In the last few days of my pregnancy with Jack I developed Pre-eclampsia. Looking back it's no wonder really. The Polyhydraminos had managed to blow my body up to spectacular proportions, my feet, ankles and fingers had swollen....my body really did struggle to cope in the end. On the night of Jack's birth things took a surprising turn for the worst though.
I was sitting up on my bed - I hadn't felt quite right all day....I had a bit of a headache and by mid-evening I was seeing stars and flashing lights in front of my eyes. I asked the midwife for some paracetamol and she handed me a urine sample pot...not what I had envisaged considering all I wanted was for the headache to go away AND I would miss some of the programme I had started watching. The midwife tested the sample, I saw her trot casually into the sluice room with my sample....and less than 10 seconds later I saw her fly out of the door and run down the corridor. I sighed and thought "Oh here we bloody go! Now what!"
Nothing prepared me for the sight of a gowned up doctor arriving at my beside about 2 minutes later.
"You have 4 +'s of protein in your urine - we need to get the baby out now"
Now most women know about pre-eclampsia - we know that +'s of protein in urine is not a good sign - it's a good sign that your kidneys are failing but that's about it! Most midwives and doctors consider over 2+'s of protein in a sample as a serious situation....so the fact that mine gave them 4+'s to mull over made for an interesting saturday night!
At that point - with a consent form for a caesarean section being thrust at me from one side of the bed, a canula being jammed into the hand that I was supposed to be signing the form with and a well meaning midwife on the other side of the bed attacking my "lady garden" with a dry bic razor, the reality of the situation suddenly hit me full force....and I lost it...and started crying. I didn't stop crying all the way to theatre....I laid on my side on the trolley, hugging my bump and wondering if these would be the last moments that I ever felt him move. What would he be like when he was born? Who would he look like? Would he cry? Would he even draw breath? The hospital had called everyone there who needed to be there...I remember briefly seeing my Mum and Dad as I was wheeled into theatre. They looked worried sick.
Jacks birth was the weirdest experience. A lot of pushing and pulling - and me actually getting dragged down the operating table because he was so large. At 11.26pm I heard a cough...and a splutter...and finally a very annoyed sounding little boy made his voice known....loud and clear.
Jack weighed 10lbs 1& 1/2 ounces. He was 63 cms long. Considering I had been only 35 weeks pregnant when he was born...I think we can safely say that made him HUGE.
The doctors whisked Jack away....they did all their tests and apgar scores, they poked, they prodded and one doctor demanded to a test to see if Jacks kidneys were functioning....at which point my son decided to urinate all over him. I still smile at this now and think
"That's my Boy"
As for me, I was not in such a good state. My blood pressure decided to get all stubborn and refused to come down, so it was decided that I should be sedated. I have very vague memories of being wheeled into a dark room....and seeing a midwife with a huge syringe of mysterious gunk. "What's that" I asked her sleepily. "Valium darling" she replied. I only remember uttering "Oh alright then" before drifting off into a very heavy slumber....for the next 3 days.
During those days of slumber, I remember Jack being brought to me and placed in my arms....I remember that the tubes coming from our canulas got tangled up. But in my dreary state I held him close and told him I loved him before drifting off to sleep again. When I came to again, he had gone back to his little plastic cot in SCBU.