Hi
Thanks ICISBABY for posting my birth announcment. I finally got out of hospital yetsreday after 6 nights in there. Little Noah is currently fast asleep so thought i would post my birth story.

I was due on friday 17 th April, on that day i had a show, clear jelly blobs, quite large, then the pains started with tightenings, I thought this was it, but it wasn't to be. Seen midwife who said that baby hadn't fully engaged. So off i went for another 4 days having these pains (mainly of an evening), so i started to just ignore these pains, thinking they was just baby's head engaging. On tuesday i felt a bit different, just a bit off, not really being able to walk far. I had the pains more that day, but didn't think much of it. Then i had a big bowel movement (sorry TMI'), and at 21:00hrs i started to clean the bathroom like a demented woman, and i told my husband i thought i was going to go into labour. He wasn't impressed as he was knackered, don't think he believed me as we had so many false alarms with all the pains.
Went to bed at 21:30hrs, woke up at 22:30 with the same pains, went to the loo for a wee, walked into into our bedroom and about a cupfull of water came shooting out, then stopped, i got back into bed and told hubbie i wasn't sure if i'd wet myself, then another cupful came out. Then i started leaking, hubbie still thought i'd wet myself. Then more water came out with red blood in it, so i knew then that it must be my waters. I rang midwife who told me to come in to be checked, as he wasn't fully engaged they was concerned about cord prolapse.

I got to the hospital was checked over, they confirmed my waters had gone, and i was 2 cm dilated, this was at 11:30hrs, so i deceided to go home for a while. At this point i was still having contractions, but they felt just like they had since friday.

I was so uncomfortable at home, but managed to stay there until 3am and my contractions was about 1 1/2 mins apart. I got to hoospital i was 4-5 cm dilated. I'd had some paracetamol at 22:00hrs. I then got into the birth pool, which was amazing, it really helped. I stayed in the pool on all fours rocking back and forth, then at 5am my body just started puching, midwifeexamined me and said i was fully dilated, still using no pain relief since my paracetamol (thats how good the birth pool is!) so i began pushing, i pushed without pain relief for 2 hrs, then i started to think that something wasn't right. The midwife got the Dr in (I used to work with this Dr, so that was nice) who said the baby had turned back to back, and my contractions had started to slow down, so i had a synatocin drip put up, and spent the next hr pushing, by now i tried the gas and air, which was fab! They then decided to take me to theatre for a spinal block and to attenpt vontouse and forceps and maybe a ce section. I was wheeled to theatre very quickly, had spinlap block, which is very hard to keep still through contractions, they attempted a vontouse x3 times, failed, forceps x3 times, failed, and the next thing i knew they was doing a c-section. Baby Noah Morgan Abbott was born at 9:26 on wed 22nd April, screaming and fighting, he had a deep cut on his head which wouldn't stop bleeding, bruised eyes, abraisions to his cheek, and quite a bit of skin had been pulled away on his scalp.
I was told that the brusing would go and the cuts and abraision may heal, he had bad swelling to the back of his head. I was taken to the ward, Noah was very irritable, could hardly touch him withhout screaming. I didn't get my skin to skin, or able to put him straight onthe breast like planned, as he was so irritable.
Later on that evening the midwife took Noah off me, as he just wouldn't settle, he was then taken to SCBU, where he spent the the next two days, he had such a bad headache due to the swelling, he also wouldn't latch onto the breast as every time he did the abraision on his cheek would crack and split.
I badly wanted to breast feed, so i began expressing and Noah was cup fed what i could produce, however due to the stress and not having my baby with me I could hardly produce any colostrum, so SCUBU gave him formula.
Eventually I got Noah back with me, and tried him on the breast, but he still wouldn't latch on due to the scab on his face and he was used to a bottle. I was about to give up when my wonderful miwife suggested nipple sheilds, which worked a treat.
We are now back home, using the nipple sheilds, and i'm trying him on the nipple, which he sometimes latches on, sometimes not. I don't think we are sorted with the breast feeding yet, but i'm so glad my little boy is healing and the swelling has gone right down, he looks so much better.
I have been advised by the midwives to look into the birth and have been offered counselling. It has also been suggested that i may want to make a complaint. So i'm arranging a debriefing about the birth to go through all the notes to discuss why the procedures was done, when the baby was too far up the birth canal. I was told i couldn''t deliever him natuarally as i was too small and he was 8.12Ibs, which isn't massive, but too big for me.
My birth plan completely went out of the window, the birth wasn't really that bad for me, but very traumatic for my husband and little Noah.
I'll try and get some pictures on now.

Ah Be ate my reply!!
Sorry if I post twice then.
Gosh what abirth story - im so glad that noah and you are safe and now well and that he appears to be doing fine.
But I too would want to go through the delivery with the hospital and if i still wasn't happy then make a complaint.
I hope his face heals well.
Congratulations on your little boy!

Lisa
23+4

Oh honey
Congratulations on the birth of Noah, what a beautiful name but what a traumatic time for you and your family.
I personally would be looking into a complaint too if their explanation is not satisfactory, I really hope he heals quickly.
xxxx

Such a beautiful little boy! Thank goodness he arrived safely in the end, but I really would look into making a complaint. Read up on everything (if you have time!) before the appointment so they can't just fob you off.

Congratulations on your gorgeous little son, and I hope the feeding settles down for you soon.

Hannah xx

Congratulations honey, im so please he is ok, Ive never heard of a baby having cuts and bruises before, Im so glad he's healing ok

Well done

Gxx

Well done honey and congrats on your new baby boy, he is soo cute. I can't believe you had to go all through out you poor thing, at least you are both home and safe now.

K XX

[Modified by: K-lou on April 28, 2009 11:24 AM]

Congratulations on such a lovely baby. But poor you and family on such a hard time. At least you're home now.
I hope all is well from now on, and you get things sorted.
All the very best,
Chiara xx

Oh my life how traumatic for you all! I am so sorry to hear you had such a rough time but glad you are both now home and well. Little Noah is gorgeous, you must be such a proud mommy! xx

Congratulations. So glad to hear you are both well after such a traumatic entry into the world. I would def follow up with the hospital to find out why they made the decisions they did.

Noah is gorgeous and I'm sure his bruising and cuts will settle down very soon.

x

Oh hun, you really did have a time of it!!! Can't believe the way you were treated or what they did to your little boy! So glad he is heeling well now, He is just gorgeous!
Congratulations!! x x x

congratulations hun,what a beautiful little boy.I think that you should definately consider complaining about what happened.You shouldnt have been left that long pushing and they should have noticed his change in position sooner.Hope he heals soon poor little man.Well done for perseveering with breastfeeding,just the 1st few feeds will have passed on antibodies and immunity to his little body,well done you are doing a fantastic job.Enjoy your little bundle of joy xxx

Oh Pink, Huge congratulations on your beautiful little boy! His little face will clear up in no time then you can truly appreciate his perfect little features! xxx

aw hes so beautiful, poor lil thing having all those bruises and his cheak looks so soar, hope he heals fast. :) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hes such a gorgeous little boy, you and your partner must be so proud! the poor little thing having to go through all that, was the marks on his face caused by the forcepts? it must have been hard having to go through all that. but im really glad hes settled now and well done for sticking to breast feeding through it all.

XxXxX

Oh my god how horrible for you, I nearly cried at the photos!! He's beautiful, so glad he's healing well. Hope you get some answers at the debriefing. My husband's cousin's baby son had a large nick to his face very close to his eye after c section, she never complained or investigated and wishes now that she had.

Huge congrats, you have done brilliantly and what a lovely name. x

Ahh bless, congratulations on the arrival of Noah. I was nearly crying when i was reading your story and saw the photo's. He is gorgeous!

I think if i was in your place, i would definately be considering making a complaint, but it's hard as i guess you just want to put it behind you now, as he is settling. Nicki

Congratulations on Noah's birth, he really is a gorgeous little boy! Poor little man certainly went through a lot - I agree that you should look into making a complaint, he shouldn't have been so bruised and cut.

I love the name too, although I'm biased as our little Noah was born in January!

Take care xx

Ooh, just wanted to add that some people reckon cranial osteopathy can benefit babies who've been through traumatic deliveries and are quite restless - our first son Jacob had this, as he was helped out with ventouse and forceps xx

[Modified by: Niblet on April 28, 2009 01:40 PM]

oh the poor thing. he is adorable. congratulations and well done!! Im glad you're both home and well

fiona xx
26+3

Congratulations on the arrival of little Noah, he is absolutely gorgeous and I love his name. It must be so hard to see all his bruising so I do hope you get a decent explanation.

Really glad you're both ok though and that you're managing to breastfeed with the shields, I'm sure he will go from strength to strength.

Bec 37+4 x

OMG I wanted to cry when I saw the pictures of your poor little boy I cant believe it! I would definitely make a complaint i dont know how I would cope if someone did that to my little baby girl! Congrats tho I hope he heals soon he is truly gorgeous

xxx

Oh my, what a traumatic entrance for little Noah. He's gorgeous, congratulations! I hope he heals up soon,

aileen xx