Pregnancy and Birth III

I went to the gynae when I was 36 weeks pregnant with my daughter, for my weekly checkup. She was certain that I’ll go into labour within the next week or so, since the placenta was giving in. It scared me so much that she would die within me, so I kept counting her kicks every day, making sure that she’s moving every few hours. On Wednesday, 1 day before I was 37 weeks along, I scarcely felt my baby move. I counted, and got to 10 by the evening, but I knew something was off. She moved very softly, very slowly. I should’ve followed my instincts and went to the ER, or phoned my dr. Fortunately, the next morning I had a checkup with my gynae. The reason why I didn't phone at midnight the previous night. At the checkup, I told the gynae that the baby isn’t moving. She gave one look at the sonar and said “this baby needs to come out today”. She did a stress-test on me, and it confirmed, our baby was in distress. I was immensely scared. But, the baby was still alive. The heart was still beating. We had hope!

We rushed home to pick up our bags, and then back to the hospital (while the gynae's people organised a theatre and team). My sister came to fetch Mr N (who was 2 and a half). He was so sad to leave me, it broke my heart into a thousand pieces. My husband phoned all the family to tell them that baby is on the way! I was wheeled into theatre, after I first requested that they listen to the heart rate. It was still beating.

The moment the spinal took hold, the gynae started to cut. Boeboe gave a little mew of a cry and stopped. My heart stopped with it. I was sooo worried. Unfortunately the spinal anaesthesia made me nauseous. I tried to ignore it and watched how the pediatric sister took care of my little girl. The pediatrician came running in (late!) and administered some more oxygen. Boeboe was quiet. She was alive, and moving, but she didn’t cry. She was slowly, very slowly, turning blue from her hands and feet, upwards.

The pediatrician wrapped our baby girl tightly and brought her over to me, laying her on my chest and turning my oxygen onto her face. She had blue lips, but was the most beautiful sight. She had thick, black hair and the smallest little face. She only weighed 2.63kg. And she was 46cm. I was overcome with nausea from the spinal block, and just as I wanted to call someone to please take her so that I can throw up, the pediatrician took her and said she needs some more concentrated oxygen so they’re going to take her to the nursery.

I can’t remember how many meds the aneasthesiast injected before the nausea dissipated. I just remember him trying one after the other, and in the end Valoid did the trick! I was so immensely relieved. Then I started shaking. Fortunately, Pethidine helped for that. My blood pressure went sky high! For the first time in my life, I didn’t struggle with low blood pressure, but with high! Just for a while, then it settled down. I was moved to the maternity ward.

My husband, who followed our baby to the nursery, came back. He was pale and stressed out.

To be continued…