Fiona’s Birth: Preemie baby and retained placenta

Love reading positive birth stories? You’re in the right place. This story is Fiona’s birth. She was induced at 28 weeks due to an infection and baby Cody spent over 8 weeks in the NICU. Post birth Fiona also had a retained placenta which she needed surgery for.

Labour or Third Trimester Symptoms?

It started on a Saturday, all day I had lower back ache on and off and lightening crotch. As I was only 28 weeks pregnant I thought it was just new third trimester symptoms.

By the night my tummy hurt a little as well. I was woken up at 2am with a really sharp pain in my stomach and an urgent need to wee. When I went to the toilet a lot of fluid came out but I thought I was just desperate. When I wiped I was bleeding. I called the Maternity Advice Unit  who said because the blood was light pink nothing to worry about.

Calling the Hospital

My tummy and back pains got progressively worse. I started frantically googling Braxton Hicks as I just felt something was wrong. By 5am I called the hospital again as I was still bleeding and pain had got worse. I was told to come in urgently.

On the way to the hospital my contractions stopped, making me think must have been Braxton Hicks. When we got there hooked us up to monitor and all fine, but they wanted to do cervical exam due to the bleeding. Unfortunately my waters had gone and I was 3cm dilated! At this point a consultant came to see me and it all got really scary.

Monitoring on the Ward

I was admitted into a ward for monitoring, One of the neonatal team came to explain to us survival rates and that baby would be rushed off to the NICU if we did deliver.

That night we went to sleep, and I woke at about 4am with contractions again. We called a nurse in who hooked us back up to monitor and contractions stopped. Baby’s heart rate however started dropping dangerously low, so they said I needed an emergency C-section. I used my EBRAN and felt confident it was an emergency.

Choosing Induction

Once we were in delivery suite, his heart rate was back to normal so we thought would go back to the ward. However the consultant came in and explained that I had an infection and that baby needed to come today. He explained I could either be induced or have a C-section, and gave reasons why induction was a better option. I went with the induction, as I was already dilated and my cervix was open went straight to the hormone drip. Before it started I had to have the magnesium sulphate which if you know about, I’m sorry.

The hormone drip was hooked up roughly 11ish, My contractions started about 2ish. They were very intense and regular but the gas and air and tens machine helped. I made sure I was upright and forwards, and could absolutely not lay down. I was really pleased even though I had drips and monitors my midwives supported this. When the contractions got too regular they would turn the drip down a bit and try and make it bearable for me.

Labour Progressing

I was checked at about 4:30ish and was 6cm, for me the cervical check was extremely painful. Thankfully they only wanted to check me once due to infection risk.

At some point the contractions changed and I felt like I couldn’t do it anymore. Thankfully I knew this was likely transition which made me push through it. Not long after I felt lots of pressure and like I constantly needed a wee.

I decided to lie down for the first time on my back because it just felt right in the moment even though I know it’s not optimal for pushing.

I told the midwife I felt it was time. She took a quick look and said yep it’s go time. As planned, a large neonatal team came in with lots of scary equipment, thankfully I had been prepped for this.

Baby’s Arrival

I started pushing. My first contraction I felt so scared and my brain just didn’t work I didn’t know what to do it was pure panic. Then a midwife said to me to push like a poo, and then the next contraction I did and felt better. The contraction after I pushed so hard I was actually sick. I said the pain was so bad I couldn’t do it, someone said to me, the harder you push into the pain of the ring of fire, the quicker it’s over which really motivated me! The contraction after I pushed out his head, then his body.

Our precious miracle Cody was born at 19:29.”

Apparently he immediately started crying (I couldn’t hear I think as in shock) which is amazing for a 28+5 weeker. They had to wrap him in a plastic bag and put him straight on oxygen but then handed him to me for 3 minutes with the cord still intact. They then took him away and wrapped him in more stuff. His dad got to hold him.

As I was warned it was time for him to go, and my husband went with him. They recommended the injection to get out the placenta, as I just wanted to go be with him. They then pulled until it came out, I was sick again.

I got to be wheeled to the NICU to see him, then shortly taken back to delivery suite.

Retained Placenta

I will include the next part just in case it helps someone else! That night when I went to the toilet I felt something come out of me. I called the nurse in who confirmed it was more placenta but they weren’t concerned. I felt that wasn’t right but it was such a whirlwind I couldn’t stop and think about it. A week later, I went to the toilet and all of a sudden felt pressure down below. I thought potentially a prolapse. A couple of hours later I still had the pressure and went to toilet again. I felt something come out of me which I managed to catch in toilet roll. It was a bit of tissue/placenta the size of a small chicken breast.

I called MAU who said it was fine, I tried to push for them to see me, explained I was staying in the Ronald MacDonald across the road anyway due to my son being in NICU so could just drop in and show them / get checked out but was told no. I had my check up on the maternity floor the next day, so showed them a picture and explained, they agreed that I should have been seen and arranged a scan. The scan showed I had more retained placenta. It was explained to me could cause sepsis and all kind of issues. I had to be put under and have an operation to remove it, that went well and was a very quick recovery.

NICU

Cody spent 8 1/2 weeks in hospital and is an absolute fighter.

I’m so pleased I did the course and that I did it early enough that I had all the information prior to labour.