Getting ready for vacuum delivery

Many women have had problem-free pregnancies, only for complications to emerge on the last leg of the race-during delivery.

Sandra narrates her experience, which saw her first baby unexpectedly delivered by vacuum extraction, and says; ‘I think if you do not know much about vacuum delivery, there is nothing like getting ready for it, as it comes as an emergency. That is why every parent should know what it is and what equipment is used, long before going into labour.

There was a flurry of activity in the delivery room, all focused on me. I remember one of the nurses saying that the vacuum equipment had not been used for a long time and that part of it was malfunctioning. I had taken my phone with me to the delivery room, and family and friends whom I had informed I was in labour, kept calling to check on my progress. At some point the incessant ringing angered the doctor who asked, ‘Who brought a cell phone into the delivery room?’ I said it was mine, and he asked one of the nurses to take it out of the room immediately. I could feel the tension and pressure mounting in the room, as ideas and words were exchanged. I said a silent prayer.

Morning found me in the office

In a moment of emotion and uncertainty, I had a flash of how I had got to this point. My first pregnancy was unexpected but I accepted it and was careful with my diet, exercise regime and even dressing to make sure nothing went wrong. However, my professional life was taking a heavy toll on me. At that time I was doing some consultancy work that required me to work around the clock, almost 18 hours a day to beat the deadline; which was two weeks before my expected day of delivery (EDD).

The closer the deadline was, the more tedious the work became, and the bigger the pregnancy! I didn’t have time for ‘me’ anymore. I had breakfast, lunch and supper in the office, and even frequently slept there. When morning found me in the office I would brush my teeth, wash my face and work well into the day, before rushing home for a bath! We worked over weekends with the same harsh routine.

It came as no surprise to me, when I went into labour exactly three weeks to my EDD, and four days to the work deadline!

They had been admitted in the same hospital one month before with false labour

I reported to work on a Sunday at ten in the morning and worked until two in the afternoon, when I went out for lunch. I was so tired I could only manage some slices of pizza, and an ice-cream before getting back to work. I was in the office until 11 p.m. when I called it a day. Throughout the day, I had a dull ache in my back, but assumed because I had just braided my hair the previous day, it must be the long hours of sitting.

As I left the office, my husband accompanied me in a taxi. The pain increased becoming somewhat uncomfortable so I decided to stop by the hospital, where I had booked to deliver for a check-up just to ascertain that all was well. I had been admitted in the same hospital one month before, with false labour- so I didn’t want to take any chance.

I was not convinced I was in labour

When I checked into the hospital, the nurse on duty insisted that I should be admitted, though I was hesitant.  Because I was not convinced I was in labour, I insisted I would go home and return in the morning if the pain persisted. But she said, ‘it’s better to be safe than sorry,’ I thought, ‘whatever that means!’  I grudgingly agreed to remain, only because my residence was quite a distance from the hospital, and it was not safe to travel at night. My doctor was called and informed that I had been admitted.

My husband bid me farewell on the hospital bed, and assured me that I would be fine. I also assured him the same. I told him I was sorry, we would not enjoy the meal we had planned to have at home that night.

At around two in the morning my waters broke, and ‘real’ pain began. What in heaven’s name was going on? I was scared and I called the nurse, because I thought the next minute the baby would pop out. She told me that I had only dilated ‘a few’ centimetres, and I should not to be alarmed. ‘The baby will be here in the morning’ she professed.

In between the pain, I managed to catch some precious winks of sleep- considering that for the past week I had overstretched myself. I was surprised when the nurse came to examine me, and I realised it was indeed morning! The nurse told me that I had dilated six centimeters, but that they were waiting for my doctor to come before they did anything, like being induced. Wait a minute. Did she say ‘induced’? She must surely be kidding. I was wide awake!

My baby was going into distress

The doctor finally showed up at around eight in the morning. He examined me and told me I had not dilated sufficiently. He debated about inducement but decided not to go that route, and I was elated.

After about an hour of more waiting, I was taken to the delivery room after achieving the ideal 10 centimetres dilation. By then I was ‘ready’ to deliver. On cue I was told to push, and push I did but no baby came forth. I pushed and pushed with all my might but nothing happened! I was getting tired and panicky. Where was the baby stuck? Oh my God, why was my baby not coming out?

I was informed my baby was going into distress, and needed to be urgently delivered. ‘Are you willing to sign the consent forms for a Caesarean section?’ the doctor asked. I was in shock! What could be happening? I urged the doctor to give me one last chance, to try and push again. He cautioned me that if I continued pushing, it would only make the baby more ‘tired’ and increases the risks of further complications. He was in deep thought for a moment. Then he seemed to make that vital decision. ‘We will deliver the baby by vacuum extraction’, he declared.

Only my doctor seemed confident

I didn’t know what it was, and what to expect. After a brief prayer, I saw the ‘instrument’ brought into the room. It was a frightening moment as the apparatus was put in place. I looked around the room and it was full. I could not see or think clearly because of anxiety. There must have been at least ten people in there all with grim expressions on their faces. Only my doctor seemed confident as all eyes were on him. Then he told me to be ready to push when he said so.

I was more than ready. He ‘fixed’ the vacuum equipment and I was told to push. Voila! And out came the baby boy! Just like that! I could not believe it; why had I been panicking so much? Nothing prepares you for a vacuum delivery. It is an emergency, and every parent should know what it is, what is used, and the risks involved.

The paediatrician introduced herself, and told me my baby needed to be taken for resuscitation immediately, but she quickly showed me the baby before he was taken to the nursery. I was running scared because the image I got of the baby, was not what I had expected. His head seemed somewhat deformed but the nurse assured me it was the effects of the difficult labour, and being ‘pulled’ by the vacuum and would ‘norrnalise’ after a while.

It was discovered that he had been lying facing the pubis

After the baby was ‘extracted’, it was discovered that he had been lying facing the pubis, and not in the usual position facing backwards. That might have been a possible reason why he could not come out easily when I pushed, the doctor explained. Due to the mode of delivery, the baby was placed in an incubator for a while to stabilise and was also put on antibiotics.

At this point, all seemed mumbo-jumbo and I nodded through everything I was told as the doctor proceeded to stitch up the episiotomy, the cut he had made to enlarge the baby’s outlet to ease exit. I got so stitched I felt like my back and front were being held together!

In excruciating pain, I was assisted to walk to my maternity bed. This felt worse than the labour pains I had just gone through. Shortly, I was pressed and needed to use the loo. I gently let myself from the bed but did not take even two steps before I passed out. When I came to, the doctor was at my bedside and advised that I be put on a glucose drip. My blood pressure was also low and I kept getting spells of dizziness. I was told this would clear up with time, which it did.

When my baby was finally brought into the room, I smiled. ‘You naughty little boy, I love you!’

END: PG 05 FEB-MAR 07/43-44