Tanya's story, Kent - 34+4 weeks, first c-section, 3rd baby

"Thursday 2nd December

I had a routine midwife appointment which showed Jack's heart rate was way too high so we were sent to maternity day care and strapped to a monitor. His heart rate was up and down but they were not concerned about it at all. Little did we know this was the start of things to come.

Saturday 4th December

I had been getting irregular pains/tightenings since the Friday night but just brushed it off as I had been getting them for a while. I woke up 4am Saturday morning and they seemed stronger and more uncomfortable so I rang the hospital and was advised to go in.

Once there I was given all the usual checks and then the Dr came round and examined me; it was quite a shock to hear I was 3cm and in established labour. I was taken to the delivery ward and given steroids and also drugs to stop labour which I would have to have for 36 hours. To cut a boring story short, I was still getting regular pains so the drugs were not working and I was getting some contractions showing on the monitor so they decided to stop the drugs. I was examined again and was 4cm dilated and I was left in the delivery room. Sunday morning, I was transferred to the ante-natal ward where I stayed until Tuesday 7th December. All the time I was in I was getting irregular contractions but not much else was happening. Every time I was on the monitor Jack's heart rate at times, was going through the roof; everytime we queried it we were told it was normal and it meant he was active even though he wasn't moving. We didn't say much else about it as obviously we put our trust in the midwives!!!!

I was sent home on the Tuesday in slow labour and told to wait it out and wait for labour to start properly. It was an uncomfortable couple of days with hardly any sleep and by the Thursday after trying everything I decided sex was the only thing left to try!!

Thursday 9th December

At about 4pm I started contracting every 10 minutes. This carried on until 9pm when I couldn't take the pain anymore so after ringing the hospital we went in. As soon as I got in the room the charming midwife asked if I was after an induction... hmmmm, no, I knew my baby was safer inside rather then out at 34+4!!! She strapped me up to the monitor and that's when things went wrong. Jack's heart rate was over 250bpm, I knew then something was not right. She used an old fashioned heart listener and it was the same, she was hoping that the monitor was having a moment which it was clear then it wasn't. She called the Dr who rushed in with a scanning machine and scanned Jack. It wasn't good, his heart rate was dangerously high - the next thing I just heard the words c-section and then loads of people were rushing in talking to me, shoving lines in my hands, shaving me!!! By this time I was confused and crying.

I was taken to theatre, given the spinal then laid down. The first cut was made at 23.31pm and my gorgeous baby Jack Aaron William Osgood was born at 23.32pm, weighing 7lb 9oz at 34+4.

He was handed to DH while I was stitched, the whole time his heart rate was being checked. We were told if it didn't slow down he would have to go to SCBU. We were taken to recovery where I held my precious boy for the first time. I held him for a couple of minutes then he was taken to SCBU as his heart rate was still too high.

To cut a long story short my precious boy's heart rate didn't improve so he had to go to St Thomas's where, with medication, his heart is now beating at the right speed. This is the first time I have written my birth story and it is so upsetting to sit and do but I know to overcome the upset I have to do it and face it. I never got to give him his first feed or change his first nappy, I was away from him for the first 24 hours of his life, these hours can never be replaced and I find that hard to deal with, as I do looking at his newborn photos with him strapped to machines. I just thank God every day I went to the hospital when I did otherwise who knows what could have happened. My mother's instinct truly kicked in that day and I now have a gorgeous 8 week old baby boy who is thriving. As hard as it is to deal with his birth, I am forever thankful for being blessed with him, my little fighter."

Submit your story to marvellousmummies@live.co.uk - please state whether you would like your name and location published otherwise by default you will become 'Anon'.