Christopher’s Journey.

I woke up at around 2.30am on Monday morning, feeling unwell and with a touch of diarrhoea, and thought it had something to do with the BBQ dinner we ate the night before. I had tiny cramps all over my tummy and was feeling really uncomfortable.

I finally woke up DH at about 5.30am and told him I was feeling icky. He suggested that I call the hospital, but I waited an hour to see if it would pass and when it didn’t, I rang the midwife and explained what was going on. She suggested that it was probably nothing, but to come in for a CTG scan so they can have a look to see what was going on.

I showered, washed my hair, finished packing my suitcase and then had to wait for DH to shower, wash his hair and shave!! (as I was convinced that it was nothing, he decided he may as well get ready for work in case that it did turn out to be nothing.)

We showed up at the Women’s Assessment Services (Emergency Department) at 7.40am and waited only about 10 minutes before they took us off to a room for monitoring. I was on the monitor for about 60 minutes and all seemed fine and the midwife seemed to think that I wasn’t in labour as the CTG wasn’t showing anything unusual. I had to wait until my OB got to his offices, as the WCH had to contact him before I was allowed to go home.

At 10.30am I went to the toilet and half way there, I thought, My god, I am weeing myself and I can’t hold it in - I didn’t think my bladder control was that bad!! When I got to the toilet there was a little gush and I figured it must have been my waters breaking and got DH to let the midwife know.

I got back on to the bed and kept leaking and my contractions were about every 9 minutes or so, DH went to put money in the parking meter and when he came back at 11.15am, my contractions were about 4-5 minutes apart.

My OB rocked up about midday and said that they wanted to wait for the operating theatre so they could proceed with the C/Section, but they just took someone into theatre and they were going to take me up next at about 1pm - 1.30 pm.

At 1.20pm, my contractions were really strong and the midwives kept telling me to breathe through them, as I had to wait until the theatre was free. I coped with this for about 3 contractions and then yelled at them that I HAD TO PUSH!!!!

At this point my OB was nowhere to be seen, so they pulled some other Dr into the room and told him that he would need to deliver my baby. I was still in the emergency department as they were worried that I would give birth in the lift, on the way to theatre. I started to push with my next contraction and my OB suddenly appeared and took over. They also rushed down all the neo-natatologists and a heap of support staff and set up an emergency team in the room next door for when Chris was born.

No time for any pain relief - About 4 contractions, a quick ventuse and an awful lot of of amniotic fluid later, Chris was born at 2.08pm, Monday 14th May 2007, weighing in a whopping 5lb 10oz (2550grams) and 17.5 inches (43.5cm) long.

The OB cut the cord and Chris was whisked off next door, so they could check him over and give him some oxygen. They brought him in to me, about 10 mins later and I was allowed to have a 25 sec hold, before he turned blue again and they rushed him upstairs to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). DH went with Chris while the OB and midwife took me upstairs to a delivery suite to deliver the placenta.

I got to meet my boy again about 90 minutes later.

Your baby could weigh around 3.1kg (approximately 6 lbs 13 ozs) or more and measure around 48.5 cm from head to toe (about 19 inches). Babies born after 37 weeks are regarded as being ‘on time’ or ‘term’. Babies born before 37 weeks are regarded as premature.

The proportion of fat on your baby’s body has increased from being only 30 grams at 30 weeks, to around 430 grams by the time they are born (approximately 16% of their total body weight).
The fine covering of hair on your baby’s body (called ‘lanugo’) all but disappears by this stage, but they still tend to be covered by the thick, greasy, white cream called ‘vernix’. The testes of most baby boys have now descended from their groin area into their scrotum.

Your baby’s placenta now covers about 1/3 of the inner surface of the uterus and processes around 12 litres of blood per hour (or 600 pints in 24 hours).

Christopher is weighing approx 5lb 13oz. and his thigh bone is 6.6cm long.

I am wrapped about his weight - coz the bigger he is when he is born the better it will be in the long run.

He is already engaged, which explains why I am so uncomfortable but only 18 days to go

Another OB appointment with Dr. S. S. today. Blood Pressure good at 120/80. Tummy measurement good, apparently Christopher is growing well, but that will be confirmed on Friday with another Growth Ultrasound.

Barb, Dr S.S. Midwife, gave me another Anti-D injection, which didn’t hurt at all so that was a bonus.

Next OB appointment,will be going over the Caesarean Section procedure and signing all the consent forms etc.

I went to another OB appointment today, with Dr S.S. Blood pressure was 125/75. So all good there. My tummy measurements were fine.

I mentioned that Christopher had slowed down with his movements, but put it down to him running out of room. He asked whether I was getting 10 or more movements a day? I had no clue I was supposed to keep count!!

I seriously had no worries about it, but he sent me around to the labour ward to be monitored for 45 mins, and his heartbeat hovered about 160bpm and he had about 20 movements on the monitor (I have no idea if that is per minute or for the full 45 mins ???) but the OB was cool about that and I was allowed to go home.

I also have to have to have another growth ultrasound on the 11th of May ( hopefully its the last scan prior to the birth - I really dislike the gel that they use - icky!)

I am still very uncomfortable, but am still enjoying being pregnant, I think because this is likely to be the one and only pregnancy, I want to take advantage of the whole experience.