Hey you, so back to the story...
Saturday morning, I had my 1st dose of Prostaglandins
(these are the hormones normally secreted by the body to soften the cervix and causes the early uterine contractions that helps open the cervix). These PGs are in the form of a gel the is inserted deep into the vagina.
You get connected to the CTG, the gel is inserted and you stay put for half an hour before you get disconnected and can start to move around.
So the systems goes like this, usually they start by 3 doses of PGs each is 6 hours apart, if that doesn't work, then "Artificial rupture of membranes"
is done, which means they break your water for you. If that doesn't work, then you will be given a drip (which contains a hormone called oxytocin which is the hormone responsible of the strong contractions in the 2nd stage of labour that actually pushes the baby out). And finally, If that doesn't work then a C-section (which was the absolute hell to me, thank GOD I didn't get to that point).
So, I had my 1st dose, which did nothing. I was assessed again after 6 hours to see if my cervix opened up. Assessment is done inserting her finger into the cervix.
Originally I was dilated only a finger tip. The midwife found that i was still the same, but here after the 2nd assessment actually caused the contractions to start along with the 1st PG dose and I got my 2nd dose as well.
So, the contractions started with the 2nd dose of the gel, they felt like strong period pains in the back and at the lower belly, but for me they were bearable still so I took no pain killers. I slept for a couple of hours through the pain, then I woke up in the middle of the night with stronger contractions, so I was given codeine ( a pain killer a bit stronger than paracetamol ) and went back to sleep and woke up a few hours later for my 3rd assessment. I was dilated only one cm,
the midwife could insert the whole finger in, and trust me that was actually the worst pain I have ever experienced in my whole life, way worse than labour, it actually brought me into sobbing tears. When a finger is being inserted into the cervix, you could actually feel the blood rushing into your ears from the excruciating pain.
That was Sunday morning, I woke up feeling sick and I threw up all my breakfast, and I threw up a couple of times after that. The midwives said that was a good sign of labour as well as the codeine could have made me sick, because it does do that. The constant sickness made me loss my appetite and I didn't feel like eating the whole day.
On the other hand, the contractions where getting stronger, that when they hit, they would shoot down my legs. The midwife came and asked me to move around to help speed along the process, as the gravity helps along the pressure of the baby's head to open up the cervix. So I asked to be given a stronger pain killer so I could move. And then I was given an injection of pethidine (which is a synthetic derivative of morphine) , it doesn't make the pain completely go away, but just easier to handle.
They asked me not to move alone with pethidine as it has a drowsy effect, so I walked around the hospital with Ahmed's help. It did make me drowsy a bit but nothing I couldn't handle, in fact it felt great. :D
We went for a stroll in the hospital car park, I went up and down any stairs I could find. I even did some squats.
In total, I moved for about 2 hours. The effect of pethidine started to wear off after that, and the pain became unbearable again.
It was almost 6 pm, the pain was starting to get crazy. I was exhausted, I haven't eaten the whole day and hardly slept since the day before. The pain was getting worse and worse, and I was assessed again and I was still 1 cm :S
I was offered the ETONOX , it slightly affected the pain. I started sobbing into tears cause I wanted to sleep and couldn't. The midwife came in and I told her I wanted another pethidine so I could sleep for a couple of hours, and she answered "Unfortunately, you can't sleep because you are in labour".
At 7:30 I was given the pethidine which did nothing. At 8 pm i felt a gush of water, I called my midwife to check cause I thought my water broke. I looked down there I saw a mucus substance with streaks of blood, and the midwife told me that was only the show (which the mucus plug that closes the cervix). But I insisted that also my water broke cause I could feel water leaking whenever I applied pressure. She double checked and indeed, my water did finally break :)
I was assessed again, and I was dilated 3 cm. It wasn't much but finally some progress. At that point I gave in and asked for an epidural.
They told that had to be given in the obstetric ward not the maternity, and they still have no bed for me. I kept sobbing and they started calling the ward to push a bed for me, and finally an hour later I was moved upstairs to the obstetric ward, to be given an epidural.
I went up, they started me on the fluids to prepare me for the epidural. Then I got the heavy feeling in my pelvis. I wasn't sure If I wanted to wee or poo or what. I went to the loo and nothing was coming out, but I still had the uncomfortable feeling that I wanted to push something out, I just didn't know what it was. Then the midwife came and told me that is the baby, and I should probably move back to the bed, cause I don't want to have the baby in the toilet :D.
So, I moved back to the bed. I told the midwife I wanted to push and where the hell is the epidural ?!! So she assessed me and told that I was fully dilated and I have to start pushing now and I can't take the epidural any more....
To be continued ..xxxx
Saturday morning, I had my 1st dose of Prostaglandins
 |
| the PGs are inserted at the location of the pessary |
So the systems goes like this, usually they start by 3 doses of PGs each is 6 hours apart, if that doesn't work, then "Artificial rupture of membranes"
 |
| artificial rupture of membranes |
So, I had my 1st dose, which did nothing. I was assessed again after 6 hours to see if my cervix opened up. Assessment is done inserting her finger into the cervix.
 |
| cervical dilatation assesment |
So, the contractions started with the 2nd dose of the gel, they felt like strong period pains in the back and at the lower belly, but for me they were bearable still so I took no pain killers. I slept for a couple of hours through the pain, then I woke up in the middle of the night with stronger contractions, so I was given codeine ( a pain killer a bit stronger than paracetamol ) and went back to sleep and woke up a few hours later for my 3rd assessment. I was dilated only one cm,
That was Sunday morning, I woke up feeling sick and I threw up all my breakfast, and I threw up a couple of times after that. The midwives said that was a good sign of labour as well as the codeine could have made me sick, because it does do that. The constant sickness made me loss my appetite and I didn't feel like eating the whole day.
On the other hand, the contractions where getting stronger, that when they hit, they would shoot down my legs. The midwife came and asked me to move around to help speed along the process, as the gravity helps along the pressure of the baby's head to open up the cervix. So I asked to be given a stronger pain killer so I could move. And then I was given an injection of pethidine (which is a synthetic derivative of morphine) , it doesn't make the pain completely go away, but just easier to handle.
They asked me not to move alone with pethidine as it has a drowsy effect, so I walked around the hospital with Ahmed's help. It did make me drowsy a bit but nothing I couldn't handle, in fact it felt great. :D
We went for a stroll in the hospital car park, I went up and down any stairs I could find. I even did some squats.
 |
| squats |
It was almost 6 pm, the pain was starting to get crazy. I was exhausted, I haven't eaten the whole day and hardly slept since the day before. The pain was getting worse and worse, and I was assessed again and I was still 1 cm :S
I was offered the ETONOX , it slightly affected the pain. I started sobbing into tears cause I wanted to sleep and couldn't. The midwife came in and I told her I wanted another pethidine so I could sleep for a couple of hours, and she answered "Unfortunately, you can't sleep because you are in labour".
At 7:30 I was given the pethidine which did nothing. At 8 pm i felt a gush of water, I called my midwife to check cause I thought my water broke. I looked down there I saw a mucus substance with streaks of blood, and the midwife told me that was only the show (which the mucus plug that closes the cervix). But I insisted that also my water broke cause I could feel water leaking whenever I applied pressure. She double checked and indeed, my water did finally break :)
I was assessed again, and I was dilated 3 cm. It wasn't much but finally some progress. At that point I gave in and asked for an epidural.
I went up, they started me on the fluids to prepare me for the epidural. Then I got the heavy feeling in my pelvis. I wasn't sure If I wanted to wee or poo or what. I went to the loo and nothing was coming out, but I still had the uncomfortable feeling that I wanted to push something out, I just didn't know what it was. Then the midwife came and told me that is the baby, and I should probably move back to the bed, cause I don't want to have the baby in the toilet :D.
So, I moved back to the bed. I told the midwife I wanted to push and where the hell is the epidural ?!! So she assessed me and told that I was fully dilated and I have to start pushing now and I can't take the epidural any more....
To be continued ..xxxx
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