"I just felt there was no urgency"

I had a relatively easy pregnancy, although was anxious as I’d had a miscarriage the year before. I have a medical condition that makes it a high risk pregnancy. I’d attended all my consult apps and they seemed happy. At 37 weeks I was sent for a growth scan as he’s tailed off.  when I arrived he was plotted at 10.2llbs.

Obviously I was freaking out so I had a planned elected C section scheduled fo day1+ after due date. This was an anxious time for me as it was the only slot and he could be even bigger in 3wks time. My waters broke at wk39+3 days. We were told to come in so we did approx 8 pm. I went in, midwife checked my waters had broke. Then was put on a ward.

The next morning I was put on a monitor to observe baby’s heart rate. I kept getting told I was next or there’s an emergency before you, which is understandable, but I basically was left to wait it out the whole time. It’s was getting to 11 pm the next day and I was still waiting for a C section, 29 hrs after my waters had broke.

The most alarming thing I remember is that i was having some intense contractions and I couldn’t breathe…. I don’t remember anything after that until my partner woke me up saying we’re next. In the whole time I was there I never had my cervix checked prior to my C Section I had pure panic that my baby was going to come naturally before I got into theatre, yet I had little reassurance he wasn’t. How could they know if I wasn’t being checked?

I remember panicking I’d not felt him move in a while …. It was very distressing, I was so exhausted so worried. I just felt there was no urgency. Nobody seemed to explain anything to me. I was asked to walk down the long corridor to the lift to theatre but I could barely make it 4 steps at a time due to continuous contractions.

I was given a wheelchair and told to change into my robes. I don’t know how I managed to be honest. The relief my baby was out was overwhelming. I literally fell asleep on the table. The whole delivery experience is very blurry . The theatre team were great from what I remember and the aftercare was better, although I wasn’t given enough painkillers. I was told it was trapped wind which was normal but it wasn’t. My painkillers had worn off, it was so uncomfortable I physically could not lift my baby to feed him so they kindly watched and fed him whilst I rested.