I had an interesting experience in my labour and it keeps coming back to haunt me. So much so that there's no way I'm doing it all over again! (she says as the proud mother of a 5 month old girl).
Ok, here we go. After a disaster of a Baby Shower (another story), I went home with a few members of my family. An hour later they all left and my husband was at a Buck's night (Saturday). So I settled in with my new book to read enjoying a few moments peace. I was due in 5 weeks time so had plenty of time to get stuff organised or so I thought...
An hour later I got some pains. I was wondering whether all that sweet stuff at the baby shower wasn't a good idea - perhaps one too many lamingtons for an expectant mum? But the pains got a bit worse so I called my husband at the Buck's night (well day actually - they were out playing skirmish). I got his brother on the phone and tried not to sound like I may have been in labour (as far as I was concerned it was no one's business and I wasn't sure yet anyway). So the two boys came to our place and the pains continued. They slowed down a bit so I decided I was fine. My brother-in-law headed home and I went to bed.
Next morning, a pain or two but so far apart I decided in the wise manner of a woman that I was in control and we'd go out for breakfast cause "these things take ages and I'm not sitting around in a hospital".
So we go to the local pub who do a fab greasy breakfast and half way through I'm standing up leaning over the table hugging a contraction. So we decide to go. We're walking to the car, get about a third of the way there and I can barely walk so hubby runs off to get the car. I'm leaning against a wall now looking decidedly worse for wear and people are walking by - not a soul stops to see if I'm ok!
Hubby drives INTO the shopping centre, picks me up and we go straight to the hospital (which is closer than our house). We get to the hospital and the staff at the desk says "Did you phone to say you were coming?" ahhh no.. but we're here (der!). "Well you should have phoned!" So am thinking we're about to be sent home to phone to say we're coming when they decide that they'll "Check me out" like they don't believe i'm having contractions since my water hasn't broken.
Anyway, they check me out and sure enough - regular contractions. So since I'm 5 weeks early, they give me some pethidine and put me to bed. The doc says it will "either stop the labour or get it moving". Either way my contractions were regular but not strong enough to be full labout. Long story short - we're in the hospital til around 4pm still waiting to see what will happen. We've not told anyone we're at the hospital as it could be a false alarm and we're nervous - they'd just taken us through the special care unit of the hospital cause if we did pop the bub would end up in special care as a premmie.
Then the nurse comes in and says "Your mother is on the phone". We're looking at each other like "what the ??" thinking it was my mum. We were both ticked off that she had the audacity to call the hospital looking for us - turned out of course that it was the mother-in law (MIL). So now we're pretty ticked off - she called the hospital cause we weren't answering at home or our mobiles. Apparently we should be available 24 hours a day if she wants to call right?
Anyway, she calls and asks what's happening. (We find out later that when she called she was at soccer with my brothers-in-law and our group of friends who then knew what was happening too. Nice to be the one to tell people someone else's news isn't it?)
That arvo, still contracting they send hubby home and I am in a pethidine induced sleep. Wake up at 3am dreaming I'd wet the bed. Do a bed check and no - nothing. Then get up dash to the loo and just made it as my waters broke! I had been worried I'd wet the bed or floor or something! Strange the things we worry about!
Anyway, call the nurse and sure enough that bub is going to come out. So they check dilation etc and say it will be a while so try and get some sleep. Let hubby sleep for an hour or so more (though turns out he was up stressing poor thing - pehaps a take home husband pack of pethidine would have been kind) then call him with the news. Decide to call my mum (who lives an hour away) now too since the rest of the world knew the day before
Poor mum then doesn't sleep - she's my other birth partner. I wanted both my husband and mum with me which turned out to be a very good decision! you'll see...
Husband arrives at just after 6am (Monday morning) and mum around 7. The doc gets in and says yup, you're having this baby but your contractions aren't strong enough so we'll have to induce you. So bam I get a shot in the arm.
I've now had contractions since Saturday afternoon, it's monday morning and I'm tired already! The contractions start to hot up really fast after the drugs are injected. I last an hour or so then hit the gas - which for me made me a bit unresponsive and "floppy". It doesn't do much for the pain I tell you. So I last on that for another hour or so and then ask for pethidine. The pethidine is lovely and takes some of the pain away - sadly it slowed the labour again so no more for me!
Contractions are pretty nasty now - around 10.00am I ask for an Epi. The (Trainee!!) nurse goes to arrange it. And in the meantime she keeps coming in and pushing on my stomach to "see which way the baby is lying". The midwives are taking their turns prodding me and poking around in the business end. The OB drops by briefly and says you're only 3cm! So off he goes. The door is wide open and every man and his dog walking past have a good look in.
An hour later (on a monday I might add) still no aenesthetist. Pain pain pain pain! So asking again for the EPI. Am practically off the bed at this point trying to get away from the pain and still no EPI. Labour is in full swing and I am trying to get out the door!
Anyway, another hour or so go by and I'm still hanging out for the EPI when mum finally tells me what the staff aren't willing to - they can't get an aenesthetist to come in. Still no OB either - assuming they sent for him and we're told nothing of what is going on.
Labour continues for some time and no one will give me ANYTHING for the pain. I keep holding my breath for some strange reason so poor hubby is trying to tell me to breathe (al la movies!) and mum is talking sternly to me like I'm a kid again. "Breathe Merrett". And I let out a yell (well it freaking hurt) and the midwife went off at me. Apparently if you yell it takes the pressure from the downward push and let's it out your mouth to make the sound. (WHY doesn't anyone tell you this stuff BEFORE you go into labour?)
Then this blonde lady in plain clothes appears at the business end and slices me open (episiotomy - which I had specifically said no too). For one thing I've never seen this lady before in my life and for another she just sliced me open without telling/asking me! Turns out my bub was in distress (would have been nice if I was told any of this DURING labour). Then this woman starts yelling at me to push it out or she's going to have to cut it out. Charming hey. "And you are...?"
She ends up being an OB on call for another patient and wasn't keen on helping but there was no one else. Bub's head pops out and the cord is around her neck. She's all kinds of blue. So the chick yells at me some more while trying to slip the cord over bub's head (by this stage i'm sitting up and can see everythng that's happening) Bub comes out, the chick slashes the cord (um - my husband was supposed to be doing that) and they rush the bub away saying it's a girl. NICE. born 2.50pm Monday.
All came out in the end. Bub ended up in special care for 11 days and I couldn't sit down for a few weeks. To top it off:
- The aenesthetist turned up post labour and tells me that since I ordered an Epi I would be billed for it but that it was going to good use - the lady next door would get it. NICE
- The OB was not actually in consult. He came to see us that arvo - he was reading the paper waiting to be told when to come in - his receptionist apparently got her wires crossed. NICE
- The plain clothes blonde butcher is an OB that sometimes works with my OB. Thankfully the extortionate amount I paid my guy for reading the paper will cover her services. NICE
- The trainee midwife - it was her FIRST labour NICE
- The episiotomy was stiched up so tight and rough that I have a band of raised scar tissue. I couldn't sit or use the toilet without pain for months! As for anything else - well let's just say it's like having a barn door for a front door where the bottom swing gate is jammed shut. The most delicate way I can put it is - where once there was a hole - there is now a half. NICE
on the upside - Bub is now 5 months old and very content. Which is great cause she's not getting siblings to play with unless we adopt!
Australia 
Member » Merrett
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