Extremely positive induction w/epidural
EricaOO
member
I read that inductions usually resulted in long and very painful labors or that there was a liklihood that it would end in a C section. This was not the case for me at all, although I was nervous when told that they would have to induce.
On the morning of December 5, 2013, I left for work and felt what I thought was increased discharge. Before going home that evening, I felt it more and started to wonder if it was my water leaking. I called my OB on my way home from work and since I was leaking fluid, he told me to go to L&D. At L&D they took a sample and confirmed it was amniotic fluid. My water DID break and it had been a slow leak all day. Since my water had broken several hours beforehand and I wasn't having any contractions, they said i would need to be induced and hooked to antibotics to prevent an infection. I was terrified. My due date was still 2 weeks away, I had no hospital bag, and hadn't eaten since lunchtime (it was now 7pm).
I was admitted to my room and hooked up to the IV/all the monitors. I was not dialted at all. After the pitocin was started, I just laid in bed for 6-7 hours before feeling anything. I had to get up to pee a million times though. ugh. So it's the middle of the night and my contractions finally start. They start off feeling like dull menstrual cramps, which to me just feel like a dull pain in my pelvis, not crampy. They build in intensity and I start asking for the epidural. The pain was not excruciating or unmanageable but I didn't want to find out how bad it could get. I had to wait about 20min for the anastesiologist. When he arrived, I sat at the edge of the bed, leaned forward, was told not to move, and he administered the epidural in between contractions. This wasn't painful, just a pinch. I was numb pretty quickly but could still feel pain on the left side. I let him know and he fixed it. Hallelujuah. I felt great. I went from 0-9cm very fast in about 1 hour and was then told it was time to push.
My husband held one leg, the nurse held the other, and I pushed for 40min. I did not feel a thing, only pressure, which was how I knew when to push. Baby girl Riley was born at 12:46pm on December 6, 2013. Her Apgar score was an 8.
Not everyone equates a painless birth with a perfect birth but I had a great experience and my daughter is healthy.
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