My beautiful daughter Cadence is 2 weeks and 1 day old today. She is a happy, healthy little girl, but she gave me a fight for my life after making her appearance. My birth story may be a little traumatizing to anyone having an induction and/or c-section, so just remember that every body and every story will be different!

I was due Nov 22 and had a failed membrane sweep on Nov 24, then another one on Dec 1. I started contracting on and off on Dec 2 from around 1:30am to 5am, then it mostly petered out, which was so disappointing. I had an induction scheduled that afternoon and wanted so badly to labour naturally before then. I was so scared to be induced because I didn't want to have a c-section, and knew in my heart that I would end up that way if I was induced.

I went in to have Cervadil at 2pm and started to contract again on our way home. I accidentally pulled the Cervadil out a couple hours later during a contraction when I was in the washroom, then heavier contractions started not long after that. I was contracting every 2.5 minutes for about an hour, so we went back to the hospital at 7pm. Although I was only 3cm dilated and my cervix was still high when I arrived, I got a curtained bed right away. I had the worst pain of my life for the next 3 hours while my mom and partner guided me through my contractions. I eventually got a temporary room so I could use the gas to relieve some pain, then I was moved up to the labour room a little while later.

I wasn't progressing at all, so I was given an epidural, had my membranes ruptured (grossest feeling in the world!) and put on oxytocin for a few hours. By the early morning on Dec 3 I had only progressed to 4cm and my cervix was still high. Baby wasn't descending, her heart rate was escalating, and I was developing an infection. I was told I was going to need a c-section and I had a massive breakdown because I was so scared. Everything was going the exact opposite way I wanted it to.

They moved me to the operating room and I couldn't calm down. I was panicking and crying, and my arms were shaking so bad I couldn't keep them down. My partner was so strong for me, and tried his best to keep me calm, but I couldn't relax and had to be given sedatives. Literally minutes later I hear the surgeon ask my partner if he'd like to announce the baby and he peeks over and says, "It's a girl!" I had no idea they had even started, and moments later she was on my chest! It was so amazing. I made her and there she was. My beautiful, perfect baby girl.

My arms started getting weak, achy, and began shaking again, so they removed her from me. I started to vomit and one of the doctors tried to shove a tube down my throat, but I pulled it out (I swear I heard him huff at me before he turned away). I remember looking at my partner and he was crying, and he told me that he was going to marry me. The last thing I heard was two doctors discussing a hysterectomy and then it went dark.

When I woke up I was by myself and I called out for my baby and my partner. The doctor said my baby was perfectly healthy and brang my partner in. I have never seen him so distraught and happy at the same time, I was so confused. As far as I knew I just had a baby and all was well (even though that hysterectomy comment was unnerving). I learned that I had uterine atony, where the uterus stays flaccid and doesn't contract to seal off the blood vessels. I was hemorrhaging but they stopped it and encouraged the contractions by, and I quote, "binding the uterus like a roast" and placing a balloon catheter inside. By the time all was said and done I was given six bags of blood. The OB told me I nearly lost my life and was going to be transported to another hospital.  Thankfully the hospital staff managed to get everything under control, and not only was I ok, but they saved my uterus.

Healing has been difficult, but I have had amazing support from my partner and mother. I have boughts of depression from time to time, but I'm slowly accepting the circumstances of the birth. I have a healthy baby and that's what matters.

Thank you to the amazing staff at BC Women's for all of their hard work in keeping me here to raise my daughter. ❤