was going to happen during the surgery and in recovery afterwards. I was shifted onto the surgical table. I wasn't told much during the procedure but I remember the point when the anesthetist said they had started. I could feel my skin tear with them cutting but without the pain. I could feel them pushing and pulling. I kept talking to my husband, we talked about everything really. I was trying to occupy myself. I even tried to talk the anesthetist at one point. And then the moment came (big tears!) they held up my son at 1:17am!

As they were pulling him out they said about how much he looks like his dad. I hardly saw him, they didn't hold him up high enough and it was only for a couple of seconds, but I knew he was the most beautiful little boy I've ever seen! They said about what a big boy he was too. He had a little cry and was taken away. I told my husband to leave me and go be with him, that I would be fine. When I turned my head to the left I could see him in the corner of the room. I then began shaking so much that my muscle's hurt. I felt so sick and hot. They put a sick bag next to my head and ice on my forehead. I heard them mention about getting ready for a transfusion. I was so sick that it didn't click what they meant. They kept saying about measuring the amount of blood and then I saw the big jug of my blood. I asked if I had lost alot and they said it was okay, it was in the normal range. What they didn't tell me is how much. Tim over heard them saying it was 700ml. The normal range is between 400-700ml. Tim then sat down next to me holding our son and I can remember the tears in his eyes. It was such a beautiful moment for him. He got to hold our son for the first hour of his life. All I wanted to do was hold him. I couldn't even touch him cause I had so much wires and monitors around my arms. The next thing I knew is they were packing up, taking the screens down and people were leaving. I had passed out.

Wednesday 2:00am-3:00am

I was shifted back onto my previous bed and moved into recovery. I was asked if I wanted to hold my son, of course I said 'YES PLEASE'. As soon as he was in my arms I started crying, I couldn't believe I was finally holding my son! We had skin-to-skin and I tried to feed but he wouldn't latch on (we found out later on that he couldn't suck because he was tongue tied). He used my breast as pillow and just fell asleep on me. I held him for about an hour and was pushed into the maternity ward into a room that I would spend the next few days in. On the way to the room I was pushed passed my parents. I was so captivated by my son that I didn't take much notice of anything else around me. I had become a mummy!