So some of you may know about my false alarm 2 days before where I came in after my membrane sweep - spent 2 hours in L&D and got sent home. After that I was so dismayed -
I was hesitant to call if I was feeling off. Well - I started contracting on Monday and contracted straight through Wednesday. I decided to take a 3/4 mile walk with DH. I figured this might get things going for my induction on Friday.
Well my contractions got worse after the walk. Then they got painful. Then they got 4-5 minutes apart. I finally folded and called my midwife. She offered for me to come in and get checked out. To my dismay -
I was still just as dilated as I was 2 days ago - ugh. The nurse said they were on the fence about admitting me and she wasn't sure what the midwife would say. Also - the hospital prefers to induce at 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason. The nurse is the same nurse that treated me 2 days before.
The nurse said - she would try to see if she could get the midwife to admit me. She made me walk for an hour around the unit. Then she said she would try something with my cervical check. She made me lay on my back, put my fists under my butt, and then shoved 4 fingers into my cervix and spread them wide. That took me to 4.5 cm dilated. The midwife came to check me out and agreed that I was 4.5 - showed enough change when I arrived and that since I'm 36, with GD and a rising blood pressure - it was ok to induce at 38.5 weeks.
By this point my contractions were hurting like hell. They moved me to a delivery room and I labored painfully until the anesthesiologist arrived with his magic. The epidural insertion was fine but I did get 'zingers' where my legs would twitch uncontrollably. After that settled down i began to feel the glorious warmth and numbness of an epidural. The contractions that were coming every 5-6 minutes and nearly bringing me to tears were finally dulling to a tolerable level.
As for the epidural - I could move my feet , but for a while I was laying flat for too long so the medication actually moved up to the bottom of my lungs. This meant I didn't have the strength to cough and I had phlegm I couldn't clear. After nearly choking twice - we talked to the nurse - they adjusted my position, and the control of my lungs returned.
I then heard the nurse say that my contractions had slowed down so they would run pitocin. This was fine by me - and my contractions started moving to every 2 minutes. Then they got painful - the epidural was wearing off !! The anesthesiologist came to switch my epidural drugs and the pain relief returned. However I started to get light headed. He told me to close my eyes and lay back as they added medication to my IV. My light headedness finally went away. I then slept on and off for the next few hours. I started to feel pressure down there .....
They decided the midwife should come break my waters. Apparently I kept falling asleep so they let me rest. When they decided at 6:30
Am that my waters needed to be broken ..... I felt a pop and a gush ! My waters broke!
Then things got into action. My midwife swooped in - said OH CRAP! And got to work preparing to deliver the baby. They checked my cervix and felt the baby's head. About 6 people walked in the room to prepare for my delivery. They took their stations and my midwife got to work. She assigned a nurse to each leg and they got me up in the stirrups. They asked me to put my hands behind my knees, to pull my legs up and tuck my chin. The. They made me take a deep breath and then hold it as I tried to take the mother of all shits. We did that for 6 minutes and then the midwife said -
Just one more! I thought she was BSing - but hey I gave it my all -
And Then I heard the cries of our son. I completely welled up with tears. They pulled him out, wiped him down and he was on my chest!!!! I got to hold him for quite some time and then she let DH cut the umbilical cord. Then he was moved to the newborn care station and they worked on cleaning him up. I was overwhelmed emotionally. I pushed out the placenta and the midwife said - no tears and no stitches necessary! She said she was shocked I got an 8 lb 3 oz baby out that easily. I think it's the SPD that made it possible. I still had nurses coming to check my abdomen and to help me cramp down.
Fast forward a few hours and I'm walking around. I've taken 2 pees with no pain. They gave me a preventative laxative so I can poop in peace. This is the most amazing recovery ever. So now I'm just here ogling over my son! I can't believe I have a son!!!!
Although I battled with breastfeeding my first child, by the third attempt my son completely latched and nursed for 15 straight minutes. We are off to a great start!
I might have been in labor for 3 days but this kind of delivery made it worth it!!
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