Waters breaking, being induced and life changing decisions...
Okay, so if you've happened to read part five you would know my waters broke when I was 38+5 weeks pregnant, and I was already in hospital for a completely different reason!
It was new years eve 2016, and it was the most depressing new years of my life. Being in hospital AGAIN for my high blood pressure, I laid in the dark hospital bed alone listening to other peoples snores and the sound of fireworks coming from somewhere much more fun than were I was. I finally drifted of to sleep around 2am when the fireworks had come to an end.
Fast forward to 4am and I awoke to my waters breaking. They say peoples waters can break differently, and mine was definitely a MASSIVE gush (sorry if too much info at any point, but im guessing if you're reading a birth story you wont be grossed out by these things!) In my sleepy state I had even wondered what it was! No matter how much you prepare, when it happens, especially before you due date it is shocking! After some midwife tests it clearly was my broken waters. Eek!
It was strange, being alone when it happened but I was actually really calm, because where else better than already in the hospital? They explained that I would have to wait 24 hours for it to start naturally and if it didn't they would induce me. I am a huge panickier but for some reason I remained really calm, to the huge surprise to me and everyone else. I think I just so badly wanted the pregnancy to be over and that something was actually happening (there had been talks for weeks about whether they was going to induce me or not) that I was more excited than anything.
So new years day passed, I had my hospital cooked new years day lunch (it was actually really nice!) and my family came to visit and I got zero contractions, not even a twinge. However my waters did continue breaking and I never ever knew it could continue for as long as about 20 hours but it did, and I must have went through five pairs on pj bottoms! So yeah no matter how much you can pack your hospital bag and prepare, surprises can get in the way!
So 24 hours had come and gone and they woke me at 6am on the 2nd Jan and they gave me the long speech about how just because I'm being induced doesn't mean it will be a fast situation. I didn't expect anything to progress for ages, so there I was texting the bf about the fact they hadn't brought me my morning toast and how I was so hungry I was really excited for it (it's the little things in hospital) and I never did get that toast!
I laid there on the monitor (they do this when they induce you at first) and my god I started to cramp really really badly. All the lights were still off in the room apart from my lamp and I just laid there thinking WTF? Am I meant to feel so much pain so quickly? I thought maybe it was just me being silly and it was just a bit of cramps from the pessary. I called the midwife and told her I need to go to the toilet. She sighed a little and basically told me to be quick Looking back I have no idea how I didn't know I was in labour but I remember leaning on the toilet crying in pain, it was like them really really bad period pains only unlike I'd ever felt. I just stood in the toilet not wanting to go back and be fixed up to the machine where I couldn't move. But I did and I said to the midwife how I was getting cramping and she said she would be right back, she didn't seem too bothered at this point. I laid there basically writhing in pain.
Due to all the pain I hadn't really paid much attention to the monitor. If I had I'd have realised from the many I've had before that something was wrong. Next thing I know, the most senior midwife whips around my curtain and I said she's concerned about the babies heartbeat and asking about my pain. The next bit is a bit of a blur but I'm rushed another two midwives, and a doctor. Eh? The doctor explained very quickly how the baby had not responded well and I may need a c section.
I'm sorry what?! I nodded along but I was in total shock. All this had happened in the space of thirty minutes. The midwives literally started to undress me and pack my things. They said I should get my partner here ASAP and I literally text him as they was pulling me into a wheelchair 'come here now' to which he responded OK. No messing, he just KNEW something was wrong. Poor guy our last text was about toast.
I remember being pushed round the corridor to the delivery rooms and then midwives who had been caring for me shouted 'good luck Sophie! It's time!' Like I was going into battle or something!
Thankfully for us it was a bank holiday so due to no traffic he got to me in about ten mins. But boy did them ten mins feel long. They hooked me all up and examined me, by this point I was in a lot more pain. My midwife asked me what my plans were for pain relief to which I said an epidural as I 'don't handle pain well' to which she replied 'you do better than you think, your 3cm dilated on your own!' I couldn't believe I was anything dilated that quickly.
When my partner walked in I've never been happier to see him! The doctor came in and explained the situation with my baby's heart beat and gave me the option, they could either do a c section now or there's measures they can take so I can have her normally. I thought I had come this far and had never even planned for a c section so I said to her, whatever you think is best. Some people may find that strange, but I'm no doctor so I put my trust in her, also I think i was slightly in shock, I always assumed I would have her normally, or if I needed a caesarean, I would need one and there would be no choice over the matter. We decided to continue to try and have her vaginally as there's these injections under your armpit area that can help bring baby's heart beat back to normal. Was it the right decision? Looking back no, but that's life and you do what you believe is best at the time. There's times I look back and regret not choosing a c section then and there, but no good will come from that as everything happens for a reason, even if we don't see it at the time..
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