a birth story - part ten




In my birth story so far:
my waters broke at 6am,
then my contractions started,
after three trips to the hospital,
they finally let me stay,
but 22 hours after it started,
I was starting to feel very alone, scared and unsupported.


I was told by the midwife that she had called the hospital 
and that they had a room ready if we needed it, 
but that she really thought that I could still go ahead with my more natural birth. 
When I told her that, quite frankly 
I didn't want a natural birth any more, 
that I wanted the pain to go away, 
that I needed to sleep; 
she told me that I should try pethidine. 

This was the one form of pain relief that I had been avidly against having. 
I'd heard too many horror stories 
of babies who were born so drugged up that they didn't know to breathe. 
But when I tried to explain this
she told me that if I was lucid enough to have that sort of reasoning, 
then I couldn't be in that much pain. 
Yes, a midwife really did say that to me. 
The only reason I didn't hit her was because I didn't have the energy.

I continued to pass in and out of consciousness due to pain and the entonox, 
vaguely aware of my husband’s failing attempts 
to explain that I wasn't really one to make a fuss 
and that if I said I was struggling then I really meant it. 
At some point she mentioned that she couldn't transfer me to the bigger unit for an epidural 
if I hadn't at least given pethidine a try. 
What a load of rubbish.

In my next moments of being 'with it', 
she told me that her main concern was to check my ketones 
and if I was sure that I couldn't produce a urine sample myself, 
that she would have to put in a catheter. 
And that, 
right there,
that was the moment I snapped. 

I was suddenly perfectly with it. 
With it enough to simply say "Over my dead body." 
She told me that if I had an epidural that I would have to have a catheter anyway. 
And I pointed out that if I had a catheter with an epidural that I wouldn't feel it.

At 6.30am, 
24 hours after my contractions had first started 
I'd had enough. 
Decision made. 
Call the maternity unit. 
Call the ambulance. 
We're leaving.



Read the next part here.

7 comments

  1. Gosh this is like Eastenders- really dramatic! ;) That midwife sounds horrible. Don't leave so long between posts this time please! ;) xx

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  2. Love how you are slowly unveiling your birth story. But I'm impatient to get to the end part! Can't believe the midwife was pushing pethedine on you like that. Mine was also quick to suggest it, but at least she shut up when I said i was trying to avoid pethedine!

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  3. You poor thing! That sounds awful. Was that at the birthing unit up the road from us? I'm glad I went straight to St Johns. They were lovely there. x

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  4. She sounds awful, I can't believe she said that to you! I am impatient too, can you just write it all in the next one?! x

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  5. What a terrible midwife you had, how awful to be treated with such disrespect! Well done mama for standing up to her and taking control of your birth x x

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  6. Good for you. She needs to find a different day job because clearly she doesn't know what she is doing or saying. I am so glad you spoke up for you both! Baby and Momma. When a mother is telling a midwife something they should listen. I hate when they think because we have never done this before they know best. Well we know our bodies best they don't. Bless you. I am hoping in the next post I hear better news!

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  7. Bless you, stupid midwife :(

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