Induction/C -Section Birth Story w/ DH's 2 cents
Well, it is two weeks later, but I am finally getting around to writing my birth story. This one goes out to all the ladies that are scared of C-sections and really want natural births. I was one of you going into my induction on May 7th. I really wanted a drug free birth and in the end, I think I took every drug in the hospital. I want you to know before you read that it was a scary day, but it has a very, very happy ending. So, if you are one of those people who don?t want to read ?scary? birth stories, skip this one.
Here is the background information. I went in on Tuesday, May 6th for a NST to monitor the baby?s movements and heart rate. I really thought that this wouldn?t be a big deal. The baby has passed all its other tests with flying colors. We had already talked to the OB and scheduled my induction for May 12th. I figured I would be in and out and that I would hopefully go into labor in the next couple days. This was not to be, the baby ended up failing the NST because he had run out of room. They ended up doing a BPP and concluded that the baby was BIG, the tech said about 8-8.5 lbs. My OB said that we couldn?t wait any longer and that we should induce the next day. MY HUSBAND and I agreed.
After an afternoon of crying and accepting the fact that I would be laboring in bed the whole time, would have to use a bed pan, would end up with an epi because the pitocin was going to make the contractions too strong for me to deal with, and just accepting my 44% chance of having a vaginal delivery with induction, MY HUSBAND and I came to the agreement that we would follow our OB?s suggestions the whole time.
Delivery Day: We woke up and headed to L & D at 8:00am. We didn?t get into our room till about 8:45. There were other inductions scheduled for that day. When they checked me, they said I was 40% effaced and 2 cm dilated (good signs!) At 9:30, they started the pitocin and I started having contractions 2-3 minutes apart that lasted 45-60 seconds. I found out later when the nurse was on the phone with my OB that I was already contracting 4 minutes apart (I was not happy about this, I thought in retrospect that they should of let me go more natural to see if my body would put me into real labor.)
At about 12:30, I was at 5 cm. At this point the contractions were starting to get intense and I requested the epidural. I knew that sometimes there was a line of people requesting the epis and I wanted to make sure I got one before it got to be too much. I was third in line and ended up getting the epi in about 30 minutes after I requested it. The epi was NO big deal after dealing with contractions. I ended up sending MY HUSBAND out to have lunch with my MOTHER-IN-LAW who was waiting at the hospital. I was feeling NO pain. Then everything changed?
About 3:00, I realized that the epi was starting to wear off. So, I called MY HUSBAND to come back to the room and had him page the nurse. The anesthesiologist came and gave me two ?boosts? of the medicine in my epi. That did help to numb me again, but I could still move my legs. This time the epi lasted about an hour. I was checked and measuring 8 cm and 60% effaced. The anesthesiologist had to come back and try again to give me two more ?boosts? of the medicine. But this time it only lasted about 20 minutes and started to wear off.
I was in A LOT of pain. The contractions were about 2 minutes apart and peaking for 60-90 seconds and MY HUSBAND said that they weren?t coming all the way back down. I started to lose it a little bit. I was getting nauseous and ended up throwing up into a bed pan between contractions. My OB came in and checked me again. She said that I was still dilated but my cervix was starting to thicken. The baby?s head wasn?t fitting and my cervix was swelling from the pressure. She decided I needed an emergency C-section because there was no way the baby was coming out vaginally.
The OR was contacted and both of them were in use. So, I would have to wait at least 20-30 more minutes. I was in so much pain and was still puking. The only thing that I kept asking about was how the baby was handling things. But MY HUSBAND said that his heart rate never dipped. My OB offered me Stadol and I said okay. She said that it wouldn?t stop the pain; it would just change my attitude about it. BOY, she was right. As soon as they gave me Zofran, for the nausea, and the Stadol, I basically felt drunk. I even sat up and said, ?I haven?t been this drunk in ten months.?
Since we had the time to wait; they decided to try to fix my epi to use it during the C-section. They gave me two more ?boosts? but I could still move my legs and feet, so we decided that I would get a spinal block in the OR. Off we went to the OR. MY HUSBAND had to wait outside until my spinal block was in.
The first attempt to do the spinal block failed. I could still feel my legs and move them. So, when they tried the second time, I was put on my side. When the needle went in, I felt a hot pain down my left leg and then the pain stayed in my left calf. I freaked out, in a matter of maybe 90 seconds; they decided to put me under general anesthesia. I was asking for my husband the whole time, but everyone was talking and I then I was OUT.
This is the HUSBAND adding my two cents. When my wife was wheeled into the OR I was sitting in the hall in my paper scrubs. I was told once things were set up that I would be brought in the room. At this point I was fairly calm, because things were a little surreal. It had already been a long day. More then ten minutes passed and the surgical nurse came out saying they were having some issues with the spinal block and once they did a new spinal block they would get me. I again stood waiting in the hallway, a very empty hallway, listening to muffled voices behind two large doors. My concern kept getting greater each time another recent father kept walking passed me to the recovery room. Since he had recently been in my shoes, each time he passed and I was still standing alone outside the OR, I could see my concern in his eyes.
Occasionally I could hear my wife laugh, a drunk laugh, that was from the Stadol. This gave me some relief from my anxiety, but not a lot. Eventually after another 15 minutes the nurse came out telling me that the spinal block did not work and that they had to put my wife under a ?general?, so I couldn?t go in the OR. I was told to stand by a little window; once they had the baby they would open the blinds so I could see. I stood there still calm, but quietly crying. I was worried about my wife, and sad I wasn?t with her. Then I heard a baby cry through the doors, and I heard someone say it?s a boy. The blinds then opened and I saw Will in the nurse?s arms, the pediatrician put her arms apart showing me that he was a big baby and looking good. Everyone at this point relieved all my anxiety about my boy, I was now just worried and wanted to see my wife. This took about another half hour as I waited for her in recovery holding our son. In the end it was an even longer day but everything went well, my wife looked good (still drunk), and my baby lay asleep in my arms?.it?s simply amazing.
MY HUSBAND and I BOTH ended up missing our baby?s birth. I was asleep and MY HUSBAND never got back into the OR. I woke up to a very relieved MY HUSBAND in recovery and my son. We didn?t know what the gender of the baby was before. So I was so happy to find out that William Paul was healthy and never had any problems during the delivery (no heart rate change.) He scored a 9/9 on his Apgar scores. He was born at 7:44pm after 10 hours of labor. He weighed 9lbs 1.6 oz. He was 21 ? inches long. And his head circumference was 36 cm (that?s over 12 inches ladies!!) No wonder he didn?t fit out the regular way!!
Now the HAPPY ENDING: Recovery was NOT AT ALL BAD. Our nurses were AWESOME, they knew so much and helped my breastfeed and recover! I couldn?t have done it without them. GBMC (in Maryland) was the best! I was up and moving the next day. I was in very little pain and I ended up going home a day early. I was home before Mother?s Day. We even went out on Mother?s day up to my SISTER-IN-LAW, so we could celebrate with my family. Breastfeeding has been great. I used the nipple shield and I still do. I figure, I have to get the Boppy, the receiving blanket, and all the stuff to entertain myself out, so one more thing isn?t a big deal. The nipple shield does protect your nips. I haven?t had any cracking or bleeding. I also use the Lansinoh. Will is doing great! I couldn?t be a happier mom. I wish you all luck and can?t wait to see you on the 0-6 board (once I find time myself J) By the way, we went to the pedi yesterday and Will weighed 10 lbs and was in the 95 percentile!
Sorry about the capitals...