Noah is born

Monday 20th April Woke at 5am with another large bleed. CTG showed baby was happy and I was contracting every 5 minutes. Was told to lie down till the eased off. Monitor was taken off and I was able to have a sleep. Monday Avro contractions were more solid still not showing much on CTG but were regular and painful. At 11pm the midwife suggested we go to sleep but I said no I was in too much pain and if I was in labor I wanted to be alert. She offered pethadine so I could sleep I refused and also refused my normal meds.

Tuesday 21st April At midnight I cried to Aaron saying I wanted to go home. I thought I was in labor but if I wasn’t then I was going home as I couldn’t bear to be in there anymore where I was treated like a psych patient and not listened too and just offered drugs all the time. The midwife came in and insisted I go to sleep. I asked to speak to the doctor about going home and I would be happy to sign a waver form as I had had enough! At 3am I went to the toilet AGAIN with pressure. I felt inside and could feel my waters bulging out my cervix so I knew something was happening. As I tried to do a poo my fore waters burst and fluid went everywhere. Instantly the pressure was gone and the pain eased off. I called the midwife and stated what happened. She asked me to lie back down and put the CTG back on. She was not sure if I had broken my waters so I asked her to look and I pushed fluid went all over the bed and didn’t stop. The midwife kept the monitor on and called the doctor. The CTG showed the baby was very happy and I was contracting every 7 minutes. The pain was bad and really low in my back. The midwife gave me some gas 50/50 and asked me to chew the plastic and focus on the breathing during each contraction. I got Aaron to rub my back hard during each contraction. He was my lifeline in being so uncomfortable he made me so much better. The doctor came in and did a speculum and said she could see my cervix and it was closed but lots of fluid still coming out. Which I could feel as the bed was soaked. I asked Dr Kathy to please do an internal as I know my cervix is not normal and might be more open than she could see. She agreed and found I was 4-5cm dilated and baby head was pushing right against it. She thanked me for explaining my issue and stated baby would be here really soon. The midwife organized a pediatrician to come to the birth. Aaron rang Jane our student and told her it was time. I called Heidi to come as I needed to go to the toilet she said it was the baby head and I wasn’t allowed to go as too much risk of him being born in the loo I asked for pan and did a huge wee. She was shocked I really did need to go. The contractions kept at 7 minutes apart and very painful in the lower pelvis and back. I couldn’t get comfortable and Aaron rubbing was the only thing that helped. I used the gas mouth piece to regulate my breathing and focused on breathing the baby down and things I had read in hypno birthing. Between contractions I could talk and joke and reposition (as best as possible with the monitor on) during a contraction I could feel the head move down into my pelvis I called Heidi (midwife) to come now as I could feel the pressure she came over and had a look as I felt my body pushing down. I yelled out he was coming and I was sorry it wouldn’t stop. I relaxed into the pressure and his head came out. I could hear a little squeak from him. Heidi was trying to hold back the head and telling Jane to ring the bell NOW. Another midwife came in straight away then rang out to get the pediatrician in. I just relaxed and the baby slid out before anyone was there.

Noah was born at 4:00am on 21/ 4/ 09. Heidi lifted him up so we could see him and he peed all over me. Then the paed arrived and took him over to the resuss table to get him breathing. Heidi took some bloods from the cord and within seconds I could feel the placenta coming out. Heidi was not ready and it popped out onto the bed. Aaron and I were able to watch them work on Noah they were giving him oxygen and wrapping him up in layers and layers of warm blankets. I heard another squeak which made me feel so good he had air in his lungs. The paed let me hold him for 2 minutes with the mask on his face to help him breath. After 2 min they took him down to NICU. Aaron decided to stay with me and we cuddled. I had a shower with Aarons help then went down to the NICU to see him. He was in an incubator with CPAP helping him breath. He didn’t need any O2 and was breathing air quite comfortably. They had put in a jelco for some antibiotics. We were allowed to put our hands on him and ask heaps and heaps of questions. After an hour we head back to our new room in post natal. I had a break down and felt really really sad and scared. I was given my meds and had a sleep and woke much better. In the afternoon Noah was doing really well. He was taken off the CPAP and didn’t need any other help at all with breathing. A Naso gastric tube was put in and he was having a small amount of TPN and glucose to help him get strong. He was doing so well the staff were over the moon at how strong he was for 30 weeker. We had no visitors as we were so tired and slept lots during the day

THERE IS A BABY COMING

Friday 17th Woke up at 3am with contractions and a big bleed. Rang midwife at 8am to let her know who said to come into hospital for a check up. On arrival they did a CTG to find I was contracting 3 minutes apart and relatively strong. After an hour they did an internal to find that I was dilating and my cervix was ripe. I was 2cm dilated and baby was fully engaged. Instantly they put in a jelco and put in anti biotic and gave me oral meds to stop the contractions. I was transferred to labor ward where I was administered steroids incase the baby came to help his lungs. Within 30 minutes I was transferred by ambulance to WCH in the city. There I was put into women’s assessment where they did another internal and stated my waters had not broken. I was then labor ward and give meds 3 hourly to stop the contractions.

Saturday 18th April Contractions had mainly stopped and discussion was I could go home however a blood test had shown I had infection somewhere in my body. Another jelcco was put in and I was put on 4 hourly antibiotics and transferred down the antennal for the night. I was given another dose of steroids to finalize the course just in case. In the morning I had a large bleed and was instantly put back on CTG which showed the baby was in distress and contractions were coming slowly. I was transferred back to labor ward for monitoring. Another speculum was done and still waters were intact. I was continued on 3 hourly meds to stop the contractions and the ABS. The pediatrician came up and discussed the process of prem labour and what happens in NICU if he was to be born.

Saturday 18th April Blood test came back that the infection was stable still no idea where it was and the risk it was in my uterus. Contractions were irregular and not making me dilates. Discussion was I would be transferred back to antenatal for 2 days for monitoring to go home. That afternoon my waters broke and another speculum exam showed I was leaking but not dilating. We were given a tour of the NICU and monitored on CTG as baby was no longer in distress. All meds to stop my contracting were stopped and we were explained that from here it could either fizzle out and I could go home in 2 days with monitoring at LMHS or I would deliver. 85% chance of delivery in the 48 hours post waters breaking.

Pregnancy summary- 30 weeks+1

http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk18/team_merritt/Preg/?action=view&current=56492496.pbw

27 + 29 weeks belly pics

29 Weeks Pregnant

27 weeks Pregnant

79 days to go!

Been a weird week this week. Lost my plug on Tuesday and then I noticed my cervix was open to the point I could feel the head of the baby in the sac. I had a huge bleed the night before where the blood went through to the bed. I called up the midwife who said to go into the hospital. She also told me the swab I had had last week had found I had bacterial vaginosis and I needed antibiotics urgently. SO I went to the hospital and After being on the CTG machine for a hour they found I was contracting every 5 minutes but they were weak and not painful just really uncomfortable. They were horrid at the hospital wouldn’t believe me that it was contracting nor that the pressure was horrid. In the end the doctor came and did a speculum exam only to find they couldn’t see anything. I had told them it was a waste of time and do an internal. He wouldn’t he said it would aggravate my cervix YET they wanted me to put my pessary back in. In the end another doctor came who did a dodgy check and said she would admit me over night to check and then have a cervical scan in the morning. I decided to discharge myself if I wasn’t in prem labor like then I wasn’t staying I would rather go home and sleep in my bed and watch it there. They refused to give me any antibiotics for the infection as they wanted their own swab. So we went home at 3am. Next day I checked my cervix and I had something hanging out. It wasn’t pulsing so I knew it wasn’t my cord but I was worried. So I called Katie who said to come up and get checked by her. I was back on the CTG contractions were still 5 minutes apart and not getting stronger. Katie said the irrigation was due to the infection to take a huge amount of ABS. The rest of the day I rested up and within 24 hours the pain had eased off dramatically. My cervix was still very open and bleeding but same as always.

Found a great site on my uterus condition though called a IU Irritable Uterus. http://www.irritable-uterus.com/default.asp

I saw Belinda today and stated how I was feeling better mentally although very up and down and erratic so much better and able to do so much more and sleep so much less. Was discussed if I give birth early I would need to still see her and probably even have my post natal stay at LMHS even if the baby wasn’t with me. I was upset by that but I know she knows me and my symptoms. So will cross that bridge if it comes