Kings College Hospital Archives - A Baby on Board blog

Eliza’s birth story – an unexpectedly quick induction of labour

Gillian — Sat, 05 May 2012 22:02:19 +0000

I thought I’d post my induction of labour birth story (a propess induction story) today to coincide with International Midwife Day. I received such amazing care from midwives, both in the hospital (despite it being incredibly busy) and from the community midwife team at my doctors surgery (who came out to our house for three weeks after we’d taken Eliza home from the hospital after our induction of labour). I’m lucky that I had access to such great care, as I know that so many people aren’t so fortunate. “I have to tell you; you’re already 10 cm dilated, and your baby will be here before your epidural. You are going to have to deliver her without it,” the midwife said to me to my horror, mere minutes after we finally made it to a delivery room. “Now, do you feel ready to push?’ But before we move on to Eliza’s imminent – and unexpectedly speedy – arrival, let’s rewind back to the start. It actually began with a false start, on my due date, with an propess induction story that progressed as far as the King’s College Hospital labour ward waiting room. At this point I’d had two sweeps and everyone was convinced I’d spontaneously go into labour. But she stayed stubbornly put, so we went in for a propess induction of labour as planned – but were then sent straight home due to an unprecedented south London baby boom meaning there were no free beds. “You didn’t expect to actually have a baby on your due date did you?” a midwife said wryly. The next day we were back, although I was convinced we’d be turned away again, right up until Alex and I were ushered into one of the beds in the induction bay. After monitoring, they gave me the induction of labour drugs via propess and told us to expect a long wait as nothing was likely to happen for at least 24 hours. Yet the early evening dinner brought with it back-ache and stomach cramps. “Sounds promising!” said a midwife when I mentioned it, although she was soon contradicted by the doctor, who said it was too soon to be anything more than pre-labour pains and Braxton Hicks. The pain quickly got so bad that I couldn’t get comfortable at all, and nothing – lying down, walking, my long-practised labour breathing – seemed to help. Alex tried using the contraction timing app we’d downloaded, but as there was no start or end point to the pain, we figured I couldn’t possibly be in labour. Wrong, wrong, wrong, as it turned out. The midwife gave me some paracetamol and hooked me up to the monitor; the delivery ward was still so busy that she was needed elsewhere and left us alone until midnight. After one look at the monitor printout she called the doctor back, as it turned out that the pain was actually off-the-scale back-to-back contractions with no gap in between, and I was now 3cm dilated. We all had a laugh about how I was a ‘difficult’ patient, as the doctor said that due to the method of induction they wouldn’t have expected anything to happen until morning. It stopped being quite so funny when she told me even though I was in so much pain I couldn’t have an epidural until I was 4cm and a delivery room was free; however, they said they’d check me again in four hours and let me have gas and air. This really helped, and encouraged by the tantalising promise of imminent proper pain relief, I lay on the bed feeling blissfully relaxed. Alex even had a brief amount of sleep on a special ‘dad mat’ on the floor. This didn’t last long. At about 2am I realised that I was no longer feeling any relief from the gas and air and the constant pain was getting worse. There were still two hours to wait until my next examination, but the midwife reluctantly checked me, and was as surprised as we were to find that I’d actually dilated to 6cm. Epidural time, at last! However, at that point there were still no available labour rooms as the hospital was so busy, so we had to wait. By the time they moved someone out of a room – one of the longest hours of my life later – I was pretty convinced I was going to give birth then and there, on the induction ward, with three other women in the beds around me (sorry! to these women, I was you a few months earlier). As they finally pushed my bed down the corridor I started feeling the most intense physical pressure, and my body started automatically pushing. My waters broke in dramatic fashion as we got to the room, and I was pretty sure this didn’t bode well for any more pain relief. I was right; the doctor swiftly checked me again and it turned out I’d gone from 6cm to 10cm in an hour and would just have to get on with it. So push I did. I was so focused on getting the baby out that I don’t remember this part being anywhere near as painful as the lead-up (even though they took the gas and air off me, to my absolute horror). Pushing took either five minutes or five hours in my head; Alex says it was more like half an hour. Towards the end the midwife was concerned as the baby’s heartbeat kept dropping off the monitor and she calmly instructed me to “get this baby out NOW.” So just before 4am I gave the final push, and, with both hands by her face, out flew Eliza. It’s funny, I had planned and prepared so much in the weeks leading up to the birth; all the usual first time mum worry about random things like what to wear and what songs would go on my pushing playlist. However, when it came down […]

The post Eliza’s birth story – an unexpectedly quick induction of labour appeared first on A Baby on Board blog.

That’s my boy…

Gillian — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:34:48 +0000

Today Eliza and I took a trip back to King’s College Hospital for my final post-pregnancy appointment at the haematology clinic. It was strange being back with a baby this time, especially considering the amount of time I’d spent there before she put in an appearance. Anyway, here’s a conversation which took place today, with the doctor who had met her pretty soon after she was born: Doctor – peering into pram: “Oh look at YOU, you’ve changed so much – you look like a proper little boy now!” Me: “She’s a girl…” Doctor: ‘I know!” Mistaking her for a him has been a common theme recently; it happens a lot when random strangers stop and talk to us in shops when we’re out and about (people are so lovely when you have a baby, it is most un-London like). I think it’s mainly because she has a more-than-healthy head of hair, and unless she’s wearing top-to-toe pink people assume otherwise – and I much prefer to dress her in a whole spectrum of bright colours and patterns. However, following the conversation today at the hospital I think it might finally be time to bring out more drastic measures, such as her completely ridiculous giant hairband (bought from H&M – such brilliant baby clothes). Poor Eliza, or, as Alex is fond of ironically saying at the moment, “that’s my boy”.

The post That’s my boy… appeared first on A Baby on Board blog.

A guide to the maternity services at King’s College Hospital

Gillian — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:47:08 +0000

One of the mums-to-be from our NCT group sent round a link to a video that’s a guide to the maternity services at King’s College Hospital – where we’ll all be giving birth shortly – that explains all about the labour and birth facilites there. The video covers a variety of topics including having your baby at the hospital, signs and symptoms of labour – as well as the all-important question of when to go in once contractions start! – established labour, monitoring, pain relief options and post-birth care. There’s also feedback from lots of midwives, and some new mums with their incredibly cute and tiny newborn babies. It’s such a simple idea to produce a clip like this for future parents, but it’s so effective; it answers loads of questions, especially as it’s not always convenient for people to visit ahead of the main event. Alex and I are quite lucky in the respect that we’ve seen the labour wards there and covered lots of the information during our NCT classes, but still found the video really useful to watch. So here you go, here’s a guide to the maternity services at King’s College Hospital. If you found this useful, read my pregnancy diaries week by week with baby 1 and baby 2, what they DON’T tell you in NCT classes and everything I was clueless about with babies

The post A guide to the maternity services at King’s College Hospital appeared first on A Baby on Board blog.

Pregnancy week 26: an unexpected medical mini-break

Gillian — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:13:49 +0000

I’ve always been pretty lucky health-wise, and the last time I was made to stay in any kind of medical facility was when my tonsils were taken out at the grand old age of five (I got to eat ice cream and was given a Care Bear, so it wasn’t at all bad). It was therefore a bit of surprise this week to find myself having a two-night stay in hospital, following a late evening trip to the labour ward. It was due to an unwelcome visit from an old friend, putting an appearance in on Wednesday night. We spent ages debating whether we should get it checked out or not, as I wasn’t that keen on waiting around until the early hours only to be told they didn’t know what was causing it. So when we got to the hospital it was already late, and as the maternal assessment unit had closed, we were directed towards the labour ward. After waiting, monitoring, waiting, tests and waiting, a doctor came in and said they couldn’t be sure what was causing it, but to make sure me and the baby were alright, they were going to keep us in overnight. So we were whisked away to the only bed available at 1am, which happened to be on the induction ward. Alex wasn’t allowed to stay, and had to run off as I was about to collapse in tears and tiredness and just wanted to go to sleep; which didn’t exactly go to plan. The things that kept me awake for most of that night included: Being able to hear everything everyone on the ward was saying through the curtains, most notably a lady shouting ‘NUUURSE, my waters have broken!’ at about 3am One women after another screaming in complete agony at contractions, all night long (it turns out that Wednesday is the day everyone comes in to be induced) A midwife wanting to take my blood, having to use a vein in my hand, and my hand then dramatically and painfully swelling up Being unable to sleep in any kind of comfortable position due to a) not having a pillow and b) the above The temperature was turned up to tropical, and it was made worse by having to wear thigh-high nylon anti-DVT stockings Someone begging to be given an epidural, only to be told she couldn’t as wasn’t yet in established labour. Which begs the question…how much more painful is established labour then? Then trying to forget thoughts of just how much giving birth is going to hurt The only good part was feeling Baby C kick and knowing that all was OK on that front, and also overhearing the sound of seconds-old babies crying for the first time, which is pretty amazing, when you think about it. Thursday morning was a haze of no sleep and more monitoring, tests, and speaking to doctors and midwives, who told me I’d be moved downstairs to the maternity ward soon. Which sounded great, as I assumed that meant they’d then send me home. However, Thursday early afternoon crept round incredibly slowly, and there still wasn’t a bed available. Apparently nine months ago everyone was at it, who’d have thought? My phone was dead, and I had nothing to do apart from stare at my feet and have fairly one-sided chats with the baby. In the end the lovely midwife found me a magazine but it’s fair to say I was feeling very, very sorry for myself and may or may not have silently cried for about half an hour – purely to pass the time, of course. Things started looking up when Alex arrived – I was SO pleased to see him – and they moved me down to the maternity ward later on at about 6pm. However, they quickly told me that I’d have to stay in for a second night, which I wasn’t too happy about; although this ward was so much nicer, cooler and quieter. On Friday morning I saw the consultant, who said I could go home. Finally! I was packed off with promises to make sure I didn’t do anything too strenuous and had lots of rest. Pregnancy is really stressful! I thought all the major worry would start once the baby was out of the womb, but it started six months ago and I guess it’s never going to stop. They’re still not really sure why this bleeding keeps happening and they also don’t know if it will or won’t happen again. However, hearing the baby’s heartbeat or feeling a kick are the most amazing things ever, and I still feel so, so lucky to be pregnant and wouldn’t wish away a second of it. If nothing else, all of this did give me lots of insight as to what to pack in my labour bag (based on the hospital being both very hot and really boring). And although we had to cancel all our weekend plans, my mum came up to look after us all, which was lovely.

The post Pregnancy week 26: an unexpected medical mini-break appeared first on A Baby on Board blog.

Pregnancy week 25: a pretty strange couple of days

Gillian — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 12:12:06 +0000

This week started off fine; in fact, it was so unremarkable that I can’t remember anything interesting that happened in the first couple of days. However Wednesday evening changed all that, with the unwelcome arrival of more blood, worry, and panic. Apparently as this point what we should have done is call the midwife emergency pager, or gone straight up to Kings to get checked out. But as it was past 11pm, I was exhausted, and as the baby was kicking really strongly, Alex and I decided to sleep on it and get it checked out in the morning. After my usual great night’s sleep of waking at 1am, 2am and 4am (if anyone else tells me that’s nature’s way of ‘getting me ready for the baby’, I won’t be pleased) I finally got hold of a midwife at lunchtime. She directed me straight up to the Maternal Assessment Unit, after telling me off – in that lovely, maternally-concerned midwife way – for not going the night before. So off I went up to Denmark Hill again, feeling very vulnerable. The Maternal Assessment unit is an annex of the labour ward at the hospital where you can get looked at by medical staff if you have any sort of pregnancy problem post-20 weeks. The two times I’ve been now it’s always busy – I was there this time for over three hours before I was seen – but it’s understandable as it’s such a tiny place to deal with so many pregnant people, all of whom have to be hooked up to the foetal heart-rate monitors for at least half an hour. After getting all me and Baby C’s vital signs checked out, all seemed normal (one of the nurses stuck her head around the cubicle curtain to tell me that I had a ‘lovely baby heartbeat’, and the doctor told me I had a ‘nice high placenta’ – how are those for odd compliments?) The doctor told me I’m at a higher risk of bleeding anyway due to my injections, and if I’d gone in the night before they would have kept me in. However, as all seemed fine now then I could go home. Despite all the first trimester worry, and my various medical complications, I’ve really loved being pregnant, and bizarrely for someone as impatient as me, I’ve not wanted to wish it away. However that day, I just felt, for the first time, that I wanted it to be over and to have the baby out and safe. On Friday I must have been still feeling somewhat distracted, and somehow ended up somehow getting on the wrong bus to work, ending up at Marble Arch instead of Piccadilly. Bearing in mind I’ve taken the same route to work for a whole year, from exactly the same place, I have no idea how this happened. I then spent the morning trying not to burst into tears when anyone asked how I was. Self-pity city! To cheer me up, that evening, Alex and I went to look at prams in John Lewis (how my Friday nights have changed already, in the face of not being able to medicate problems with alcohol). I think we might now have actually made a decision on the one we want – plus it was funny to note all the other pregnant couples wandering around, looking equally as clueless as we were in the face of such expensive baby-carrying machinery.

The post Pregnancy week 25: a pretty strange couple of days appeared first on A Baby on Board blog.

Pregnancy Week 24: Reaching Viability

Gillian — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:14:40 +0000

Pregnancy Week 24: Reaching Vitability Here are five of the noteworthy things that happened during pregnancy week 24, my 24th week of being pregnant: It was a week of more medical appointments: midwife, haematology and dentist. All was fine with the baby and my blood, thyroid levels and teeth – so I thought at this point I had a couple of weeks off doctors surgeries and hospitals, and wouldn’t have to go back to any until November The consultant I met this week also answered two of my biggest questions at the moment. One, that there’s no reason at this point that I have to have a c-section, and two, that there are ways around my blood-thinning injections meaning I can have an epidural if I want (as you can’t have one within 12 hours of taking clexane due to the risk of spinal bleeds…ever-so-slightly terrifying). It was also a week of kicks (the good sort; in the stomach, not the teeth!). The baby stepped up a notch in power, which meant Alex finally felt it for the first time – amazing – as did the midwife at my appointment, when the baby attempted to kick off the heart-rate doppler A Pregnancy Photoshoot I went on a photo shoot for the Pregnancy & Birth magazine feature I’ll be in, talking about being a first-time mum-to-be and blogger. Read more here. The feature is due out in the mid-November issue, so stay turned for the full article in a couple of weeks Week 24 Means Viability… And saving the best till last…week 24 is the viability stage, which means Baby C now has a chance of living outside the womb with medical assistance. Although it sounds horribly clinical when you put it like that, to have reached this point safely is brilliant, fantastic, and really reassuring Although week 25 was just hiding just around the corner, to make me worry once more….

The post Pregnancy Week 24: Reaching Viability appeared first on A Baby on Board blog.

Pregnancy week 22: footprints, and finding out the sex

Gillian — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 16:38:46 +0000

As well as marking our second wedding anniversary, week 22 also bought with it the anomaly scan. In addition to checking out all was as it should be with Baby C, it was a chance where we could, potentially, find out the sex. I asked at the 12-week scan, but they boringly wouldn’t even make a guess at that point (I’ve also been Googling every old wives tale and theory on sex prediction out there; not-so-surprisingly based on it being 50 / 50, some turned out to be right and some were wrong). Alex and I agreed at the start of pregnancy that we’d find out if he/she was a boy/girl. I’m a really impatient person – I blame modern life – and I couldn’t bear the thought of waiting to find out something this big, especially when it was something we could know. And unlike the whole process of trying to conceive, this was an element was in our control. We also liked the idea of bonding with the baby on this level, and, on a purely practical side, being able to plan and buy things ahead of time – not so much that things will be all pink or all blue, but so they don’t have to be neutral. When it came to the scan, I was lots less nervous, as unlike twelve weeks I knew there was something actually in there. And it was as amazing as last time – we’re in good hands as King’s is a hugely important centre for fetal medicine and research. Both times we’ve had completely lovely sonographers, who have taken over an hour to scan everything in great detail and explain it all for us to see, including the spine, all the fingers and toes and each chamber of the heart. We both received a perfect bill of baby health, which was a big relief. And the gender? I know a lot of people don’t find out so they can have surprise at the moment of birth, which is lovely; however to us it was always going to be a surprise, whenever we found it out. And I can’t imagine a bigger or nicer surprise than the one we had on that day.

The post Pregnancy week 22: footprints, and finding out the sex appeared first on A Baby on Board blog.

Pregnancy week 21: a horrible start, and a slightly better end

Gillian — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:48:03 +0000

I’ve recently come to love Tuesday mornings. They mean it won’t be Monday morning for seven days, it’s one day closer to the weekend, and they are also the start of my next pregnancy week (which means among other things that all my pregnancy iPhone apps refresh, so the bus journey into work is a fraction more interesting). However, this Tuesday morning saw a slight deviation to the planned schedule, with a call to NHS Direct, an emergency Doctors appointment and a quick trip up to the Maternal Assessment Unit at Kings after ringing my husband at work to come and meet me…as soon as possible. The hospital midwives were all lovely, especially the one who kept taking me aside to ask me ‘confidential’ questions in a loud theatrical whisper – midwife: ‘Have your waters broken?’ Me: ‘No….not sure I’d be sitting her quietly if they had!’ I felt 100 x better after hearing Baby C’s heartbeat; although to say I was slightly stressed and anxious up to that point was a slight understatement, especially due to my risk factors and only being a week into the unchartered territory of Clexane injections (a worrying part was when the doctor at my local surgery sent me off to Kings ‘”just for your peace of mind” then went slightly pale when I said I’d get the train, and called me a taxi instead). Needless to say all was fine in the end, and after a wait in a corridor, tests and monitoring they concluded that it was unexplained but common, and I was sent home to rest. All’s been OK since then, which was confirmed by the 22 week scan this week. Anyway the week had a slightly better end when our friend Laura came to visit with Henry, her lovely four year old. We took him to the Crystal Palace park to see the dinosaurs then to the swings. It was a lot of fun to play with him, although slightly odd to think though, as Alex said, that soon there will be one we won’t be handing back!

The post Pregnancy week 21: a horrible start, and a slightly better end appeared first on A Baby on Board blog.