Early 2015 we found out that Liv was pregnant with our second child. I was over the moon! Theo was a loving little boy and I knew he would be a great big brother!
The time was right, just felt perfect. My family was growing.
October ’15 – 4D scan of Noah
When we found out that the baby was a boy, the name books came out.
We finally chose Noah after many months of trialling other names.
After a few sweeps, lots of curries and other “labour inducing methods” explored, Noah still refused to show. On the 1st January 2016 Liv’s induction started, but the event didn’t kick off till the next day. The labour was extremely brutal. After hours and hours of sitting with Liv who had a hormone drip in she was ready to go into the next room, the delivery suite. Even there, Noah didn’t want to show. Liv had been having contractions but just wasnt dilating past 5cm.
The surgery room had been prept for an emergency C-Section, those sexy tights on. I felt helpless. Just standing there waiting, whilst Liv looked so uncomfortable desperately wanting the baby out.
The doctor went to leave the room to inform the surgeons that the surgery needed to take place. Suddenly Liv was adamant she needed to push. He glanced at Liv, looked down, lunged forward and caught Noah. He came out, eyes open staring at Liv, but no cry. The staff took Noah to an incubator and cut the cord, all the while speaking in a language only they understood. I stood there, not heard by newborn son cry, not knowing if he’s ok. Liv was so drugged, she had no idea what was going on, but so relieved the labour was over. The doctor held Noah by his little legs and shook. Nothing. She held him on her forearm and smacked his back.
I hear a cry! Eventually! What a relief, that’s a confirmation that Noah is OK. He got checked, weighed, clothed and placed under a heat lamp. The drugs were wearing off and Liv was coming round to see her beautiful newborn son.
The staff started to disappear and Liv and I were left with Noah. Overwhelmed about the whole experience but so happy and in love with another baby of mine.
That evening I went home which is about 15 miles away to put Theo to bed. First thing in the morning I headed back to the hospital to see Liv and Noah. They were both happy, Noah’s feeding well but looked quite swollen.
The doctors put the swelling to birth trauma and that it would be gone within 2 weeks. That made sense as Noah had flown out at some speed!
That evening the family came to see Noah, but more importantly, Theo met his little brother for the first time. He was mesmerised, instantly in love.
At almost a week old Noah was still very swollen, to the point that he couldn’t open his right eye. He was not a happy baby. Doctors were still adamant that it was caused by the birth. I wasn’t convinced. But who am I?
Another week later, Noah was struggling to breast feed as he was so bunged up. We went to the doctors to get him checked. They sent us straight to the local hospital because Noah’s oxygen levels were very low. He has bronchitis and needed to be on oxygen to help him breathe. X-Rays were taken of his chest but nothing was mentioned.
After a week of Noah being in hospital, they were unable to reduce the oxygen levels. As soon as they did, his levels would drop again. This concerned the doctors and they took another look at his X-Ray. They noticed that Noah’s heart was enlarged, albeit a very blurry image. They sent him to have a CT scan on his brain, no idea why. But you do whats recommended when your baby is poorly.
We were back in the ward when a doctor came to see us. He said that they were extremely worried about Noah. They had found some abnormalities in Noah’s brain. Thinking it could be a Vein of Galen Malformation (VGM).
He also said “If it was my son, he’s be in a specialist hospital now”.
Well, you can imagine how this made me feel. So because it’s my son, he’s not? What a prick. How dare you say that to my wife and I. Get out and get him the help he needs.
What is a Vein of Galen Malformation (VGM)?
Vein of Galen Malformation (VGM) is a rare condition which occurs during pregnancy and results in abnormal connections between blood vessels within the brain. These abnormal connections are between the arteries (the vessels used to carry blood to the brain from the heart) and the deep veins, which are used to drain the blood away from the brain back to the heart. This draining occurs in the Vein of Galen, which is located in the base of the brain. To ensure that the brain receives a good blood supply to continue developing, the heart needs to work harder in order to account for this additional requirement. – https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/conditions-we-treat/vein-galen-malformation
That night an ambulance was tasked to come and collect Noah, and take him to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), central London.
The ambulance wasn’t what I was expecting. It was an ambulance from the South Thames Retrieval Service. Staffed with a doctor, 2 paramedics and another paramedic driving. We jumped in the ambulance, Liv in the front and I sat in the back.
On that trip with blue lights and sirens up to GOSH, I should have been thinking about Noah but I had so much more to think about. Where are we going? Where is GOSH? Where am I going to sleep? We haven’t even got spare clothes, nothing. How much is the car park going to cost back home?
What am I going to do?
A Dad's Thoughts 