Carrie McCullock tells her birth story: 'I am 27 years old i have 2 boys that are 6 and 5 years old and at birth Ethan was 10.5lbs and Ollie was 10.8lbs: big babies as you can see! I also suffer from a heart condition.
When Ollie turned 5 and started full-time school we decided to try again. I have always wanted a little girl but we would have been happy if it was a boy. After 3 months of trying we conceived.
The first 10 weeks all went OK. At 11 weeks I had to go and see my consultant about my heart. He told me I had to be careful as my heart could go into failure and if so, they might have to operate on me while pregnant.
I was so shocked as I'd had no problem with carrying my other children.
So I ended up finishing work at 18 weeks and rested; I was in and out of hospital to make sure my heart was OK. At the 20-week scan we found out that we were expecting a little girl! I was monitored until I was 34 weeks when I was given the all-clear.
At 35 weeks I went to the consultant about my baby as it could be a big one. He told me they'd attempt a membrane sweep at 37 weeks to try and start me off naturally.
At 37 weeks my cervix wasn't soft enough to do it so he said to see the midwife at 38 and see if she could do it. So at 38 weeks I had a sweep and I had a show but nothing happened. Then at 39 weeks I went back to the consultant about my baby and he booked me in for an induction the following Monday. I was so excited about it!
Monday came and I rang up to see if there were any beds and they said to come in but they were busy and could not promise I would be induced that day. It got to 8pm and they said nothing would happen that night.
I went back in at 8am the next day with Andy (hubby). They monitored me every 6 hours as they classed me as a high risk case. At 11am I had a pessary. They carried on monitoring me on the ante-natal ward as my blood pressure had started to play up.
At 6pm I went back down to the delivery suite to see the doctor. I was 1cm dilated but as my cervix was ripe I had also started to get some pain.
The doctor said I was not allowed to push for long and if this happened I would have to have a C-section. Around 8pm the pain started to worsen but I was not sure if it was labour. They told me to have a bath and luckily Andy was there - the pain got worse and worse so I could hardly get back to bed.
I wasn't coping so Andy went to get the midwife but as they were in the middle of shift change, over half an hour later and there was still no sign. Andy went back and then the midwife came with him and and did an internal: I was 4cm dilated.
At about 9pm they took me down the delivery suit and give me gas and air but I was in agony so was given some pethidine (upon request). Around the same time, my mum came in to help. The next thing I know, I wanted to push.
I said I won't push, I can't, I am only 4cm. But I couldn't stop. When the midwife did an internal, my waters were already gone and she was looking at my baby's head right there. So I delivered her in less than an hour.
While I was delivering her, the anaesthetist came in gowned-up to take me to theatre but he was too late! When they gave my baby girl to me I had to make sure she was a she not a he - I was convinced it was a boy!
We called her Faith Louise and she weighed 8.6lbs on 22/04/2008. She is now 21 weeks and a happy healthy baby .I am also doing well. I have been put back on all my medication and am still being monitored by the hospital.'
