5 years ago, I gave birth to my first bundle of joy - my dear son. The birth story, however, is not so joyful. In fact, I am surprised that I went ahead and had a second baby after going through this....
The last few weeks of my pregnancy were really stressful. I was having a rough time in office, with people being fired left, right, and center. Yes, this was the year 2008 - year of the global financial crisis.
One not-so-fine morning, I realised that I was bleeding profusely. I continued with the heavy bleeding right up to the day of my delivery (this was a total of 3+ weeks!). To top it all, I had Oligohydramnios, which in layman's terms means low amniotic fluid (this is a whole new story, that I will blog about some day).
Finally, one day the amniotic fluid went dangerously low and my doctor decided to induce me within the next few hours. She asked me to go back home, get ready and come back.
So back I went, had a shower, ate a morsel, and gathered my baby bag. It was almost midnight when I went back with my husband and mother-in-law.
So after an IV, pitocin and a few additional meds later, the contractions finally started. This was in the wee hours of morning. When my contractions were regular and quite painful, the doctor came in and checked on me. She told me that I will be done with by afternoon. As the contractions were induced, they were quite painful. A kind nurse asked me, if I wanted an epidural, and I consented (of course!)
The anesthetist came and asked me to lie down like a "prawn". What?
Basically, I had to curl up in a fetal position but sideways. Somehow, I got the epidural through and pain relief kicked in. It was heaven for the some time. But wait a minute, what was happening? I started feeling extremely cold AND itchy. I could not move my legs at all. It felt very very uncomfortable and weird.
I felt trapped in my own body. Why was that? Well, I had IV in my left arm, a blood pressure monitoring strap on my right arm, a fetal heartbeat monitor wrapped around like a belt around my waist AND an epidural needle stuck to my back. Hmmm, what else did I have? Oh yes, a catheter to drain my kidneys! How could I forget? So basically, only my legs and head weren't tied up but because of epidural, I could not move my legs either! Oh, and did I tell you that the blood pressure monitor clamps the arm like a hungry python every few minutes?
It was AWFUL!
After a few hours like that (in which I had to take additional doses of epidural), a nurse announced that I was almost dilated and left. She refused to give me more epidural because "I had already had too much".
And then the full force of contractions hit me. Boy were they painful! There was no epidural, my body had not produced its own pain relieving juices and I was on induced labour. I screamed the place down and begged for an epidural, but the nurses were adamant. They refused to give me more.
Finally, the nurse called up my doctor. I could hear the doctor's instructions over the phone - "I will be there in a few minutes. DON'T make my patient push." The nurse said okay and put down her phone. Then she asked me to get ready for pushing. What?
I have no clue what the nurse was thinking when she asked me to push. I remember arguing with her but to no avail. She asked me to lift my legs up and I realised that I still could not move my legs! This was weird because I could feel the full force of contractions, so I had expected to be able to feel my legs. Not happening.
Now, all the movies and TV programmes that I had seen, the mothers gave birth in some sort of a "gravity-assisted" bed or chair (remember Phoebe giving birth in Friends?). I was presuming that the lower part of my bed would be lowered just like in the movies. Heck! In the movies they are free to walk even during contractions!
Not happening.
I was presuming that my legs and hands and everything will be free while giving birth. Well, obviously that did not happen. (Remember, epidural+blood pressure+IV+Fetal heartbeat strap?)
So here I was lying straight in my bed, hands and back tied, legs supported by nurse and the husband. And so I tried to push. The pains were getting worse and worse. I was extremely tired and unhappy because this was not going the way I had imagined. After pushing for some time, the nurse could see the head and lots of hair on it! That kept me going. I pushed for almost an hour but there was no further progress. Suddenly my doctor breezed in and I cheered up instantly. Within 5 minutes of her entering the room (at least it seemed like 5 minutes), the baby was out! Amazing! (I will add with an asterisk that this included an episiotomy.)
Then with NO pain killers, the doctor proceeded to stitch me for what seemed like hours. I was exhausted and felt very traumatised. The nurses cleaned the baby and brought him to me for skin-to-skin. I refused. I refused to rake my son in my arms. So it was a kiss on the forehead for the poor guy and off he went to the nursery.
After stitching, the doctor cheered me up (she is a great doctor) and I finally started to feel good. My saline was switched off and my blood pressure monitor was loosened. I had a huge bloody rash on my arm from the constant clamping!
Here ends my birth story number 1.
...well not really. There was more to come. Moments after the doctor and the nurses left, I started feeling dizzy. I told my husband that something was not right. He immediately called a nurse. I asked her top put my saline back, as I was feeling very dizzy. The nurse quickly checked my blood pressure. It was extremely low. My fever had spiked and I felt extremely delirious. I remember begging the nurse to give me some food and water as I felt hungry. Of course that was refused as I was still on saline. I think I begged for food continuously in my delirium as I was feeling extremely hungry. Doctors came in and checked on me. I was piled on to a stretcher and taken to a monitoring unit where I was hooked to more monitors. I still remember feeling extremely weak and still asking for food!
After a few hours, I was finally stable and my doctor came and checked on me. I was taken off the saline and my catheter was removed. The nurse asked me for a urine sample for further tests. The feeling had returned to my legs and I decided to go to the toilet myself. The nurse and the doctors were very impressed at my "achievement". Ha!
I was finally taken to my room for recovery. My mom-in-law came to see me. She later told me that I had turned ghostly white from lack of blood. She believes that all this drama happened because I bled continuously for the last three weeks and then lost more blood during birth. She may be right, but I don't know. I never asked the doctors. I was happy to be alive and kicking!
The last few weeks of my pregnancy were really stressful. I was having a rough time in office, with people being fired left, right, and center. Yes, this was the year 2008 - year of the global financial crisis.
One not-so-fine morning, I realised that I was bleeding profusely. I continued with the heavy bleeding right up to the day of my delivery (this was a total of 3+ weeks!). To top it all, I had Oligohydramnios, which in layman's terms means low amniotic fluid (this is a whole new story, that I will blog about some day).
Finally, one day the amniotic fluid went dangerously low and my doctor decided to induce me within the next few hours. She asked me to go back home, get ready and come back.
So back I went, had a shower, ate a morsel, and gathered my baby bag. It was almost midnight when I went back with my husband and mother-in-law.
So after an IV, pitocin and a few additional meds later, the contractions finally started. This was in the wee hours of morning. When my contractions were regular and quite painful, the doctor came in and checked on me. She told me that I will be done with by afternoon. As the contractions were induced, they were quite painful. A kind nurse asked me, if I wanted an epidural, and I consented (of course!)
The anesthetist came and asked me to lie down like a "prawn". What?
Basically, I had to curl up in a fetal position but sideways. Somehow, I got the epidural through and pain relief kicked in. It was heaven for the some time. But wait a minute, what was happening? I started feeling extremely cold AND itchy. I could not move my legs at all. It felt very very uncomfortable and weird.
I felt trapped in my own body. Why was that? Well, I had IV in my left arm, a blood pressure monitoring strap on my right arm, a fetal heartbeat monitor wrapped around like a belt around my waist AND an epidural needle stuck to my back. Hmmm, what else did I have? Oh yes, a catheter to drain my kidneys! How could I forget? So basically, only my legs and head weren't tied up but because of epidural, I could not move my legs either! Oh, and did I tell you that the blood pressure monitor clamps the arm like a hungry python every few minutes?
It was AWFUL!
After a few hours like that (in which I had to take additional doses of epidural), a nurse announced that I was almost dilated and left. She refused to give me more epidural because "I had already had too much".
And then the full force of contractions hit me. Boy were they painful! There was no epidural, my body had not produced its own pain relieving juices and I was on induced labour. I screamed the place down and begged for an epidural, but the nurses were adamant. They refused to give me more.
Finally, the nurse called up my doctor. I could hear the doctor's instructions over the phone - "I will be there in a few minutes. DON'T make my patient push." The nurse said okay and put down her phone. Then she asked me to get ready for pushing. What?
I have no clue what the nurse was thinking when she asked me to push. I remember arguing with her but to no avail. She asked me to lift my legs up and I realised that I still could not move my legs! This was weird because I could feel the full force of contractions, so I had expected to be able to feel my legs. Not happening.
Now, all the movies and TV programmes that I had seen, the mothers gave birth in some sort of a "gravity-assisted" bed or chair (remember Phoebe giving birth in Friends?). I was presuming that the lower part of my bed would be lowered just like in the movies. Heck! In the movies they are free to walk even during contractions!
Not happening.
I was presuming that my legs and hands and everything will be free while giving birth. Well, obviously that did not happen. (Remember, epidural+blood pressure+IV+Fetal heartbeat strap?)
So here I was lying straight in my bed, hands and back tied, legs supported by nurse and the husband. And so I tried to push. The pains were getting worse and worse. I was extremely tired and unhappy because this was not going the way I had imagined. After pushing for some time, the nurse could see the head and lots of hair on it! That kept me going. I pushed for almost an hour but there was no further progress. Suddenly my doctor breezed in and I cheered up instantly. Within 5 minutes of her entering the room (at least it seemed like 5 minutes), the baby was out! Amazing! (I will add with an asterisk that this included an episiotomy.)
Then with NO pain killers, the doctor proceeded to stitch me for what seemed like hours. I was exhausted and felt very traumatised. The nurses cleaned the baby and brought him to me for skin-to-skin. I refused. I refused to rake my son in my arms. So it was a kiss on the forehead for the poor guy and off he went to the nursery.
After stitching, the doctor cheered me up (she is a great doctor) and I finally started to feel good. My saline was switched off and my blood pressure monitor was loosened. I had a huge bloody rash on my arm from the constant clamping!
Here ends my birth story number 1.
...well not really. There was more to come. Moments after the doctor and the nurses left, I started feeling dizzy. I told my husband that something was not right. He immediately called a nurse. I asked her top put my saline back, as I was feeling very dizzy. The nurse quickly checked my blood pressure. It was extremely low. My fever had spiked and I felt extremely delirious. I remember begging the nurse to give me some food and water as I felt hungry. Of course that was refused as I was still on saline. I think I begged for food continuously in my delirium as I was feeling extremely hungry. Doctors came in and checked on me. I was piled on to a stretcher and taken to a monitoring unit where I was hooked to more monitors. I still remember feeling extremely weak and still asking for food!
After a few hours, I was finally stable and my doctor came and checked on me. I was taken off the saline and my catheter was removed. The nurse asked me for a urine sample for further tests. The feeling had returned to my legs and I decided to go to the toilet myself. The nurse and the doctors were very impressed at my "achievement". Ha!
I was finally taken to my room for recovery. My mom-in-law came to see me. She later told me that I had turned ghostly white from lack of blood. She believes that all this drama happened because I bled continuously for the last three weeks and then lost more blood during birth. She may be right, but I don't know. I never asked the doctors. I was happy to be alive and kicking!
I was released from the hospital the very next day!
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