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Tuesday 22 January 2013

Labour diary - Days 1 & 2

Hello All,

I know it's been a couple of weeks since the arrival of my magic little boy, Arthur which unfortunately turned out to be a more complicated affair than I'd hoped for. However in the end of course it does have a very happy ending ;-), so I thought I'd share the experience with you over a couple of posts. If anyone has any questions please do post them below:


7th Jan – Due date

AM
Wake up feeling apprehensive as I have an appointment with the Dr this morning. My Pelvic Girdle Pain seems to be getting worse again so I’m quite keen for an induction as I’m fed up of being a prisoner in my flat barely able to do anything because walking is so painful. I’ve also only had about four hours sleep as turning over and trying to get comfortable is so difficult.

PM
I met with the Dr who seemed sympathetic to my plight and therefore decided to try and do a membrane sweep to get things going naturally. However after an internal examination she said my womb was no where near ready for labour and she wasn’t keen to progress any further. Instead I was booked into see her again next Monday for another sweep and then an actual induction on the Thurs.

Whilst I know what’s really important is that baby is healthy and comes in as natural a way as possible I can’t help feeling disappointed. The idea of another week of literally just sitting on the sofa watching daytime TV, online shopping and facebooking alone just seems too depressing. However, I try to be positive and start downloading new TV series I’ve always wanted to watch on my laptop and a couple of books for my kindle. I then plan a couple of mini excursions which involve minimum walking to give me something to do each day.

Early Evening
I’ve sent Mr W out for the evening because I’m desperate for some sleep tonight and he gets so grumpy with all my tossing and turning. I manage to sort myself out and gleefully climb into bed with a book at 10pm in the hope I’ll be long gone by the time he returns.

However, soon after physically getting into bed I realize something doesn’t feel right. My back feels really sore and trying to turn my pelvis is absolutely excrutiating. I try to remain calm but after not being able to move for an hour and a half I call Mr W.

When he returns we try desperately to move me but the pain everytime a leg is moved is so painful I can’t stop crying. I start panicking about how I’m going to get too the loo. After a couple of minutes of slowly slowly does it Mr W manages to get me to the bathroom for the first of three trips that night.

8th Jan – 1 day over

AM
When I wake after approximately two hours sleep at 7am I try tentatively to move around a bit in the hope that the rest has given my pelvis the opportunity to settle down but alas there doesn’t seem to be any improvement.

After waking and talking things through with Mr W we decide to call the hospital and ask to be seen by the Dr again in the hope of getting some stronger medication. Luckily they agree to see us at 11am. However DH has an appointment with an ENT specialist that morning  which he has been waiting a year to see so we ask my sister to come over and help me get dressed.

I have to say having your 24 year old sister undress and get you into the bath is not one of my most dignified moments but my vanity overrides it.

Walking into the hospital on my crutches feels like one of the longest most torturous walks I’ve ever done. I keep praying that some poor person will take pity on my slow moving frame and run for a wheelchair but alas after about 15mins of stop start, stop start I make it to the ward.

11.15AM
The midwife on duty at the day assessment unit checks all my vitals and muffins, and explains that she’s told the Dr to get a wiggle on because she can see how much pain I’m in.

11.45AM
Finally the Dr comes to see me and explains that he’ll examine me and then discuss two options with me. The first is if he’s satisfied that the head is low enough they’ll induce me right away but if he’s not they’ll have no choice but to send me home and just monitor me as best they can over the coming days. The best part though is that he gives me some stronger pain relief which do nothing for my pelvis but make me feel a lot more smiley.

12PM
After an ultrasound and good prod he decides he’s still not convinced it’s low down enough so will still need to do an internal examination. However they can’t do this until I’ve spent at least 30mins on a fetal heart rate monitor to get a base reading of his heart rate.

12.30PM
A different Dr comes in checks the read out and sees that I’m actually already having very small contractions and after another prod thinks the head is low enough to try an induction. So a pessary is inserted which I’m told will be in place for 24hrs to get things moving. She does however remind me that induction is a very slow process and not to expect an arrival until tomorrow evening or even the day after. Then because of my limited mobility they admit me to the antenatal ward.

7PM
The weirdest part yet of this whole experience sets in after Mr W has to leave as visiting hours are over because at no part in my envisaging of this whole event did I ever think I would be on my own???

As he was leaving I could actually begin to feel the contractions starting and the idea of facing a whole of them without him to hold me hand and massage my back just seemed so wrong.

8.45PM
Finally managed to persuade the midwife to give me some more painkillers as the combination of these contractions and my pelvis is getting a little much. I’m also waiting for my second fetal monitoring session so I can finally settle down and get some sleep.

I have to say though contractions are nothing like what I expected them to be. I had expected to feel like a severe achy pain going from the top of your tummy down to your pelvis but it’s not like that at all. It’s like crippling backache moving round to your front and the pain is really sharp.

They seem to be coming a lot more often but still pretty irregularly, I wish I had some idea of what that meant and possibly if it was a good sign that he might be here sooner.

I’ve also made the decision that I’m definitely going to be having an epidural when the time comes…

11PM

I call Mr W let him know I’m ok and then settle down for some sleep.

Mrs W xxx

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