rachelha
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
In response to phoebes post, here is Nathan's birth story. Do not read if you don't want to here the details.
My planned induction at 39 weeks was moved forward to 38.5 weeks as my insulin needs were starting to drop, my legs were incredibly swollen, and I had had a few high BP readings.
The induction initially took ages to get going. I was given a pessary (a bit like a tampon) which was left in for 24 hours and given a sweep. During this time I was kept in the low risk unit but was allowed to wander around the hospital grounds. Nothing happened at all.
The next stage was up to 3 doses of a gel which was given internally and each dose given 6 hours to work. Nathan's heart beat was monitored every couple of hours during this time. Theo stopped with me the 2nd night on a mattress on the floor, as I was getting a bit agitated and had not slept at all the first night. He helped me up from the mattress at one point (when nothing had still happened) and I had a popping
feeling and realised my waters had broken. the midwife did not initially believe my waters had broken as I was not contracting. She told us to go back to bed and rest as nothing else would happen for a while. How wrong she was. I went into full contractions straight away, with them coming every 2 mins. The midwife again did not believe me. I was really worried as i was in serious pain and thinking i was in real trouble when the contractions did start. The midwife from the high risk unit came,
told me i was contracting, to get the tens machine on asap and moved me to the high risk section.
I had one shot of gas and air but was sick. The anaesthetist was called to give me a mobile epidural. I have to admit I was in a bit of a state at this point. I think I was in a bit of shock as everything was happening so quickly. I was also in a lot of pain I think the natural pain killing hormones had no chance to build up at all. I was terrified of the epidural going wrong as I was contracting so often I did not know how I would stay still. The midwife and anaesthetist were brilliant and it was all fine.
At this point I was still only 4cm dilated. About 5 hours later I was fully dilated, but Nathan was not moving down the birth canal and was still back to back. I had an hours break before starting pushing properly.
After a bit the consultant was called as Nathan was just not budging at all. I was told they would try forceps and if this did not work a csection. I was taken to surgery and had all the painkillers topped up. I had to have a spinal block and diamorphine as the epidural tap had been dislodged. They tried a fore ceps delivery but he was still not
moving so I had a csection. The csection was fine, I was far calmer than I thought I would be. They offered to tell me what was happening during the operation, but I told them I did not want to know.
Once he was delivered he was quickly checked my a paediatrician before being given to Theo. I held him briefly but to be honest I don't really remember this as I was so drugged up. I was moved through to the recovery room and we were left with Nathan for a while before I had to be looked at again as I was still bleeding a bit.
We were then moved to the high dependency ward for a night. Nathan's blood sugar levels were fine so he did not have to go to the ice at all. I did not manage to breast feed him that night as I was too out of it, but the next day he did feed. Breast Feeding was v hard initially but he is now 3.5 months and we are still going at it. I was in hospital for 3 nights after he was born, as we had to stay until he was feeding fine, and I was a bit more mobile.
Although obviously I am delighted to have a beautiful healthy boy, but i was and still am a bit annoyed with the care I had. In Edinburgh they do not do growth scans so we had no idea how large Nathan was (9lb,11oz). Think if this had been known, along with that he was not in the ideal position, things may have been done differently.
Sorry this has turned into a v long post. Please ask any questions you have, I hope i have not worried any of the pregnant ladies on here.
Rx
Edit: I forgot to say I managed my own insulin etc until I had the epidural then I was put on a sliding scale which the nurses managed perfectly. I stayed on this until the next morning, (nathan was born at 3pm) then I was back to my normal mdi.
My planned induction at 39 weeks was moved forward to 38.5 weeks as my insulin needs were starting to drop, my legs were incredibly swollen, and I had had a few high BP readings.
The induction initially took ages to get going. I was given a pessary (a bit like a tampon) which was left in for 24 hours and given a sweep. During this time I was kept in the low risk unit but was allowed to wander around the hospital grounds. Nothing happened at all.
The next stage was up to 3 doses of a gel which was given internally and each dose given 6 hours to work. Nathan's heart beat was monitored every couple of hours during this time. Theo stopped with me the 2nd night on a mattress on the floor, as I was getting a bit agitated and had not slept at all the first night. He helped me up from the mattress at one point (when nothing had still happened) and I had a popping
feeling and realised my waters had broken. the midwife did not initially believe my waters had broken as I was not contracting. She told us to go back to bed and rest as nothing else would happen for a while. How wrong she was. I went into full contractions straight away, with them coming every 2 mins. The midwife again did not believe me. I was really worried as i was in serious pain and thinking i was in real trouble when the contractions did start. The midwife from the high risk unit came,
told me i was contracting, to get the tens machine on asap and moved me to the high risk section.
I had one shot of gas and air but was sick. The anaesthetist was called to give me a mobile epidural. I have to admit I was in a bit of a state at this point. I think I was in a bit of shock as everything was happening so quickly. I was also in a lot of pain I think the natural pain killing hormones had no chance to build up at all. I was terrified of the epidural going wrong as I was contracting so often I did not know how I would stay still. The midwife and anaesthetist were brilliant and it was all fine.
At this point I was still only 4cm dilated. About 5 hours later I was fully dilated, but Nathan was not moving down the birth canal and was still back to back. I had an hours break before starting pushing properly.
After a bit the consultant was called as Nathan was just not budging at all. I was told they would try forceps and if this did not work a csection. I was taken to surgery and had all the painkillers topped up. I had to have a spinal block and diamorphine as the epidural tap had been dislodged. They tried a fore ceps delivery but he was still not
moving so I had a csection. The csection was fine, I was far calmer than I thought I would be. They offered to tell me what was happening during the operation, but I told them I did not want to know.
Once he was delivered he was quickly checked my a paediatrician before being given to Theo. I held him briefly but to be honest I don't really remember this as I was so drugged up. I was moved through to the recovery room and we were left with Nathan for a while before I had to be looked at again as I was still bleeding a bit.
We were then moved to the high dependency ward for a night. Nathan's blood sugar levels were fine so he did not have to go to the ice at all. I did not manage to breast feed him that night as I was too out of it, but the next day he did feed. Breast Feeding was v hard initially but he is now 3.5 months and we are still going at it. I was in hospital for 3 nights after he was born, as we had to stay until he was feeding fine, and I was a bit more mobile.
Although obviously I am delighted to have a beautiful healthy boy, but i was and still am a bit annoyed with the care I had. In Edinburgh they do not do growth scans so we had no idea how large Nathan was (9lb,11oz). Think if this had been known, along with that he was not in the ideal position, things may have been done differently.
Sorry this has turned into a v long post. Please ask any questions you have, I hope i have not worried any of the pregnant ladies on here.
Rx
Edit: I forgot to say I managed my own insulin etc until I had the epidural then I was put on a sliding scale which the nurses managed perfectly. I stayed on this until the next morning, (nathan was born at 3pm) then I was back to my normal mdi.
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