Matthew's birth story

Thursday 5th March 2009

We were on our way to work when a taxi cut in front of us and hubby had to swerve to avoid knocking into the back of the taxi. An oil-tanker hit us on my side of the car. I was 33 weeks pregnant.
I went for a check up, everything was okay. Baby wasn’t moving for about 6 hours, but doctor advised that it was normal for a baby to be ‘shell-shocked’ after a traumatic experience like that. If I had to start bleeding or my waters broke, I was to rush to hospital immediately.
My c-section was scheduled for the 20th April 2009.
Went to work Friday 6th March, all still okay. Had a bit of cramps, but nothing hectic, just put it down to aches & pains from the accident.

Saturday 7th March
Woke up to go to the loo after 5am & then bleeding. No pain, just blood gushing & then some clots. Hubby, Liam & I rushed to hospital. My bag was packed already but I didn’t have a thing for baby. I hadn’t even had a baby shower yet!!!

I was put in the labour ward for observation till around 9am & then moved to another room once the bleeding eventually stopped. The gynae who saw me said that she wanted to keep me overnight. She wanted to make sure it wasn’t placental abruptia. They put this Heartbeat machine on so they could monitor Matthew’s movements. I then had ultrasound & internal exam. Doctor said that the placenta was lying extremely low -Placenta previa. Baby’s weight was about 2.6kgs so she wasn’t overly worried if they had to do an emergency c/s, but she was sure that I would be going home by Monday. My blood pressure & temperature was checked hourly, as well as Matthew’s heartbeat. I was put on a drip as well because I had lost a bit of blood the morning.

Sunday 8th March 2009

Today I was 34 weeks preggies exactly. I woke up around 3am and then had some some cramps, like period pain. I thought this is just cos of the bleeding, so I went back to sleep. After 6am the cramps started again & then my back was also aching. I just went back to sleep. When the nurse came around after 8am to do Matthew’s vital checks, she took the little sheet that printed with her. I told her about the cramps, she didn’t seem too worried, but said she’d mention it to the doctor.
Doctor came to see me after 9am & advised that I was having contractions and that I was still bleeding and it seemed to be getting worse. She told me that I would have to have an emergency C-section in the next hour. Apparently the cramps I had been having were friggen contractions !!! omw !!! I only realised then that I had been having these little cramps the Friday already .. but assumed it was due to the accident.
I then phoned hubby & told him to hurry up & come through. He had just woken up & still needed to get himself & Lj done before coming through. I had to ask the doc to wait before doing the c/s, she said she was only waiting 5 minutes & that they would start without hubby if he wasn’t there, but that they would leave word that he could come up to the theatre. I then burst into tears as it only hit me then .. they were going to take my baby out there & then, at 34 weeks only! I was in shock & couldn’t stop crying. I know I dialled my mom’s number to tell her .. but I couldn’t talk, I was just crying .. she was asking me questions & I couldn’t answer her, just sobbed. She just said that I mustn’t worry about anything, that they knew what they were doing & that Matthew & I would be okay. I couldn’t even say bye to her. It was one of those moments when a gal just wants her mommy you know

They then wheeled me upstairs to theatre. Oh crikey, I nearly forgot “DON’T FORGET TO TIE MY TUBES” I yelled, as they were wheeling me to the lift. The nurse quickly grabbed my arm & wrote “tubal ligation” on that little while arm band. Hallelujah it was done.

Hubby finally got there just before I was taken into the theatre. I must say that I was pretty darn scared that the spinal block would be messed up again but thank goodness for this doc who got it right first time. I call him the ani-dude. Spinal block done after 10.30am. No problem, No nausea. Just a big dizzy, but no major issue with it. Baby Matthew born at 11.05am. Weight 2.64kgs, head 30cm & length 50cm. Quite a nice size for a premmie. They showed him to me over the top of the screen. He was blue. Then they took him to the side, and hubby went with. I still didn’t hear him crying. I looked & saw the paed walking away with him. I asked “is everything okay?” Hubby came back & just said “it’s okay, they’re just cleaning him up”.

Later on I heard that Matthew wasn’t breathing & they took him away to give him oxygen & didn’t want me to know cos I would’ve panicked. Thank God he started breathing by himself before they gave him the oxygen. His Apgar score was 5/8.

Hubby went with Matthew to the Nicu. I was waiting patiently for them to stitch me up again cos I wanted to see my baby. Ha, little was I to know what was going on. I started bleeding profusely and doctor couldn’t see where it was coming from. I was drifting in & out of consciousness. I heard someone saying “her bp is 60/25” (I knew this was bad). I kept asking what is going on, why are you taking so long.. I looked at the clock, it was 11.50pm already. I had been been in here since 10.30am ! I then started feeling hectically dizzy, the room started spinning, I heard myself talking but it sounded all slurred, like not my voice. The doctor was talking “she’s losing too much blood. What is her blood type ? order 2 bags stat” I kept thinking “aha .. an episode of Grey’s anatomy”. Then I heard the doctor saying “Push her intestines to that side” WHAT ??:? YOU’RE MOVING MY INTESTINES ? ARE YOU FRIGGEN INSANE ?? PUT IT BACK !! (this I hadn’t said aloud, but was thinking). Then doctor said “there are three areas on her womb which need to be stitched. We’re giving your womb an injection to stop the bleeding” Oh finally, now she wants to speak to me !

Eventually the bleeding was stopped, my tubes were tied, and then they started pushing everything back into position and lo & behold, I could feel it. The spinal block was wearing off. I could move my legs, I could feel every little push & pull (it wasn’t SORE, but just uncomfortable & a bit achy, like when you pull a muscle in your back or something).

I told them that I could feel it, but they said it wouldn’t be too long now, they couldn’t give me anything more to numb it. Finally, an hour & a half after they took Matthew out, I was sewn up. Then I was moved to the recovery room for observation of my bp (which had gone up to about 90/45 by then, so it was going to be okay), and also to check any bleeding. I think I slept a bit.

I was in the recovery room for quite some time. I only got back downstairs shortly before 2pm. I was a bit cross though cos through all of this drama, not once did anyone mention fetching my hubby, just to let him know what was going on.. what if I had died hey ??? idiots !

They brought Matthew to me for a bit. I was then informed that I needed a blood transfusion as I had lost over 1 litre of blood during surgery. I was put on 2 drips & well as some pain medication drip that I had to press when I needed it. Was also given injection of morphine.

Started the blood transfusion the evening. Received 2 bags of blood. Took 4 hours for each bag of blood to pass into my body. I was given iron tablets and doc told me that it would take a few months for my body to be okay again. I would be light-headed for a while & would feel drained & get headaches often. Thank God that I am alive though. I had no idea how serious the whole situation was. I know that my dad and sister came there, 2 friends brought me tons of goodies and a colleague as well, but I have absolutely no clue what we spoke about. Everything up until Wednesday is a blur. I don’t remember who came to visit or who phoned. yummy drugs get the blame for my memory loss lol. I was alone in a big room for 5 days. Not a lot of visitors were allowed in and whenever I had to get up, I had to call a nurse.

Monday morning
I was totally out of sorts. Matthew was brought to me for a little bit, but not sucking properly. They advised me that they were going to tube feed him as his sucking reflex only really starts to kick in once he is 36 weeks. Being a premmie he would have problems with feeding for a bit. They thought that he’d be able to suck properly & everything would be great of his 2.64kg weight. How wrong they were. This was the last day I got to hold him for a while. He was in Nicu & I couldn’t get to him until the catheter was removed the next day or so.
I wasn’t to feed him directly, but had to express & this milk would be given to him via syringe. They also topped him up with Nan inbetween feeds (through the tube). He was so tiny. Everyone said he was big cos of his weight. A premmie nappy wasn’t even fitting him properly. It came up to his chest area! None of the premmie clothing the hospital fit him properly either. He was drowning in it.

He was having apnea spells every few hours. One occurred when I went in to see him. The nurse just came along & tapped him on the chest & there you go, breathing again. Then he developed Jaundice the Tuesday evening so was put in an incubator under the light. I was discharged the Wednesday at Midnight, but was allowed to stay over for free for 24hrs & then had to pay for the extra few hours the Friday. I had to stay as I had to express. I left the hospital Friday 13th March .. without Matthew. It was so hard leaving without him. I cried so much that day. LJ was upset cos his little brother wasn’t coming home with us. He had held him for a bit on the day he was born & was so amazed by this bundle of joy.

I was exhausted & in pain & felt horrible. I slept like a log that night. From about 10.30pm straight through till 9am next morning. Didn’t move positions at all.

Saturday morning I expressed & we went through to visit him. He was weighing 2.4kgs & they weren’t going to release him until he picked up some weight and until his apnea spells stopped. At least this time I got to hold him. It felt so good to hold little man in my arms. I was a bit scared cos he was so tiny and he still had the tubes in his nose & I had to carry the apnea monitor as well. My sister took me through again the evening to take more milk for him. My mom & dad came through to see me Saturday morning after we got home from the hospital. She was so weak. We had to help her walk into the house. She didn’t look well at all, but she had to come & see me, her big baby.

Sunday morning after 9am, I got a phone call to say that we could bring him home. An entire week without my baby & now he’s coming home ! yay !!!

It’s been 2weeks that he’s home now. He is such a good baby. He has to be woken up every 3hours to feed (he sleeps like a log). The only time he cries is when he has a dirty butt or a wind. He stays awake for about 10 minutes at a time after each feed. Thursday evening he woke up around 11pm & only went back to sleep after 2am though, he just stared & stared at me.

The number 1 nappy is way too huge for him & I have to fold it over so it’ll fit.

Size 2.5kg pants are too big for him, newborn tops & bottoms, also way too big for now.

Just grateful that everything went well. Everything happened for a reason.

Lj is totally over his little brother. My mom wasn’t doing too well during this time & when Matthew was 3 weeks old & I was able to move about without having blackouts, we went to visit her to introduce her latest grandchild to her. She was smiling & looked so happy. It was the one & only time that she got to hold him. 5 weeks later, she was gone.


I have had a pretty traumatic year. I haven’t had a chance to grieve for my mom yet as Matthew has been in & out of hospital. He got bronchiolitis when he was 4 months old and since then has been sick with a bad chest. He is on a Controller Pump and asthma pump every day, and most days on the nebuliser as well. He is a pleasant & happy baby and today he is 15months old.

He looks like my mom did when she was younger and in that way, I get to see her smiling face each and every single day.

Wow, thank you for sharing. What an experience you went through! So glad that you can see your mom in your son!

WOW!! what an amazing birth story! major goose bump alert! glad that your little man is happy 15month old!

How do you post pics on this site? I wanted to post a pic of my mom holding matthew

You had me crying here girl!!!!!!!

Wow girl, you have been through a lot. Glad your little man is doing great. Sorry about your mom .Thanks for sharing

I loved reading your birth story the first time and have enjoyed it that much more this time Pie! Love you!

P.S I have no idea how to upload pics either, I emailed them to Lillian and she uploaded mine

Wow what an amazing story,sorry that your mom passed and that you had to go through so much,but God was there all along with you.Your a very strong women,just brought tears to my eyes.

OMW... an incredible story... you have been through alot...

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

It's been over a year, yet I remember every little thing as if it were yesterday.

Amazing story

OMW! What an experience! Thanks so much for sharing.

OMG - what a birth story. I'm so sorry to hear about your mom.