So I was 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant, I thought my waters were starting to go, so I went to stoke Mandeville hospital to be checked at approx 9.30pm.
They confirmed that they had started to go however my cervix was still closed so gave me the option to go home and see if my labour started naturally or to stay in and be induced.
I chose to go home due to the current situation however I was advised if my labour hadn’t started by 11am the next day I was to go in to be induced.
Due to Covid-19, My partner wasn’t allowed in triage with me and if I was to be induced my partner wouldn’t have been able to be with me until I was in active labour (until 4cm dilated).
When I got home, my waters went naturally, and I started contracting thick and fast.
We went back to the hospital and arrived around 2am and I was already 5cm dilated, so I got moved to a birthing room and they allowed my partner to come in.
I wanted a water birth so they put me in a room with a pool and started to fill it up for me. My contractions continued to get stronger and around 3.30am I told them I felt the need to push, I climbed into the pool and started to push however things took a slight turn when my little girls heartbeat dropped. They checked me again after another contraction and it had dropped again.
I had to get out of the pool and be moved to a different room to be cut and have a forcep Delivery.
They were very quick and my baby was born at 4.17am weighing a healthy 6lb 15oz.
After the birth, the baby had to have checks done by the doctor due to the type of delivery and was then given to her daddy while I had The placenta removed and stitches.
My partner stayed in the room with us until around 7am when he decided to go to the car for a nap. I was told we would be kept in the birthing room until we needed to go home as there was no need to move us and therefore he could stay with us, however when the midwives changed shift, this was changed without our knowledge and my partner wasn’t allowed back in which was very upsetting.
I hadn’t slept for over 24 hours and was tired but I couldn’t nap due to the anxiety of having a new born baby and being on my own.
Just before they took me to the ward, I was tested for Covid-19 but was told they wouldn’t have my results for 24 hours, yet I was still moved to a ward where 3 other mothers and babies were. This also didn’t help my anxiety as I had no idea if they had been tested or what my own results were (I still haven’t had my results).
I was told to tell my partner to pick us up at 4pm as the baby was having her checks and they agreed we could go home.
I wasn’t made to wear a facemask at any point, and neither was my partner.
In all it wasn’t the best experience however it was better than some other stories I’ve heard and we are all home and well!
What an amazing story, thank you so much for sharing. If you have a story you would like to share about giving birth during Covid-19 or would like to book a session, please get in touch here
