Episiotomy and forceps; Hannah’s Positive Birth
This positive birth story is with Hannah and her baby girl. During labour Hannah’s baby’s heart rate dropped and when her waters were manually broken there was meconium. Hannah had a hormone drip and this progressed to needing an episiotomy and forceps. Hannah describes her delivery as “calm” and says her birth was “so incredibly positive“.
On Friday 9th April at 39+5 I went for my 40week appointment. I had my second sweep (first at 38+4 was unsuccessful) and this one was successful. I was told I was 2cm already and easily stretched to 3cm. I’d been having growth scans due to risk of low birth weight. These scans had shown a healthy weight thankfully. However, the midwife felt it was a long time to go from 36weeks without further measurements. She arranged for me to have an extra scan on Sunday the 11th April (my due date).
After the sweep
I’d continued everything I could to help move things along; eating dates, raspberry leaf capsules, clary sage in the diffuser, more bouncing on my ball and as much walking as I could manage. I lost some of my mucus plug on the days following but knew this didn’t necessarily mean anything was imminent.
Growth Scan
On the Sunday I went for the scan and was told baby had had a growth spurt and was now almost at the 90th centile. The Doctor wanted to speak to me about risks associated with large birth weight but there was a lengthy wait to see the doctor. At 1.30pm I went back to the waiting room and by 2.30pm contractions had started. By 3.30pm they were consistently 3 in 10 and lasting 45-60seconds. I asked to see a midwife while still waiting for the doctor. Around 5pm I was examined and only 2cm dilated. Cue disappointment from me as I live an hour from the hospital and was very anxious they would send me home! But – my blood pressure was high and there was protein in my urine. I was told as there was a risk of pre-eclampsia I’d be kept in and induced that evening.
No Induction Necessary
At 5.50pm I rang my husband who’d been waiting in the carpark since 12.30pm and he could come in. Thankfully we had our hospital bags in the car. I was examined again a couple of hours later around 8pm and was 4cm so no induction necessary. They wanted to break my waters to get things moving and said that’d be done around 9pm or so after the shift change. Having my waters broken was the most surreal thing. There was just SO MUCH water! It just kept coming!!
My Birth Preferences
My birth preferences included being UFO, a water birth and minimal intervention but I was completely open minded to any eventuality thanks to this course. As I had to be monitored because of my blood pressure and there was meconium in the waters when they were broken, constant monitoring was required and I remained on the bed. However, I found this suited me fine at the time!
I asked for an epidural quite early but there was nobody available for it and didn’t get it until very late. So glad I got it in the end! I accepted Diamorphine while I waited for the epidural. I’d this declined a couple of times, but just wasn’t coping with the contractions as they intensified and the epidural was still nowhere in sight! I had gas and air only until about 7cm and literally lost a couple of hours of my life as I was off my face. It was fantastic!!. I only really remember the song “You can call me Al” coming on my birth playlist and declaring “TUNE!” to my husband and midwife.
Episiotomy and Forceps Assistance
At one point the midwife said baby’s heart rate had dropped. She pressed the emergency buzzer but luckily it quickly picked back up. Throughout everyone was so professional and reassuring so I never really felt scared. My contractions just about entirely stopped when it came to pushing time so ended up with the hormone drip. Things still didn’t progress and because baby was facing away off to the side they took me to theatre to turn her. I then delivered with episiotomy and forceps while there, I also had a second degree tear.
Hello Baby
My beautiful daughter Lucy Kayleigh Campbell arrived at 5.51am on the 12th of April weighing 8lbs 5oz. One of the doctors laughed once her head was out as she was already making noises so it was no surprise that there was no delay in that first cry once her body was out. Nothing can prepare you for that beautiful sound!
Thanks to The Bump To Baby Chapter I felt like I understood everything that was going on. It was so calm (after I stopped being off my face on gas and air and the epidural kicked in) and so incredibly positive despite being entirely the opposite of my preferences.
