Birth Stories

Butterflies, I have read about your story & have been wondering how you are doing. The profile pic of Lior is beautiful! So handsome!!! Looks like he's gained weight as well? Keep strong.

Thanks ladies

Ah butterflies, my heart is sore for you. You and your family are so brave but I suppose you have had no othEr choice,well done for being so positive and strong, as a mom I can only imagine how hard it must be for you but yes your little fighter has already proven doctors wrong so there are no limits to him. Sounds like you have an amazing little boy!

Butterflies that is such an inspiring and heart warming story! And yes, I am sure everyone who reads it is going to cry a bit!!
What a precious miracle you have xx

Reading all the ladies birth stories has inspired me to record my own, almost a year late, but I guess better late than never

This is going to be an emotional read for some of you, but there is a happy ending


After a very tyring and emotional pregnancy, we were scheduled for a c-section on 29 April at 6 in the evening - only cause my doc was going away for two weeks and with us expecting a Trisomy baby and having walked the emotional road with us, he didnt want anyone else to deliver our precious little boy.

On the morning of 29 April, the girls begged us not to go to school, but I knew my nerves were just too much on edge and baby was only being delivered after 6 that evening. So very reluctantly they dragged themselves out of bed and got ready to go to school. The day just seemed to drag and drag and drag. We were really excited and scared to meet out precious little angel. After all we were no quite sure what to expect ..... would we be holding our little angel or ...... would we be making other plans.

In any event, we left to go to the hospital at 4 and decided that the girls should come up to hospital at about half 5 with their grandparents, but they insisted, so we relented, even though they were not allowed in the maternity ward, they had to wait outside and I believe it was a very very long wait. Whilst I was in my room - thinking back now, I am ever so grateful that the nurses and doctors thought to give me a private room - trying to keep myself busy while waiting. I remember taking out an outfit for baby then putting it back and taking another, (about 6 times) just couldnt make up my mind what I wanted to see my baby boy wearing.

The matron decided that she would be "working" with me and took me into another room to be weighed and all the lovely stuff that goes with it. Thank goodness I decided to veet before the time, just dont think I could have dealt with that on top of everything else, and then nearly had heart failure when I got on the scale I was quite grateful that they didnt put the drip in until just before I went in to theatre - It probably would have hindered my pacing up and down. Eventually after filling out, which feels like 20 forms - The nurse and I had a chat and she was like OOOOH you are the one having the Trisomy baby - like she didnt know, anyway we chatted some more and eventually decided to hand it all over to GOD.

The time came (eventually) for me to go to theater, on the way there they decided to give me meds to stop any heartburn from coming my way - nevermind that I didnt have any heartburn until i swallowed the freaking stuff. Any way it felt like a really long wait for the aneathetist to get there, the nurses left it up to him to adminsiter the drip.

I guess my nerves started setting in from then on - okay I am a liar, they wer there long before but more so now. I remember my hubby and I making small chit chat while we were waiting - the first time that we didnt really have anything to say to each other. Finally I go into theater and it felt so freaking cold in there I didnt know what to do with myself - probably all the nerves again. Sitting on the theater bed and not knowing what is to come. This part stays the most vivid in my mind, feeling the cold cold cold alcohol being rubbed down my back so that they could give me the spinal. I was shivering like crazy, unable to stop myself. Before I knew it I was on my back and the anaethetist was holding my hand and my hubby was next to me.

Everything was so quiet - I dont think the doctors really knew what to expect either - but Kudos to them, they were really brilliant and calm. I was too scared to look at DH, I didnt want to see sorrow in his eyes, I just kept staring at the wall, waiting and hoping.

Finally my little boy was out from inside me, they gynae gave me a quick glimpse and all I saw was a blue little boy, then they rushed him away and it felt like and eternity, but I heard him cry. I could not stop my tears from falling. Daddy was so proud, once they cleared his mouth they paed brought him to me for a quick peek, still my little boy was blue. The doctors rushed him to neonates and I told daddy go, I will manage. I didnt want him to be away from either of us for one second. I think at that stage if i could have got up of the bed I would have.

Silence again, and then all of a sudden I start itchintg and just cant stop scratching my arms and my chest. When I think back now I have to laugh, the gynae eventually shouted at me to lay still cause he couldnt sew me up with all my moving around. Must have been an allergic reaction to the spinal - or the stress of not knowing.

So now I am being wheeled out of theater and in the recovery room, only now I am so cold I can litterally feel myself going blue and cant stop shaking. The nurse eventually tucked me in really nicely, in a littel cocoon and put a pipe blowing warm air into the blankets, it took a while but eventually I warmed up.

So now I cant wait to get back to my room and meet my baby. It felt like an eternity waiting for daddy to come tell me how he is doing. When he walked in the room, I knew and just said oh God no please no and I remember his words clearly - we knew this could happen. My heart was so broken, I dont even remember crying. The doctors had given my little precious angel no longer than an hour to live.

One by one family members came in to see me, I just couldnt face them, I was dead inside, showed no emotion. the worst is I couldnt see my girls and console them. The family was taken away and saw trauma councillors - they were distraught, the girls would never meet their little brother they were so waiting for.

I am now feeling really dead inside and dont want to talk to a soul, but people just keep coming, trauma councillors and heaven knows who else, I just cant remember. The one thing I do remember after a few hours and our little boy still hangin on for dear life, daddy telling me, go see him, dont wait.

I asked the nurses to take me to him, but they wouldnt, I had to wait until morning. Morning came and they ignored me, eventually I had to throw a tantrum I dont think they wanted me to make a scene, so eventually brought me a wheelchair and took me to the neonates. I spent the entire morning with my little boy, holding his hand and crying, and then days after.

Our little boy, Lior (meaning my light) came home with us three weeks later and despite the doctors diagnosis will be turning 1 on Friday. And although we know our time with him is very limited, we cherish every moment, after all we have had almost 365 days longer than what we though we would have.

Reading your story brought tears to me and a lot of blame that if I had had a C-sec maybe baby could have lived....I am happy that all worked out fine.Corgan is a true blessing,cherish every moment with him

Corgan Layden
Due Date: 29/01/2011
Birth date: 27/10/2010
Emergency C Section
520g born at 26 weeks
05h23am

Hello

I am going to start a little before the actual day...just so you guys can see the build up to our premature birth...

At our fourth scan (21st of September 2010) we found out that our little “Goog” was a little boy...we were thrilled...he weighed 319g so far...at this appointment I just knew something was up...Dr Nagel was scanning my tummy much longer than usual...and he kept asking if I feel baby moving and kicking etc...then he told me that the Spinal Bifida test came back “slightly positive” (1/413)…he said he could not see anything wrong he suggested we go for another more advanced scan with Dr Bhorat (Umhlanga) – he said a part of him actually feels like he should tell us to leave it as he cannot see a problem with the baby...anyway, we went to the appointment with Dr Bhorat on the 30th of September 2010...he literally scanned my belly for about an hour and a half...and he kept saying “The baby looks perfect...can I just have one more look...” He said that he can see that my placenta had bled and that the baby had ingested blood which is probably why the Spinal Bifida test came back positive...he also said that my placenta didn’t look very good and that was causing growth restriction as the flow between the placenta and the baby was poor...he said that according to his measurements “Goog” was about 2 to 4 weeks behind in growth... Right at the end of the appointment he found a “cystic mass” which he could not determine whether it was attached to my placenta or my baby  He said I had to have an MRI in order for him to be able to have a proper look................
The very next morning we had the MRI – it was loud and horrible...the baby was very active throughout the whole hour of the MRI...possibly the most active he had ever been...after the MRI the doctor from the Radiology department asked if he could do an Ultrasound scan...he too said that the baby was very small for his gestational age...he said he was going to compile a report and have a chat with Dr Bhorat...we went and waited in Dr Bhorat’s rooms while they discussed the scans...a little while later Dr Bhorat called us into his office...he told us that my placenta had bled into the membrane that surrounds it and had formed like a “blood sac”...he was surprised that I had not experienced any external bleeding throughout my pregnancy...he said that this sac was taking up space the baby needs to grow...he told us that there was not much to do about it now but I we would have to watch baby closely during the third trimester and I would most definitely need an early delivery...
My next check up with Dr Nagel was on the 19th of October 2010...He said that my placenta really did not look healthy...the baby was still smaller than he should be but he was definitely growing and in proportion...he had not yet received a report from Dr Bhorat but we told him everything we had been told...
On Sunday the 24th of October 2010, I lay awake in bed thinking about my cousin’s birth...he was born at 29 weeks and weighed 1kg...what a miracle...
The next morning, my husband was just about ready to leave for work I woke up with such bad stomach cramps...I was also bleeding quite heavily...We rushed to NetCare Parklands hospital (after having the shower that seems so common, ha ha ha)...Dr Nagel had said we must go straight to labour ward and that he’d meet us there...When we arrived at Labour ward we were met by a wonderful group of very caring midwives that all started tending to me straight away...they were fantastic...I was put onto a drip and my blood pressure was taken...it was high...they could hear the baby’s heart beat still...When Dr Nagel came he said he’d like me to have a scan...the bleeding had slowed down a lot now....I was 26 weeks pregnant at this point...
At the radiology department I had an Ultrasound...the lady that conducted the Ultrasound said that my baby was very small for 26 weeks...the machine measured him to be a few weeks behind...she said that my placenta had pulled a bit away from the side of my uterus and that it was in a very bad condition...my baby’s estimate weight was now 619g according to the machine...he was also in a breached position which would mean a dangerous natural birth if the baby had to come anytime soon...Dr Nagel suggested I stay in hospital and to try continue the pregnancy for as long as possible to give the baby a better chance of survival, he said every week, even every day would make a difference...
The next day I woke up feeling a lot better...no pain, no bleeding and I could feel “Goog” kicking...but the nurses couldn't hear the fetal heartbeat...they said that we should not worry if I say I can feel movement because the machine is designed for full term babies so it is probably just because he is small...they said to wait for Dr Nagel...When he came he recommended that I stay in hospital under observation...I was then taken across to his rooms so that he could do a scan himself to see what is going on...he said baby was not under stress at this point...my placenta looked very bad...he checked to see if I had dilated at all...I had not...my cervix was still tightly closed...
The next morning, 27 October 2010, at about 04h00 I woke up with hectic stomach cramps...I got up to go to the bathroom...I could feel like I was bleeding..when I got to the bathroom there was so much blood...I was passing huge clots of blood...I rang the alarm for the nurse, Dot...she took my the “First Stage Labour” room...she checked my blood pressure, inserted a new drip and phoned Dr Nagel...She could only pick up my heartbeat and not the baby’s...Dr Nagel told her to check if I had started diallating and I had...at this point I was bleeding very heavily...blood would go through three or four maternity pads at once...I was prepped for surgery...Dot, told us that she did not want to upset us but she needed to know whether we wanted a burial should anything go wrong...Shane, my husband, said that we would only think of that should the need arise...Someone came to do a blood compound to order blood in case I needed a blood transfusion...Dr Nagel found the baby’s heartbeat when he checked...he discussed the options with us...he recommended an emergency Caesarean...he said he was not keen to stall and wait for the blood to arrive in case the placenta or baby did not survive long enough...he said he would use the ICU’s emergency blood if I needed it...he also said he thinks I should have general anaesthetic to save time and because he was not sure what to expect once we’re in the theatre...he warned that it could be a miscarriage or a still birth, and even if the baby was born alive who knew what would happen next...He also said that Shane would not be allowed to be present for the birth...Dr Nagel said he would try to get Dr Egner to come as he is very good at “looking after these little babies”... . Then Doctor Cloetee came and also recommended General Anaesthetic...I was taken to theatre...my husband was allowed in just to come say goodbye...I was put to sleep at about 05h15 and Corgan was born at 05h23...a few minutes after that Shane saw Dot and Dr Egner come rushing past, Dr Egner said that they were having some difficulty and he would speak to Shane later...I woke up in the Recovery Room at about 05h50...the first thing I asked was “Where is my husband?”...he was already standing next to me...I was too afraid to ask about my baby...I remember saying that I really need to pee...and being told that I have a catheter...lol! Dr Egner came to fetch my husband...

Once I was settled in a private ward in the Maternity ward my husband returned grinning from ear to ear...the first thing he said was “He’s perfect....he is really tiny but he is so perfect...” he then told me that our son actually weighed about 100g less than predicted earlier in the week...520g... a little while later Dr Egner came to see me and tell me that my son was in a stable condition in the NICU...that was the longest day of my life...I refused to sleep, still weary from the anaesthetic, I kept want to go and see my baby...I eventually got to see him at about 9pm...and I was absolutely stunned...the photos really did not show how tiny he really was...it was so unreal...he was perfect...

While I was pregnant, like a lot of first time moms, I was very adamant about natural birth, no drugs, blah blah blah...but to be very honest, to this day I have never ever felt bummed about not getting what I had planned...I have a health, LIVING baby and that’s actually all I really wanted...