Baby Buchanan is here!!

So I was booked in for an induction for 8am Thursday 19^th April at 38 weeks + 6 days. My specialist decided that it was best I deliver in Wellington Hospital due to baby’s multicystic dysplastic kidney and also a utercele in the bladder. Masterton hospital was not equipped if there were issues with baby so they didn’t want to risk me delivering in Masterton and then things going wrong.

I have known a few people who have been induced and they all ended up getting a c-section which is really not what I wanted…. I was really upset to have to be induced but it was what it was and knowing that we would have the specialist team on hand was reassuring.

So here is how things went:

Thursday 19^th April

8am
We arrived at Wellington Hospital ready for my induction, bright eyed and bubbly and excited about meeting our little one. I was examined by the registrar who declared that my cervix was very thick and closed – meaning that labour was no where near. 2mls of Prostaglandin gel was given to kick start labour. From there we were told to work around for 6 hours and be back to be examined again. We wondered around the hospital -walked up multiple flights of stairs and generally got bored.
2pm
We were back at the delivery suite and I was full of hope – only to be told I was only 1cm – poos. They decided to leave things up to nature in hope that labour would naturally kick start over night so I was moved to a pre-natal room and left for the night. As the afternoon progressed I started to feel some tightening – more like period pains, but nothing to rave about. As night time came the feelings subsided and I felt a little disheartened.

Friday 20^th April
8am
I was moved back to the delivery suite and had another examination – still only 1cm! Another 2ml of Prostaglandin gel was given and was told again to walk around for 6 hours and be back by 2.
11am
This time I made it to 11am before I had to be back at the room as the pain was intense. I was trying to breathe through it but it was so painful.
1pm
Contractions had really started but were very irregular and lasting about 30secs, I was so tired I was actually falling asleep between contractions.
2.10pm
Time for another examination. The thought of the exam brought me to tears - they were so painful! The midwife recommended I suck on the gas for the exam. I don’t know what was worse, the gas or the exam! I felt sick, light headed and it tasted foul! The registrar did his thing and then exclaimed I was only 2-3cm dilated! I felt like a failure…. The only good news was that it was enough to break my waters. So they did that and they gashed out! Then the contractions really started…. However they were still very irregular and lasted from 30sec to 1min. They wanted them more regular so hooked me up ready for sytocin..
3pm
Sytocin started at 2ml per hour and made the contractions hard and fast and 1min apart. It was at this point I caved and took the midwifes advise to get an epidural. I was so tired and couldn’t keep going for 7 more cms
4pm
The anaesthetist struggled to get the epidural in as I didn’t have much space in between my spine, she thinks it was because of all the Pilates I had done during pregnancy, and it had built up the muscle too much over my spine – go figure! After 2 failed attempts she was called into an emergency so I had to sit, arched over, during contractions and wait for her to come back. When she did she gave me fentanyl to try and relax my back. That gave me an out of body experience where I felt light headed, and really spaced out. (I later learnt that fentanyl is the date rape drug! I can see why!!)
5pm
The epidural was sited
5.40pm
Epidural started working and it was instant relief – I don’t regret it one bit. I could still feel some of the contractions but they were nothing like they were. They were totally bearable. I was also hooked up to a self medicated pain relief which I later learnt was morphine. This gave me the shakes and made me feel a little nauseous.
6.30pm
The sytocin was upped to 8ml per hour to get things moving along.
7pm
Another examination, but due to the epidural I hardly felt it. My midwife said to expect around 5cm; yeah I was 10 and ready to push! The epidural was left to wear off so I could feel and control the pushing – stupidest thing ever! The pushing hurt so much more than the contractions!
9.05pm
Pushing started. The head came out a few inches and from there I lost it. I became one of those useless women you see on the TV who keep saying “it hurts too much, I can’t do it!” I had 2 midwifes and Cody telling me otherwise, and of course by this stage it was too late. Somehow I managed to get through the pain and push him out in 45mins – although it felt like hours!
9.52pm
Braxton James Buchanan was born weighing 3.700kg (8lb 3oz)

He came out screaming and was put straight onto my chest where he wee’d and pooped on me! Nice one– I couldn’t believe he was finally here. It took us about 5 minutes to finally ask if it was a boy or girl! My mum and sister were waiting outside so my sister poked her head in to ask what flavour.

I was then stitched up – with 10 stitches! The midwife then went on to tell me that as soon as the head was out she slid her finger under his armpit and pulled him out so he was born in one go. I think this is what caused the excessive amount of stitches, which really pisses me off because they were so uncomfortable – but that’s all in the past now….

Because Braxton wee’d straight away they were too concerned about his kidney/bladder but he did have to have cloth nappies (those big old fashioned ones you have to fold up) so that they could weigh them and keep track of how much urine he was passing.

After 3 days he had an ultra-sound done on his kidney and bladder, the scan showed that the good kidney is functioning well and is a little enlarged as it was doing the work of 2 kidneys but that was to be expected. It also showed he had a 2cm uterecele in his bladder which is a blockage. 2cm is border line needing to be operated on so they made an appointment for us to see a surgeon in 2 weeks to check up on it. Braxton will also have a Fluoroscopy – which is where they will insert a catheter via the urethra into his bladder and fill the bladder with a special coloured dye and saline until the bladder is full and he begins to wee. As he is wee-ing they will take x-rays. I am really worried about this procedure as it sounds quite invasive L

Once both of these have been completed then the specialist will determine where to from there.

Final Visit

Our last visit with Dr Sangalli was last Thursday 5th April 2012 at the MFM clinic in Wellington.

After our last visit with Dr Tuohy at 28 weeks I was really confident that we would walk in there, get the scan done and be sent on our merry way to let nature take its course and deliver in Masterton. Oh how wrong I was!

The scan started off really well, we had a student sonographer which didn't bother me at all - until she went to get a college to get a second opinion...... The experienced sonographer came and picked up where the student left off and had a troubled look on her face. It was then I knew something else wasn't right. The sonographer advised that it looked as though the baby had a blockage in its ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder) but she wasn't 100% sure and she wanted the specialist to have a look.

We then sat in the waiting room for what seemed like an eternity (really it was about 45 minutes) before we got called in. You can always tell the severity of a meeting by the amount of people in the meeting. There was our specialist, an obstetrician, an intern, the head specialist wife midwife and me and Cody.

Dr Sangalli is really lovely, he always makes sure to start the meetings off really positively and asks how I am doing throughout the pregnancy etc. Secretly I am thinking just get to the bloody point!

He starts off with the good news first, the cystic kidney has not gotten worse - in fact it has improved slightly in that the cysts have gone (this is good because it means there is nothing there to get infected) so this means the kidney is just a dud piece of tissue.

The bad news? This kidney also has a Ureterocele which is swelling at the bottom of one of the tubes (ureters) that carry urine from the kidney to the bladder. The swollen area can block urine flow. Now my first question was "well that doesn't matter because that kidney doesn't work anyway!" the Dr then goes on to say that this indicates that potentially a piece of the cystic kidney is still functioning because if it wasn't at all there would be no urine to cause the blockage. Great.

And the treatment for Ureterocele? Surgery.

Due to this issue the Dr then goes on to advise that he wants me to deliver in Wellington, as soon as those words left his lips I could feel my eyes tear up - they must of seen it to because the midwife left the room and came back with a box of tissues. I’m not 100% sure why this news upset me as much as it did. I held it together for the scan outcome and then he mentions me delivering there and I lose it. I guess it was because we had a plan, and delivering in Wellington was not part of that plan - but wait it gets worse. He then goes on to advise that a complication of this condition is infection and irreparable kidney damage, because of this he doesn’t want to risk me delivering in Masterton so will be inducing me in 2 weeks! (1 week before due date)

Induction and C-Section were the 2 main parts of labour I wanted to avoid like the plague. Everyone I know who has had an induction ended up with a C-section. Induction is such an invasive procedure and goes against everything I have read on pregnancy and labour.

But what will be will be. The Dr didn’t seem to have much confidence in the Masterton Maternity teams so wants me in Wellington in fear of being 'lost in the system'. I mean, it’s great that we will have the best possible care and that they know our history when I arrive, but it does mean that my dream of a nice natural water birth are totally out the window. Baby will need to be monitored very closely and with its now 2 existing health concerns they don’t want to risk it.

Being in Wellington is such an inconvenience for us. In Masterton we are literally 2 minutes from the hospital. If I have forgotten something, if Cody needs a sleep etc he can pop home. Being in Wellington means being overly prepared for everything, packing up bags, arranging childcare (for the fur-babies) Cody will also need accommodation sorted - the list goes on. Pros? Family travelling from out of town can book flights and arrange coming up/down to see baby. It also gives us a due date which is mega exciting! (although really baby could come any day now!)

How do I feel about the whole thing? Like Shite. I know being in Wellington is the best place for me and Baby and I should be grateful we have a baby at all - so many couples are dying to have a baby and here I am moaning about ' inconvenience'. But this is our first baby, my first pregnancy - everything is supposed to be sunshine and roses.

Again I am left with more questions than answers and there are still so many 'could be's' could be's don’t help me sleep at night!

In one week we will travel over to Wellington, the next day I will give birth to our baby....the rest is in god’s hands....

Baby Buchanan - Update 28 weeks

We had our second specialist appointment at the Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic in Wellington on Tuesday 7th February 2012.

We saw a different Doctor this time as our normal specialist only work Thursdays, but we couldnt make it over on Thursday (whole other story!) we saw Dr Tuohy who is actually the head of the unit so that was reassuring.

He seemed reletively impressed in Baby B's progress. The defect kidney had actually shrunk in size which is really good because if it shrinks completely then there will be no need to operate! Hoorah! He also advised that the working kidney is looking good and seems to be functioning well with no reflux and that there is plenty of amiotic fluid (which apparently is another good sign)

So the measurements as they are on 7th February 2012:
Head Diameter = 80.2mm (Average 70mm)
Head Circumference = 284.3mm (Average 270.1mm)
Abdominal Circumference = 266.1mm 9Average 240mm)
Femur Length = 56.3mm (Average 54mm)
Est Fetal Weight = 1618g or 3lbs 9ozs (a 28 week fetus should be 2lbs 2ozs)

So over-all baby is measuring the size of 31 week fetus at only 28 weeks, everywhere except for length.

Well isnt that fun times ahead for me!

There was one good thing which resulted from the scan....... we got to see our babies face!

So we go back at 36 weeks and see our normal specialist - Dr Sangalli who will be able to advise the final oucome, but at this stage it is looking like I will be able to deliver in Masterton and not Wellington which is really good news.

Baby Buchanan at 21 weeks

On the 16th December 2011 we made the trip over to Lower Hutt to have our 20 week scan. Although we were 21 weeks.

I love seeing Baby B on the scanners - it is truly amazing what you can see, this time I can actually feel the baby moving when we see it move on the screen.

This scan got right into the nitty gritties and we were able to arms, hands, legs and feet!

This scan also picked up that Baby B had a bad kidney so we were referred to Wellington Hospital to the Maternal Fetal Medicine unit for a further scan and an appointment with the specialist.

This scan photo shows the defect kidney - I can barely make out the cysts but it shows what it looks like.

The scan at Wellington Hospital showed that Baby B has a Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney.

Multicystic dysplastic kidney is a condition in which the kidney has been essentially replaced by multiple cysts. It is the result of abnormal fetal development of the kidney. There is little or no normal function to this kidney. The incidence is approximately 1 in 4,300 live births.

We have to go back at 28 and 38 weeks for extra scans to keep an eye on the cysts. If they get too big, if renal reflux occurs, or they are causing other issues then I will have to deliver Baby B in Wellington Hospital. Once baby is born they will scan him/her and if need be remove the defect kidney.

Either way Baby B will only have one functioning Kidney. Although there are worse diagnoses out there (no functioning kidneys, holes in the heart, undeveloped brains etc) this news still shocked me. I like to have everything planned out, I like everything to be perfect. This news was not according to my plan. I guess I went in there expecting everything to be perfect as it had been up until that moment. Baby B will be fine and I know that, I also know that plenty of people live very successful lives with just one functioning kidney, I just didn't want this for my baby and I dont like people telling me "oh well it could be worse" yes it could be, but for me this is bad. It is something that can not get better nor can it be treated. It is what it is - if anything it can get worse.

We have also been told that because we have one baby with this condition then the chances that our next baby will too. It is apparently a genetic issue - and we cant change our genetics!

So until our next appointment on the 2nd Febuary 2012 we wont know more. Its the waiting, the 'what-ifs' and 'could-bes' that is the worse and that makes things a lot harder.....

Watch this space...