When eleanor met lillie
I want to begin by saying that having a 'boring pregnancy' is such a gift and my heart goes out to all the Mumma's who do not have this experience. I was one of the lucky ones to consistently have had quick appointments, straight-forward scans and remain overall in good health (other than not realising I was very anemic... but how good is an iron infusion!?). As my due date came and went, the discomfort certainly kicked in and conversations started around induction options. By 10 days overdue, bub was still inside and after consultation with doctors/nurses we decided to start on an oxytocin drip the following day.
On Tuesday the 27th of June 2023, my husband and I arrived at the hospital at 7am so excited knowing it wasn't long till we would meet our little girl! I was checked before starting the drip and was at 2-3cm dilated. After a few hours I was checked again and had made it to 5cm! At this point I was finding the whole process relatively painless and was beginning to think I somehow had a super-gene of some sort. Shortly after, the midwife attempted to break my waters to speed the process up and this was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. I took gas for relief as she attempted numerous times with no success.
My oxytocin drip continued to be increased to the maximum dosage as my contractions were not intensifying and were not occuring in a typical pattern. The medical staff were perplexed by why I could hardly feel the contractions and my lack of labour pain. A few hours after the water breaking attempts and cervical check, I was checked again and had stalled at 5cm. The midwife tried to break my waters again with no luck. This was disheartening but I was surrounded by the most incredible support in the medical staff and my wonderful husband. He got me a cheeky chocolate to snack on to keep the spirits high! Everyone was a bit confused by this because eating during labour is unusual - but food sounded great to me!
At around 5pm, I was still at 5cm so the team decided to turn my drip off to see if my body could take over the labour process. The doctor on the ward was due to come make rounds to me shortly to check-in and determine the best course of action. As I lay on the hospital bed ready to be seen, a big pain started. I was so, so, so excited - it was finally happening! The doctor arrived almost precisely as the pain began and the timing could not have been more perfect. The initial excitement of the pain quickly didn't feel so good. It was unrelenting and grew in intensity. The next thing I knew I was vomiting and could see the monitors for both mine and baby's heart rate dropping, fast. Everything was blurry and I was struggling to remain conscious. The room filled with people and I was being informed that something was wrong and we needed to operate immediately. All I wanted at that moment was for the baby to be safe and I was trying to stay awake to consent to the procedures and risks involved.
Lying on the hospital bed, we ran down the corridors to the operating theatres. My husband was sent to scrub up not knowing whether he would or would not be able to be in the room. Due to the unknowns of what was going on, speed was key and I was put under general anesthetic for a cesarean section.
Looking back, my husband was in the toughest position of all at this moment, he stood in the waiting room, not knowing if we were okay, not able to be with us, praying and telling family and friends to pray too - I'm teary again just thinking about it.
All the resuscitation equipment was ready and transportation was on standby as the team anticipated many complications. But instead, at 5:57pm our perfectly healthy, beautiful baby girl arrived and she was so ready to see the world! Lillie got to meet her Dad for the first time while I was being stitched up and he fed her the colostrum I had been collecting in the lead up. Soon after, the three of us were reunited in recovery and I got to meet my little girl for the very first time. There were a lot of tears, a lot of hugs and I was very, very high on meds... so a lot of laughing and weird things were said too.
After lots of testing and investigation, the best theory is that I had a partial torsion of the uterus. This is an extremely rare event and there isn't much research or understanding on the cause. I am incredibly grateful for the medical team who honestly saved both mine and Lillie's lives and who also cared for us, listened to us, sat with us and journeyed with us. I particularly want to honour Doctor Sarah Bombell who made the decision to go to theatre, who performed my surgery and has continued to go above-and-beyond during further investigations, follow-up appointments and unpacking birth trauma with me.
My birth story was certainly not what I expected. But I have come to see the beauty in it and am thankful for the way it has helped me to connect with other women who may have walked a similar road.
Thank you for taking the time to read it!
What do you wish you knew before birth?
Honestly, the fact that you bleed during labour!? Not sure how I missed that one. But it was a lot.
If you could, would you do anything differently?
With the circumstances of what happened, absolutely nothing! But I do really hope to be awake to meet my next baby and to have my husband in the room too.
What did your partner do that really helped during labour/birth?
HE WAS THE BEST. He was constantly focused on my needs and taking initiative to fill them. He made lots of jokes, kept the room in good spirits and encouraged both myself and the medical staff at all times.
What advice/honest truth would give a mama-to-be about birth?
Have an idea of your birth preferences, but know that things might change and that's okay!