- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Everything did not go according to plan! Not that I had a plan - I never have been much a planner, all I hoped for was a natural birth, everything else I was leaving to 'what will be will be'!! In short for those that do not want to read my novella Zac was delivered by emergency c-section while I had low blood sugar and was vomiting - Nice! It was all very traumatic - and then he was taken off to special care - so I only saw him for a few moments and then didn't see him again for 3-4 hours or so. And that was in an incubator. It was everything I hoped wouldn't happen. But at the end of the day I have a beautiful son!For those that can bear it - here is the longer version!
I went in for induction on the 25th June.
I arrived at 9.45 and they put me on a bed and monitored bump. They were a little concerned as Zacs reading was a little flat - so I had to drink cold water and lie on my side to try and wake him up. Neither had much effect
Prostaglandin tablet was put in at about 11.30, they couldn't get in in first time so had to have a second go - they brought in a senior midwife called Jean - who looked like a matron off carry on nursing! She had trouble too, and I found out at his point I have a narrow pelvic opening, which is not what you really want to hear when you are being induced!!!.
Anyway - good old Jean managed to get the tablet in. I was told to expect that because I was being induced that it would take 2-3 days. ( Not 2-3 hours which it did in the end!!).
Linda the diabetic nurse who has looked after me throughout my pregnancy popped in to see how I was doing - as she said she would make sure she was around ad on call for me. We had a discussion about when bump would appear - Linda reckoned Saturday - I hoped for Friday and Geoff, my husband said today. (How right he was and he was only joking!)
Lunch was brought - can't remember what it was - but something unremarkble no doubt!
We were both being monitored - my blood pressure raised slightly (for the first time in pregnancy) and his reading was flat - so they were keeping an eye on us. One of the midwives said that prostaglandin induction can sometimes cause fetal distress - hence the flat reading.
I began to get mild contractions - yee ha!
They were not happy with his monitor - he was still very flat, so they decided to put a canula in me - They took me round to the delivery suite (after trying 5 times in the admissions ward!) where I met the midwife who would look after us - Ali - she was really lovely. I was getting stronger contractions at this point. They wanted an IV in me so they could put me on a sliding scale - (a drip of dextrose and insulin) to control my diabetes later on when I went into labour or if I needed a c-section. Unfortunately I have veins which are really hard to access and had been so sick previously that they were unable to get access to my veins at all, they tried eight times in my left had and six in my right - looked at my feet but didn't even try there and finally they took me to theatre so that they could try to put a canula into my femoral artery (top of the thigh) as they could not get one into my hands or feet. They scanned the artery and had a bloody good go - but couldn't get one in there either. While I was on the table Mr Penny, the consultant took a look at Zac's monitor readings and said to take him out there and then.
I was told that they were going to c-section me while I was still flat on the table and they were still trying to find a vein.I was moved to a different theatre and everything became a bit of a flurry. I was quite distressed at this point, but OK - I just wanted Geoff with me. I had to sit up so they could administer the epidural. While I was sat up - I realised that my blood sugar was low - I was tearful and just cried at this point and cried for Geoff. They went and got my blood testing kit from Geoff - who was in the delivery suite not knowing what was going on. and had been told to get into scrubs. They gave me some hypogel from a first aid kit - and I said I wanted to get my blood sugar sorted first but they just didn't hear that. I am unsure at this point how much of an emergency it was to get Zac out. It is all a bit unclear.
After what seemed like forever (but was probably 2 mins!) - Geoff arrived.
I went in for induction on the 25th June.
I arrived at 9.45 and they put me on a bed and monitored bump. They were a little concerned as Zacs reading was a little flat - so I had to drink cold water and lie on my side to try and wake him up. Neither had much effect
Prostaglandin tablet was put in at about 11.30, they couldn't get in in first time so had to have a second go - they brought in a senior midwife called Jean - who looked like a matron off carry on nursing! She had trouble too, and I found out at his point I have a narrow pelvic opening, which is not what you really want to hear when you are being induced!!!.
Anyway - good old Jean managed to get the tablet in. I was told to expect that because I was being induced that it would take 2-3 days. ( Not 2-3 hours which it did in the end!!).
Linda the diabetic nurse who has looked after me throughout my pregnancy popped in to see how I was doing - as she said she would make sure she was around ad on call for me. We had a discussion about when bump would appear - Linda reckoned Saturday - I hoped for Friday and Geoff, my husband said today. (How right he was and he was only joking!)
Lunch was brought - can't remember what it was - but something unremarkble no doubt!
We were both being monitored - my blood pressure raised slightly (for the first time in pregnancy) and his reading was flat - so they were keeping an eye on us. One of the midwives said that prostaglandin induction can sometimes cause fetal distress - hence the flat reading.
I began to get mild contractions - yee ha!
They were not happy with his monitor - he was still very flat, so they decided to put a canula in me - They took me round to the delivery suite (after trying 5 times in the admissions ward!) where I met the midwife who would look after us - Ali - she was really lovely. I was getting stronger contractions at this point. They wanted an IV in me so they could put me on a sliding scale - (a drip of dextrose and insulin) to control my diabetes later on when I went into labour or if I needed a c-section. Unfortunately I have veins which are really hard to access and had been so sick previously that they were unable to get access to my veins at all, they tried eight times in my left had and six in my right - looked at my feet but didn't even try there and finally they took me to theatre so that they could try to put a canula into my femoral artery (top of the thigh) as they could not get one into my hands or feet. They scanned the artery and had a bloody good go - but couldn't get one in there either. While I was on the table Mr Penny, the consultant took a look at Zac's monitor readings and said to take him out there and then.
I was told that they were going to c-section me while I was still flat on the table and they were still trying to find a vein.I was moved to a different theatre and everything became a bit of a flurry. I was quite distressed at this point, but OK - I just wanted Geoff with me. I had to sit up so they could administer the epidural. While I was sat up - I realised that my blood sugar was low - I was tearful and just cried at this point and cried for Geoff. They went and got my blood testing kit from Geoff - who was in the delivery suite not knowing what was going on. and had been told to get into scrubs. They gave me some hypogel from a first aid kit - and I said I wanted to get my blood sugar sorted first but they just didn't hear that. I am unsure at this point how much of an emergency it was to get Zac out. It is all a bit unclear.
After what seemed like forever (but was probably 2 mins!) - Geoff arrived.
