Well, we certainly have progress! This is quite scary and wow, it comes all of a sudden! I still have so much to do.
This post will be graphic-ish but, you have been warned so don’t be offended if you read on.
Yesterday I went in for my Midwife appointment. I cancelled my appointment with the diabetes educator (which was put aside for emergency) because it’s clearly not been an issue. Anyway, I waited for about 15 mins, they asked where my file was because they were “preparing” for me, then 15 mins later they called me in. No midwife. Hey, what’s going on? Now there are two doctors in the clinic room. This must be serious, right? Well, apparently I’m so far along they bypass the midwife for this appointment.
The doctor was really nice and extremely blaze, I’m sure some people would hate that – but I *loved* that, it made me feel calmer about everything lol Apparently there was glucose in my urine (figures, the one time I cancel my diabetes appointment), but the doctor said it’s too late on to worry about it anymore. I didn’t have a clue why Id have glucose in my urine, Ive been eating fine and my BG readings are all normal. Makes me a little concerned.
My blood pressure was 130/80, which is fine apparently. Cool. Now they felt the baby, she pushes around, measures me (didnt tell me how big I was this time) and said the babys head is completely “locked” in place. I suppose that means it’s completely engaged now?
Then she went to do an internal examination of my cervix. Eeep. I nervously ask her if it will hurt and she told me “It’s just a little uncomfortable, but less painful that the Strep B test”. Oh. The strep B test was a walk in the park, so I relaxed and took deep breaths and thought of a beach. Did nothing, she stuck two fingers up and I struggled, it was a little painful, a little uncomfortable. She says to me “I have two fingers in and I’m touching the babys head. That means you’re two centimetres dilated, but I don’t think you are effaced at all”. Okay, no worries, now take your fingers out and let me get dressed. AHHHH OMG WHAT ARE YOU DOING! “I’m just stretching the cervix a little”.
Holy God in heaven. That was TERRIBLE pain! I ask her “Whoa, is THAT what a contraction will feel like?!” and she responds “No, no, much worse than that!”. Thanks a lot for that. I feel so reassured. :\ Or, try this, scared to absolute death of labour now. Thanks.
I am still annoyed she did this without my knowledge OR permission. Ugh. But none the less, I’m sure she did it with good reason, and I’m sure it will help.
After that she casually called the birthing unit and booked me in for an induction on February 7th. She didn't actually tell me when or where to go, but I asked someone else later at MDAU and they told me 7am at the Birthing Suite (because it was a Sunday and MDAU would be closed). Apparently I go in, in the morning and have gel placed on my cervix to help it along. I stay for a few hours of monitoring, go home, then come back in the afternoon for more gel. I then stay overnight in the post-natal maternity ward (with crying babys, for a lovely sleep – lol). First thing Monday morning I get an IV drip & pitocin put on me. If nothings happened by the afternoon/evening they rupture my membranes. If that doesn’t start labour I’ll have a caesarean (apparently this is unlikely since I’m already dilated…). They said expect 2 days wait for the induction and then a further day for the labour. Hmmm.
It also means though, that for the whole second day of labour I have to go it alone most of the time because husbands are not allowed in the maternity ward except for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the arvo. Even if he’s my birthing support partner. Whatever. Stupid rules.
It’s funny, they go on and on about “Have you got support? Will you have help after birth – you might get post natal depression”. Then they go ahead and say your husband can’t be with you. It seems to conflict but oh well.
Anyway after the appointment she asked me to go over to MDAU for another foetal monitoring. I thought my water broke on the way there but I wasn’t sure. They didn’t test me, but said it was probably just the gel the doctor used during the exam. Oh, oops.
The monitoring was fine, but took longer than usual. For the first time I got two strong contractions during the monitor, and they made cute little hills on the graph sheet. It was awesome to see the numbers coming down as the contraction went away. I can imagine in a real contraction that would be an awesome motivator.
By this point mum had arrived to pick me up (for some reason she found me in the hospital without knowing where I was – lucky!) this made me feel SO good, as I was getting kind of scared all on my own being poked and prodded and feeling like I’d just had a knife jammed up me.
When I got home I discovered I had been bleeding brown blood. I was told to expect this so I changed the pad and carried on. 2 hours later I was still bleeding. Only lightly, but it wasn’t pink blood. I was told to call if the blood was bright, or if I bled the next day. I ended up bleeding untill about 3am (only lightly) In the morning there was no blood.
I eventually got to sleep. The baby would move and it would give me shooting stabbing pains that would just stop me from falling asleep like a gunshot. It was near impossible to get comfortable, every time I fragiley moved just a little bit I’d get pain and have to stand up, shake myself out a bit and try again to lie down. Ugh annoying! Brentyn made me a hot water bottle and my God – that did it! I put the bottle and the body pillow in between my knees and was off like a light in 5 mins. Bless him :)
I got up at 7am and had breakfast and I was feeling a teeny tiny bit better and not bleeding. But just before Brentyn left for work at 10am and went to the toilet and lost my mucus plug. It was pink bright blood. It looked like I had the flu and it was like blasting into a snotty bloody tissue – yuck yuck. But yeah, unmistakable, that’s for sure. And gross.
Now I’m still feeling uncomfortable down there, I feel like I’ve been bashed up in the crotch. I haven’t got the sharp pains (probably because baby hasnt moved much this morning, which is normal for it.) I haven’t had any BH contractions since one last night… but I have had some crampy mild period like pain. Who knows what's going on.
I don’t think I’ll make it to my due date.
Now I’m going to try and figure out some calming relaxtion techniques because I was near on having a panic attack in hospital yesterday which was NOT cool. I don’t want my birth to be like that, I really, really don’t.