Nevaeh's Birth Story by Rebecca Branthwaite-Bon
What a journey we have been through to get our beautiful little girl. Her arrival was not planned and we went through quite a lot along the way. Here is my story…
It started when I was getting a lot of pain in my pubic area, it was a pain I have never experienced and knew that it wasn’t just growing pains etc. I was only 34wks pregnant. So off to the OB I went on the 17th November 2009 and found out that I had Seperation Pubic Symphasis. Not a nice thing at all. I had to rest as much as possible - which isn’t easy when you have an 11mth old crawling around everywhere.I also was told not bend and try to drive as little as I could. I went to get a trace done at the hospital as I was a little worried because Junior had been a little quiet, but all was going ok.
On the morning of the 18th November 2009 the day after my visit to the OB, I was so sick and I couldn’t stop throwing up. I ended up going to the hospital because I knew that I had to have IV Fluids to prevent dehydration. During this time I was getting a lot of contractions, but they were very irregular. As it turns out I had a case of gastro and was admitted into hospital where I stayed overnight. I was given a lot of IV Fluids and they kept tracing Junior’s heart to make sure it was ok in there. The contractions started to settle down a little and I was able to go home. But was told if the contractions got worse or my waters break then I had to go straight in again. So off I went home to rest.
That weekend we had planned to have a Baby Shower for Junior so we made sure we told everyone it was still on. I had a lovely day just resting on the couch surrounded by my really good friends. We just sat, ate and played a few games. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. I was still feeling a little off from being so sick but just took it easy.
On Sunday morning, 22nd November 2009 at 3am I woke up scratching my palms and soles of my feet. It was so itchy I could not stop scratching, I even got a comb and was using that but it wasn’t helping at all. I then wanted to scratch my whole body as well and was leaving really big red marks from the comb everywhere I scratched. I just put up with it and carried on with my day just scratching all the time. We went to a 1st birthday party and the only relief I could get was putting my legs into the pool. It seemed to stop the itchiness. Later that afternoon it came back twice as bad and I didn’t know what to do. I went to the Chemist but they thought that it was just heat, because it was a very hot day and that there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
I was still scratching all night until my Husband gave me a bucket of fridge cold water with ice in it for my feet. It was heaven to my feet and it really helped the itchiness. I ended up sleeping with my feet in the tub of iced water and using a esky ice brick for my hands. At 1am the following morning it was still really bad so I called an After Hours Surgery to send out a doctor. I waited until 4am only to be told there was nothing that the doctor could do and go and see my OB in the morning. I just cried and cried and kept scratching myself all over with the comb, it just wasn’t easing it was getting worse!
I saw my OB and he sent me off for a blood test which also tests the liver bile as well. He told me he would call me later that afternoon when he got the results. So in the meantime all I could do was keep the ice cold water on my feet and a ice brick in my hands. At 6pm on the 23rd November I received a call from the OB saying that my blood results were bad and I had to go to the hospital.
When I was settled in my room I discovered there wasn’t anything they could do to help me with the intense itchiness. I had to wait to see my own OB in the morning. When he saw me he said that I had tested positive to Obstetric Cholestasis. Obstetric Cholestasis is characterised by severe generalised pruritus and biochemical disturbances in liver enzymes and bile salt metabolism (occasionally jaundice) usually in the last trimester of pregnancy. I had to have another blood test that day and if it was bad again then I may have to deliver. I was only 35 weeks and this scared me.
The test results came back on Wednesday 25th November 2009 and it wasn’t good news. My results were 3 times as bad as they were on Monday and they had to deliver Junior for my safety, otherwise both Junior and myself might not have survived.
I was wheeled into theatre late that afternoon and was given a spinal block and was getting ready to meet our little Prince or Princess. My Husband and Mum were there and I am grateful. They really calmed me down and they gave me a lot of support.
Our little Princess Nevaeh Angel was born at 5:48pm and looked perfect. She was given to the Paediatrician to be checked over but it wasn’t good news. She really needed help to breathe and was quickly put on a ventilator and was given oxygen.
Unfortunately my Husband wasn’t able to cut the cord which really upset, howeverdid get to go with her and make sure she was ok.
Once I was finally out of recovery the Paediatrician came to see me and said that Nevaeh had to go to the Marter Hospital in Brisbane (an hour away) to the Intensive Care Unit, where she ended up staying there for 5 days and then was sent back to our local Special Care Nursery where she stayed for a further 2 weeks.
The emotions you go through are big and I am still getting over them slowly and everything keeps replaying in my mind but I would never change it.
It was definitely a very difficult time for us all and the emotions that go along with it. But the result is what anyone would wish for, a beautiful baby girl that isn’t going to have any long term health problems!! I have been told as well that for future pregnancies I will get Cholestasis and it may occur earlier than before but at least we know what to look out for.
It started when I was getting a lot of pain in my pubic area, it was a pain I have never experienced and knew that it wasn’t just growing pains etc. I was only 34wks pregnant. So off to the OB I went on the 17th November 2009 and found out that I had Seperation Pubic Symphasis. Not a nice thing at all. I had to rest as much as possible - which isn’t easy when you have an 11mth old crawling around everywhere.I also was told not bend and try to drive as little as I could. I went to get a trace done at the hospital as I was a little worried because Junior had been a little quiet, but all was going ok.
On the morning of the 18th November 2009 the day after my visit to the OB, I was so sick and I couldn’t stop throwing up. I ended up going to the hospital because I knew that I had to have IV Fluids to prevent dehydration. During this time I was getting a lot of contractions, but they were very irregular. As it turns out I had a case of gastro and was admitted into hospital where I stayed overnight. I was given a lot of IV Fluids and they kept tracing Junior’s heart to make sure it was ok in there. The contractions started to settle down a little and I was able to go home. But was told if the contractions got worse or my waters break then I had to go straight in again. So off I went home to rest.
That weekend we had planned to have a Baby Shower for Junior so we made sure we told everyone it was still on. I had a lovely day just resting on the couch surrounded by my really good friends. We just sat, ate and played a few games. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. I was still feeling a little off from being so sick but just took it easy.
On Sunday morning, 22nd November 2009 at 3am I woke up scratching my palms and soles of my feet. It was so itchy I could not stop scratching, I even got a comb and was using that but it wasn’t helping at all. I then wanted to scratch my whole body as well and was leaving really big red marks from the comb everywhere I scratched. I just put up with it and carried on with my day just scratching all the time. We went to a 1st birthday party and the only relief I could get was putting my legs into the pool. It seemed to stop the itchiness. Later that afternoon it came back twice as bad and I didn’t know what to do. I went to the Chemist but they thought that it was just heat, because it was a very hot day and that there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
I was still scratching all night until my Husband gave me a bucket of fridge cold water with ice in it for my feet. It was heaven to my feet and it really helped the itchiness. I ended up sleeping with my feet in the tub of iced water and using a esky ice brick for my hands. At 1am the following morning it was still really bad so I called an After Hours Surgery to send out a doctor. I waited until 4am only to be told there was nothing that the doctor could do and go and see my OB in the morning. I just cried and cried and kept scratching myself all over with the comb, it just wasn’t easing it was getting worse!
I saw my OB and he sent me off for a blood test which also tests the liver bile as well. He told me he would call me later that afternoon when he got the results. So in the meantime all I could do was keep the ice cold water on my feet and a ice brick in my hands. At 6pm on the 23rd November I received a call from the OB saying that my blood results were bad and I had to go to the hospital.
When I was settled in my room I discovered there wasn’t anything they could do to help me with the intense itchiness. I had to wait to see my own OB in the morning. When he saw me he said that I had tested positive to Obstetric Cholestasis. Obstetric Cholestasis is characterised by severe generalised pruritus and biochemical disturbances in liver enzymes and bile salt metabolism (occasionally jaundice) usually in the last trimester of pregnancy. I had to have another blood test that day and if it was bad again then I may have to deliver. I was only 35 weeks and this scared me.
The test results came back on Wednesday 25th November 2009 and it wasn’t good news. My results were 3 times as bad as they were on Monday and they had to deliver Junior for my safety, otherwise both Junior and myself might not have survived.
I was wheeled into theatre late that afternoon and was given a spinal block and was getting ready to meet our little Prince or Princess. My Husband and Mum were there and I am grateful. They really calmed me down and they gave me a lot of support.
Our little Princess Nevaeh Angel was born at 5:48pm and looked perfect. She was given to the Paediatrician to be checked over but it wasn’t good news. She really needed help to breathe and was quickly put on a ventilator and was given oxygen.
Unfortunately my Husband wasn’t able to cut the cord which really upset, howeverdid get to go with her and make sure she was ok.
Once I was finally out of recovery the Paediatrician came to see me and said that Nevaeh had to go to the Marter Hospital in Brisbane (an hour away) to the Intensive Care Unit, where she ended up staying there for 5 days and then was sent back to our local Special Care Nursery where she stayed for a further 2 weeks.
The emotions you go through are big and I am still getting over them slowly and everything keeps replaying in my mind but I would never change it.
It was definitely a very difficult time for us all and the emotions that go along with it. But the result is what anyone would wish for, a beautiful baby girl that isn’t going to have any long term health problems!! I have been told as well that for future pregnancies I will get Cholestasis and it may occur earlier than before but at least we know what to look out for.
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