Danielle

** TRIGGER WARNING. THIS BLOG POST INCLUDES DISCUSSION OF TRAUMATIC AND DIFFICULT BIRTHING EXPERIENCES WHICH SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING **

I just wanted to share my birth experience I had 11 weeks ago with my second child and bring awareness to Bandl’s Ring (obstructed labour). 

I went to see my community midwife on the 30th June, I had expressed to her that things were feeling very heavy and uncomfortable down below, she had stated this is normal as I was due in a few days. She had then carried out the normal checks (feeling and measuring my belly). She advised me that the baby had stopped growing and that I needed to go to the day assessment unit so that I could be seen by a consultant (I was due on the 4th July)

I went into the hospital and the consultant sent me to get a scan done on Wednesday 1st July to see what size baby was etc etc after the scan the consultant said baby boy was TOO BIG.

I had to be induced on Thursday 2nd & because of this pandemic I was alone... I was in a lot of pain once the contractions had started and they were frequent. So I told the midwife I am in a lot of pain they said they’ll check me to see how dilated I am, when she was doing the examination she shouted at me telling me to stop tensing up because I was hurting her fingers (but I had expressed that it was hurting me). 

Fast forward, my waters broke at 4am & I was 4cms dilated and this is when I had called my partner to come to the hospital. I went down to the labour ward where I had expressed I wanted the epidural because the pain was so intense I was having them from about 5pm the Thursday with no drugs. Luckily I was given the epidural within 30 mins of me being on the labour ward.

Because of the amount of contractions I was having and how close together they were they decided to check to see how dilated I was and I was still only 4 cms (they thought I would of been at least 8/9cms) so they gave me the hormone drip to try and get my cervix to dilate.. they then checked me again after an hour or so and I was still 4 cms so then they increased the hormone but they stated they need to keep an eye on baby. After an hour or so on the increased dose of hormones babies heartbeat had dropped drastically & that’s when all the doctors rushed in & said I had to go for an emergency c section (at the point I was crying as I was scared and a c section wasn’t what I wanted.

They had cut me open which then confirmed to them that I had bandl’s ring which is an obstruction of labour which meant I was never going to give birth vaginally...  if this is left unnoticed and the mother tries to have a normal vaginal birth it can result in the death of the baby and mother! 

I want help spread awareness of Bandl’s Ring (obstructed labour) as this is something which was missed by the midwife. If women know more about this it could potentially save so women & babies lives.