Birth story - Emma and baby Benjamin

It’s taken me a while to put this together because at first I didn’t see my birth as positive but the more I reflect, the more positive I feel.

It’s a bit of a long one as labour was 60 hours plus the section, so I do apologise!

Background: I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GD) at 25 weeks, via glucose tolerance test, due to 3 risk factors. Metformin was started straight away and insulin one week later. My Blood sugars were perfectly controlled even during labour!

We downloaded the Digital pack at around 29/30 weeks following my diagnosis. I knew that due to this I would definitely be induced and I wanted to be as informed as possible about my choices and how to make decisions. This was definitely a good choice, my husband (Dan) and I went through the full pack but really focussed on the induction modules and from here we really felt informed and confident! (Thank you Siobhan!)

We had growth scans at 28, 30, 32 and 36 weeks. Benjamin measured on the 90th percentile for my body but I wasn’t worried. I knew the scans could be inaccurate and he had followed “the curve” throughout the pregnancy so I was confident he was healthy. I also reminded myself that at 4ft11” with a 6ft husband, I was unlikely to ever have a “small” baby!

At our 36 week appointment we went in armed with the information and confidence on how to go about the induction. The consultant was very negative and kept trying to scare us into induction at 37 weeks by using “shoulder dystocia” and “placental failure” several times. He hadn’t actually read my file or looked at baby’s graph but eventually did so when we pushed back.

Using BRAIN, we asked to be given as long as possible in the hope to go into labour naturally. In my trust you “aren’t allowed” to go past 38+6 with GD so we accepted induction at 38+5 (Monday 15th April). I also requested 2 sweeps to try and start labour naturally. The consultant agreed this would be a good idea so I was booked for 37+5 and 38+2 with my community midwife.

Neither sweep was successful as my cervix was soft but still long and closed, however this didn’t put me off as I knew it was still going in the right direction.

Birth story:
We called up at 9am on Monday 15th April and were asked to go in for 1.30pm. We were packed and ready to go so we used this time to get oxytocin going, chilling together, having some food and giving everything a final check.

We arrived at the hospital and shown to our “first room” where the induction would be started. It was a private room with a nice view! The 24hour pessary was put in at 4pm and by 6pm I was having regular tightenings with cramps around 3-5 mins apart as well as a “bloody show”.

We went for a walk and I used gentle up breathing through them. These continued overnight (Monday) and weren’t really helped by paracetamol or codeine. I forgot I had my TENS machine so got next to zero sleep... whoops!

Tuesday (16th) morning I remembered about my TENS so Dan helped fit it and it was amazing! Throughout the day the tightenings/cramps continued so to help things along we went for a couple more walks around the hospital grounds, bounced on my ball, listened to music and just generally relaxed.

Around 5/6pm the pessary was removed and upon examination I was 1cm dilated and about 1cm thick so a 6 hour prostin tablet was inserted. It was agreed I would be checked again at 1am (now Wednesday 17th) and hopefully they would be able to break my waters and move us to the “labour room”.

At 1am upon examination there was no change so another 6 hour prostin was inserted. All the while I was remaining positive, trusting my body to do what it needed to, at a pace it was comfortable with. After the pessary had been removed and the prostins inserted, the tightenings died down and were much more irregular. I didn’t worry though!

On Wednesday (17th) I was checked again after the second prostin at 10am and the midwife was able to break my waters at 2cm! I remember this being a bizarre sensation, like I was constantly weeing with no control!

After breaking my waters we were transferred to the labour room and told I had 2 hours for labour to start naturally. We went for a walk and I bounced and bounced on my ball. At 12pm we used BRAIN to request another 2 hours to try and get things going as I was getting contractions every 10 minutes, to which they agreed!

By 2pm I was examined and still no further than 2cm dilated and contractions still 10 mins apart so I was started on the hormone drip at 3pm. By 6pm I was getting contractions every 2 minutes lasting for a minute and was coping with just up breathing and gas and air! I can honestly say I LOVED this bit. I felt so empowered breathing through every contraction, feeling it peak then subside, riding each one like a wave. (I also LOVED the gas and air 🤣)

At this point my sugars had started to dip due to lack of food (nil by mouth once the drip was in) at which point they usually try to put you on a sliding scale of insulin and glucose. Again using BRAIN, we asked if I could continue to self control them and because I had controlled them perfectly so far as well as thinking I was so close to the end, the consultant allowed me Lucozade to keep them up for the “end bit” and to keep me off the sliding scale. Winning!

We asked my mum to come up which she did. At around 7pm I started feeling a lot of pressure and the urge to push so midwife started prepping the room for birth! Dan was sat on a soft stool and I was leaning into him from the floor using him as support. I remember being so excited at this point thinking “my baby is coming” with every contraction. The more pressure I felt, the more excited I got! He was amazing as well, with every contraction he reminded me to breathe, kept me steady, focussed and gave me words of encouragement.

At 8pm there was still no sign of baby and my lovely midwife was coming to end of her shift when we noticed my contractions were getting further apart and all the pressure was disappearing. This made me wobble as I knew something wasn’t right. The midwife left and shift changeover happened giving me a new midwife.

As agreed (because of the drip) I had an examination at 9pm... still 2cm. I lost it at this point because I was delirious from the pain and falling asleep in between contractions as I hadn’t really slept since Sunday night/Monday morning.

I cried and Dan got really panicky and worried. Having already discussed pain relief at great lengths with Dan, we knew this was the time to request some. I needed a break both mentally and physically. So I requested an epidural and had some diamorphine whilst waiting for said epidural. We sent my mum home as it clearly wasn’t going to happen anytime soon and I didn’t want her hanging around for hours on end.

At 10pm the anaesthetist came to give the epidural. Unfortunately it wasn’t easy and it took 3 different anaesthetists, 7 attempts and an hour and a half to get it in. Poor Dan was besides himself with worry at this point as he just had to sit and watch! I was still using my up breathing with the gas and air through contractions though!!

Finally at 11.30pm the epidural was successfully in and my next examination was to be 1am.

Dan fell asleep in the chair and I was managing to doze as I had no pain thanks to the epidural. At around 12:15am my midwife told me not to panic, she needed to press the emergency button and a lot of people were going to enter the room... Benjamin’s heart had taken a serious dip/deceleration. She had read my birth plan and knew I wanted things explained! Turns out the little tinker had just wriggled the monitor off for a second! The consultant wasn’t worried as it was the first so just to carry on until examination.

1am (now Thursday 18th) came and upon examination I was still only 2cm! The midwife asked the consultant to check/examine me and it seemed Benjamin was in the wrong position and it was highly unlikely he would make it out vaginally. He strongly advised a c-section, so Dan and I requested a few minutes alone to discuss it and, using BRAIN, decided it was the best option for me and baby.

I was exhausted and we didn’t want labour to continue only to start taking a toll on baby as he had coped so well so far.

At 2am the forms were signed and I was wheeled down to theatre. I was absolutely terrified and it took a lot to keep myself under control.

The staff in theatre were absolutely fantastic and we still discussed my birth preferences which helped put me at ease.

Finally, at 2:32am my little man entered the world! I will never, ever forgot that huge rush of love as they lifted him over the curtain and he started to cry.

They did his obs, wrapped him up then brought him round for some skin to skin with me. I couldn’t hold him properly due to my position but that first cuddle was amazing ❤️ Dan then took him off me and through to recovery.

Once I was cleaned up and taken to recovery Benjamin was put straight back on me and he latched without a problem!

I had harvested colostrum to stop any possible low blood sugars and we used that too.

All in all, it was a “difficult birth” and it has taken me a while to see the positive side but my little man made it safely into the world so that is enough for me ❤️