Labour & Birth

8th May 2013, 36 weeks

Wow I'm 36 weeks pregnant already!  Cooper was born at 37 weeks so I was hoping for the same, not long to go!

I hadn't been having a good week, was feeling anxious and sick.  A couple of days later I was a wreck. Fevers, chills, headaches and very emotional.  My Mum came down from Whangarei to help me with Cooper as Mathew couldn't stay home from work.  There was thing on my mind that was stressing me out as I neared my due date and that was "I haven't got Hunters' first outfit ready".  So, off Mum, Cooper and I went to get Hunter's outfit that he would wear home.  We had been out for about an hour, I was freezing!  My fingers and lips were blue despite us being inside a mall and me dressed in jeans, t-shirt and two cardies.  We decided to quickly find what we wanted then we'd get me home and warm.  In Farmers I couldn't choose the clothes.  I physically couldn't choose them.  When Mum asked me what was wrong and am I sure I'm not in labour I said "I'm not in labour but something doesn't feel right".  I couldn't pinpoint how I was feeling all I could say was that something didn't feel right.  

Mum suggested I contact my midwife.  I told her how I was feeling and she said, it doesn't sound like pregnancy sick but that I was just sick and should get myself to the Dr as soon as could. 

I made an appointment to see my Dr that afternoon at 4pm.  I had a temperature of 39.5, was freezing  freezing cold and Hunter's heart rate was pretty high.  I was given paracetemol to get the temp down and told to take off my pants and jumpers and wait for half an hour.  The time went by and my temperature went down but not enough so I was told to go to North Shore Hospital, my Dr would call ahead to let them know I was coming.

North Shore Hospital is where I would stay until I had my baby boy safe in my arms.

From this point on things kept going wrong and getting worse for me. 

After seven attempts a line was put in, blood was taken, urine was taken, an exam of my cervix was done several times, blood cultures were done twice and I even had a rectal swab done, had a chest x-ray and an ultrasound of all my organs and Hunter's amniotic fluid.  They did every test they could think of and everything with me was fine.  Although I was still very sick and my temperature could not be brought down there was nothing they could find that was causing this horrible fever.  At this point I was having contractions every nine to ten minutes.

Through the night the tests continued to no avail.  

I was worried about Hunter, his heart rate was still quite high but I was assured by my midwife and other hospital midwives that this was OK as long as the heart rate was consistently high.  If it started fluctuating from high to low that indicates distress.

On the 9th of May and my fevers and chills continuing a Doctor came and asked me if I wanted them to get things moving and induce my labour.  I asked the Dr what she thought was best which her opinion was to induce.  At 5:30pm that evening I had an induction and by 7pm I was having strong contractions every five or so minutes and fevers peaking every 20-30 minutes.  What a ride this was!  

10 May 2013 my waters broke at 7:30am.  I thought it was all on, it was like the contractions instantly got worse.  I had an exam at around 9am to see how I was progressing...I wasn't.  So many contractions, so close together and nothing!  I still had a 2cm cervix and was only just 1cm dilated.  After all that I hadn't done anything.  What a disappointment!  I was now exhausted and still battling the fevers and emotions.  It was at this point the tears really started, I felt there was no way I could push a baby out.  And how much longer would it be before I got to 10cm??  I told Mathew and Mum that I it was going to end up being a C-Section.

So, at 8pm on May 10 after nearly 49 hours of labour two epidurals and eight doses of the anesthetic off I went for a caesar.  In theatre with Mathew was with me, I was very scared.  I found it a difficult thing to process.  Having my big tummy cut open and my baby pulled out while I was awake.

Well, turns out that just as the epidural didn't numb me the anesthetic didn't numb me either.  So under a general I went.  

Hunter was born at 8:30pm on May 10 2013.  He was 6 pound 4 ounces and 49cm long.  He was very loud, breathing well and scored 9 on his APGARs. What a relief!  Mathew met him first and was given him a bottle to feed him.  A very proud Daddy.  

It was after 9pm by the time I met him.  He was just perfect and tiny!  In the days spent in hospital that followed I learnt thay Hunter was a strong, loud, hungry and wilful little boy.  He was to give Cooper a run for his money!

Everything was perfect.