Mum Stories - clubNUTRICIA

Horror Birth.... Beautiful Baby

Date written 20/07/2010 07:25:37

Sunday night, 8 days after my due date contractions start. They are only mild but we decide to go to the hospital as its 35min away and they are getting closer together.

Two days later and my waters are broken and its time to push!! I'm already exhuasted and after 4 HOURS OF PUSHING doctors and midwives explain that babys head is turned to the side and caught in my pelvis just shy of crowning and will not come threw. So Im prepped for an emergency caesarian. After being told that the c section would only take about 20min but after over 40 min I question the nurse and she says that due to baby being so low its difficult to get her out.

She is finally out and is a happy and healthy 9lb baby. My partner and I cry tears of relief as she is handed to us, but before long hubby and baby are off to the ward and I am left to be put back together. This process took another hour and a half due to complications. I Heamoraged and lost over two litres of blood!
ultrasounds are used to find veins as they are so small due to the blood loss. I have two blood transfusions and two plasma but after all is said and done I have a beautiful baby girl who I will treasure forever and I would do it all over again tomorow!!

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YuckyMummy

My birth story

Date written 28/05/2010 11:49:01

I wrote this story on my boy's 3rd birthday (he is now 6) but i think it is still relevant as it tells the story of his birth:

Every birthday that your child celebrates is as much of a milestone for you as it is for them, especially in the early years.
Today marks three years since my boy entered the world and I find my mind keeps drifting back to that cold and windy day in August 2003 when he came into the world.
He was due on August 7. That day came and went. It was clear he was very comfortable where he was and had no intention of vacating of his own volition.
However, his heartbeat was normal, as regular ultrasounds showed, so we simply waited.
After a week or so my gynaecologist booked me in for an induction on the Saturday (August 16). I had hoped that I would go into labour naturally before then but that didn’t happen.
So full of expectation my husband and I headed off to the hospital on the Saturday afternoon – only to be sent back home that night due to an influx of ‘urgent cases’! We had to phone everyone, not with our big news, but with the fact that we were back home again. They hoped to be able to admit me the following day but they weren’t sure. To say that we were in limbo was an understatement. With nothing else to do but wait by the phone for a call to go in, my husband decided to wash the windows!
Eventually we got a call at about 3pm the following day (Sunday) to say we could come back to the hospital. Hooray! Finally there was room at the inn.
First they applied gel to my cervix, which is the gentlest way to edge labour along. But my son wasn’t going to fall for that old trick. It did little.
A second application of gel didn’t do much either than make me feel a bit bloated.
The following morning (Monday), after a very uncomfortable night for my husband on the lounge of the birthing suite, the midwives inserted a drip in my arm, containing labour-inducing hormones. This finally had some effect and I was a whole 1cm dilated!!!!
At some stage – perhaps before the drip, or perhaps after, I can’t recall – my gyno popped in and broke my waters with a very sinister looking hook (I still have it for use in case of home invasion etc).
I had been told that having my waters broken manually was very painful but I didn’t feel anything. Mind you it was more difficult to do that I thought. Everything (amniotic sac and baby included) seemed to be around towards my back rather than my pelvis at the front so the doctor seemed to have to use some interesting arm manoeuvre to reach it (enough said…).
With the drip it was just a matter of time before I went into full-blown labour.
The funny (not funny ha ha) thing about labour – and I have discussed this with many first-time Mums since – is that you don’t really know you’re in it.
There’s this strange pain, that can seem quite minor at first, somewhat akin to period pain. It can often take a midwife to tell you you’re actually in labour.
The pain began to get worse and I had this idea that you should try to get through without drugs. Why is that? It’s not like I refuse the needle at the dentists or reject Panadol if I have a headache.
I knew I definitely didn’t want Pethidine but I was more open to an epidural. The fact that you are basically bed-ridden after you have the epidural was putting me off. I suppose I thought that leaping around the room might help!
So I soldiered on for a few more hours using my own form of hydrotherapy as relief. Every time I got a contraction I used a water jet in the bath on my stomach as a kind of distraction from the pain.
Eventually I came to the question: why am I enduring this in pain, when I don’t have to? So the midwife was dispatched to get the anaesthetist to administer the epidural through my spine (eeeww…)
The rest of that day was passed in relative comfort. There are photos of me propped up in bed, laughing at the jokes made by my husband and my Mum, who by this time had turned up to lend her support.
Finally (there are a lot of finallys and eventuallys in this tale) in the early evening the midwives declared I was fully dilated and ready to push. How long will it take, I asked. No more than an hour, they promised (fibbers!!)
At this point they reduced the amount of drugs going in via the epidural so that some feeling would return to my lower body and I would be able to feel the contractions, which would help me know when to push.
If ever a midwife tells you this is what he/she is going to do, say no!!!!!!!!!!
Several other mothers with epidurals have told me that at this point they could barely feel contractions and had only a little pain (though a lot of exhaustion) in pushing the baby out.
What followed for me was a very different story. As soon as they ‘fiddled’ with the epidural I began to experience the most horrendous pain and every push (they made me do three in between every contraction) was like trying to pick up the back end of a car. I had horrible nausea as well, constantly feeling like I was about to throw up but never actually doing it (it probably would have been better if I had).
I think I started pushing at about 8.40pm and I was totally fixated on the clock that was directly in front of me on the wall. 9.40pm came and went.
By this stage my husband was flagging too and I have more vivid memories of my mother who was sponging my face (I had already ripped off all my clothes due to feeling like I was in the middle of the Sahara – try doing that when you’ve got a drip in your spine and one in your arm – the image is funny in retrospect – everything gets tangled around everything) and holding a bowl for me in case of puking.
My son finally entered the world at approximately 10.30pm, assisted by forceps and an episiotomy. (When I asked the doctor later how many stitches later he said he didn’t really count them!)
They plopped him on my chest and the first thing I remember thinking was “he looks like a rugby player”, whatever that means. He was bright red and blotchy and he looked like he’d had a really hard day but he also looked healthy and feisty. Almost immediately they put him onto the breast, there beginning weeks of another kind of pain but that is another story.
I thought all the difficult stuff was over but unfortunately it was just beginning. We found out that my placenta had ‘abnormally adhered’ to my uterus, which meant that instead of coming out in a nice big liver-like piece it had to be physically removed piecemeal (sorry to gross you out) resulting in the loss of horrendous amounts of blood. (My husband still likes to tell people that the plush, apricot-coloured birth suite looked like Slaughterhouse-Five).
After what I had been through I desperately wanted anyone and anything away from that whole area of my anatomy (for about a year) but the prodding continued for some time.
It was a surreal experience. In the background I remember hearing them weigh my son on the scales outside. He was 4.44 kg or 9 pounds, 14 ounces in the old scale.
“Thank God for that,” I thought. “If he had been a small one I might have had to kill myself.”
After some time the doctor gave up on his placenta fishing expedition and said I would have to be monitored in case placenta remained (it took day-surgery six weeks later to get rid of the last little sucker. As an aside, they believe this problem was due to an earlier miscarriage followed by a curette followed by pregnancy possibly too soon after).
The midwives came in to clean me up – poor women. It must be akin to being ‘the cleaner’ when the cops have finished with a crime scene. They should have just got several buckets of soapy water and thrown them at me.
Sometime around midnight I was taken up to the labour ward and my husband saw my son off into the nursery.
So there I was in the middle of the night, after this traumatic and amazing experience, totally alone in this pitch black room, and I was supposed to sleep.
My mind was racing and then I proceeded to faint. I buzzed the midwife and she came in and gave me oxygen, which seemed to stabilise me. (Ultimately the only thing that would fix me up was a four-unit blood transfusion a few days later as my haemoglobin level continued to drop.)
So that is my birth story. Recounted exactly three years later, off the top of my head. While some details are fuzzy you can see I remember so much.
For the first 12-18 months I had a wonderfully placid baby who did most things by the book.
Now I have a three-year-old who argues about every single thing with me – even the fact that he is turning 3 today (he claims he is 4 or 6, depending on his mood).
And although my husband and I could do without the arguments, the tantrums and the throwing every time he doesn’t get his way, we wouldn’t change any of it.
Happy birthday my boy.

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~Sally~

Premature Birth - Born at 30+1 weeks

Date written 29/08/2009 08:58:33

I do apologise for the length as I've written some history on the pregnancy, the labour, the birth and also the NICU journey.

At 20, I had the world at my feet. My Fianc_ and I both had strong jobs and were looking at buying our first home. It was 4:30 am when I discovered I was pregnant, (I worked at Coles in the bakery). We were both very excited!
I had Morning sickness all day, but still battled along in my job. At 16wks I had severe bleeding and was taken to hospital. Being a country hospital I had to wait around an hour or so for the Dr to arrive. When he arrived he had a feel of my tummy and told me I was miscarrying. I was heartbroken. I was only kept in overnight, they were all 99% sure I was going to lose my little bub. I saw my Dr the following day, but had to wait a week for an ultrasound to find out if my little bub had survived. It was the worst week of my life. I had already taken leave from my job, not wanting to risk anything. When they did the ultrasound I saw my little bub, he was ok! I had bled from around the placenta, but it appeared to still be intact and healthy. I was on bed rest from then on. At around 20 wks my fianc_ got another job about 4-5 hrs away, we were staying at his Nana's.
In Jan 07 we moved to a very small town, Marvel Loch a farming/mining town approximately 30 kms south of Southern Cross WA. I stayed with my mum, not wanting to disrupt the pregnancy; I was determined to carry my baby. I was having ultrasounds every 2-3 weeks to make sure everything was going ok. At 24 wks I had finally stopped passing blood. I thought I was safe.

At 28wks my waters broke (PPROM, Preterm- PreLabour Rupture of Membranes) there was no warning. I felt ok, but starting feeling sick inside, it was way too early! My mum lives out of town and rang my hospital, they told me to go straight to King Edward Memorial Hospital. My mum drove me the 2 hrs into Perth. The next few hours were a blur, I had drips and blood tests and strapped to the ECG. At around 11:30 pm I was admitted onto the ward. I was given steroids and other drugs to stop my labour. I didn't really sleep much that night. My mum had slept in her car as she couldn't get a room for the night. I had an ultrasound the following day, showing a small 1108 Gms (2lb 7oz).

The next few days passed slowly, my mum was always there she didn't go home for anything. The nurses showed me the NICU, which was scary seeing all the tiny babies. The nurse pointed out, through the window, a baby that had been born at 28 wks. I felt a little bit more prepared for what was going to happen. For the next week and a bit I had seen the inside of the labour ward 3 times with false alarms. On the 24th of Feb I woke up with contractions happening around every 3-4 mins once again it was a trip down to the labour ward. It was going to be a long day. Closer to giving birth it was discovered I had Chorioamnionitis (An infection of the Uterus Lining) I had given my bub an infection also.

Once he started to crown it was over with just 2 pushes. Well, the labour is over and my small bundle entered into the world at 3:15am on Sunday, 25th Febuary 2007 weighing just 1545gms (3lb 6oz). The first 5-10 mins after birth were the scariest of my life. I saw him be born and watched as the cord was unwrapped from around his neck and then be cut, I then watched as a neonatologist and NICU nurse rescusitated my son. He was born with an extremely low heartbeat and he wasn't breathing. The whole room was silent as they were counting compressions to get his heart beating, Brendan was given a shot of adrenaline to help. He was ventilated, then stabilised. 15 mins after birth I was shown my son. He was wrapped in bubble wrap and blankets, I was so relieved that I finally met him and he was alive, although not breathing himself... he was alive. He was then whisked away and taken to the NICU.

Day 1, after having a nap, I am wheeled down to the NICU and wheeled up to a plastic box (humidicrib). By this time Brendan is 8-9 hours old, just started on CPAP and under Phototherapy lights for Jaundice. Inside the box is a scrawny pink thing, hooked up to wires and machines, there's beeping everywhere and I can't see much of what is my baby. I am crying, not knowing what to think and just wanting to cuddle him. I could only stay for a few mins before becoming overwhelmed.

The first few days after Brendan's birth was a blur, I had to come to terms with the fact that my little boy was going to be here a while. I also had to learn how to express my milk and live away from all my friends and family. I stayed in accomodation next to the hospital, as I lived 4-5hrs away. The accomodation was basic, the room was no bigger than the average bathroom, containing a bed, desk and a built in cupboard. We shared a kitchen and a bathroom/toilet. I tried to make it has "homely" as possible, but there wasn't much point, I only slept there. I ate most of my meals in the parent lounge in the SCN and spent all my time next to Brendan's humidicrib. I remember coming in on day 3 to visit Brendan only to find he had gone, his humidicrib wasn't there anymore. I was devestated, what had happened whilst I was asleep? Had he died, what had happened, where is he?. thousands of questions are buzzing through my head, I finally get noticed by a nurse. But she can't find my baby either, the floodgates open, she was asking other nurses and no-one knew what was going on. Had they lost my baby, and how?? I was told to go and ask the co-ordinator of SCN2 , there I was pointed in the direction of my little boy. He had improved and been moved to the next level of care. A huge relief!

It seemed Brendan was doing really well, being in the SCN level 2 I was able to stay with him longer, change nappies and start being somewhat, a mum. I was so happy that my little boy was doing so well. On day 5 I did my first nappy change! On day 6 was my very first cuddle. I thought that we had seen the last of the NICU. This was to change and quickly, on day 9 Brendan contracted two infections and was back onto another round of anti-biotics. Day 10 early morning, I receive a phone call from the co-ordinator of SCN2. Brendan had "given up" he'd stopped breathing and had to be rescusitated and was back in the NICU. I think this was the quickest trip I ever did from being asleep in my room and getting into the NICU. He was on CPAP again. I was devastated, he had been doing so well, progressing nicely and then we were back to square 1. After a little over a day in NICU (SCN level 3) Brendan was moved in level 3B. I was overjoyed that he was better and off of the CPAP. I was even happier that after less than 12 hrs in 3B he was moved into SCN level 2A. Hurray! I was so happy that Brendan was back in 2A, I began to feel a little more like his mum, rather than just a milk machine. The nurses were nicer and I was able to cuddle Brendan more often, sometimes once a day!!!

I wasn't as stressed anymore, knowing that Brendan was doing well I was able to sleep a little better at night. On day 16 Brendan was moved into SCN level 2B, WOOHOO! Although this move was good, as Brendan was doing so well. It was very hard on me, I sat and watched as babies came and went. Some babies only spending 4-5 hours in the SCN, it is very good for them, but hard for me as we'd been there nearly 3 weeks and still had quite a journey to go. On day 18, Brendan had been holding his temperature well for a few days now and was transfered to an open perspex cot! I was delighted. I even spent the night of day 20 away from the hospital, my fiance came down for a visit and took me to his parents. I didn't sleep well that night though, I was upset and depressed. It is so hard to walk away and leave my son in the SCN, and even harder to spend the night away from him. I cuddled him before leaving.

When I returned on day 21, Brendan had been moved to an extended section of SCN 2b, Satellite Nursery. I arrived there to be told that only 30mins prior to me arriving they had to rescusitate Brendan. I was a complete mess, I had only spent one night away from him and I almost lost him. Within minutes of me arriving Brendan was being moved back down stairs to SCN 2b. Once I got my cot space down there, I immediatly cuddled him. I noticed that his little shirt seemed a bit tight so I undid the button to find that he had a very red ring around his neck. After speaking to the nurse looking after him, we both came to the conclusion that the shirt had put too much pressure on Brendan's neck and airways. From then on I was in control of dressing him. I went down to Target with my mum and we bought some more 5x0 outfits for him to be dressed in. On day 22 Brendan got his first bath. Before his bath we got his hand and foot prints done. I was delighted as I watched the nurse from the SCN give my little bundle a bath.

Day 23, It's been just over 3 weeks since Brendan was born and I have been away from home for 6 weeks. I was upset and depressed, I missed my fiance terribly even though he visited every weekend. I was depressed and really upset. I went home to Marvel Loch for a few days. It was extremely hard the first day and I rang the hospital whenever I felt uneasy. While at home I got my nursery a little more set up. After a few days of being at home, I headed back to the hospital. I was more relaxed and very happy to be back with Brendan. The next few days were easier, I was happier and felt better in myself. On day 28 I gave Brendan a bath. Day 29 Brendan was moved back up to the satellite nursery. I was relieved and glad to be going up there. Brendan was 1 of only 2-3 babies being monitored. It was much quieter here and far more relaxed too. Brendan still made music with his monitor and I was edgy every time his monitor would go off.

Day 38 is an excellent day for me. Brendan's Nasal-Gastric tube is removed!!! Brendan is now on all suck feeds. The next few days were frusterating. Brendan was on all suck feeds and was gaining weight, but we weren't allowed to go home as he was still on the monitor and still desaturating. I knew that he was so close to going home and I kept getting excited every time the drs came round. Excited and then deflated as the days were still passing and Brendan was still monitored. On the afternoon of day 40 one of the drs came around and was looking at Brendans chart, she asked to get the montior taken off! Brendan still had to stay for at least another 24 hrs to make sure that he would be ok. I was so excited, we are so close to going home!! Morning of day 42, the dr did his rounds and did the discharge check for Brendan. Brendan passed and we were able to go home! Brendan was 5 weeks 6 days old and weighed 2190gms when he was discharged, my fiance picked us up from the hospital just before midday. I finally had my baby and was heading home.

Thank you for taking the time to read Brendan's Journey.

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LisaCallaway

Twin Boys Come 13 weeks Early

Date written 04/02/2010 15:43:50

Hi I'm Lisa and my boys were 13 weeks early.

It all started on the 2nd of April 2009 my brother was over that night by 7pm and we were doing my final fitting for my wedding dress. My wedding was set for the 4th of April 2009. That night as i was trying on the dress and Robert was fitting the dress I had a very bad dizzy spell. He caught my arm before i could fall and sat me on my bed.
He went down stairs to get me a glass of cold water and made sure that I didnt need to go to the hospital and by then the dizzy spell had passed so I told him that I would be fine.
By 10pm he had to leave as I was exhausted after working a 8hr day and all the fittings were done and he wanted to get home and have a good sleep to finish the dress by the 4th. I said night to my husband to be and went to bed.
By midnight I was busting to go to the bathroom so i got up and went. After that first time I then started getting contractions that were a minute long and 3 mins apart. I didnt know at the time that they were contractions until I started to bleed and I knew something wasnt right. So i had contractions for an hour with no idea that they were contractions as it was my first pregnacy and we hadnt covered that in the baby classes yet.
By the time I got to the hospital my contractions were still the same only intensifying. By the time the midwives got me into a room it was 1.45am on the 3rd and I was already 6cm dialated.
It was the most terrifying time of my life cause my boys were only 27 weeks and i was scared of them being born so early. Plus I was also freaking out cause of my wedding was the 4th.
I kept telling the girls that they cant come now its too early and im getting married. They thought i was making up getting married until my partner kept saying its not the gas talking its the truth.
So with my contractions still consistant and caleb was coming closer to being born they kept trying to put the birth of for as long as they could. They told my partner to call who i wanted at the hospital as these boys were coming today so he started calling my family and his. My mum thought it was a joke until she heard my labour screams in the background and so did the rest of the family.
By the time he did that and they knew the gas wasnt helping they gave me the epidural that i originally wanted. It relaxed me a little.
By the time it got to 8.30am my boys were way ready to be born. The change over was at that time so they couldnt break my waters till change over in the ICN was complete. They ultrasound my and saw caleb was in the perfect postion. By the time change over was complete my little man decided to put his hand above his head so that i had to go in for and emergency c.
Once in the theatre i had my partner with me and i was so worried about my babies I started to panic. The doctors were a fantastic group. Once both boys were out they took them too Nicu and i didnt get to see them.
By the time it was 10am i was still asking to see my babies and they kept telling me soon. By 1pm i got to see Jacob but only for a min it was so hard seeing a tiny little life in a humdicrib and only being able to touch his tiny little hand for a few seconds. I didnt get to see Caleb.
I went to the room and waited for my family to come see me. It was so hard to have my babies in the world and i couldnt be with them. I didnt get to see them until the 4th of April at 3.30pm.
The morning of the 4th I still got married although it was at the hospital in the chapel. I was proud to still be marrying the man i loved and who fathered my children. After my wedding we went up to see my little men.
That was so hard cause I couldnt pick them up and nurse them. It was so tough to cope. Seeing how tiny they were and knowing that every breath for them was a struggle.
They spent 13weeks in hospital until they were full term. The good news is that they are healthy and hope now and are now 10mths =D

It was a life changing experience but a good one. All the doctors and nurses and they Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital were fantastic and I apperciate everything they did for my little men.

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stacey3

My Girls

Date written 28/12/2009 10:43:19

Hi to all,

I have 2 beautiful girls and am now pregnant with my 3rd! Yep thats right 3 girls.........OH WOW!!!!

This is the stories of my 1st 2 Labours.

CEW: Thursday 30th Jan 2003 (1 day late according to my dates)
CEW was born on the hottest Jan day on record for the last 100 yrs. It was a 49.5c day. I went into labour at a family friends house around 4pm. I left if for a little bit as I had had Braxton Hicks on the previous sunday so I thought maybe this was the same. When we left the friends house, my mum was with me, we were on our way home and got to a roundabout that if i turned one way I would go home or I would turn the other way to the hospital. I told mum to turn the way to the hospital and LUCKY i did.
When we got to the hospital, I got the monitors put on at 5:28pm, had an internal and was moved to a delivery suite. 3 hrs (exactly) and a shot of Pethadine and Maxilon later the baby was here!!!! I dont really remember the birth as I was high as a kite and everything was a blur. I only know wat my Parents told me.
I had my Mother, Father and the Father of the baby in the room with me.

CAW: Thursday 24th July 2008 (1 day late according to my dates)
CAW was once again a FAST labour. Well what I call labour (from waters breaking). I had my first pain at 1pm on Wednesday and thought that it was all good so i went abt my business. I had to pick my oldest daughter up from school and cook dinner etc. When my hubby got home I told him that I was in labour and that he had to eat dinner and then have a shower and take me to the hospital. We got to the hospital around 7pm Wednesday and I had an internal. I was told that I was 2cm dialated and to go home, so we did. Around 11pm I told my husband that I needed to go back to the hospital as the contractions were getting closer (i had been timing them since i got home). So back we went. This time I was 5cm dialated and was kept in. LABOUR STOPPED!!!! GRRR!!!! I was put into a room and I fell asleep and hubby got a chair to sleep on. At abt 4am I couldnt stay asleep any longer (still no Labour) so i walked the halls of the Delivery Suite. I put my hubby in the bed and told him to stay there. By 7am I knew every crack in the wall, every blemish on the floor of the Delivery Suite. I was still NOT in Labour. When hubby woke up, abt 830am, I asked the nurse if I could go down and have some breakfast in the cafe and we did. Abt 10am I started to get pains again so I went back up to Delivery and told the nurse. She gave me panadol (i refused all drugs, I wanted to remember this labour/birth). At 1130am, my water popped a little. I told the nurse and she said ok go have a shower and we will move u to a delivery bed. At 12 noon, When I got out of the shower (clean EVERYTHING on) my water just BURST with a massive gush!!!!! Drug free and 44 minutes later CAW was born!

I encourage any dad's that are reading this to be fully hands on in the delivery (if u can, just ask the nurse/dr). My Husband pulled CAW out from the shoulders. The nurse just got her head clear and then it was ALL up to hubby. He said it was the mose rewarding experience that he had ever had. Obviously he had to put gloves and be sterilised etc.

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Mums' Stories

Horror Birth.... Beautiful Baby

My birth story

Premature Birth - Born at 30+1 weeks

Twin Boys Come 13 weeks Early

My Girls

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