Elissa's Healing Journey.Dear Jackie, You might not remember me but you helped me in searching out info for a VBAC and finding a private midwife to help me along. Well I had a baby girl on the 27 July, my second. Unfortunately I had an Ôelective C sect'. I had two weeks of labour starting and then stopping after a few hours and I went 2 1/2 weeks over by my dates and 3 1/2 weeks over by my scan dates. After one really long night of labouring my midwife, Terry, checked my dilation to see if it was worthwhile starting on my homeopathic medicine to boost it on again, and found me to be only 1 cm dilated. This went on like this for the 2 weeks but I was confident that when the time was right it would then happen very quickly. I had to have a trace scan to check on baby and went to the hospital that I was booked into, baby & I well the Dr said it would be a good time to induce me but because of my VBAC status he would have to check with the Boss OB first. That went down like a lead balloon with him as he knew my history and was a bit cranky that I hadn't taken his advice and booked in 10 days before my due date for a section already! I had to see him at his clinic 2 days later and went in ready for a fight with my husband ready to pounce also. On the table, baby not even tipping into my brim, still only 1cm dilated. Choice; risk scar rupture if he was prepared to induce me: he wasn't, as I would not consent to a transfusion if it was needed. Or another section! What choice? I had none and now he had me doubting myself and my scar so I burst into tears, husband to the rescue & he described my last section and the on going trauma to haunt me till this day. Bing, the OB changed his manner and became a person, he apologised for not understanding and went thru in a lot of detail how this one would be different. I still left destroyed and unsure of what I was going to do so we stopped at my GP on the way home and he confirmed the results, it looked like that was that. The hospital rang me later and booked me in for 2 days time at 7am. The next day at 3pm I went into my strongest labour yet and rang Terry who was so excited because it looked like I would get my trial of labour, but by 1am I couldn't stay at home any longer as I was in too much pain. (In hindsight I could have continued with the labour at home if I hadn't been so scared of rupturing, I wasn't going with the contractions anymore I was fearing each one.) Terry joined us at the hospital also and they wanted another internal to confirm my trial option, 1cm still. I was told to get some sleep and see how it progressed over the next few hours before my surgery time. By 5 am I was thinking how this was the same as last time, exhausted, labouring and still a section, why me! 6.30am came and the Dr came in and gave me the big 'if the placenta is on your scar you will have to have a hysterectomy, and you could die if you don't allow a transfusion' talk, before I was taken for the dreaded journey downstairs. I was booked for an epidural but the anaesthetist I had gave me a spinal instead, which was great, and our little girl was delivered not long after, I was awake to see her and I heard her cry, my husband found out the sex for us and once the paediatrician had seen her I got my first look at her. It was so good to see her so soon, and as soon as I talked to her she stopped crying and opened her eyes up to see us. She had Apgars of 8 and 9, which I attribute to the labouring even though I had been given pethidine at 4am. My recovery was very fast and I left hospital on day 3 with Terry to come and do my visits, which allowed me to heal myself and my family at home and in private. I cannot tell you how much help Birthrites etc were to me in those early months of pregnancy and how much strength it gave me to empower myself and my husband to fight for what we wanted despite the outcome we ended with. There where 2 other C sections in my ward and I helped them with the knowledge you gave me to help them cope with it also, and when a natural delivery was placed in the ward later that night I was surprised that I no longer had the hate for those lucky women the way I use to have. So despite the fact that I can't give you a lovely VBAC story I can still say I had a much better experience this time. Thankyou for letting me tell you my story. Thankyou Jackie. Regards, Elissa Helberg. |