Are you ready for this rollercoaster?

Tinara

At 39+5 weeks I was at an Antenatal appointment because baby needed a few extra checks and they rushed me to the birthing suite to be monitored because my blood pressure was suddenly through the roof! Several hours later, it had lowered enough so they sent me home with a scheduled induction date a week later.

2 days later, at exactly 40 weeks, my wife and I called the midwives because we hadn’t felt the baby move for over 3 hours. They told us to come in to get checked, and they monitored me and the baby for most of the morning. It was then they gave me the option to induce me or send me home to wait until i go into labour naturally or wait until my scheduled induction date. We opted to be induced that day.

At 3pm they inserted the ribbon to ripen my cervix and gave me my own room to get some sleep. My wife left at 9:30pm so she could try sleep. I was in some discomfort, so we tried heat packs and they didn't help. Then we tried Panadene Forte (which would usually knock me out) and it didn't work. The midwives then decided to move me to the birthing suite so they could monitor me better. They called my wife around 1am to tell her that i was in labour, i was 3cm dilated and that she should come in.

My wife got there at 2am and i was checked again around 2:50. I was 10cm- it was go time. The midwife broke my waters at 3am and our little baby boy was born at 3:10am, born full term at 40+1. He needed respiratory support and ended up being transferred to special nursery. I had a 2nd degree tear and needed stitches. Unfortunately he was then rushed to the nearest childrens hospital (and later diagnosed with a rare bowel disease which required him to have surgery).

I was discharged less than 24 hours after giving birth and then spent the next 2 weeks travelling to and from the childrens hospital until finally we were able to take our baby boy home. A few days after having him home we were back at the hospital waiting for, and prepping for, his surgery date. We then spent another 2 weeks in hospital.

Now he is 4 months old, and since his surgery we have spent another 3 weeks in hospital due to complications. He is now thriving, and has just learnt how to roll and is discovering his voice!