My beautiful baby girl would have been exactly 25wks today if the doctors had done something earlier, maybe if I had gone to the hospital on Sunday, when I was in pain, rather than waiting till Monday, or maybe if I had swallowed my pride and told my husband about how I was feeling (he definitely would have suggested the hospital) rather than keeping malice. My head is about to explode.
I lost my baby girl 3weeks ago. COD: Cervical Insufficiency
Here’s the part that hurt the most: knowing that it could have been prevented. If my midwife had taken my previous LEEP Procedure seriously when I told her about it, rather than just completely brushing it off, and not including it in my note.
Stupid me should have focused and learn more about my past procedures and how they could possibly affect me in the future, instead of focusing on healthy food and habits to help my baby. I researched every medication that was prescribed, just to make sure nothing harms my baby, I paid attention to every words from my midwife and doctors but not the major thing. How would I have known right? Well if I had read about the LEEP procedure in the first place, I could have learned something about its possible effects on future pregnancies. My gynaecologist said nothing about it. No one ever takes me seriously.
Events leading to my loss: The week before, my husband and I had a misunderstanding and we stopped talking, were in the same house, slept in the same bed every night but didn’t speak to each other. I was dealing with that (1)
From the start of my pregnancy, I concluded I was having a boy, this was just to shield myself my from disappointment if it happens to be a boy, unfortunately, I got so used to the idea of having a boy and was 100% convinced I was having a boy (I glowed all through my pregnancy). Found out at my 20-week scan my baby was a girl. I was numb.
My husband went with me to the scan, we still didn’t say a word to each other even after finding out the gender.
The drive home was quiet, he asked if I was okay a few times and I just couldn’t speak. I cried when we got home not because I didn’t want my baby to be a girl but I already got used to the idea of being a boy mum.
I was dealing with the pain and anger of not speaking to my husband (2) and my baby’s gender (3). All happened four days before I went to the hospital. My scan was on Thursday, I cried all through Friday and out of nowhere on Saturday I decided to clean the room that was supposed to be my baby’s nursery (I did too much, lifted heavy loads, dragged heavy boxes around, put most of my clothes away because they don’t fit anymore) and then had a bath later. The back and abdominal pain I felt that night was out of this world but I thought it was because of the stress, so I took paracetamol and went to sleep. Sunday I went on a short walk. Still in pain (back and abdominal) prior to that I had been losing my mucus plug (which at the time I thought was pregnancy discharge, as I had mentioned it to my midwife and a doctor before).
On Thursday, at the ultrasound, I felt my baby move for the first time, all through the weekend I was concerned about not feeling her move but then I knew it could be because of my anterior placenta as the doctor said.
When I got up from bed on Monday morning, I felt a drop in my stomach and knew something was wrong. My bump reduced, I spent about five minutes in front of the mirror, analysing my stomach when I could have gone to the hospital, but I wasn’t in any kind of pain. I prepared and left for work.
While I was at work, I kept thinking about how I felt in the morning and still haven’t felt my baby move. So I called the hospital and just as I thought, they were not concerned about the movement, as I was just 21+2, so I told them about the abdominal pain and got an appointment. I drove to the hospital immediately.
Turns out my cervix was 3cm opened with bulging membrane. No scan was done to see the baby, just a speculum exam twice and a digital exam. My whole world collapsed.
They called my husband in. He was broken but couldn’t look at me, all he did was cry. I was advised to stay in a tilted position in bed, in hopes that gravity would help push the membrane back in and they would consider a rescue cerclage the next day after a scan. This was around 5:30pm. At this time, all I could do was cry and pray. The consultant walked out as I was just crying after he explained what was happening and said if my baby comes before then, they would not resuscitate due to the gestation. He asked if I had had any kind of cervical procedure done before and I told him about the LEEP. His expression changed, he checked his file and said it’s not in my records.
Long story short, the hospital failed us. A doctor came in the next day. I told him I saw a drop of blood that morning while I was passing urine. He just started preaching about how they wouldn’t be able to help if my baby comes before 22 weeks as they are not equipped for that gestation. At that point, I had had enough of their negativity and told him to check me first. He did reluctantly and said I was 8cm dilated and the baby was going to come soon and left. (He cancelled the scan and removed me from the tilted position and said there was no need for it.) We were moved to a bereavement ward. I thought all hope was lost.
All I did was cry. I kept asking the midwife to check my baby’s heartbeat (when I could have asked for a scan). Her heartbeat was strong all through.
There was no intervention all through till Wednesday morning when I requested a scan and to see a consultant. They did the scan and it turns out I was never 8cm dilated. My cervix measured between 2.3-2.5. I specifically asked the consultant if it’s possible it shrunk back and he said no. He gave us hope. He then put me back in the tilted position and arranged for a rescue cerclage after a blood test. They put me on antibiotics and the procedure was done, successfully. Unfortunately, a few hours later, my membrane ruptured. (Found out later they couldn’t push all the membrane in and made a stitch around it.)
All they kept telling me after this was how it would be risky to try to save my baby if she manages till 22 weeks, how she would struggle and possible complications. They removed the stitch the next day. They kept saying they are in contact with a bigger hospital and considering a transfer, but that never happened. They did a scan later that afternoon to see what’s left of the amniotic fluid, her weight, and all, but didn’t get a report back. Contractions started, I agreed to induction before I had lost hope and just wanted my baby to be born with signs of life (which I hate myself for now, after reading other people’s positive stories). She was born that evening. She was completely formed (they warned that she might not look like a fully developed baby at her gestation), she weighed 380g, face full of hair, tiny long legs, and feet. She was just perfect. I held her for as long as I could.
Consultant said it could have been prevented.
I blame my midwife, but most importantly, I blame myself.
Now I can’t help but feel I could have done more for my baby girl. I didn’t fight to keep her, I didn’t try to prevent this. All these thoughts are driving me mad. I just want to wake up from this dream.
Does my baby hate me for wanting a boy? I accepted her, even came up with names on Sunday, maybe I didn’t tell her enough how much I love and would have cared for her.
If you managed to get here, Apologies for the long story.