My Induction Birth Story

kayd8 · November 2014

I've gone back and forth about posting a birth story, and decided to do one because the ones I read while pregnant were super helpful to me. This is going to be very long...sorry! Hopefully it's helpful for someone preparing for their own labor!

TL;DR Induction at 38 weeks, 13 hours of pitocin labor plus 1 hour of pushing. Hoped for med-free, but got an epidural 11 hours in. 6 lb 7 oz and 20 inches long!

At my 31 week ultrasound we discovered I had low fluid. It was so low we discussed what would happen if we had to deliver in a week or two. Luckily though my fluids went up, and then gradually fell again. At 36 weeks, my doctor said she's ready when we are, but not past 38 weeks. So when our 37 week scan showed a safe number, we scheduled the induction for 38 weeks.

We got a few hours of sleep before waking up at 5 for a 6 am check-in. Within the first hour, my IV was placed, monitors hooked up. By 8 am, we started pitocin. It was increased every half hour, until we settled at 48 ml/hour by the afternoon. The first several hours were uneventful, quiet.

After almost 6 hours of pitocin, I had dilated from 2 to 3. My doctor came to break my water. When she did, I said, "That felt like a mess." After this, I moved from the bed to the labor chair. My contractions picked up in intensity and were 2-3 minutes apart. I stayed focused and breathed through them. I also took my glasses off and never looked at the monitors. I only wanted to know what I felt, not what a machine told me I should feel. Some contractions I was still not feeling.

2.5 hours after water breaking, I made the decision to move back to the bed because my butt hurt sitting on the chair. My nurse offered the labor ball, and I declined because I didn't like it that much when I practiced positions at home. The first contractions after I moved were manageable. Then suddenly I went from completely manageable to not. At this time, I slowed down to 5 minutes apart, and I started feeling the contractions lower. Commence the loud moaning, long drawn out curses, and shaking the bed rails. My husband has since asked what these ones felt like (he was too nervous to ask in the moment), and I don't really remember. I can only say for sure that they were stronger than a tightening/rubber band feeling.

I spent 2 hours doing this, staring at my nurse call button wondering when she was coming back because shift change was soon. In my mind, I decided I'd ride out these contractions until she came back and I could get checked. (I found out later my nurse and doc had been in a c-section during this time.) The relief during this time was that when I wasn't having a contraction, the release was so complete I could almost fall asleep.

15 minutes after shift change, my nurse and doctor came in to find me moaning. Apparently they asked me questions, but I don't remember that. My doctor checked me, and I started a contraction while she was still there. After it finished, my nurse said "We have IV pain relief options..." and I stopped her and asked how far along I was. Preparing for birth, my husband and I discussed that if I was a 7 or more when wanting pain relief that we should not do it. As soon as my doctor said 5 I said, "I want the epidural!"

Over the next half hour, I had my bag of IV fluid (something I forgot I would need with an epidural), a nurse shift change, and then the epidural angel. I injured my back as a child, so I was anti-epidural and anything touching my spine for that reason. However, once I was having the pain that made me want one, it did not matter to me. I felt the sting of the numbing needle, and then only some movement and a lateral twinge with the placement. I had a contraction during it, and managed to stay still, something I been sure was impossible.

After the epidural fully took effect, I only felt pressure in my pelvis, no pain. We ordered dinner. Less than an hour after the epidural, I was a 7. Dietary came with food at 7:45. At 8:30, my nurse came in and said that my doctor would be back by 9. Then she checked me, and immediately paged to have my doctor called to come in now. I was still just feeling pressure, no urge to push, but apparently I was +5. At 8:45 my doctor arrived and we started pushing.

My doctor predicted he'd arrive at 9:39, and she was off by just 3 minutes. He was born at 9:42. Before my own labor, I thought an hour of pushing sounded like a long time. It was the fastest hour of my life. When I was one set of pushes away, I looked down and could see part of his head. Seeing this was exactly the motivation I needed to push him out the next contraction.

Some reflections...

-I probably shouldn't have moved back to the bed. If you want pain med-free but need continuous monitoring, do what you can to get up and out of the bed.

-I'll always wonder what the rest of my labor would have been like without the epidural. I was pushing 2 hours after the placement of it, but maybe I wouldn't have progressed as fast without it. Ultimately, I'm okay and happy with the decision because the end of my labor I was able to fully enjoy the experience.

-I saw a recommendation on this board to put a voice recorder on your phone. I'm so proud my husband had the wherewithal to press record, because I have a record of my last pushes and his first cries. It's really magical.

The end!