Written by Daphne

 

I’ve had two babies, a boy and a girl. And with that two very complicated births. Well, the first was complicated, and so was the second but it was exactly the same as the first, therefore I knew exactly what to expect. I have fibroids in my uterus. One of them is 10cm big. I did not find out about these fibroids until I reached my second trimester of my first pregnancy. Almost to the day of the beginning of the second trimester, I started experiencing excruciating pain in my abdomen. I honestly thought it was all part of being pregnant until I spoke with a friend who had had a baby a few months before me, and she told me she never experience any pain in her pregnancy. After an emergency ultrasound, we were informed of the fibroids and told that one was sitting right on my cervix, blocking possible smooth exit for the baby on its own. Medical intervention would be necessary for the extraction of the baby. I spent the rest of the pregnancy accepting that I was to have a C-section.

After another ultrasound, it was discovered that the fibroid shifted away from the cervix as the baby grew, so then we were told a vaginal birth was now possible. So now, I adjusted my expectations to a vaginal birth. At my very last ultrasound at 38 weeks, I was told to wait behind and meet with an OBGYN. Uh oh! It turns out, I had low amniotic fluid and I was to be induced the following day. Induction by balloon method was possibly the most painful thing I ever had to endure. So they put me on morphine. Wheeee! The induction, after 24 hours only made me 3cm dilated so I was still not ready to have the baby. They decided to use oxytocin to try and induce labour. Again 12 hours later to no avail. Only 3.5cm dilated. They then decided to nick the water membrane to once again try and induce labour. However, the baby’s head was right on the water membrane, so they couldn’t nick it without hurting the baby. It was decided then, that I was to have an emergency C-section. I agreed to this, as I getting exhausted and was starting to feel really anxious to get the baby out.

The C-section went smoothly and baby came out safe and sound. A little bit jaundice, but safe and sound. Fast forward 2 years and 10 months, and I’m about to have my second baby. This time, told from day one that I was to have a C-section. This time, everything went so incredibly smoothly. Got to the hospital at 6am with my husband, and we were told my C-section would be at 10, hoping, of course, there aren’t any emergency C-section. It was a super quiet day in the labour ward, so the nurse came at 10 on the dot, and the baby boy was out by 10:46am. While they were in there, the discovered scar tissue on my bladder, which made the baby extraction really challenging for the doctor. He also said this is indicative that I shouldn’t have any more babies, as it would only get trickier and trickier. As decided beforehand, I had decided to get my tubes removed as we were certain we didn’t want to have any more babies, especially because pregnancy was so complicated and really wasn’t my cup of tea.

Becoming a mother was always a dream of mine, and I feel blessed that I could get pregnant at all and have two healthy babies. I’m also so blessed to have had the most positive hospital experience possible. The staff were all wonderful and caring and patient. We even played crib with our nurses while I was being induced. I love my birth stories. They brought me beautiful babies.