First time mum and pregnancy from hell.

Not going to lie my pregnancy wasn't easy. At 12 weeks we were told that Jayce had a high risk (1 in 110) for downs syndrome and high risk (1 in 139) for Edwards or Patau. We were given our options and decided to have an in-depth scan ay 16 weeks. This thankfully came back with no risk factors so we could finally try and enjoy the pregnancy. 19 weeks I was admitted to hospital with bleeding and threatened labour due to a soft cervix spent two days in hospital resting and was sent home and told to take it easy. Due to the soften cervix I had to have additional scans to make sure everything was still going to plan. 27 weeks I was diagnosed with gestation diabetes, and eventually was put on insulin to control my blood sugars. This was the hardest part changing everything you eat, everything you drink, remembering to do your injections and blood sugar levels, but it was all worth it. I didn't think it could get any worse than this but at 29 weeks came the dreaded itch. Doctors kept saying it was where my skin was stretching due to pregnancy but I knew it was something more than this, my hands, my feet, my arms and my legs were covered in scratches which some have now scarred so at my next appointment (30 weeks) I asked for a blood test to check for Obstetric cholestasis and 6pm that evening I got a call to say this is what I had and that I needed to go in the next morning at 8am for monitoring, bloods and to see the doctor. I was then told i need to attend the hospital every week for repeat blood tests and monitoring and that I'll be induced at around 37 weeks due to the uncertity of the diagnosis and how dangerous it could or couldn't be. 31 weeks, 32 weeks and 33 weeks I was in the hospital for reduced fetal movements no matter what I done I couldn't feel my baby move, kick or anything and I started fearing the worst. They done an ultra sound and told me he's back was to my belly and all his movements were in my back which could have been the reason so not to worry. 34 weeks I woke up with slight cramping in my back which came around to the front every 5-7 minutes lasting 30seconds to 1 minute. I had an appointment with the diabetic clinic and the hospital midwife so thought I'd discus this with them. Got to the hospital still cramping, 3 hours after arriving I finally see the midwife, I tell her what's been happening so she feels my belly and says it isn't tightening and that it's probably braxton hicks, so does a doppler test and tells me my baby's heart rate is a bit high so keep an eye on movements and if the cramps get worse to call MAU. So off I go home thinking its just braxton hicks. Sitting on the sofa still cramping hasn't stopped all day so I start counting them and they were 2-4 minutes apart lasting 1minute each, took paracetamol didn't help, tried a warm shower, didn't help, tried a hot water bottle, didn't help the pain was getting worse so I called MAU. Because I was a high risk pregnancy i had to go in for monitoring, 20:30 on the evening of the 23rd of April I went into MAU to be monitored, still cannot feel movement, hooked me up to the machine pains still coming every 2-3 minutes but not showing on the machine, but baby's heart rate was going from 180 and dropping to 90, so the doctor and consultant was called, they were very confused at baby's heart rate, tried laying in every position to see if that changed it, drank loads of water and was eventually put on a drip as they thought I was dehydrated, this also didn't help his heart rate was still so unstable so they said they needed to do an internal to see if i had an infection or if i was in preterm labour. So the doctor began and done her swabs etc and then told me she could see membranes and I was 1cm dilated but she has to wait for the swab to come back to say if it was threatened preterm labour. 10 minutes later the doctor came back in the room and told me it was positive and that she was admitting me to the labour ward for further monitoring, steroid injections and medication to try and prevent labour. So off I went up to the labour ward got everything sorted hooked back up the monitor and again, baby's heart rate was going from 180/190 dropping to 90 then rising again. Steroid injection number 1 given, medication every 15 minutes to prevent labour taken. Insulin drip started. Doctor came back in at 00:15 and told us she wasn't happy with the baby's heart rate and that I need a cat-1 emergency c section. So I asked to be taken off the monitoring so I could pee all fine, hooked back up laid back down and felt as if I had wet myself my partner checked and my clothes wasn't wet so 10 minutes later asked to go to the toilet again and this time there was blood everywhere. So many doctors were in and out of the room at this point telling me what's going to happen what I needed to sign etc making sure my partner was ready and at 01:40 I was wheeled down to theater. They started prepping me and trying to get the injection in and this is where it all becomes a bit of a blur, there were so many different people in the room talking to me asking me questions hooking me up to different machines and medicne that I don't actually remember much. All I remember is the doctor and consultant saying its now 02:09 and we are about to begin, next thing I know they're telling me my baby has been born at 02:13 that he was OK and breathing on his own but they still have to take him to the NICU. The doctor then explained to us that I had placenta abruption and that my placenta had come away from the wall. Due to this baby wasn't getting what he needed and was distressed due to it. She also told me if I had left it any longer he would most likely have been stillborn.

I didn't get to see my baby properly for almost 12 hours after the surgery. I was shown pictures of which the midwife took for us but that is it. Off he went up to the NICU where he stayed for 2 weeks and 2 days.

The pictures I saw made him look so big, but when I finally saw him he was tiny so precious. Unsure on how much he weighed as we were not told but finally was told Jayce was born at 02:13 on the 24th of April at 34+1 weighing 3lb15oz.

He had an infection so was on antibiotics for 7 days. He had an enlarged bowel, and a distended stomach which required daily x-rays. So was nil by mouth for 5 days, on a TPN tube, had a bit of help with oxygen and a feeding tube directly to his stomach. 4 days in He then had a hole in his right lung which required a chest drain.

He was finally discharged from the NICU 2 weeks and 2 days after he was born weighing 4lb1oz. He is now 4 weeks and 2 days old (38+3 corrected) no lasting damage and weighs 5lb12oz.

Please please if you have any concerns or are worried about anything during your pregnancy no matter how silly it may seem please get it checked!