Meeting Lincoln

My husband and I decided to surprise ourselves with bubs gender this time around, as with our first, we found out it was a girl.

My whole pregnancy, I was uncomfortable. My ingestion pain started early on, around 12 weeks. I thought I would be giving birth to a baby full of hair like an animal! I went on medication to help because everything else I tried didn't help.

Another challenge this time (because of COVID) was my husband couldn't be at ANY ultrasounds, OB appointments or midwife appointments. It was me all on my own. It affected us both because with our first COVID wasn't around. So this time, it was a bizarre and sad process to go through alone.

Each ultrasound bub was measuring more and more ahead. They reassured me that it was fine. I had a growth scan at 28 weeks because my thyroid medication can affect the baby's growth.

The baby measured 32 weeks! I had another scan at 32 weeks and 36 weeks. At 36 weeks baby was measuring 8 pounds. Then they decided I'd be induced between 38-39 weeks. I had my induction date changed three times. I cried each time because I was so uncomfortable I couldn't chase around my 22-month-old anymore. I was sore. I had SPD from around 31/32 weeks and could hardly move anymore.

Finally, I went in the night before being induced to get the balloon inserted. I was 38 weeks and six days. It took the doctor a while to get the balloon in. I was very emotional leaving my 22-month-old when she and my husband dropped me off at the hospital. Knowing she won't be my baby anymore but also super excited to see her with her baby brother or sister.

One hour after they put the balloon in, I went to the toilet, and it fell out. I stayed in hospital still and had a good night's sleep, even though I was excited and nervous for the next day. I had some light cramping most of the night but nothing major.

I was taken to the birthing suite around 7:30 am, where they put two cannulas in, one in case I had a postpartum hemorrhage again like my first birth (I lost 2 litres) and the other for antibiotics as I was positive for GBS. They broke my waters with a huge hook which was actually painful, unlike the balloon being inserted, which I imagined to be more painful.

The oxytocin drip was started at 8 am. I first felt contractions around 8:30 am. The contractions came on a lot harder and stronger than my first birth with the drip. I pushed through for 6 hours, then requested the epidural.

The contractions were coming in threes, a small one that joined to a large contraction then joined onto the third lighter one, then I would finally get a break between contractions. They were in with an emergency c section; then next door had to have one, then another emergency came in, so I had to wait to be seen by the doctor. It felt like forever, but it took 1.5 hours.

They then put in the epidural, and it was amazing! It makes birth enjoyable! And I started to feel relief straight away. At this stage, it was 4 pm, and I was only around 2cms dilated. I had my husband, midwife and student midwife with me.

My midwife was amazing; she made me go in all different positions and have the peanut ball to lay on my side and try to get bubs to get engaged and help me progress. At 5 pm, I was 4.5cms. Bub was getting a little distressed, and bubs heart was doing scary things. The midwife said it seemed like bubs was pulling on their cord. 30 mins went by, and she said she actually thinks it's around bubs neck. I then freaked out, cried like I haven't cried in a long time, thinking the worst. My midwife, student midwife and husband were all AMAZING and calmed me down, telling me everything will be okay. My student midwife was there from AM shift and decided to have her dinner and come back in her own time to deliver my baby.

By 6:15 pm, I was 10cms and ready to push. I had a few doctors and midwives outside the door prepared if I had a postpartum hemorrhage again.

It all happened VERY quick. Bubs had dropped a little but still wasn't fully engaged. I felt bubs right up under my breasts when I was about to start pushing. I pushed for 10 mins, five lots of contractions, 2-3 pushes per contraction and out their head pops. I look down, and there was the cord wrapped around bubs neck just like the midwife said, but wasn't crying or anything. I started freaking out, but the student midwife removed the cord, and as soon as she did that, bub let out a big scream and pushed their hand out. With a small push, bub was here… a baby boy!!

He was a little bruised on his face from coming very quickly, and I had a small tear requiring a couple of stitches and lost less than 200ml of blood. They gave me medication after birth to contact my uterus and prevent any bleeding just in case.

The epidural numbed from my bikini line down to my toes. I was in control with when to push because I could feel the contractions but no pain, which I really enjoyed. I felt him come from up really high in my stomach and get pulled all down my belly when he was birthed, it was an unreal feeling, and I loved it.

Our baby boy,
Lincoln George was born!

6:28 pm
9 pound 1.15 ounces, (4115g)
57 cm long
96th percentile (from memory)

The ultrasounds were right!! He was a BIG boy.

Lincoln had to get a heel prick to test his sugar levels three times in the first; however, many hours after birth, as he was over a certain percentile, all came back clear with no diabetes. I was only in the hospital for 16 hours post-birth. I asked to stay another night but had to go due to a lot of numbers of babies being born. My daughter wasn't allowed to visit in hospital either due to "COVID rules", so I was ready to go home and see her.

Day 6 postpartum I went to bed early because I 'felt off'. I had the shivers and was tired. I woke up at 2 am with aches to my bones, shivers like I've never felt before. I had a high temperature, and I felt like my bones were shivering. I didn't feel right. My whole body was stiff and sore. I struggled to get up and move, I had a shower and didn't feel right, so I called the nurse on call, who said they are organising an ambulance to take me to the hospital because it sounded like I had an infection post-birth.

I waited around 3-4 hours for the ambulance, which didn't come because they were backlogged, so we decided to drive in because I really wasn't well and was getting worse. We went into emergency, and it took over 8 hours of tests and strong pain meds to find out what it was.

They tried a lumbar puncher as they thought I had meningitis because of some of my symptoms. I couldn't get the lumbar puncher, and they punched my spinal fluid, which affected me around 3-4 days later. I had an ultrasound in emergency, and they found I had retained blood clots in my uterus. IV antibiotics were started straight away; from memory, they were every 4+ hours for 48 hours. I was lucky enough to be moved back to the maternity ward for two days with my little man to be looked after there. I went home after two days and was on oral antibiotics for the week.

3-4 days after I went to the hospital, I ended up getting low-pressure headaches (I found them worse than migraines I've had in the past) which was one of the worst things I've experienced. The doctors informed me to lay flat for a few days and limit sitting up to try to see if it heals itself. If not, I have to go back in for a blood patch which I didn't want them going anywhere near my back ever again!

Luckily after a week or so, I felt better, and it healed itself. It was tricky trying to deal with a 1+ week old and a 22-month old toddler.

Now we are all happy and healthy, and we can't remember a time without him in our lives.