June 27 :
Hey, I don't feel well again. The hard bellies
keep on going. I had another ultrasound 4 days ago and this was
fine. In the past 2 weeks I have already had several CTG scans because I
feel less alive. Every time everything turns out to be fine and I can be reassured
home. Should I call again now? I decide to see the midwife anyway
call and I can go right away for an inspection. We're all going to it
hospital, our midwife is here. We go all together for all
security. I don't want to be alone if there is bad news. Also this
times, after the checkup, I am forwarded to the Mother-Child Center of the
hospital for a CTG scan. The echo at the check is good, but also one
snapshot, so another CTG scan just to be sure. It's busy in it
hospital and mealtime. Because the check was good, I agree that Sjoerd
goes home with Nore to have dinner. After dinner they can see me again
come pick up. Once lying on the scan, the hard bellies are clear
visible. A peak can be seen on the monitor every 4 to 5 minutes. They are
not painful, but they are there. After a good half hour the midwife comes
from the hospital pick me up again and indicates that everything is fine, that we are for
have to schedule another checkup appointment tomorrow but they don't
expect this to be necessary. "You're going to give birth tonight."
Would it? Would the hard bellies turn into contractions and can we get our hold your daughter tomorrow? I am currently 39.2 weeks pregnant, it could be. I am ready! Slightly tense I crawl into my bed that evening bed. What was going to happen tonight? But nothing happened at all. Good rested I wake up the next morning and our sweet girl is still sitting safe in mommy's belly. So I'm going to get ready for the check-up appointment that morning in the hospital. Once in the hospital I'm hooked up, the usual checks are done and after half an hour the assistant arrives room, "You're done." She disconnects me and says, “Everything looks good out, but you have to wait a while for the gynaecologist.” Ummm… okay? The gynaecologist, it takes a while to sink in and by the time a question comes to mind, the assistant has already left the room. With all CTG scans I've had so far, including during Nore's pregnancy, I have never had a gynecologist visit. What should I expect? For a bit later the gynecologist enters the room and, like the assistant, indicates that everything looks good. But because I permanently feel less life, there continuous hard bellies that don't want to convert into contractions and the baby has a good format, they want to introduce me.
Inducing…, I am familiar with this, also the birth of Nore has been introduced. Giving nature a helping hand, that's how a friend of mine described it. But there was a caveat this time. The hospital was full, they had this one one spot left for an introduction this week. The day after tomorrow, so what does that mean tomorrow, if there is insufficient dilation, a balloon will be placed. Oof, I was not prepared for this. Sjoerd was working unsuspectingly and I now had to decide on the spot what I wanted to do. Tomorrow to the hospital or waiting for it to come naturally, but how long was it going to take? I was reassured they would spot it reservation for me, but I was just allowed to cancel if I decided anyway not to want. "Just think about it tonight." Once in the car called I Sjoerd up immediately, I jokingly said that he could pack his things and go on leave could go. He didn't understand anything, but when I told the whole story and he didn't have to think long. “Go ahead, we're going to tomorrow the hospital". And actually I agreed. The baby had one made a big growth spurt and was now on the large side. In addition, I was too done with being 'pregnant' (end of June 2022, do you know the temperatures yet?!) and how long would everything take if I wasn't induced now. We arranged a sitter for Nore and our dog Tyson, picked up the last bits of it in the flight case and now it was time to wait…
June 29
4 p.m. : I wasn't dilated enough yet, so
a balloon was placed. This means, in our hospital, that you have the
spend the night in the hospital. By the way, I also like this very much. I
I don't see myself going home so quickly with a tube between my legs
stagger and then just hope nothing crazy happens that night. No no, then am
I prefer people who know about it and can help you at any time.
Sjoerd stayed with me and my parents-in-law stayed at our house and babysitted
Nore and Tyson. This is what I looked up to the most, the first night, and especially the one
morning, without Nore. So far this has been the only time and oh how wild
I like to call her. But Nore also sensed something was going on, she was the
last weeks and especially days very affectionate and did not want to be away from
being mom. When we left for the hospital she cried, she screamed
mama and I closed the door behind me with pain in my heart. Knowing that
I would come home soon with a wonderful surprise; a little sister. Grandpa and Grandma
had a great time with Nore, which quickly gave way to tears
a smile. So it was best not to call her. Sjoerd and I watched some TV
and tried to sleep as best we could because we knew what to expect
was standing…
June 30th
07:00 : We were woken up after a good night's sleep
by the nurse. “Ready for the big day?” I jumped under the
shower, the standard checks were done and then we were allowed to move into
the delivery room.
08:00 : Once in the delivery room, the midwife came take out the balloon and measure the dilation, it was far enough around my membranes to break? And this was so, the midwife broke my water and the warm amniotic fluid was collected on a maternity mattress. I was connected to the CTG scan and then they wait half an hour to see if my body would do it on its own to take over. The contractions started, would my body start doing it on its own now?
At Nore I got contraction inducers, something I heal reacted violently. After administering the stimulants I got within 10 seconds a contraction storm. A storm of contractions that I ended up holding out for three hours after which I couldn't take it anymore and asked for an epidural. But through this one epidural, the labor stagnated and the road to it eventually took 16 o'clock. Fortunately, the final pressing went quickly and only took 30 minutes minutes, my Nore birth story might be something for another blog. Anyway, my hope was that those generators wouldn't be needed this time.
08.30 : “We are here to administer the stimulants” the nurse enters the room. “Oh, no” I thought and said that I already had contractions. "That correct, but they are not strong enough, we are going to give you a helping hand”. I gave that I reacted very violently to the stimulants during my previous birth, so if she would please administer the lowest possible dose. “This is what we do, we set it to the lowest.” But even now I reacted immediately and this time it was I don't plan on catching a storm of contractions at three o'clock. Then the pain seemed unbearable I asked for an epidural. The midwife was there to see how far my dilation was. If it's too far you no longer sting. And I was too far. "six centimeters". “No, we're not going to get you give more injections, the chance that you will give birth in the OR is too great and want that we don't”. "Would you like a morphine pump?" Uhh, I didn't have to think about this for long thinking: “Yes, then do that!”. The pump was connected, I was turned on my side laid and the sharp edges of the contractions were off. OK, this is doable. I concentrated me on my breathing and puffing. Sjoerd passed on the contractions counter pressure pushing my back, something that gives a placebo effect, but hey, it helps.
“You gave birth before noon,” said the nurse one point. I can still hear myself thinking: “Yes, yes, that will…” with the delivery of 4 o'clock in my mind. But then…
10.15 am : The urge to press comes on. The nurse who attends
keeps us in the room because of the morphine pump, asks if I feel that
I have to push. Ummm, I can't really answer that.
10.20 am : She walks out of the room for a moment and then I know the answer: “SHE'S GOING NOW
COME!” Sjoerd asks what he should do, should I ring the bell? "YES!". The
nurse returns quickly and again I yell “SHE'S COMING NOW!”.
10.25 am : The midwife is called in and again I say: “SHE IS COMING, SHE
WANT TO GET OUT!”. The midwife smiles and says she will have a look first
how much dilation I have. But as soon as she looks she says, “You're right, she
will come now! We are going to start!"…
10.33 am : 3880 grams, 51 centimeters, 2 days before the due date… there she is! Our beautiful daughter, our dear little sister; Suze is born ♡ .
