My Baby Doesn't Move Much at 37 Weeks

It is very hard for me to share some of my story but I believe that if only one expectant female parent reads it and is prompted to stop and think about their infant's movements information technology will be worth it.

I vicious pregnant for the 2d time last fall. We were excited that our nine-year-old daughter was going to take a piddling brother or sister.

On 12 April 2017, I went to the day unit at Princess Anne Infirmary in Southampton because I hadn't felt the babe motility very much. I was 36+six weeks and information technology was the starting time time that I had to become in outside of the scheduled routine appointments. I was still working total-fourth dimension and was very busy getting prepare for the infant'due south arrival so hadn't really noticed any alter in movements beforehand. Looking dorsum at information technology at present, I still wonder if I should have go concerned sooner.

On the way to the hospital, I felt the baby move again so felt another kick every bit I walked down the corridor. I well-nigh turned round and went dwelling house because I didn't desire to waste product my time. Thank goodness I decided to stay.

The midwife hooked me upwardly and I saw on the screen the baby'south heart rate was normal. I felt instantly relieved and thought I'd be able to go home. Within 20 minutes however, the midwife had paged the registrar and suddenly the cubical was filled with people. They were checking my veins, measuring my legs for stockings and asking me how I was under general anaesthetic.

I was told that the baby's cardiotocography (CTG) was poor and that the baby wasn't moving much to conserve energy which isn't a good sign. I was totally alone because I'd but popped in for reassurance and I was suddenly told that they were delivering the baby as before long every bit possible.

Inside three hours of arriving at the infirmary, my baby had been delivered via emergency c-section. Luckily my partner arrived just in fourth dimension to exist there to see her exist delivered.

Because I was in such a land of shock and panic, I was unaware that the room suddenly filled upwardly with people, but I realised the room was getting louder and I still hadn't seen my baby.

I would after find out that there had been meconium in the baby'southward amniotic sac and that she had scored zero on the Apgar scale.

After v minutes, her score had gone up to a three only this is nevertheless considered critical. Unknown to us, the neonatal team performed chest compressions – which did not piece of work – and then a crash cart was brought out.

Later three attempts, our daughter was successfully intubated and she was rushed off to the neonatal unit down the corridor.

I didn't become taken downwardly to the neonatal unit to run into my girl, who nosotros chosen Ella, until 11.00pm – vi hours after she was built-in. When I saw her properly for the first fourth dimension she had been ventilated, sedated and paralysed. The doctors were also cooling her body downwards with a suit to forbid any brain damage from the birth. Her torso was so covered by both the suit and wires that we could merely see a small role of her. Seeing Ella similar this made me experience and so numb. Beingness unable to touch or hold her made it difficult to experience a connexion to her but I was desperate to written report her and be well-nigh her.

The doctors then explained that Ella was critically ill and showing signs of brain damage. They were unable to investigate the extent of the damage because she was too poorly. We were told Ella also had Severe Neonatal Encephalopathy (HIE) grade three, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) and was suffering seizures.

During those offset few weeks in neonatal care, we were repeatedly told that Ella was critically ill. At a few days old Ella developed a severe lung infection called Meconium Aspiration Syndrome and was in desperate need of a procedure which acts equally a lung bypass. The hospital did not perform the process then we were told that Ella would need to be transferred to Newcastle, Glasgow or London. It turned out that Ella was too unwell to be transferred and that other hospitals might non take her considering she besides had neurological concerns that however needed to exist investigated.

We were warned that Ella'south lungs could surrender at any moment and she was placed on 100 per cent life support. The consultants wanted to assistance Ella get over her lung infection so they could look further into her brain injury because her electroencephalogram (EEG) wasn't showing normal brain activeness. The outlook seemed so bleak – we were asked if we wanted Ella blessed.

I started questioning and blaming myself – what did I exercise incorrect? Nosotros began to agonise over how we would suspension the news to our daughter if her baby sister passed away. I told myself not to cry at Ella's bedside and to but give her positive vibes by speaking to her and calling her the names I would phone call her when she was in my tummy hoping this would be a reassuring sound for her. I saved my tears for when nosotros were back in the family room.

To everyone'due south relief, Ella revealed just what a fighter she really was and overcame the lung infection. Later on two weeks she was stable plenty to go for an MRI scan at Southampton General Infirmary. This showed she had suffered severe encephalon damage, putting her at high adventure of developing cerebral palsy. The foreign matter was that her EEG was now showing normal action for a infant. Her hearing tests revealed that she is moderately hearing dumb in i ear only has normal hearing ranges in the other. This should mean she'll be able to hear well just she will have to be monitored over the years.

Ella is our miracle infant. When she decided she was ready she flew through the diverse rooms in the neonatal unit, taking everybody past surprise at how rapidly she was improving. We were lucky enough to bring Ella home without oxygen or a feeding tube at 27 days old.

Ella's consultant has been amazing and put a range of hospital and customs back up in place for united states. At nowadays, Ella is hitting all her milestones and receives weekly physio to ensure whatever mobility issues are addressed before they become a problem and all signs are positive so far.

Ella is such a happy baby and brings a smile to all who run into her. We still don't know exactly what went wrong in the last trimester, although it has been suggested that there may accept been claret clots preventing oxygen passing through the placenta.

I can't stress enough how important it is to report whatsoever reduction in movement. Although we were able to bring our baby habitation at the terminate of our neonatal experience, it could have all been a very dissimilar story if I hadn't gone into the hospital that twenty-four hour period. We are and so happy to accept Ella in our lives and now can't imagine life without her.

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Source: https://www.bliss.org.uk/story/lauras-story-02-18

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