Francesca & Isaac's Birth Story - A Premature Birth

I was 33 weeks pregnant and had just attended my first of two antenatal classes. I never dreamt that on the day that should have been my second class I would be holding my baby boy.

I had, had a rough week. My plug has come away and struggled with horrific back pain. I was checked over by the hospital and there was no indication that labour was imminent, just that I needed to slow down. I suffered with back pain all through the weekend and it’s only from looking back that I realised it was early labour. My waters broke at 3.50 on the Monday morning (after a really good nights sleep) and I was 34 +1 weeks!

After several phone calls I made my way to the hospital. The team didn’t want to examine me more than necessary due to the risk of infection as I wasn’t due for another six weeks. Once it has been established I was in labour I was given a steroid injection to help boost my baby’s lung. I was taken round to the delivery suite to check baby’s position and would be sent home if my labour hadn’t progress any further. I left the delivery suite with my baby!

The baby and I were hooked up to the heart beat monitor on the bed and that’s where I stayed. Being hooked up didn’t allow me the freedom to move around during contractions, all my contractions were in my back (baby was back to back).

After being in pain for what felt like hours I was offered gas and air. I originally turned it down as it made me feel woozy, that feeling soon passed and I was hooked on the stuff. Sometime later (I lost all concept of time by this point) I had a pethidine injection. I kept telling everything I did not want an epidural.

The midwife took the gas and air off me when it was time to push, as the baby was baby to back I never felt the urge but three pushes later and good to talking to myself my little boy was born. It has already been explained that the doctors would come in to check him over and as he came out crying I took that as a good sign! I had to sign all on the consent forms that as I didn’t make my midwife appointment to sign them beforehand.

Once he was checked over we skin to skin contact and I was stitched back up. I had the infjection to help the placenta out. He stayed with me while I was moved back across to the ward and then he went over to the NICU. How was born 5lb 2oz, so a good weight for is gestation but was kept in as a precaution to check his temperature control and feeding. On week later we were all home as a family of three.

I don’t think there is anything I would change about my labour as I didn’t have a plan to start with. I purposely didn’t make on as I am the sort of person that would be annoyed with myself if it didn’t go to plan. The only thing I did like the idea of was a water birth but that was ruled out due to infection.

The only negative I can really remember is being told that my baby and I may have been separated if he needed care there wasn’t a bed available in the hospital.

Premature births can be scary but all the midwives and nurses on NICU are lovely and will really go out of their way to help you. I even took my little boy back to see them once he had reached his due date.