I started my periods when I was 10, and they were always irregular. So much so that when I turned 13 (in 2002) my mum took me to the doctors and instead of investigating the reason behind it they put me on the pill to regulate them. In summer 2010 I went for my regular check-up (blood pressure, weight etc) and to renew my prescription for my pill and they told me I could no longer have them because of being overweight, but no alternative was offered. So because I wasnt in a relationship at the time I thought having a break would let me see if being on the pill so long had sorted me out.
I still hadnt had a period by January 2011, so returned to the doctors and they sent me to see a consultant who, after months of tests, confirmed I had PCOS and told me it was extremely unlikely that I would conceive naturally. This was a huge blow to me, I wanted children naturally, I was so upset I went out drinking with friends. That night I ended up having a one night stand, but I was so hammered I barely remember it.
My parents knew about this one night stand, but I just put it to the back of my mind and carried on as normal. I had been having a lot more back pain than normal so had been to the doctors and was prescribed naproxen, a strong painkiller, but put it down to the job I was doing. I was already pregnant at this point but it was missed, by two different doctors I had seen for back pain. Meanwhile, I still hadnt seen a period, so returned to the consultant and he suggested a low dose pill and again told me that my hormone levels were so low he doubted I would conceive naturally, so I received these from my gp, again my pregnancy was missed.
In october 2011 my mum and I went shopping and she said to me “are you sure you’re not pregnant?” this got me thinking and when I arrived home I ordered some tests off the internet. They arrived on the saturday, so I took a test straight away, it came back positive. I was stunned and in tears. I took a second test the next day, again it was positive. Due to it being a sunday I had to wait til the next day to get it confirmed at the doctors. They got me straight in with the midwife and I heard my little boys heartbeat for the first time!! I was in shock, I went for an emergency scan, and there they confirmed that I was 29 weeks pregnant!! I was shocked, amazed, panicked, excited… every single emotion you could name all rolled into one.
I had never had any morning sickness or anything, only back pain and the rest of the pregnancy went without a hitch. My little boy was due on January 5th 2012, this date came and went, with no sign of him entering the world. On Thursday January 12th I received a stretch and sweep at home to help try and get me going. There was still no sign on the friday so I went to bed quite early.
I was woken up at 11pm by what felt like a trickling, and I thought “wow, my waters are going, here comes my little boy” in a daze I went to the toilet, wiped myself and looked down… I was covered in blood!! Instantly I knew something was wrong, I shouted my sister who lives with me to bring me the phone, she came in and was stunned. I rang the MLU where I had begged to be allowed to go, and they said “no, you cant come here now, you need to ring an ambulance, we will ring ahead to the other hospital”. So this is what I did, I have never been so panicked in my entire life. The woman from the ambulance service that I was on the phone to told me to lie on the floor on my side and wait for the paramedics.
I arrived at the hospital at 11.45pm on January 13th 2012, the midwives were lovely, put a trace on me, and didnt seem like there was anything to worry about. They were even talking about me going home!! Then the midwife asked me to go to the toilet, because she wanted to see the pad that I had put on. When I took the pad off it had a massive clot on it, at this point they decided the doctor needed to do an internal, and because they couldn’t see anything for blood, they needed to break my waters for my baby’s safety. I spent my whole labour attached to the monitor, and at 10.04am on January 14th 2012, Isaac John Blissett came into the world.
I was given the injection to deliver my placenta, and emma, the midwife was tugging on the cord to try and help it along. It wasnt budging, so in came the doctor again. This time it was a surgeon, she said that because my placenta was not coming they needed to deliver it manually. This happens in less than 5 percent of cases, and usually they give the mother an epidural. I only had gas and air. It was the most painful experience of my life!!
This woman literally had both hands inside me pulling the placenta out, my mum said she has never seen so much blood in her life!! Eventually, it was all out, and I then had to go for stitches for a third degree tear. I had only had a small cuddle off my little bundle of joy, I never got to get him dressed, change his first nappy or give him his first bottle. I ended up staying in hospital for 2 days. At the time I said I would never have another baby, but now that Isaac is 8months old I have gotten over this and would now gladly have 10 more