Following on the great success achieved with project hydrate, we were all set for the big day, somewhere around the 6th of July 2008. Bags were packed, I was ready to go.
On the 26th of June I went for another routine scan, and my gynaecologist was once again concerned about the lower than ever levels of amniotic fluid. Nobody understood this as I had not 'leaked'. So she told me Liam need to come out the next day via C-section or induction, my choice.
I am petrified of any operation and to date I have been in hospital on two occasions, the first to have some spare teeth removed when I was about 16, the next to have wisdom teeth removed aged 18. I was not about to have a planned C-section. So I chose to opt for the induction.
Being a first time mom, I politely declined the offer for an epidural; I am a strong farm girl. I could do this the natural and old fashioned way.
Gerhard and I left the gynaecologists rooms and started phoning family and friends advising them of Liam's pending arrival. I also made it very clear to my family that it was pointless for them driving through to Pretoria as they would have to spend the entire day in the hospital corridors and restaurant, the hospital's policy was strictly spouses allowed in the delivery room.
Some last minute shopping, I desperately needed some shoes that were not Crocs. A last check of all lists and hospital bags. Some last minute e-mails and instructions to the domestic worker ensuring that the cat had food and continuing with the never ending task of project hydrate.
Gerhard and I did not sleep a wink the night before. We were tossing and turning and I must admit, I do think Gerhard felt somewhat cheated not seeing a gush of waters breaking and doing a hell ride to hospital with a pregnant woman. Instead we calmly checked into Unitas Hospital on the morning of the 27th of June at 06:00 carrying a great many things to keep us occupied, magazines, CD's and an aerobic ball to list but a few.
Gerhard ordered breakfast and I put on my nice green hospital pyjamas. A host of unpleasant things followed, on top of the list, an enema. Need I say more? The induction involved prostaglandin gel being applied to my cervix and then the very slow and prolonged labour process began.
We walked the corridors of the hospital, up and down, up and down. We read our magazines, listened to our CD's, drank endless cups of tea and then it was 08:00 in the morning, a mere two hours had passed and there was not a whole lot happening in terms of baby making his way out.
More gel, more internal examinations, there were very unpleasant and hurt like hell. Lunch, tea, walking, reading, walking. At around 15:00 my gynea decided to rupture my membranes as this might speed things up. Very unpleasant and very painful and about a teacup full of water comes out.
I am now in pain. So they give me some entinox gas, I literally suck on the cylinder until it looks as if it will implode on itself, but as for the pain, it’s there and worse than before. So I say no, something else. I get given a Pethidine injection. All that this does it to make me woozy. At around this time, my gynea, a real sadistic woman walks in and sweetly asks if I changed my mind about the epidural. Of course I did! The nurses told me that their previous patient bit them, so I am doing really well, as if that will make me feel better, it just gives me some ideas in terms of what to do to my husband, this is all his friggen fault!
The epidural is kicking in and I am so relieved. By now I am about 8 cm's dilated and the epidural has me shaking as my blood pressure is dropping. Gerhard and the gynea have a cup of tea and I am lying on the bed, blissfully unaware of things like catheters, internal examinations and the like.
At around 19:30 I am 10cm's dilated and the pushing begins. Something is wrong though and the contractions have pretty much stopped all together. I see panic in the gynea's face. In the end Liam is born at 20:24 with the ventuse and although I can see that he is gorgeous, he is blue and not making a sound. The gynea starts resuscitating him and calls for the NICU nurse. I tell Gerhard to go with them. Within minutes he returns, they chased him out as they need space and nobody should see a drip being put in a new-born. Gerhard rushes to reception to register Liam. I am left alone in the delivery room as the gynea is checking on Liam. I am convinced that he is dead. His apgar score is 1/10. A normal healthy baby has a score of around 8/10.
All the drugs made me so woozy that I cannot cry. I just lie there convinced that my baby is dead because I could not push him out on my own accord.
The gynea returns with the paediatrician. I ask the paediatrician if Liam is ok and he tells me Liam is really very sick. Gerhard returns and I tell him that he should let family and friends know that Liam is here, but that he is very sick and will need all of their prayers and thoughts. The phones start ringing immediately and I switch them off. It will be three days before I can stand talking to anyone.
I demand to be taken to see my baby. The gynea first needs to stitch me up as I tore a bit. It takes forever. When she is done, I have all feeling back in my legs and tell the nurses to get me off the bed, I will walk. They refuse. I tell them to get me a wheelchair, still they refuse. So in the end they wheel me into NICU in my bed. Liam is attached to so many tubes that it’s hard to see his little face. The minute I start speaking, he moves, Gerhard is crying. This is going to be a long night...
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