I was due to be induced on 22 June 2010 because my gynae kept saying the baby was too big.
However on the night of 19th June, I started experiencing a strange cramping so I woke hubby and we went to East Shore.
The nurses checked me and I was admitted to the Labour ward and my doctor was contacted. That was about 2am already.
4 hours later, my doc came and she checked me again. Dilation was only at 1cm and she said, oK, since I was supposed to be induced only 2 days later, let’s do it now.
She popped the pill into me and then the fun really started. The pain was at first bearable but started to intensify. About 8am, I was asked if I wanted an epidural and since I had it before with my first child, I said OK.
I thought it might help alleviate the soon-to-be horrible cramps.
Everything went well right up to 11am.
And then suddenly and inexplicably, the epidural stopped working.
I could suddenly FEEL everything and it was the most excruciating, soul-tearing pain I had ever experienced.
My husband was beside me and was going through the whole process with me quite happily, right up to that point – and knew something was not right.
I was screaming and crying and struggling on the bed – I literally felt like jumping out of my own skin – the pain was THAT unbearable!
This continued up to about 12.40 or so (I really can’t recall much due to the pain). Then my doc came in finally (because the nurses were getting frantic as they didn’t know why I was reacting so erratically) and she checked me and announced “OK 8 cm already! Let’s get her to push!”
Amidst all that pain and crying, I managed to get my head together and get into position to push.
It took much effort and support from hubby and at 1.09pm – little Emma was born!
By that time I was completely exhausted and as I laid back to rest, I had the presence of mind to ask hubby to check on Emma. Because she was not crying.
Apparently, as I later found out, her airway was slightly blocked and she had to have oxygen administered directly. It was only a while later that I heard her crying, and then I felt relieved.
Whilst laying back, I felt the doc and nurse pressing my belly, to push out the remnants of the ‘old blood’ and get the placenta out. With each press, I felt a gush of warmth between my legs.
I remember getting very sleepy, and thinking ‘Oh ok.. its time to sleep since my work is done…’
And then being jolted wide awake by the nurses there because they started getting frantic again, and it was their turn to scream at me, “Lynn! Lynn! Oh my God… Wake up dear, don’t sleep ok!” One of them even told me to recite a prayer and I remember vaguely thinking ‘Er… ok .. but why ..?’
I didn’t even have the strength to talk anymore by then.
Vaguely, I was aware of being pushed out of the labour ward and being rushed to another room nearby. And my husband following closely. Everyone was running around me, and all I wanted to do was sleep.
Then I was pushed into this room with bright lights overhead, and this surgeon looking down at me, and speaking quickly “OK you’re in an Operating Theatre and we are going to see how we can fix you..”
All I could do was nod before I went under the G.A.
When I woke up, hubby and my whole family were in a big white room with me.
I thought I’d just woken up from a nice deep sleep. But the truth could not be more different.
I was actually in ICU and found out much later, that the doctors had had to cut me open to try to fix the bleeding. But they couldn’t and instead had to remove my womb.
That had been the cause of my massive bleeding. A distended womb which was unable to contract normally after birth.
Though later, when the hospital techs did an autopsy of my womb, there was nothing physically wrong with it – no cysts, no tears, etc.
Up till now, my gynae still has no idea what really happened to me that day. She calls it her “Once a year scare” case. And up till now, at the hospital I was known as “that case”.
I guess its just one of those things that happen that is inexplicable and unexplainable and I take it as a blessing that I am still alive today and able to enjoy the warmth and comfort of my family.
Though I can’t have anymore children now, I thank God that I’ve been given a second chance in life, and blessing our family with little Emma and making our family complete.