Monday 4 August 2008

Page 57

It was now 3.00pm still no babies, still lots of pain, no such things as epidurals then.
Suddenly things were really happening ,the next thing I knew they were saying the first baby was a boy perfect in every way and the first normal birth I had had. The time was 6.05pm he weighed 6lb 1oz. They were having a problem with the second baby evidently it didn’t seem to have the strength to make its way out. The doctor said they would have to use forceps, the risk in not assisting could result in a problem for the baby far outweighing the risk with the forceps. Next thing I knew, they said it was a baby girl but that she was in poor shape and wouldn’t or couldn’t breathe. They put her on a machine that seemed to shake her, this went on for what seemed like an eternity but I am sure was only a minute or two. Suddenly there was a feeble cry , she had taken her first breath. The doctor said she was very poorly and they rushed her away I didn’t even get a chance to touch her let alone hold her , as I had the baby boy. I was heartbroken they didn’t hold out much hope for her in fact they said she was actually stillborn. She weighed 4lb 14ozs the total for the two of them was10lbs 15ozs which was an excellent weight for twins.

Suddenly I found myself alone in the delivery room they had all gone it was shift change. There was nothing I could do. It seemed like hours when suddenly Mike poked his around the door. He knew about the baby girls situation and appeared to be as worried as me. He then went to find someone to sort me out. He came back with a cup of tea and said they would be along soon. It was by now 8pm and he was starving we had been at the hospital since about 11am. So he went home there was nothing he could do. He said he would ring my Mum and Dad and let them know.

Eventually a couple of nurses came and they said the baby boy was fine but they were very concerned about the baby girl they would keep me informed of any changes in her condition.
I was taken on to the ward with the mums and babies and I slept for hours I was shattered. The next morning I was up and about as fit as a fiddle. I went in search of a nurse to find out how my little girl was. They said there was a slight improvement but that she was still in a critical condition. They then brought the baby boy for me to feed, this I did he was beautiful he had dark red hair and he looked as though he had been sunbathing.When I gave him back to the nurse I said why is he that peachy colour and she looked at him and ran, I was confused why didn’t she answer me.

About 20minutes later a Doctor came to my bed and said he would like a word with me, I thought he was going to say my baby girl had died but no he said they had found a heart and kidney problem and she was going to be transferred to Charing Cross Hospital as they had a state of the art premature baby unit , I had forgotten they were a month premature. I could see her before she went. The nurse would take me in a wheelchair in about 40mins. No sooner had he gone than another doctor came to my bed and said he would like a word with me about my son. He said my son was also in a critical condition due to needing a complete blood change. He had taken his fathers blood rhesus positive and my blood was rhesus negative my blood was killing my son it had created antibodies to try and destroy the rhesus positive. Although I had blood tests every week to check for antibodies it had somehow not been noted. Their negligence academic now, the prime concern was getting this blood transfusion asap. He said they were both going to be transferred together I couldn’t believe this both my babies were on the critical list . I rang Mike before I went to see the babies, he was shocked and said he would go straight to Charing Cross Hospital. Poor Lesley it was her birthday today.

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