Birth Story

As a FTM I used to love reading birth stories on this app as I found it so interesting and wondered what my birth experience would be like.. so here it is..

I was 40+4 when I had my midwife appointment where she asked me if I would like a sweep. I agreed because I was over due and wanted this baby out, I had tried everything that people tell you to do, eat hot spicy food, bounce, have sex, rl teas, etc.. nothing worked. The midwife attempted to do the sweep but I found it extremely uncomfortable so she did not manage to do it.. she had said my cervix was posterior and way far back so that was probably why therefore I was not dilated at all. As it was so sore I decided to just go home and let nature work but she did say she would need to book me in for an induction on 41+3 which would need to happen if I didn't go into labour.

I didn't.. therefore I went to the hospital on this day to start my induction. They inserted a pessary and hooked me up to a monitor for an hour.. I had been having a few contractions here and there the day prior but once this was inserted I did notice they were becoming more frequent. She said I could go home but would need to return at 16.30 the next day as it has to stay in for 24 hours. I went home, 4 hours later I could not handle the contractions so went into the hospital they sent me home again, 6 hours later after having a bath for 2 hours and walking in the rain in the middle of the night (with my partner) I returned to the hospital where they hooked me up to the monitor and could see I was contracting so they gave me pain killers. I was admitted so this was around 6am. I was so determined to keep this pessary in until the correct time but it was extremely sore and I nearly did pull it out but never. It was removed at 16.30 and I was 1cm dilated 🙈 they said they will let me progress for 6 hours then get checked again.. my contractions were bare able unlike when the pessary was in but they did start to become more frequent and more intense! At 22:30 they checked me and I was 3cm and sent to the labour ward to get my waters broken and so that things could get started. I asked for the epidural straight away which was amazing, although it did take him 4 attempts but I wasn't bothered by it I was more concerned about the contractions. They then burst my waters. I did not feel any more contractions at all which was great and my partner and mum got some rest in the room and I managed to relax a bit more. 3/4 hours later the midwife said things weren't progressing so they were to connect a drip. That was started then I noticed the doctor kept coming in and out and looking at screens. About an hour later they said they needed to insert something on the babies head to monitor his heart. My legs were up on stirrups but she did not manage and there seemed to be a lot of blood down there. All of a sudden she shouted, "We need to get this baby out now!" I started panicking and as they were wheeling me out of the room I blew my loved ones a kiss. I was asking them if my baby was okay? Nobody answered me. 😰

I was in theatre within a minute and put to sleep. I woke up in recovery to the midwife telling me everything went well and my partner and baby are on route. I was very sleep but got to see my baby and had skin to skin, he breastfed straight away.

The doctor came to see me that done my section and said everything went well and asked to look at my wound.. she pulled the covers back and there was blood and clots everywhere. All of a sudden there were 10 doctors all around me, sticking needles in me and one doctor pulling clots out of my vagina while someone was pressing really hard on my stomach. I felt like I was about to loose consciousness but kept asking if I was going to die. To which they said no.

A surgeon came to see me and explained that if I continued to bleed I would need to go back to theatre to get a balloon inserted. So after getting cleaned up I kept looking under my covers to make sure I wasn't bleeding... I was very scared!

I ended up going to high dependency and got to spend time with my baby boy.. 💙

I then went to the ward that night and he slept so well, the next day I had an extremely sore head which I assumed was from lack of sleep? I also felt very weak and kept thinking it was from no sleep since the Saturday night.. it was now Wednesday! The doctor said my haemoglobin levels were very low and I needed a blood transfusion plus iron tablets so I got my own room and my partner was able to stay to look after baby. Sadly baby was not getting anything from my breasts and cried a lot so we decided it was best to start formula feeding as I was so poorly. It then turned out I had a puncture headache from the epidural and could not get out of bed from the pressure! They were going to take me back to theatre to do a blood patch which is another epidural where they put blood into my spine to relieve the pressure. I asked if there was any other way. They said I could take pain killers and it will eventually go within 5-6 days but it will be extremely hard to look after my baby. I was adamant on not getting anything else done and my partner is such great help so I decided to go home with pain killers! I spent 6 nights in hospital and baby is now 11 days old and we are all so settled at home, plus my headaches have gone! Still recovering and feeling weak at times but I am besotted with my boy.. I would definitely do it all over again just for him! I am still formula feeding but start expressing some milk today and managed to get an ounce from both breasts so I am going to keep trying! If anybody has any tips please do share 😍

Sorry if I have scared anyone. Looking back, it wasn't as bad as it sounds because in the end look what you get..........