Born at 36 + 4 weeks

While I was pregnant I loved reading these so now my angel is nearly a few weeks old i thought I'd tell the story of how my May 11th baby became a healthy 8lbs 5oz April 17th baby.

My husband and I had been trying for a baby for years. It took us over a year to get our first positive followed by a string of agonising miscarriages. 

In August, my husband was going to visit his family in Nigeria so we agreed we would start trying when he got back. We had a break after miscarrying in the February for the 3rd time. 

While he was away i became really unwell and on the day I was picking him up from the airport, I thought I'd do a wee test... there were those 2 lines and omg it was so hard to not explode with excitement.  I bought my husband a happy birthday Daddy card and left it in the glove box with the test to show him after he landed - we were extatic. 

Fast forward to 8 weeks pregnant.. I'm in out of hours for the 4th time with my 4th UTI - a nurse asks if I'm diabetic and informs me my blood sugars are through the roof. Turns out I am type 2 diabetic and the hospital had found out in a previous pregnancy check up and failed to tell me because i lost the baby 😪 There was the explanation for the multiple miscarriages and now a reason to have the healthiest possible pregnancy. 

Anyway! Because of the diabetes we started to recieve regular growth scans to see how our baby boy was doing. He weighed in at 3 and a half pounds at 28 weeks and we knew he was going to be big.

Completely shaped like his dad, small waist - super long legs.

At 34 weeks baby boy was guestimated over 6lbs so we were given a 37 week + 2 induction date.

Week 36 rolled in and my blood sugar was so low no matter what I ate it wasn't rising and I had multiple hypos. 

We went to hospital who admitted me and began keeping a close eye on me. Hilariously it was our 8 year anniversary and there I am in hospital with the doctor laughing and telling all the staff about our sons huge testicles on the scan haha

The next morning the most bad ass doctor comes in and says she is worried my placenta is failing so they are going to give me 2 days of steroids to strengthen baby boy then induce me. 

Steroids cause sugar levels to misbehave so I ended up being connected to multiple IVs and getting pumped with insulin and sugar water. On Tuesday I was 36 + 3 and it was show time.  

The day started off amazing.  The darling doctor, Emily came in and told me we were 1-2cm so didn't need the 24 hour pessary and could start on the gel straight away. By lunch time, Doctor Sarah popped my waters and things were getting moving. At 3pm they started pumping in 'jungle juice ' the drip to really kick start labour.

Between 6 and 10pm the contractions became back to back. I didn't like the gas and air so had complete silence in the room and focussed on my breathing and breathed through them for 4 hours. 

They became constant so the midwife set everything up to have the baby and went to get the doctor. I thought wow we are having this baby and I've done it all naturally. Doctor Emily was back on shift and gave me the  news i was only 3cm!

3cm! Oh my I was devestated! Never mind exhausted as I hadn't slept since Saturday as I was woken hourly for my blood sugars to be taken. How could i do more breathing through? 

The answer was I couldn't so was advised to get an epidural.

The man came and holy hell was that painful getting put in while contracting but after 30 mins and hitting a blood vessel later it was in and I thought I could relax... wrong. 

The pain tripled in intensity and my cool breath through mind set changed to many curse words! I kept asking when it would kick in but it just didn't. 

The aneuthetist came back and asked the doctor to see how far off we were to see if i needed another and she confirmed I was still only 4cm.

I thought about if I could bend back over the bed and have another put in and was told to try the gas and air again.

I did and still hated it but after a while I started to enjoy it. I realised when i spoke I sounded like a drag queen so in my tripped out head I decided I was now a drag queen called priscilla hahaha

While the man put this new epidural in I was absolutely tripping and telling everyone allll about Priscilla the drag queen - my tripped out ultra ego that got me through the rest of labour hahaa

After the one went in I felt much better and managed to get some sleep. 4 hours later, the doctor came in and said that baby was struggling and that we should prepare for a c section.

I cried, my husband scrubbed up and we got ready to go to theatre. Just as we were about to go the consultant came in and said baby had calmed down and we should wait another 4 hours.

That 4 hours felt like a lifetime, the epidural barely took the edge off and I was so worried about my baby I must have asked the midwife how he was every 30 seconds.

4 hours went by and I thought they are probably going to make me have a c section anyway but to my joy, lovely Emily said we were 9.5 - 10cm and we would start pushing in 2 hours.

2 hours went by and the shift had swapped over to lovely Katie as my midwife who was so vocal and supportive.

I focussed on my breathing and staying cool and pushed for 2 hours straight.. still no baby. 

All of a sudden an army of people came in and told me we were having this baby.

The doctor tried a suction cap - no luck so then used the forceps.

It felt like forever and I was tugged on so bloody hard. He was well and truley stuck and the doctor joked how tight my pelvic floor was 

After lots of painful pushes and strong tugs from the doctor they put this very purple baby on my chest. I can see he his breathing slightly but he is not crying. They cut the cord quickly without asking and rush him to the resus table at the other end of the room.

Meanwhile there are 3 doctors working on me with blood EVERYWHERE. 

There's a doctor trying to put a 4th IV in my arm as I need a blood transfusion. 

All I can do is watch my angel on the resus table getting worked on for what felt like a lifetime and after a few minutes there it was .. he cried and the world stopped as they handed me my son.

My absolute miracle, angel faced baby Chay named after my legendary Dad that passed away.

A perfect 8lbs 5oz.

If you are still waiting on your rainbow, don't give up.

I have never felt love like this.

I cry for absolutely no reason other than I have never felt happiness like this.

Lord I am grateful.