Isla Grace's Birth Story

laurblum · May 2014

At 41 weeks exactly, I was scheduled to be induced on Friday May 23 at 7:00 in the morning. During the week leading up to the induction I was, of course, hoping to go into labor on my own. Around Weds I started noticing mucous like stuff every time I used the bathroom, but I never saw the plug completely come out or any type of bloody show. Weds night I started vomiting like crazy and Thursday I had diarrhea all day. I guess this was either nerves or my body trying to prepare for labor by expelling the contents of my stomach. I still hadn't had any contractions so I figured it was nerves. Thursday night into Friday morning I started having cramps and feeling like I had to go to the bathroom but when I would try, I couldn't go. By the time I was up and showering before heading to the hospital on Friday I knew they were mild contractions. When I got there they hooked me up to the monitors and sure enough they were. My doctor came in and broke my water and they started pitocin. I was already dilated to 4 and 60% effaced as of my OB appointment the previous Monday, so my body was definitely getting ready. I held off on the epidural as long as I could but finally caved around 9:30. I felt so much better, but only temporarily. I don't know what was wrong, or maybe this is completely normal, but once the contractions started getting stronger I felt like I was in full on pain. I began pushing around 2:00 and it was hell. At around 3:00 it started getting really bad and I don't even know how I got the job done. I'm not the best at handling pain!!! Isla Grace was finally born at 4:11 after over 2 hours of pushing. She weighed in at a whopping 9lb14oz and 22 1/4in long!! No wonder it was so hard to get her out!! I can't believe my labor was only 9 hours, but I am so thankful because I had no idea it would be so painful even with the epidural. Luckily, I escaped with only some minor tearing and overall healing has been going well. We have been struggling a bit with breast feeding because my milk still isn't in, but we're doing all we can and hopefully that gets easier. I feel like I haven't been on TB in ages!! Hope everyone is doing well and if you still have an inside baby it will be out very soon!!!!