Birth story - Hannah and baby Richie

*Trigger warning* - Very fast labour and mention of still birth risk.

At 34 weeks pregnant I was diagnosed with Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). My pregnancy up to this point had been plain sailing and super lucky with nooo pregnancy symptoms AT ALL, apart from my lovely growing bump.

At my midwife appointment I mentioned that my skin had become itchy, which is something my midwife had told me to keep an eye out for. I was convinced it was more in my head rather than anything wrong, but the midwife ran blood tests and confirmed that it was ICP.

It became very daunting, very quickly as I received phone calls from my midwife, the consultant and midwifes from the hospital as well. I was now moved under consultant care and asked to immediately make my way to the hospital for monitoring and told weekly blood tests would be carried out.

We all know movement is super important, but it was stressed by every person to me that if I had any concerns, I should make my way in to triage. Up until this point, I’d had no worries at all, but now it massively felt like the pressure was on me.

Due to ICP the consultant had already booked me in for induction at 39 weeks on the 10th Oct (also my birthday ). After using my BRAIN - we made the decision this was the best option for baby to arrive safely due to the risk of still birth increasing at 40 weeks.

After going in a few times for reduced movement, fluctuating bile acid results and growth scan requested, the consultant called me on the 6th October at 5.30pm and asked me to make my way in to hospital for induction that evening.

We got to the hospital for 9.30pm on the 6th Oct and the pessary was inserted. Over the next 24hrs nothing happened. The first lot of gel was then applied on the 7th Oct at 10pm - again nothing happened that evening. On the 8th Oct at 7.15am, then 2nd lot of gel was applied and by 8.15am contractions had begun. My husband arrived at the hospital at 9.30am and by this point contractions were well underway and I was using my Up breathing and also popped a couple of paracetamol.

By 10.30am I was asking the midwife to check me, and eventually at 11am they did and I was now 5cm. They took me to the labour ward and by the time I arrived there, my waters had gone and I was now 10cm and it was time for the down breathing.

The midwives had to pop a monitor on babies head to measure the heart rate and it was dropping. The room was suddenly filled with people and I was told it was urgent we got baby out ASAP and instruments may need be used and they would have to give me an episiotomy. Again, this is something we had already considered and felt informed about and agreed that that would be safest option for baby. The midwife cut me and with the next surge and down breathing, the baby was here, without the need of any instruments.

Richie is absolutely perfect and as soon as he was born, the itching stopped.