Our baby Regan
2009
First baby
Lived in: Okaihau, Far North
WHERE WAS YOUR PLANNED PLACE OF BIRTH?
Whangarei hospital
WHERE WAS YOUR ACTUAL PLACE OF BIRTH?
Whangarei Hospital
REGANS BIRTH STORY
So it began with taking myself to the Dr for a sore hip and just happening to mention my period was 2 weeks late and finding out that actually I was pregnant! What a surprise, not planned but wow so exciting.
I started out feeling fine but by 7 weeks I was not flash, headaches and nausea and then migraines one a week with vomiting for 24 hours. Many many trips to the Dr with no consistent advice or anything that really helped. I had weeks off work and spent most of that winter in bed I had never felt so bad in all my life, there were a lot of tears. Then at 16 weeks I had a migraine and vomiting so bad that my husband took me to an afterhours Dr who prescribed Voltaren suppositories, hours after I started cramping and bleeding. My Husband rang the after hours Dr in the middle of the night and was told nothing could be done and go to my Dr in the morning, which is what we did and were then sent to Whangarei Hospital and after hours of waiting was admitted for 2 nights, IV fluids and pethodine were administered. Baby was fine and we were sent home. I began acupuncture which I found to be a great help and by 20 weeks I was feeling great and the pregnancy progressed on normally.
As far as finding a Midwife my main stipulation was that I wanted to go to Whangarei Hospital, there are a number of Midwives in the area who say you have to go to Kawakawa Hospital fortunately I found a Midwife who said she was fine with my decision. I’m still not sure what the actual rules are regarding this, but I know of many women who have been told they must go to Kawakawa as oppose to Whangarei.
7.30pm
As it turned out at 41 weeks and 6 days I was to be induced at Whangarei Hospital. I arrived on Tuesday 13th for an induction at 7.30pm. I had my own room and my Husband had a mattress on the floor next to me so he could stay the night with me. When it came to placing the Prostin Gel the Nurse could not find my cervix and the more she searched the more painful it was and so after 2 more Nurses tried a Specialist was called who located it while I was sucking back Entonix Gas. The night progressed slowly with just a bit of back pain and mild period type pains I dosed on and off all night. Next morning I had more Prostin Gel but on the whole things were progressing very slowly.
4pm - 6.30pm
By 4 in the afternoon the pain had intensified, I was using the gas which did take the edge off. I was asked about pain relief and I said I would like an epidural once labour was more established. At 6.30 I was taken up to the delivery suite and because it was so difficult for them to locate my posterior cervix to see how dilated I was they gave me the epidural, in my opinion it was far too early I was only ½ cm dilated.
My Midwife had also been called which is not usual, your Midwife would not usually arrive until you were at a certain point of dilation. Medical intervention had taken over! The Epidural did elevate the pain but with it came some unpleasant side effects really low Blood Pressure, Nausea, Vomiting and uncontrollable shaking.
2am
Around 2am my waters broke. The next morning (Thursday) things were still progressing slowly and as the day progressed I developed a temperature and was given IV antibiotics. I felt pretty rotten still feeling sick and shaking uncontrollably all I could do was lye on the bed hooked up to all sorts of wires , as far as the contractions go all I could feel was a heaviness pressing down. I was feeling exhausted I hadn’t eaten since Tuesday night.
2pm
At 2pm I was 8cm dilated, and the baby’s head could be felt, contractions were irregular but unfortunately both baby and I had become tachycardic. Heart rates were all over the place, Baby was in distress. Next thing I know we were being rushed down to the operating room for a C section. My husband was wisked off to get kitted up into scrubs and soon returned by my side. The room was awash with Doctors and Nurses. It all happened so fast, all I felt was abit of pulling and tugging. Forceps were used to pull our boy out he was well and truly tucked up in there. Our 9lb 10oz baby boy was born at 3pm. There was no cry and he was blue a very scary few minutes waiting for that first cry.
Soon after he was placed on my chest, a big beautiful healthy baby boy a moment like no other! The whole process could have been better considering I went into hospital on Tuesday night and didn’t have a baby in my arms until 3pm Thursday. And not to mention the 17 VEs I had to endure because no one could find my posterior cervix, surely that is not that uncommon. But at the end of the day the end result was a healthy baby boy that was all that mattered.
Things you would do the same?
I would always opt for a Hospital birth, there was nothing outstanding about Whangarei but it is a fully resourced hospital as oppose to Kawakawa Hospital that can only offer Gas if you need anything more then it is an hour trip to Whangarei.
Things you would do differently?
Obviously being induced was not ideal but sadly that was unavoidable. If I could have had my Midwife with me right from the start I think it would have made all the difference, I was very much left to my own devices during that first day of induction. Having someone experienced advising me and encouraging me to walk around more and the opportunity to use the birthing pool would have been helpful. None of these things were mentioned or offered even my request for a heat pack was forgotten, (unfortunately for me it was particularly busy there were a lot women giving birth that day).
I wouldn’t have an Epidural again the side effects were awful and in my case I believe it was administered to early and because you are totally immobile once you have it everything just slows right down.
What advice would you reccommend to other Northland mums / families?
Find the right Midwife for you, if there are particular things that are important to you mention them at the first meeting and if you’re not happy then change Midwife. If you are suffering from morning sickness get some good advice find a good Doctor. Give Acupuncture a go I found it really helpful.
Don’t be afraid to speak up if you’re not happy about something. Being in hospital can be a very scary and intimidating environment be sure to have a good support person with you who will speak up for you if you can’t.
Feedback - Regan's Birth Story
I wondered who your mid wife was that was happy for you to birth in Whangarei?
Sounds like you had a bit of a time, but atleast you and Regan are healthy :)
