After our 2
previous attempts and failure at inductions I was exhausted. Bed rest for the week was a breeze because I
felt awful all week long. The
contractions had continued all week, so it was very reminiscent of the
miscarriage. My body was exhausted and
so were my emotions. By the time
Saturday rolled around I was dreading our trip to the hospital and another
round of induction. Doc and I had spent
a lot of time discussing the possibility of a C-section and it was sounding
better and better to both of us in comparison to another failed induction.
We arrived at the
hospital Saturday night and began the process all over again. I was still only 2 cm dilated and my cervix
had actual become less effaced because the baby had moved off of it the day before
and flipped himself around. They applied
the cervical ripening agent every 4 hours to prep me for another day of
Pitocin. They also hooked me up to all
the monitors and gave me a half dose of Ambien.
Our nurse for the evening was brand new and it was obvious. She was very sweet, but she was in my room at
least once an hour checking on me because I was having contractions so
frequently. I repeatedly explained that it
was normal and had been happening all week, but it didn’t seem to alleviate her
fear that I would spontaneously deliver a baby without complaint during the
night as I slept. It was a horrible
start for what I already knew was going to be a long and rough day. By the time morning rolled around my fear
about another day of Pitocin had ramped up to the point that I felt like I
shouldn’t be doing the 3rd induction at all. Despite this, my new nurse hung the Pitocin.
In the morning I
got a new nurse, one with a lot more experience, and a new doctor. The doctor was one my doctor worked with
frequently. Apparently it is common for
them to labor each other’s patients and then call the other in for the
delivery. It was nice because it meant
they kept in contact and didn’t step on each other’s toes. I felt much better about being in his hands
than I had with the previous doctors on call.
The first thing they did was explain that the night nurse shouldn’t have
hung the Pitocin. Again, great start to
the day. Then they explained that they
wanted to break my water because they didn’t believe I would progress without
it. Rupturing the membrane allows the
cushion between baby’s head and cervix to be removed and increases pressure on
the cervix, which usually results in labor progressing quickly. I have previously discussed my concerns about
breaking my water so early. I had really
hoped to wait to do it until I was at least 4 cm, preferably 6 cm and labor was
progressing more regularly. The doctor
and nurse were convinced that breaking my water was the answer to my failure to
progress, I thought they were under appreciating the fact that my cervix had
failed to dilate for a miscarriage and 2 previous inductions. They did a lot of talking at me. I did a lot of trying not to cry in front of
them. The doctor finally got called away
and the nurse stayed to talk at me. When
I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer she gave us a moment to discuss
it. I felt very strongly about not
wanting my water broken this early in the process, but they had made it clear
that they thought I was in for another day of labor not progressing without
it. My biggest fear was a full day of
horrible labor only to end up in C-section any way. There just wasn’t a good option available. I didn’t want the C-section unless I knew I
had to have it, but I wasn’t going to find out if it had to happen unless I
consented to having my water ruptured at only 2 cm. It was a hard decision to make on a clear
day, it felt like an impossible decision to make after no sleep and dealing
with the aftermath of 2 failed inductions.
Bawling and feeling totally overwhelmed and defeated, I consented to
the process. We discussed a time line
with the doctor to make sure we were all on the same page with regards to how
far we would let things go and how long we would allow me to be ruptured. Thankfully he agreed with the more
conservative pediatrician recommendations and so did my nurse, so that would be
the end of the battle and we could go forward on the same team.
At 9:30 am they
ruptured my water. No meconium staining
and baby boy handled the change beautifully.
Contractions increased immediately.
They increased my Pitocin and my nurse remained with us at all times to
monitor my progress. I opted to labor in
the tub again because the contractions were back to back and it was impossible
to get comfortable in the bed or to walk.
I spent over an hour in the tub.
Doc and my nurse kept refilling me with hot water because I couldn’t
move to do anything. We played music to
help keep me distracted and I got over any modesty I may have had. My contractions were so intense and so close
together that I couldn’t carry a conversation.
I just focused on breathing and floating.
Around 11:30 the
contractions started spacing out. By
spacing out I mean they were now 2-3 minutes apart. I decided to get out of the tub, because even
that comfort only lasted so long. My
nurse wanted to place internal monitors to monitor the intensity of the
contractions, which means I would be confined to the bed. We discussed it and I agreed it was time for
the epidural if they needed me to sit still for the remainder of the
process. I was 4 cm by the time the
epidural and monitors were in. My
contractions would follow a strong pattern and then begin to space out. They would increase the Pitocin, the
contractions would increase, and then they would space out again. We couldn’t get my body to show signs of
steady progress despite strong contractions.
By 2:30 I had made
no additional progress. My nurse had
tried placing me in all kinds of crazy positions. You haven’t lived until you have been naked, immobilized
and had your body placed in positions that make your privates a show for anyone
who comes in the room. The doctor came
to check on me and was disappointed that we hadn’t progressed despite all of
our efforts. We asked him for a time
line of how far we were going to go with this.
He felt that if we hadn’t progressed beyond 4 cm by 6:30 we most likely
were not going to be able to deliver this baby naturally. He was concerned that being stalled for so
long wasn’t good for baby or me.
By 6:30 we had
made no progress despite continued increases on the Pitocin and my nurse
attempting to stretch the cervix by hand.
Baby boy decided he had had enough too and flipped face up and started
to struggle a little more with contractions.
I worried every time I heard his heart rate slow and Doc’s eyes were
glued to the monitor. The nurse came in
and explained she had been watching the monitor too and it was time to call in
my doctor for a C-section.
At just before
7:15 I was being wheeled into the OR. I
was so exhausted that I couldn’t keep my eyes open or respond when people spoke
to me. I felt like I was struggling to
remain conscious. Baby boy was born at
7:22, 6 lbs and 14 oz, and 19.5 inches long.
I knew his cry the moment I heard it and fought to find consciousness so
that I could see him. I could hear Doc
and my doctor talking. I heard the nurse
ask Doc if he wanted to examine him and I was so proud when Doc responded with,
“No, I’m not his doctor. I’m his Dad.” It is hard for doctors to separate the 2, and
he was starting off on the right foot.
My doctor teased him about his son’s full head of hair (Doc is
bald). They were doing well and that
made me so very happy. As they finished
up I began shaking. The shakes were so
bad that I couldn’t keep my arms down on the table. It was like I was having a seizure. So not fun.
I couldn’t hold or touch my baby, but I could talk to him. Doc said he oriented to my voice immediately
and when he was held next to me he stopped crying.
The first hour
after the C-section was torture. The
shaking was so bad that I wasn’t able to hold my son. I had to wait to regain control over my hands
before he could be in my arms. Doc and I
were both madly in love with him from the moment we saw him. He is just perfect. Holding him for the first time and nursing
him were just magical moments I wouldn’t trade for anything.
We ended up leaving
the hospital a day early. I was
exhausted and the hospital is no place to try and sleep, so we decided we could
all recover better at home. We have been
working on getting a schedule established.
It is important to do it before Doc has to be back to work. I have 2 weeks where I am unable to drive and
I can’t pick up anything over 20 lbs for the next 6 weeks, so I am really glad
he is home. Not to mention recovering
from the C-section has its own difficulties.
Baby boy is a good eater and has already begun to gain weight. His nights and days are confused, like most
babies, but we are working on getting that straightened out. He is absolutely amazing and we adore him,
despite the lack of sleep. Doc and I are
both enjoying every moment, but also looking forward to the day when we are
able to sleep in the same bed at the same time again. Until then, we just have to be full of joy
for the wonderful thing that is life with our son.
Congratulations!
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