Labour Room Drama 303

Interesting Labour room drama.....

Hi Stella,


So where do I start?

According to my 12 weeks Ultrasound, my due date was on the 8th of February. I never had any hiccups with any of my tests or lab works during my pregnancy. No HBP, surprisingly to me, I even 'passed' all my blood tests. No bacterial or viral infections, std or otherwise. Lol. Passed my two hours Glucose test in flying colours sef.


When I clocked 30 weeks, time started moving really slow and it just felt like I had been pregnant forever and refused to end.

39 weeks appointment and my cervix was checked and in the words of the doctor, it was sealed tight. I was very disappointed as I was already reading stories from people already being 1cm or 2cm dilated at that point. Let me quickly digress.


I remember when the doctor wanted to check my cervix and because I had heard and read stories from people saying it was always painful, I started screaming really loud as the doctor was approaching me. She had not even touched me before I started screaming. You needed to see the look of shock on her face. Then I started laughing at my stupidity. The woman had to jokingly ask me how old I was.


Anyway, I was told to return on my due date if nothing happened before then and if there were still no contractions, I'd be induced on the 15th.


On the 8th, I left home very early while my husband was still sleeping because I knew that I was going to be back in no time as there was still no contractions. Getting to the hospital, they started running some tests and for the first time, I was told my BP was high and that my baby was measuring small. So they hooked me to a machine to monitor my BP for hours. During this period, my battery died as it was already evening by now.


All tests done, it was now time to meet the doctor and that was when she dropped the shocker.


"Nneka, you are staying with us tonight", she said.


"What??? How do you mean? I don't understand", I responded in shock.


So she explained to me that because my BP was high and I was already 40 weeks, they would keep me overnight to monitor my BP and if it's same by morning, then I'd have to be induced to get the baby out.


My head started spinning. I wasn't ready. I wasn't prepared. I had only eaten cereal (cornflakes) that morning and that was the only food in my system. My phone was dead, how will I contact my husband. Tears started welling up in my eyes.


I begged for charger or a way to contact my husband but no one could help. They said no one there had an iPhone charger or something like that. They gave me some ugly ass hospital gown to change into, oversize if i may add and gave me a bag to put all my belongings except my phone.


Then a nurse inserted a needle (for passing drip or whatever into me. I would go on to have this needle in my hand for over 48hrs) and then got me admitted and ushered me into the room where I would me spending the night. It was at this point I started crying and kept insisting I needed to speak to my husband before any other thing could be done with me.


The nurse eventually gave in and took me to the reception and then I used their phone to call my husband who stated that he had been trying desperately to reach me. In tears, I narrated everything to him and asked him to bring me food, charger, change of underwear and toothbrush. Then the nurse took the phone from me.


On our way back to the room, I was just weeping ( the reason??? I actually dunno. I just felt I was not ready and unprepared). The nurse tried to console me telling me I'm only having my child and it will be fine.


We got back to the room and they hooked me to the CTG machine to monitor my BP and fetal heartbeat. Such uncomfortable situation as I had to maintain a position so as not to move the wires attached to me.


My husband later came with food and all I asked for but he wasn’t allowed in (COVID wahala. He can only be allowed in after a negative COVID test and when I am in active labour, about 8cm dilated). They rejected the food stating that only hospital food was allowed, rejected the clothes as I had been condemning to the ugly ass hospital robe I was given, even pant dem no gree. They only collected the charger and toothbrush/paste and brought to me and then my husband left without seeing me.


The rest of the night was uneventful asides for me ringing the bell to go to the toilet to pee a thousand times (I always have to call for the nurse so they can detach the machine). I know I slept so little that night. I can remember the nurses urging me to try and get some sleep as I would be having a very long day the next day. 

Oh, I forgot to mention that they eventually brought dinner and to me it was like a horrible shit. Brought something like mashed fish that smelled like it wasn’t cooked plus soup and apple. I only ate the apple, meaning that in an entire day, I only ate cereal and apple. My husband and I video chatted for the better part of the night.


At past nine the next morning, a doctor and tons of nurses came into my room (if you have watched Greys Anatomy, picture Bailey walking into a room with her many interns, yea, that was how it looked). I was propped up and told to open my legs wide. And I’m not so gentle fashion, the doctor dipped her hands straight into my pussy with me screaming in pains. She was checking my cervix and in her words, my cervix was shut tight. So they inserted the first dose of cytotec inside my vagina at 9.25am to start the induction process. And that’s how my journey to delivery started.


Dramatic pause..........


I wasn’t given food that morning as I was told one is not allowed to eat once induction starts. They said it’s because there’s a chance it wouldn’t take and they may have to go CS route and it would be dangerous if food gets into ur lungs and bla bla bla.


Seven hours later, one of the students came to check if I was dilated but I was still firmly shut even though I was already having some mild contractions that were semi painful. At exactly 4:29pm, I was given the second dose of cytotec. I was told to let it melt under my tongue. Few minutes later, menstruation like pain started. It was still bearable tho. I needed to distract myself from the pain so I googled Yoruba worship songs on my phone and started playing and dancing while still connected to the machine (at this point, I didn’t care if the ctg was getting disconnected, I just needed a distraction. 

At that moment, the pain was still bearable, I wondered why people complained so much about the pain of induction when it was just this. I had no idea what I was in for and that this was just a tip of the iceberg.


A nurse came in as I was singing and dancing and I almost jumped right into bed so as not to be caught interfering with the machine but she told me to continue that it's actually good for me. So I continued.


Around 7pm or thereabout, the real pain started. The speed at which I stopped the music and almost flung my phone away ehn. I curled back into bed in a fetal position, writhing in pain. Then the screams started. I'm sure the whole maternity ward heard my voice. I was screaming and begging any nurse that came in to save me. I started asking for epidural. I was practically pleading and crying so much.


Around 8pm, a young woman came into my room and introduced herself as my nurse/midwife. Loveliest person I met in that hospital. She checked my cervix and saw that I was not dilated at all. She explained to me that since I wasn't dilated, it means I wasn't in active labour and couldn't be given epidural yet. I started crying ugly cry oh. She said she would give me pain relief via drip. I said OK. She put the first one. Nothing. I complained and she said she will give me something stronger, still nothing. I was in immense pain.


I would call my husband on video call in serious tears. The look on his face was whether to cry or to remain strong for me.


Let me fast forward this story abeg.


So at about 10pm, the nurse came again to check my cervix and I still wasn't dilated even 1cm. Men, I was in tears. I had been in intense pain for nothing. I didn't know what to do. I decided to forget about keeping delivery a secret until after the birth.


So I called our women leader in church. In tears I explained everything to her and told her I didn't know what to do anymore. I begged her to help me cos I was in a lot of pains and couldn't bear it anymore. I will never forget what she said to me. She told me to put my hands on my stomach and tell the baby that it is time and that she should start coming. I did as she said and then she prayed for me and promised to continue doing so. Then the call ended. The pain continued.


At about 12am or thereabout, she called me again and asked if there was any update. I told her they had not checked me since then. She told me to ask that they come check because she believes it has started happening. Not totally believing, I still called the nurse and asked her to come check. She checked and people of God, I was about 3cm dilated and my cervix was very soft.


She smiled at me as she gave me this info and added that since this meant I was now in active labour, I could now be given the epidural. Music to my ears. So she went and got the anesthesiologists (I think that's what they are called). She held on to me through contractions while I was being given the epidural. She spoke kind words, tried to take my mind off the pain. It was so sweet.


10 mins later, the pain had drastically reduced and then she told me to try and get some sleep. I called back the women leader and gave her the news but she advised me not to sleep so that I don't delay the birth further. She assured me she's convinced it would be over soon. I then called my husband and for the first time in a long while, I was finally smiling and gisting with him.


Shortly after, I needed to pee. So I went to the bathroom and while coming back, I felt this strong urge to poop. I honestly thought it was poop tho since at that time I was just about 5-6cm dilated. I sha didn't think I had the strength so I wobbled back to my room.


Because I was 6cm dilated, the nurse told me I could inform my husband to start coming because he would have to do a covid test and wait for about two hours for the result before he can be allowed to be at the delivery. Called my husband and told him that then he started prepping to come. I think this was around 1am or thereabout.


Nurse checked me again and said I was now about 8cm-9cm dilated but that the baby's head wasn't properly position and this may make the delivery process longer and more difficult. She then said she would teach me a position to stay in which would hopefully help the baby's head move into place. She suggested I get on all fours (you know, like a dog).


I took the position and almost immediately I felt this strong urge to poop. I knew then that my baby was coming. I told the nurse that I wanted to poop and she confirmed it was the baby coming but she told me to hang on so we could get to the delivery room.


'Catalina, this baby is coming now, I can't hold her in, pls let me push', I said.


'OK, we will do it here then. The cleaners are going to hate me but I will make it up to them', she said with a smile.


I was still on all fours and when I heard 'push', I gave it my all. On the first push, nothing happened. I took a short break and then went again. This time around, the head came close but wasn't fully out before I stopped but my dear Catalina held on to the head then she told me to give her just one final push. And on the third and very short push, at 1.37am, my Alex came flying out weighing 3.3kg (measuring small indeed )


The first thing that came to my mind was 'is that all', and she was like, yea, that's all.


Now time to get the placenta out. Let me digress a bit and say Nigerians can be quite dramatic. I've had a couple of people tell me that pushing out the placenta is even harder than pushing out the baby. I would discover that this is so false.


So I asked her if I should start pushing the placenta and she was confused. She explained to me that you don't push the placenta that it comes out on its own within 30 mins and if it's not totally out by then, she will assist by gently pulling the rest out.


So after Alex was out, the nurse that caught her asked if I wanted to hold her (Goo and all oh). I was like 'hell yea'. I remember a conversation I had with my friend where she asked me this particular question if I would like to hold her as soon as she's born for bonding and stuff. And I was like, Eeeeeeww. There's no way I'm holding her with all the gooey stuff that would come out with her. Who bonding hep?


I still have a picture of me holding her to my chest, fresh from my body. I'm never losing that picture for any reason. Lol.


Let me now fast forward the rest.


Placenta came out and I couldn't still reach my husband to tell him I had given birth. I Knew he was already at the hospital because I couldn't reach him. The hospital has very bad network reception. I was cleaned up and then moved to the recovery room with my baby.


Then my husband came. The smile on his face ehn. I'm sure at that moment he totally forgot he wasn't ready for a baby. He didnt get the covid test done but a nurse took pity and allowed him in before her boss resumed for duty. He was given only 10 mins to stay (covid wahala).

 Then I called my MIL. Let's not forget that no one, asides the lady from church knew I was already in labour. No one even knew I had been in the hospital for two days sef. Decided not to tell anyone cos I didn't want anyone worrying about me. Especially my mum. I was certain she wouldn't go to market to sell or even be able to do anything sef and since she can worry for Africa, i just didn't want to put her through the stress.


So I called my MIL. This was around 2.45am our time. My husband felt we should just wait till morning but knowing how she's been very active in my pregnancy journey, I figured I owed her that. She was so joyful. She said she was so scared when she saw my call at that time, thinking something had gone wrong with the pregnancy. She started singing songs of worship oh (naija mothers and drama ). After the call, I posted a video on my whatsapp status believing everyone would be asleep. I was going to inform my family in the morning.


Sent a whatsapp message with the picture of my baby to my younger sis in New Zealand (since their time was still noon or so). That one returned jokingly with an insult because she actually called me the day before while I was in the hospital asking about my due date and I still told her nothing.


Then, still within that period, my younger bro, our last born sent me a message on WhatsApp (forgot that one was a total midnight person, like midnight is usually his daytime) asking why I was posting a dancing video. Then I informed him with a picture as well. Specifically told him not to wake my parents up. For where!!!! Dude practically flew to their room. Then my parents called and of course, my mum started with song of worship and my dad joined in.

 After the call, my brother told me no one could go back to sleep anymore and my mum was just waiting for daylight to go and start informing neighbours. Lol (yea, let the woman have her joy). She even called her younger sis, my aunt, that midnight to inform her.


We stayed two more days at the hospital for check up before we were discharged. As usual, my husband was not allowed in and he would only come to give me food (I could never eat their meals, hence they had no choice but to allow him bring food).


I look at this girl and I tell myself 'babe, you did good, you did real good.

*Congrats babe..Really interesting labour room drama!