Originally from Johannesburg. For anyone to truly understand, I would have to give a tiny background story.
When I was 19/20 I went for my regular gynae app for a pap, and was told I have too many large cysts on my ovaries to have kids.. Then I got the pap results! I was told they found cancer, and I would need to have another test to clarify.
Which obviously I went a did. Those results came back negative. But the gynae told me I wouldn’t be able to have kids as I had to many cysts etc and they were too big. I would have needed an operation to get them cut off. I didn’t have that kind of money and I never had medical aid. Plus I didn’t want to go to a government hospital!
So I lived with the fact I couldn’t have kids. Anyhow, when I met my husband, he was also told he couldn’t have kids due an injury when he was a kid.
Long story short, my husband and I got engaged, and fell pregnant quite quickly. Was truly a shock and a blessing!
Jayden was born via emergency c section at 42 plus weeks as the induction didn’t work, and then 3 years later we fell pregnant again with Jackson, I was doing the exact same check ups etc with Jackson as I did with Jayden. All in government hospitals and clinics. Jacksons’ pregnancy was fairly ok. I had a lot more aches and pains. Especially in the lower abdominal area, and previous c section area. But the nurses said I was ok.
At 37 weeks, I had a gut feeling to go have a scan. Well that was the worst day in my whole life. We lost Jackson, they couldn’t find a heartbeat. I was told to go straight to hospital. I was booked in for an emergency c section, only this time to have a baby who was going to be born sleeping forever!
We never got answers as to why Jackson passed away. The doctors ever answered my questions or gave me closure! We had Jackson cremated and did a memorial for him.
7 months later we decided to move to Ireland, bitter sweet, but we couldn’t have Jayden brought up in South Africa. 7 months later almost to the date that Jackson was born, we found out I was pregnant again with our Rainbow baby!!
It was hard at first, anxiety isn’t even half of it!
Ireland has an amazing health care system for pregnancy. You got register your pregnancy with your GP. He/she refers you for your first scan (I was classed as high risk due to my history with ITP and previous pregnancy) so my GP got me an early pregnancy scan. I went to Kilkenny Hospital (St Luke’s). And had all my scans with Gillian, practically every month Gillian asked to see me. She kept an eye on my placenta, uterus and the fluids. And obviously babies growth. I insisted on hearing the heart beat EVERY scan. And she obliged. With a smile.
My first clinic appointment was the same, also at Kilkenny Hospital. They made sure my file had HIGH risk in it. Checked my blood works for ITP, and did a scan as well to hear heartbeat. Booked me for my next app a month later. I was seen every month, did bloods and scans at every appointment. At one point in the pregnancy I had a lot of pains in my lower abdominal area, and was booked in for a 3 days to monitor the pains and baby. I had CT scans, abdominal scans the works. All was ok. They boiled it down to scar tissue.
They told me if I had any other worries just to come straight to maternity ward and they would check on me and baby. I didn’t want to be that person that ran to hospital every time I had an ache. But they told me not to worry and that I was more than welcome to.
From 30 weeks, I was seen every 2 weeks at clinic. Again a scan every time to ease my mind.
I was told I would have to have an elective c section this time around, even though I wanted to try VbA2c. My doctor, Dr Conrad, said I would never be allowed as ill be having baby at 37 weeks, and they didn’t want to have complications as we didn’t know why I lost Jackson. He made me feel comfortable and at ease with my whole pregnancy. And I was really ok with having another c section. The bonus was that my husband could be with me this time round, from beginning to end.
I also told them I wanted to have my tubes tied during surgery. With my age (36) and previous pregnancy and the anxiety and stress I went through with this one I did not want to go through that again.
On the day of my c section, they made me feel so comfortable. Gave me the socks, the gown etc to put on. The anaesthetist and his assistant told me what they were going to do and calmed me down. I had an anxiety attack in the morning, and BP went up a bit. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be fully asleep or have a spinal. Zane was so amazing. He hugged me and said I could choose but also said I would regret not hearing baby cry.
During surgery the nurse, midwife and anaesthetist all spoke to me rubbed my head and kept me calm. Just before Baby came out they brought in my husband and the rest was just an amazing experience.
Maddison was born and she cried and cried and cried more. It was immediately like a huge boulder was lifted off my chest. My baby was born and she was crying!!
Turned out that my tubes were stuck to my previous scar tissue and that was causing all the pains.
The rest of my experience in post natal was like being in a hotel. Constant check ups and blood works. Telling me what to expect when leaving the hospital. You get a health care provider when you leave. And she comes and checks on baby and you when you’re at home!! Amazing!!
Its been 3 months now and I have not got one complaint about the way we have been treated.
Important links:
#MapMyMove- Our coaching Services - Confused or lost and need some direction, book a session with us to help untangle the confusion and work out your route of immigration
Resources for this topic- Medical related - Loads of links to anything medical
How to register a Birth in Ireland
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