Premature and Unplanned C-Section, But Baby is Safe & Happy - Positive Birth Story
After a challenging pregnancy, samantha’s baby was born premature at just 31 weeks due to issues with the umbilical cord and placenta. she struggled with the emotional impact of an unplanned C-Section birth, but she feels positive about the experience now that baby is safe and happy.
My journey was the most traumatic time of my life, but I choose to find positives in my journey, 4 months after the birth of my baby boy Jaxson. He was our first baby and I didn't know what to expect during pregnancy, and nothing I did or spoke about prior prepared me for the journey we faced.
Our baby arrived 2 months early - due on 28th March but born on 28th January - at 31 weeks and 4 days. My community midwife luckily measured him to be small and this is where the harder part of my pregnancy started. Also, we were told we were having a girl at the 20 week scan, however she was in fact a he.
I was in hospital nearly 2 weeks before Jaxson’s birth - the stress, worry and anxiety were extremely difficult - however I am incredibly lucky to have my husband stay with me at all times during this traumatic time. Along with family and friends, we had so much support, which helped massively to carry us through.
I was transferred to another hospital in the middle of the night as there were no neonatal beds available. 3 days later, our son was born via emergency C-Section due to the umbilical cord blood flow and issues with the placenta. He was 2lb 7oz and transferred to the neonatal unit.
Although the pain I was in physically was very challenging, it was the emotional upset which crippled me a lot of the time. Unfortunately, I am prone to see the more negative side of things rather than the positive.
However, as weeks went on things got easier, and eventually after 9 long weeks, my son was discharged home. He is growing every day, thriving, and feeding so well. He is so so loved by so many people who have been with us this whole journey.
I have mixed feelings regarding my care. During my admission, I made a lot of notes of information and conversations which took place. It was hard to process in the moment. During my actual procedure there were 15 people (at least) in the room. I was extremely scared, to put it plainly, and I was very quiet, but everything was explained to me, and I was asked if I was okay multiple times, and I felt cared for during the procedure. My husband was able to come in once they had me situated and I couldn't move my legs. I did feel restricted and couldn't really see much around me, including much of my husband, and my arms were tucked into my gown. I can remember feeling sick, and that was due to whatever was being put through my cannula.
My husband was very good at keeping me focused and calm, and it wasn't long before we heard a cry and the confirmation, he was a boy. I cried and was just wanting reassurance that he was okay, which we received from a lovely member of staff. The staff were able to bring him round to me and place him close to the right hand side of my face before taking him to the neonatal unit. He was tiny and I couldn't focus much except on his tiny hand, as the theatre was so small and there were so many bodies around me, as well as tears in my eyes.
Back on the maternity ward, I was in a lot of pain. My parents came to visit me shortly after I got back onto the ward. Within 7 hours, the nurses got me standing up, and I'm glad this happened as I wanted to start my recovery and see my baby on the neonatal unit. He was tiny with wires attached to him. It was the first time I've ever experienced anything like this before - from my own hospital admission, to surgery, to my baby in an incubator. A whirlwind of emotions and a rollercoaster ride sums up the experience accurately.
I did feel rushed to be discharged by the hospital, I must admit, but I wasn't going home anyway. We managed to get a bed on the neonatal unit to stay with our son. He was eventually transferred back to our local hospital, and again, we were lucky we could stay on the ward with him for a few more weeks. In total, we were on the unit with our son 7 out of 9 weeks of his admission and this was a massive support to us and helped us cope with his situation.
Fast forward a few weeks and my scar wasn't healing very well. The support on the maternity ward at each hospital was better than I expected it to be and they did indeed check me over and took a swab to check for infection. Luckily this was clear and my scar has healed nicely.
All in all, my journey was one on its own. Since my baby was born, both my friend and my sister-in-law have had their first babies, and both had emergency C-Sections for two entirely different reasons of their own. My knowledge and awareness of C-Sections now is eye-opening and valuable compared to beforehand. I do think information should be accessible and discussed by midwives at the beginning of every woman's pregnancy. If it had been, it would have given me more confidence and perhaps less anxiety going into mine.
Despite the many difficulties during my journey, I take the positives out of the situation. First and foremost, my beautiful baby boy is here safe and happy. Having major surgery, in a hospital I'd never been to, in a town I wasn't familiar with, whilst my baby was unwell and needing many tests and support, has shown me how resilient and strong I am. I am grateful for the experience I've had and those who supported me through it.