As with many pregnant women, the last few days were particularly trying for me.
August 11, 2020 was my end date and as of August 10, 2020 I still hadn’t lost water or any small contraction, vomiting had resumed and my hands, legs and feet were very swollen due to significant water retention. My maternity suitcase and the bag of my future baby were ready and installed in the trunk of the car for a long time and I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of meeting him!
10 August 2020
During a morning medical visit to the maternity ward to control my diabetes and baby movements that were no longer noticeable, the midwives noted my exhaustion, slow pulse, swollen limbs and low morale. When they told me that my cervix was unfortunately almost undone and that I would have to wait until August 17 for a trigger, I couldn’t help but cry. I couldn’t take it anymore! My body and mind let go, I didn’t want to suffer on a daily basis, I didn’t want to go back and forth to the maternity ward anymore, I didn’t want to prick my fingers before and after every meal. I wanted to give birth! I wanted to become a mom and take care of my baby. So it was in a spirit of kindness and empathy that one of the midwives asked me: “Madam, do you want us to keep you today for a trigger tomorrow morning? You meet all the conditions for a trigger and we cannot let you go back to this state.”
I cannot express to you the relief I felt at that moment. if I hadn’t been pregnant, I probably would have done a backflight of joy (laughs) she continued “go get your suitcase home and come back tonight, you’re going to meet your baby very soon!»
WHEW! I could breathe! I was so happy that I couldn’t eat or distract myself while watching TV or taking a nap, I waited sitting on the stairs of the house that we left watching the time every 5 minutes. (Laughs)
I went one last time to my future baby’s room and smiled. telling me that the next time I walked into that room, it would be with my baby in my arms.
11 August 2020
At 9:00 a.m. a nurse came to apply prostaglandin gel to my cervix to trigger my delivery. Prostaglandin gel is often recommended during artificial triggers when the cervix is only slightly modified, in order to open it gently. He then advised me to walk around the maternity ward to help the cervix change. So we went for a walk with my husband, the first contractions were felt around 10:15 am gradually becoming more and more painful.
At 12:00 the nurse came again to check my cervix which I thought was modified given the significant pain I was feeling, this was not the case at all, the cervix had absolutely not moved. what a disappointment it was! So they advised me to wait for the cervix to change on its own and to wait quietly.
Around 3:00 p.m., after 5 hours of suffering, the nurse came to check my cervix again, it had gone from a dilation of 2 cm to 4 cm. He told me that at the next small modification of the collar he would take me to the work room.
Around 6:00 p.m., after 8 hours of suffering, my collar had increased to 5, so the cripple decided to take me to the work room.
What a joy! I was ecstatic, shuddering with joy at the idea of meeting my baby, Dad was relieved and very excited to meet his son. But a new disappointment awaited us. Arrived in the labor room my cervix did not move, after a wait of 3 hours, the medical staff decided to send me back to my room and asked my husband to come back the next day because the delivery would definitely not take place on August 11th.
If, however, things were to change, he would be contacted immediately.
So I went to bed, still prone to these painful contractions, incredibly disappointed, lonely and exhausted. It was impossible for me to sleep that night.
12 August 2020
On August 12 at 10:30 am the cripple came again to check my cervix, the gesture began to become very painful after a significant number of touches of the cervix. I was always dilated to 5 cm.
I couldn’t take it anymore.. so he decided to apply prostaglandin gel to me again to stimulate the cervix.
Around 1:30 p.m. the pains of the contractions began to become seriously unbearable. I was brought laughing gas to try to get away from the pain, which didn’t work. My husband arrived around 3:00 p.m. after the hospital called him in a hurry to help me manage the pain and in the event of my near delivery.
After checking my collar it had passed to 7 cm. I heard the nurse whisper to a colleague that I would surely receive an intravenous injection of oxytocin in the labor room to speed up the process.
August 12, 2020 Approximately 6:00 p.m.
I was put in a wheelchair in which I was writhing in pain, arriving upstairs in the labor room I was terrified by the screams of chilling pain of a woman giving birth, she had chosen to give birth without an epidural. I thanked God for choosing to give birth with an epidural (laughs)
In the labour room, a caring team of anaesthetists and midwives were waiting for me.
This was the end of my ordeal. They put the epidural on me and a feeling of warmth and well-being invaded my whole body, I was laid down and I fell asleep, relieved to no longer suffer and the respite given to my body battered by the symptoms of pregnancy for many months. The team was great, as soon as a little pain resurfaced, a member of the medical team ran to increase my dose of anesthetic.
At 22:00, my cervix was still not modified, the team was waiting for it to change on its own so as not to have to use oxytocin, a radically synthesized hormone that is quite violent compared to the milder prostaglandin. I then understood that I would not give birth on August 12 either but on the night of August 13. Around 00:30 an adorable tandem of midwives came to us and gave me a dose of oxytocin which caused me contractions of unprecedented violence, as soon as I told them they were in pain they gave me another dose of anesthetic to calm me down and in just 15 minutes they announced with a big smile:
“Madam, you are at 10! You will give birth »
Future Dad and I were so happy. I who at the base did not want to give birth in the middle of the night I finally loved the calm that reigned in the maternity, the team was of an incomparable sweetness and I had the impression of being in a bubble of imperturbable sweetness.
The moment of the push was very fast, it lasted less than about fifteen minutes, I felt no pain and I had no trouble pushing. I was encouraged with great kindness by my husband and the two midwives. “It’s great what you’re doing ma’am! Awesome! You are a champion! He is lucky this future baby! They stroked my forehead and hands, congratulated me it was beautiful! I loved this moment and even thought it went by too fast (laughs)
During the last push, one of them told me:
“Madam, your son is coming, you are going to be a mom in a few seconds you are ready?I kept crying with joy and when she took it out of my belly and put it on my chest, it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. I looked at my husband, his eyes were full of tears. my son looked me straight in the eye before screaming!
I was finally a mom!
Brooklyn was born on August 13, 2020 at 1:22 a.m.
I had a very complicated pregnancy and swore several times that I would never get pregnant again. And yet, I will always remember telling my father during his first visit on the day BK was born, that it was completely worth it and that I would relive it with my eyes closed for my baby! I have no regrets.
And I would add that the difficulty of pregnancy has made my motherhood even sweeter than it would have been if I hadn’t suffered so much. The birth was a real relief for me. I was finally able to fully enjoy my baby with immeasurable pleasure. Even today I remember every day my desire to meet him, to see him, to cuddle him and to take care of him.
In difficult days I remember the distress I was in when I was pregnant and I can tell you that I relativize very quickly (laughs)