Safe delivery

Baby girl came 12 days after her expected date of delivery.
I was 41+5. From just over 39 weeks I had a series of sweeps to try to encourage her to come out. But like my health workers said "She was just too comfortable"

I was to be induced on the Thursday. I had a bleed on the Tuesday and I was kept in hospital. My labour began in the early hours of Wednesday and by morning, I was contracting every 5 minutes.

The labour went on all day. I thought 'What is this?' It was a kind of pain I cannot describe. I had paracetamol to 'help' lol. By evening time I was ready for this baby to pop out but I was only 3cm dilated. You've got to be kidding me!

All this while I had been in the antenatal ward. One of the midwives decided I should go to the labour ward. I could hardly walk. I was given Diamorphine and It took the pain away. I had some Pizza and I was chilled. But then opiates and my body don't always agree so I threw up. The pain returned after about 2 hours. I was offered gas and air (big joke if you ask me). Once my labour had progressed some more I had the epidural and that I tell you is a wonder drug. I slept. I went from 5cms to 10cms with NO PAIN. I was balling!

epidural selfie

10cms dilated and my midwives were confident that baby would be out in 1 hour. I pushed for one hour but no baby.
The night shift gave way to the day shift. I really wanted these guys to deliver my baby as we had all really bonded.
A doctor examined me. My baby was lying back to back. They took me into the theatre and tried to turn her but she would not turn completely.

I had a C-section. My daughter came out looking so beautiful and peaceful with so much hair! She was just perfect. Beautiful moment for my husband and I. We had not checked the gender while I was pregnant so it was such a pleasant surprise that she was a girl.

I have friends that have had C-sections so in my mind I thought we would be out of here in no time. I started feeling cold. I was shaking. I was thirsty. I could not explain what was happening but something was wrong.

They gave me drops of water, I wanted more. I had never felt this thirsty before. I had to be given a general anesthetic as this operation was taking longer than planned. It took 5 hours.

Apparently, each time they sewed me up I would bleed again. I lost 2.5 Litres of blood. Eventually they sewed me up, put some surge cell to mop up the blood and also put a bag to drain any excess blood.

In Recovery...

All this while I was asleep. I went to recovery. I was in the high dependency ward.  I could not really understand all that had happened. I had a baby, my husband, mum and brother were there. Every thing was okay. Later I was made to understand that during my operation, one of my muscles was wrongly cut. To sue or not to sue? I will write more on this in another post.

Being in the hospital was frustrating. I was there for 18 days in total. I kept having temperature spikes and was on antibiotics. My daughter had to have antibiotics too via a canula fitted on her tiny left hand. It wasn't a pretty sight. The medical team could not find what was causing the temperature spike. I had all sorts of tests, I was barrier nursed at some point. I had x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, so many blood tests. My mom joked that by the time we were leaving hospital, the medical team would have taken out as much blood from me as they had transfused after the operation.

I was discharged when my daughter was almost three weeks old. As I write, I don't feel as upset as I did back then. I am just so thankful to be alive and in good health and have a daughter who is equally well. I am thankful for all my family and friends that prayed for us.

I have heard various birth stories. In my opinion safe delivery is not only when there are no complications. A safe delivery is when mummy goes in and comes out with baby. I am so thankful to God for a safe delivery.

Celebrate your delivery story, It's YOURS! Its the story that brought you that precious priceless gift you call child. It may not have happened the way you planned or imagined.

Be Thankful in all circumstances... 1 Thessalonians 5:18.