At 28 weeks I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Although very challenging, I was able to manage my glucose levels with diet. However, I was still classed as high risk and was advised by my consultant to have an induction.
The thought of having an induction really made me uneasy as I’d heard many stories of how the labour escalated and eventually ended in a c-section. I prepared myself mentally and physically for any eventuality through pregnancy yoga and hypnobirthing, which really helped keep me focused and calm.
On the 17th of July, I was induced. When I arrived at the hospital, I made myself at home and was introduced to the midwives on duty. I set up my candles, music and laptop and not to mention the fan (it was forecasted to be the hottest week of the year).
I was given the option to have the pessary or balloon. The balloon was my preference, however the midwife said I would have to wait for a senior midwife to carry it out on the labour ward and there was a shortage of beds. As I was mentally prepared, I did not want to delay the process and opted to have the pessary inserted.
During the first night I started to feel tightening around my lower stomach. It felt like mild period pains. It was bearable. I made a conscious effort to keep moving and walking to help move the process along. The midwives kept monitoring me and baby every 4 hours. By Monday the tightening’s were getting stronger and more frequent. It felt like waves of cramps that would come and go. By the evening the surges were stronger, and I asked the midwives for some pain relief – I was given dihydrocodeine.
As 24 hours passed and there were no signs of my water breaking, the midwives suggested to have ARM (artificial rupture of membranes) but could only do so in the labour ward, in case things progressed quickly. As there was no bed space, I was told I would have to wait and there were 2 other patients who were ahead of me.
As the visiting hours were from 9am-9pm, my husband was told to leave Monday evening. I felt a sense of panic as I knew my body was moving along and knowing my husband couldn’t be there to support me was difficult to accept. We did request for my husband to stay multiple times but they said until I’m in established labour he was not allowed to stay.
By 11pm Monday evening, my surges became stronger and more frequent. This night was the most difficult part of the whole labour process. On multiple occasions I called for help from the bedside assistance, but each time there was a delay. I felt desperate at times for any help, advice, and assistance, as I didn’t even have my husband by side. I was in a lot of pain. Each time the senior midwife came to check on me, she was adamant I was feeling ‘cramps’ and not contractions/surges. I was convinced it was the latter but because this was my first time I wasn’t so sure.
I was given oral morphine at this point and felt like it wasn’t helping. There was a trainee midwife on duty and she was amazing. I told her to stay by my side, as I was scared if I needed assistance I would be having to wait a long time again. She held my hand through each surge and reminded me to breathe and helped set up my TENs machine. As things were progressing throughout early morning, the trainee midwife managed to get the senior midwife to examine me.
To her surprise I was 8 cm dilated and I saw the sense of shock on her face. She said I was ready to move to the labour ward and rushed me off. I called my husband immediately and he arrived at 7am in the labour ward. As soon as I saw him, everything fell into place. I remembered everything I had learnt through hypnobirthing and he helped me to focus and breathe. He set up the room with candles, religious Hymns and handed over my birth plan, which was covered all the relevant details. The Trainee midwife was amazing and remembered all the details on the Birth Plan and relayed this to everyone involved in the birth.
Hypnobirthing not only helped me but also my husband, who constantly remembered UFO (upright, forward, open), breathing, reading the room, light touch approach, and balancing how and when to speak to the midwives without stressing me out. I felt like I was in a trance with the room set up, my husband by my side and midwives who made me feel so comfortable.
I was using Gas & Air which really helped me breath through the surges. I felt connected to my body and in control. Hours later, it was time to push as the midwives could see the baby’s head. It was going really well but the baby’s head was in an unfavourable position and the heart rate started to drop. The midwives immediately pressed the emergency button and in came a team of 14 fantastic medical professionals.
The senior doctor recommended delivery with assistance; Kiwi (ventouse), forceps or C-section, so they prepared me for worst case scenario by giving me an epidural and taking me to the operating theatre. Despite the sudden change in plan my husband and I remained calm. The midwives kept my husband involved at all times, with constant reassurance.
Due to lack of time and urgency forceps were used. Finally, at 1.15pm we finally met our brave baby boy, Sarvan Singh Lyal. Unfortunately, Sarvan had trauma to the left eye and head (from the forceps), but we were reassured overtime he would heal and thankfully he has.
Overall, I was really pleased with the staff at Wexham, they were incredible. It’s a shame that the one midwife on night duty has left a slight negative feeling in my head and wasn’t able to recognise I was in established labour and support me. So my advice to the ladies is to trust your body and instincts and don’t be afraid to speak up. The female body is truly special and empowering, just believe in it. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise if you know how you feel.
Donna, from the bottom of my heart thank you. I was only able to face the fear of the induction and labour with your help and support. Not only did pregnancy yoga and hypnobirthing remind me of the power of my body and give me confidence, but it really allowed me to understand and respect my body in a way I never did before. Hypnobirthing helped me to connect with my body in such a way, where I felt in control during active labour with my husband by my side. We are so grateful for your support. Looking forward to continuing my journey with you at postnatal yoga!