Elsie Anne

Born 14.6.19 @ 38wks exactly

1.42pm

Weight 7lb 6oz

Had an induction a week earlier than planned (GD) due to heavy bloody show and some irregular contractions.

Waters were broke at 2cms around 8.30am and hormone drip started after. Contractions started 10mins apart and quickly progressed to 7 minutes then 5 minutes.

Wasn’t due for a cervix check until around 2pm.

Asked for epidural due to contractions being very intense and painful. During the time it took for the dr to arrive, talk me through the procedure etc contractions got to about a minute apart. 12.30pm, just got into position to have the needle and felt a huge contraction with the urge to push. Cervix checked showed I was already 10cms so couldn’t have the epidural. Started pushing and delivered by 1.42pm.

Baby all fine after birth and breastfed straight away. Uterus started to contract back down but the pain was significant and heavy blood loss. Midwife said loss was normal but continued to monitor. Further blood loss and pain worsening so called for dr to examine. Uterus was filling with blood due to some clots so needed to help get it all out. The pain of them palpitating my uterus while “scooping” the blood out from my vagina was unlike anything I’ve felt before. This had to happen twice as the first time it didn’t work. After two times my body could not cope anymore and I’d lost 1 litre of blood. They decided to take me to theatre and do the procedure again but with anaesthetic in my lower back to numb me from the waist down. By this point I’d fainted due to the loss and when trying to get the spinal injection in I was fainting repeatedly and vomiting. Made the decision to put me under general anaesthetic and do the procedure. Fell asleep begging them not to let me die and woke up a few hours later feeling like I couldn’t breathe. But I woke up which is all I wanted. After some time in recovery with a blood transfusion for the 2.2 litres of blood I’d lost (you have 6 litres in your body when pregnant so I’d dumped a third) and a lot of fluids and medicine to keep me stable I was able to see my SO and baby again. So relieved to see them and kept me fighting to get better.

In the end they had to insert a balloon into my uterus to suppress the bleed and “pack” my vagina too to ensure no further loss from there either. Both of these were removed the next morning and the bleeding had stopped completely. I’ve been told that the bleeding was caused by part of the placenta still being inside me and causing problems with my uterus not contracting back down properly. Had this not been caught it could have led to serious infection and further blood loss.

Safe to say I’m now feeling a whole world better and went home on Sunday evening. I’m now on iron tablets for 3 months to get by blood levels back up to normal.

Safe to say that after this ordeal my vagina is closed for business and babies! 😳