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Logan Daniel Ankle Sex: boy Born: 29 May, 2010 Age: 1 years & 263 days Birthday in: 102 days Starsign: Gemini Development: See the 20 months page. Biggest achievement so far: -

Birth details

Original due date: 19th May 2010
Type of delivery: Forceps or suction
Duration of labor: 28 hours
Weight @ birth: 8lb 3oz
Length @ birth: 21 inches

Logan-Daniel-Ankle`s birthstory

I was booked in to be induced on Friday 28th May 2010.
Thursday night i was having strong pains but they had no patternt to them so was waiting to see what happened.
I managed to sleep for an hour Thursday evening before the contractions started to come in a pattern, at around 2.00am on Friday i was managing the pain at home and was counting the frequency of the contractions, they were coming about every 6 minutes lasting just under a minute.
They didnt seem to speed up and stayed at this steady rate for hours.

I eventually rang the labour suite at the hospital for advise at 5.00am, they said that i was still in early stages and to try and rest. I had to ring back if they were getting faster / stronger etc.
I was due to ring in at 7.45am anyway to be booked in for a bed for the inducement so i rang again at that time.
The contractions were every 5 minutes lasting for a minute. I was advised to make sure that i have breakfast and then head in to the hospital.
I really couldnt eat and nibbled a slice of toast but just did not want it.
I didnt feel any urgency to rush in to hospital as i was managing the pain and i wanted my labour to progress as much as possible before getting to the hospital.

We arrived at hospital at around 9.30am i was 3 centimeters dialated and they hooked me up to the monitors for them to monitor the babies heartbeat and the frequency of my contractions. Each time they would monitor me for around 20 minutes and then let me get up and walk about and repeat the process.

I was managing the pain without any pain relief until around 2.30pm when i had only progressed 1cm and was 4cm dialated.
As the pain was worsening the midwife was discussing my options with me, she encouraged me to try using the gas and air which i did but i did not like it, i didnt feel like it was helping with the pain but was making me feel light headed and made my mouth and throat very dry.
From the start of my labour i knew that i did not want an epidural!
We were then discussing the option of Diamorphine injection, the midwife said that she didnt feel that it would be suitable for me and was encouraging me to consider the epidural due to the following reasons:

It was thought that i was carrying a very large baby
They were considering starting me on a pitocin drip to progress my labour
Diamorphine pain relief would only last for 2 hours

My contractions were strong and regular without the pitocin but i was not dialating beyond 4cm. I was in pain and frustrated so agreed to go for the Epidural, i thought that once i had got over my fear and they had put it in the pain would be over and i could ralax as i was very tired.

2 Aneathatists came into the delivery room and explained the process of the Epidural to me and any risks and allowed me to ask questions etc.
He said that the procedure does take a while but mainly in preperation and set-up etc and actually putting in the Epidural should only take 6-10minutes.

They got me ready and started the proceedure at around 4.00pm.

At first i thought i could cope with it and was just willing them on to get it in and give me some pain relief.
The aneathatist was struggling to get the Epidural into the space in my spine i was sat on the edge of the bed bent forward hugging the pillow (the usual position i assume). It was very painful all the fumbling about he was doing.
My partner Shirlon was sat in front of me being a great emotional support while they were doing it. My sister was my other birthing partner and was also in the room trying to support me.
The aneathatist removed the attempted Epidural and felt up my spine again and tried again. He still couldnt get it positioned, by this time it was really starting to hurt.
Again his attempt failed and he tried for a third.
He was still unable to get it in.
The senior aneathatist that was also present then attempted to get the Epidural in. By this time i was screaming and crying in pain and just wanted so much for it to be over.
Its just my luck that i would be a complicated one and it wasnt just straight forward in and over with.
My sister couldnt handle to see me in so much pain and was very upset and had to leave the room.
I could tell that even Shirlon was struggling to see me like that but he managed to maintain his feelings for my sake and continued to be a great support.
The senior aneathatist also could not get the Epidural into my spine after a couple of attempts.
They then decided to change my position and layed me on my side on the bed with my knees curled up, after a few attempts with one aneathatists pushing my legs up and the senior putting in the Epidural they eventually located the tube where it needed to be.
I was so relieved it was a very emotional and painful process that took 1 hour and 40 minutes.

I instantly felt the benefit from the pain relief but because of all the stress and adrenalin that came from what had happened my contractions that i was doing naturally had stopped completely!

They started me on the Pitocin drip to get the labour going again.

By now i had lost track of time completely and it just felt like i was never going to get to the end.

The midwife kept trying to change my position on the bed with the aid of my birthing partners, unfortunately the only way i was comfortable was laying on my right side, but baby didnt like this and heartbeat dropped so i had to be moved onto my back again.
I was very uncomfortable and had terrible pain in my lower back. I was also very frustrated that i could not help myself move into a comfortable position due to having no feeling in my legs.

Eventually the midwife checked me and said i was 10cm dialated, i felt relieved as the end was in sight.
I was told i would need to wait an hour before pushing.

The next hour went by very quickly, the doctor came in and checked me and instructed the midwife that i could start to push. The doctor did not stay in the room but did keep coming in to check on my progress.

I started to push, i wasnt sure that i was doing it right as i could not feel if i was pushing in the right place or if baby was moving down.
I just kept putting all my might into it.
The midwife reassured me that baby was moving down very slowly with every push.
Eventually she could see his hair and showed Shirlon. I felt that it couldnt be many more pushes before my little boy would be delivered.

I continued to push with all my might..............After an hour and a half of pushing the Doctor came back in and spoke with the midwife.
They informed me that i would need to be taken to theatre for an assisted delivery, they would try to deliver using forceps or suction but if this was unsuccessful then i would have to have a c-section.
I was so upset all that hard work and i was still having to go to theatre, i felt like i was failing at child birth.

My sister was upset as she wouldnt be able to see my little boy be born and that she wouldnt know what was happening whilst we were in theatre.

They took me into theatre and sent Shirlon to get changed.

I was moved onto the surgery table and hooked up to the monitors. The aneathatist topped up the epidural.

Shirlon sat down at the side of me dressed in the fetching theatre greens and cover on his hair.

My legs were put into the stirrups and the proceedure had begun.
The doctor did a Episiotomy to allow for the forceps to be placed.

The doctor was telling me to push but again i couldnt feel if i was doing it right.
I was also feeling pain down there and kept having to be topped up with the Epidural.

The doctor was very encouraging and was coaching me to push, i could feel he was pulling at the same time.

Suddenly i felt my baby being flopped onto my tummy. I couldnt see him though as there was a low sheet in front of me. They quickly whisked him away.

The next few minutes were very tense as i asked over and over if he was ok, i couldnt hear him crying, i just needed to hear him cry.
Eventually i heard some low crying, it didnt sound strong but it was crying non the less.

Shirlon was able to get up and go over to where our son was.
They told me he was ok i was filled with joy.

While the doctor was stitching me up Shirlon bought our son over to see me, i was instantly filled with so much love and couldnt believe that he was finally here.

Logan Daniel Ankle was born 29th May 2010 at 5.59am weighing 8lb 3oz.

I was taken upto the ward and my birthing partners were sent home, i was now on my own.
I was still completely numb and couldnt move for hours.
Seeing other peoples recovery time from the Epidural before they could get up and move around i feel that my dose must have been massive as it was taking me alot longer to recover.

My beautiful boy had alot of marks, bruising and swelling on his face from the forceps.
I also noticed that he was not moving one of his arms. He was sent to x-ray and it turns out that he had fractured his left collarbone. I was very upset that he was hurt but also grateful that he was healthy other than that.

I had to have a forceps delivery as babys sholders were too wide for my pelvis so na matter how much i pushed he wouldnt have got past without assistance.

Now at home with my little boy and i am so proud of this beautiful baby that we created.
The marks on his face have just about gone and he is absolutely beautiful.

I am suffering in alot of pain with my spine and stitches and Shirlon is being great and looking after us both.....I would be so lost wthout him.

I am so blessed to have the best two men in the world, my beautiful son and his daddy! xxxxx

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