After Quinn's Birth...

eta in hindsight, I think that there may be some link to my waters breaking in the bath/trickling and the infection - because in the photos after, I notice there was already poo on Quinn and I when I was holding him, so I wonder if there wasn't maybe some meconium in the waters when they trickled... this could explain the infection... then again, maybe it wasn't that. I do get the feeling though that we were lucky/there was something happening as he was born because (a) J had a hard time hearing his heartbeat on the doppler, and while she didn't say anything I did take note that the few times she tried she didn't have any luck, whereas with the others, it was there loud and strong and (b) him getting stuck at the shoulders and then needing oxygen post birth. Just blame it on his big scone huh!

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for the first time ever, I felt a little 'wrecked' after Quinn's birth. I wasn't exactly sure why - normally I don't even look (energy-wise) like I've given birth and last time the MW said I should go do a lap around the block LOL coz I didn't look worn out enough. Until a few days later...

I was feeling worse and worse. Mum had gone home. The weather was warm. I thought it was just that. Quinn was sleeping quite well even at night so I didn't think I was too overtired... I went in at one stage to Michael while he was sleeping and woke him up, I was in tears... 'please just put the washing machine hooked up, I need to do some washing' I said... Later on that night I said to him do you think we should go up to the hospital? I wasn't sure if I was just hot and tired with a bug, or if there was something more. I rang the Birth Centre and the MW was fine with all my symptoms except my racing heart. My milk had come in already so it was nothing to do with that and that never presents a problem anyway. Also hot and cold shivers.

Fast forward and we decide 'safe than sorry' and Michael's Mum comes to watch the (sleeping) kids while Michael, Quinn and I go up. Quinn is about 2 days old at this point. I got in fairly quick. My heart rate at rest was double the standard resting heart rate - any wonder it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest! Also my BP was so low I kept setting off the monitors and I felt like I was on fire. An IV was put in quick to get some fluids in. blood, urine etc taken and something to get my temp down. Admitted that night and spent 5/6 days in there on 3-4 IV antibiotics. Finally my temp stopped spiking, I stopped getting the hot and cold shivers and felt like a massive 'fog' had cleared in my head, and I felt like a person again. YAY! (Home on a regime of tablets to be taken at all hours, so I was getting up at 4.30 to make sure I started taking them all on time.)

The day I was to go home, it was such a rush. The lifts also were being dodgy so I thought I'd take the stairs - I didn't want to get stuck in the lift, and Michael was doing laps out the front waiting for me, with the kids.

I thought that fifth floor would mean 5 flights of stairs...
nope, more like 8+
I was wishing I had decided to take my chance with the lift.

Then I finally got to the ground level... and it wasn't the front entrance. More walking, then more stairs. I passed the Chaplain who we had spent some time with after Brenna was born/had died... he stopped me and asked would I like some help, that I didn't look that good... I certainly didn't feel good by this stage... I declined his kind offer as I could see the front entrace. By the time I got to the car I really wished I had gone the lifts... I was wiped.

Finally into the car and home. It still took a good few weeks for the effects of being so ill to completely disappear. On top of that, due to the size of Quinn's head (37.5cm) and shoulders and the resulting birth position, my pelvis was out of whack for about 6-8 weeks - meaning everything was sore especially when I sat/laid down/slept, I woke with sore everything. When that finally resolved itself boy I felt good! LOL
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