Baby A’s birth

We are at home finally! Baby A and mummy are finally at home. The last couple of weeks been hard and full of unexpected.
Baby A was delivered on the 2.12.12 at 13.28 following a Caesarean section operation. If you read my previous posts a couple of weeks ago you know why I end up having to have an operation. Yes unfortunately I was stuck again in early labour and no matter how much Baby A or I tried to hurry the labour it just didn’t happen. I was only 2 cm dilated 36 hours after my water break.
The whole experience in the theatre having the operation was way strange. I was so much more awake than in my first experience and everything was so cold. It’s safe to say that…I didn’t like it. I know that it was the only way to bring my baby girl into this world but I didn’t like it. All felt too real and I was having contractions while they were prepping me. They were so many people in that room and they all had their eyes on me…I think I numbered about 10 people…I know they were suppose to be there for my own safety and my daughters safety.
Something strange happened though…As soon as I heard my daughters cry I stopped caring about who was watching me. I was happy she was ok and safe and that was all that mattered.
Also different than in my first experience, this time I didn’t feel any pain during the operation. All was ok.
Baby A was born weighing almost as much as her sister – 4.415 kg / 9lbs 11 oz. Boogie was 4.430 kg at birth. I know I make big babies. Daddy got to cut the umbilical cord this time too. Although not straight from me.
We also had skin to skin time straight away which it didn’t happen the first time.
What happen after is what happens after any caesarean operation. We both went to the recovery room and then moved to the ward. The only other patient in the same room with me was an 18 year old black girl who snore and ignore her baby cries for as long as she was there. She left her baby cry so much that she was covered In vomit and poop. The midwife had to wake her up as she slept straight through it. But never mind her…she was a very troubled young lady.
We spend 48 more hours in the hospital so we left on Tuesday afternoon. I was happy to go as 4 days in the hospital being away from my eldest daughter been quite hard.
I was happy to leave although I was still in pain. Have to say the insides hurt a lot more this time than the first time. The time for medication didn’t seem to come fast enough. I was given paracetamol, diclofenac and liquid morphine but the only one that took the pain away was the morphine. I was in agony every time I was breastfeeding my daughter but I thought that was normal.
I left the hospital with medication from the doctors but only paracetamol and diclofenac. Apparently they were not allowed to give me morphine at home. Although still in pain and unable to walk properly I left the hospital on Tuesday 4th of December with my husband and my newborn daughter. My eldest – boogie – and my mum were waiting for us at home. They were both really excited to have us home.
We spent the next 4 days doing what you usually do at home when you bring a newborn. I continued with the breastfeeding and the sleepless nights. Baby A was feeding often but always falling asleep after so it gave me a break to rest which was not too bad. The community Midwifes came to see us and on Friday the 7th of December the midwife took my stitch of the operation. She said that the operation looks great and there is nothing wrong with it. I told her that I’m still quite in pain and that I can’t do much and she just said that its normal. I insisted saying that the first time I had the operation I felt a LOT better but she assured me that is normal.
We then discussed about my breastfeeding and I showed her that my nipples are really cracked but she again assured me that it will pass.
Weekend came around and Saturday as usually we took my eldest daughter swimming. It was the first time I was going out as well. While out I felt really dizzy and put of place…plus quite cold but put it all on the fact that it was cold outside.
Sunday we were set to go out to a Christmas market or something as a family of four first thing in the morning but you know how is like trying to organise everybody. Plus I fell asleep on the couch mid morning. Woke up in agony. My low back was hurting badly and I was feeling really cold but hot at the same time. My mum suggested that I should see if I have fever so we checked…in a matter of half an hour my fever increased a lot from about 38.3 to 39.7. At the same time I was shivering badly. It was just weird because I was still on medication…diclofenac and paracetamol so why would I spike on fever?!? My mum panicked and she said that my symptoms are sign of infection so we need to call a doctor or go to hospital.
So there we went…On the way there I had another episode of shivers…it went on for like 25 minutes. I just couldn’t stop….
At the A&E I was checked in the triage and sent to wait along with everybody else. We must’ve been there for like an hour or so… I had many thoughts and one of them was the fact that I should probably go home because my both babies were with me and A&E was not a place for any of them. I was thinking that its not such a problem in the end because otherwise they wouldn’t just let me wait there along with everybody else…
Finally a nurse saw me. She didn’t seem very worried…but said that she will discuss about me with the doctor and we will see… I will probably have to wait a couple more hours though so I should send my kids at home. As my new born was due to be fed she allow me to do so in a separate room first. The plan was for me to wait there and hubby to take my daughters and my mum at home.
But…while feeding my daughter she brought one of the doctors to collect me. They must’ve checked my urine and realise that something was wrong with me. So I left with him in order to be checked. He took lots of blood from me and then left me on the table hooked to a drip. Apparently they had to make sure I was hydrated. While on the table though I had another episode of shivers…that went on for 45 minutes. Pointless to say…I was in a bad state and alone. My family was not with me and I wasn’t even sure if they were still in the waiting room or if they left home…Had my phone with me but…there wasn’t any signal so I couldn’t text my husband and find out.
At my insistence he brought my family but then…as I had shivers and crying I felt even worse as I really didn’t want my eldest daughter to see like that.
Not long after a nurse came over announcing that she needs to take more blood from me and that my kids should leave right away. I was to stay there under observation and to be admitted to a ward when possible because I was really unwell. I start crying even more as I didn’t ally understand what she meant…She then said – “Listen darling you are septic so we need to make sure you are ok. You are to be admitted and you will probably have to stay in hospital for about a week. ” The word “septic” just scared me! So many “what if” we’re going through my mind! What if they left something inside it? What if they left some of the placenta in? They couldn’t though as i donated my placenta and they said it was ok and healthy. What if they left something like an instrument in there? Oh no! I don’t want to be open up again! Ok ok..I will stop with the drama….
What was clear was the fact that I had to stay there and that my daughters and the rest had to go home. I felt like my heart sank when that happened.
The following hours spent in A&E were a nightmare! The nurse was nice at the beginning but then turned nasty for some reason. I needed it toilet badly but she just refused to unhooked me or to bring me a toilet. My belly started hurting me badly too but she said that must be the infection…I was under constant monitoring so she probably didn’t find it wasn’t convenient for her to unhook me.
Anyway while there I was also seen by an obstetrician which refer me for an abdominal scan for next day and had a chest X-ray. The obstetrician although concerned by the internal check she gave me didn’t hurry the abdominal scan which I found weird.
The chest X-ray showed that the infection didn’t come from my chest so it was certain at that point that the infection is coming from the womb.
in the meantime my pain was a lot worse and not even a dose of morphine given by one of the head of nurses (which happen to be our friend that started his shift) didn’t help.
Anyway soon I was moved to the Delivery suite to be look after the team of obstetricians there. I was even given a separate room. The care here was a lot different. Very soon the team of doctors and Midwifes came to see me and scan my belly and discovered that my bladder was very full. She concluded that one of the reasons I’m in such a pain is because I was caring so much urine. They decided to put a caterer in ( which I hated ) and as soon as they did and I start to release urine my pain went away…I had 2.5 litres of urine in my bladder and apparently normal it is about 300-400 ml before you need to go toilet. Because of it the doctor said that they might need to leave the caterer in for about a week because the bladder was so stretched. They assumed that it was a problem with it but didn’t realise that I was fed 2l of water while in A&E.
Anyway to cut long story short I spent 4 days again in hospital being treated for my infection although when I left they were unsure where it came from.
Sunday night I spent it away from my both daughters but Monday I was joined by my newborn. Even though I expressed milk while away from my little one I still developed some sort of engorgement/mastitis. That on top of the fact that I was hooked constantly on a drip and antibiotics was just a nightmare. I cried a lot…and I in the first 12 hours I had two more episodes of shivers.
Because my little one developed a little bit of fever while in hospital and the paediatrician was worried that she could have an infection too they started to give her antibiotics as well. It took the paediatrician almost an hour to get blood and to put a cannula on my daughter foot…She cried so much and I cried with her.
Thankfully the antibiotics sent the mastitis away and my daughter started to feed better. That breast is still a bit affected but not as bad. It’s just a bit sore.
After 4 night spent in the hospital it was ok to be sent home finally. I changed lots of Midwifes and doctors while there and I was never told exactly what the problem was.
In the end it was decided that I don’t need to have the caterer left in after I leave the hospital. I was really happy about that.
I omitted to say that the abdominal scan that I had concluded that was nothing left inside my womb. Phew! That was good. She didn’t say if the infection came from the womb initially but would she?
We are home now and well. I’m still on antibiotics and painkillers – although I don’t really need the painkillers – and hopefully when I will finish them I will still be fine.
Baby A blood result didn’t show an infection either so all is good.
We will need to go back to the hospital in 6 weeks time to be checked but we pray that the hospital trips will finish after that.
As a family we are looking forward to Christmas. Is not going to be filled with presents like in previous years but it will be filled with love. It is our first Christmas as a family of four.
To put a smile on your face here are two pictures with my newborn daughter – one straight after birth(1st one) and one today at almost 3 weeks old(2nd one):