Growing Moonbows – J – Welcome to the World J
Growing moonbows are never easy, it takes a dash of hope, a sprinkle of magic and a bucket full of madness. This is the story of J, a series of letters written while on the rollercoaster of pregnancy. – I made a Moonbow! I’m finally a Mummy
It’s all happening!
Dear J
3 days ago was the morning of my next appointment, we had made it to 26+5. A pain woke me at just before 5am. Daddy asked me if it was coming in waves, I didn’t think that it was, so I said no. I went off to the loo, but as I became more alert I realised that they were coming and going. I started to time them, we worked out they were coming ever 6 minutes, so we rang triage and they said for me to make my way in but don’t rush. Seems I could have only 2 nights in my own bed.
Just after 9am, we set off for the 30 miles trip to the hospital, as we travelled down the pains got more intense and more often. We finally arrived and went to the Maternity Assessment Unit and one of the health care assistant’s that had looked after us when we were in a couple of weeks ago said she was hoping not to see me back so soon.
They put the monitors on to check on you and noticed every time I had a tightening your heartbeat dropped, this really frightened me, and all I kept asking was if you will be ok. They admitted me to the labour ward again. They were monitoring you and luckily by about 2pm the tightenings stopped. I was so happy. After they had stopped for a while they moved me around to the antenatal ward.
The following night the pains started up again but luckily I could sleep through them, so they gave me paracetamol to help things calm down but as I was still bleeding from the stitch they couldn’t give me anything to try to stop labour. They came to check me to make sure the stitch wasn’t been put under tension, because it would have to come out. They were happy to leave it for now.
By thursday morning the pains were increasing in both intensity and closeness so they started monitoring you closer, in the afternoon the doctor decided to move us to the delivery ward again. So off we went again, third time now!
The pains kept increasing in the evening, and were getting closer and closer together. About 3-4 mins apart. They didn’t want to check my cervix again and decided to give me some morphine to see if that will help calm things down. Your heartbeat started to drop a bit in tightenings but then it was quickly recovering. The midwife told me generally it’s quite normal when in labour , but not as normal at only 27 weeks so they were keeping an eye on you. Over the night I couldn’t sleep at all but Daddy was right there rubbing my back and holding my hand.
This morning before starting work your Aunty came in to visit, she brushed and plaited my hair to make me feel a bit better. She said she could tell I was in labour.
The doctors came in their rounds, and said that they didn’t think im in established labour yet, they didn’t want to examine me in case it aggravated things. Although I was glad to hear it, I didn’t fully believe it as pains were so intense.
About 30 minutes later they came in and said they wanted to check on you. They brought in a mobile ultrasound machine and started to look at you. They asked me if my waters had gone. I said no, so they decided to examine me to check my cervix.
I needed to go for a wee first and I noticed a lot of blood, they did the examination and told me my waters were bulging and the stitch needed to come out straight away. They gave me gas and air, and removed the stitch .
The doctors then left to speak to my consultant who put in the stitch , as a little bit remained but wasn’t obstructing and the midwife left to get things sorted out for your arrival, while she was out of the room I had an urge to push but didn’t want to. Daddy told me not to push as there was no one in the room !
A few minutes later at the next contraction I couldn’t stop and my body just pushed, my waters broke and out you came. Luckily the midwife came in the room because the following contraction out into the world you came! You didn’t even give the midwife enough time to get her gloves on !
At that moment the room flooded with people, and I kept asking if you were ok, if you were breathing, Daddy told me you were crying, he too had tears in his eyes. Your cry was so quiet I couldn’t hear it over the gas and air.
The NICU nurse scooped you up and got you on the resus table, you were put on the ventilator and then into the incubator. The Neonatal doctors brought your incubator around for a brief moment to the side of my bed so I could see you, before whisking you off to the NICU. You were perfect, so tiny, full of wires but perfect !
They told me I could come and see you once they had you settled.
You came into this world at 12.15pm weighing 978 grams born at 27 +1 weeks
Today is your birthday – Welcome to the world, my little J
I love you with all that I am, and I will be right beside you all the way
Please fight my tiny boy
Mummy xx