Birth story - Sian and baby Ada

3 weeks ago today, the day before my due date, I was so ready to meet our baby. My mum was cooking us dinner (she was staying with us for two weeks in hope the baby would be born in that time!) and Danny had not long returned home from work. I was bouncing on my birthing ball leaning over the arm of the sofa when all of a sudden I felt a gush which I knew was definitely my waters. 

I had a shower, called the hospital and was advised to come in to confirm it was my waters. We ate dinner and loaded the car and went through the list to make sure we had everything in case they kept us in. When we arrived the midwife checked my waters and found some old meconium and decided to keep us in. My mum went home and Danny and I wandered around the hospital and went up and down the stairs about 10 times hoping that labour would start naturally. 

We tried to get some sleep as we could be waiting a while and within an hour (12am) I started to feel some surges. I began timing them on the Freya app and used the up breathing technique I'd learned through hypnobirthing. Throughout the night and the following morning I had 3 baths and bounced on my birthing ball making sure I stayed upright, forward and open.

The surges were becoming more regular and stronger. Danny set up the TENS machine, I rented, which I found was a good distraction. My mum came back to the hospital around 9am. I had some paracetamol and codeine and was examined at 11am, and told I was 5cm dilated. I asked if I could get in the birthing pool and the midwife said yes! We were all excited! I was also offered gas and air which I accepted. Danny set up the pool room with battery operated tea lights, sprayed room spray and set up the Freya app which coached me to breathe while playing positive affirmations between surges. It looked and felt like a spa!

I was labouring in the pool for a few hours and felt a lot of pressure in my back, we were hoping we were close to the pushing stage as was the midwife. I was examined again and told I was now 4cm dilated, the baby had moved up and her head was now tilted. We had to go into another room and I wasn't able to have the water birth I'd dreamed of. I was devastated. 

I was getting strong but irregular surges in my back, the doctor stated they believed the baby had turned back to back. I was offered an epidural which I accepted, however the anaesthetist couldn't find space in my back, after 4 failed attempts and a lot of needles they carried out an ultrasound to find space. After an hour and a half the consultant anaesthetist then managed to get the epidural in. I was then put on hormone drips for 8 hours to speed up contractions. The midwife carried out the regular obs during this time and found I had a temperature. I was then put on intravenous antibiotics in case I'd developed an infection. At 9am I was examined again - I'd reached 9 and a half cm. The surges were still irregular and baby was still believed to be back to back. Her head was still tilted and when the midwife felt her head the baby's heart rate had decreased.

My waters had now been broken for over 36 hours and I'd developed a temperature so the risk of infection was high. The doctor came in and told me I'd need an emergency cesarean section. I was so happy! I just wanted to meet our baby, I was so worried about attempting to push her out back to back with her head getting stuck. Plus I hadn't slept in two nights and was exhausted. 

I met the team and the operation was absolutely fine. Within 10 minutes our beautiful daughter was born. I got to hold her for a few minutes before they had to take her and administer her antibiotics through a cannula and carry out blood tests (again due to high risk infection). She didn't even make a sound but was happy and healthy. I was then stitched up and Danny was able to cut the cord. Once she'd received her first dose of antibiotics we were able to have skin to skin contact and she even latched on perfectly for her first feed. 

We decided she looked like an Ada and already had the name Rose for her middle name which my Grandad Summers chose.