VBAC Success!
Sunday 11/15 I woke up around 6 am realizing I forgot to insert my EPO capsules the night before. I put them in and went back to sleep.
While sleeping I felt a little squishier than usual, but chalked it up to the increased EPO dosage my OB had put me on and went back to sleep.
At 9 am I got up to pee and felt warm water running down my leg. I sat on the toilet and a lot more water came out, yet my bladder was still full.
My water broke!
I told DH who was giving DS his breakfast.
I spent the day cleaning, working, nesting, grocery shopping etc.
I stalled until 7 pm to check in to L&D, mainly because once I got there there was no leaving, and I didn't want to say goodbye to DS 1 too soon knowing I wouldn't see him for a few days. I explained this to my OB on the phone and she was fine with it as long as I stayed out of the tub and didn't have sex.
7 PM check in at the hospital. I'm having really tiny contractions that I dont even feel, and I'm 1/2 cm dilated, 0 effaced.
I go to bed knowing that nothing is happening for a while.
9 am 11/17 a new OB is on ( a man that I have avoided at my practice for my entire pregnancy, and I really dislike)
He says he wants to get me going on pitocin and get this baby out because of the risk of infection.
11 am I am still 1/2 cm 0 effaced. The pitocin is started and I'm now bed-bound, hooked up to fetal monitors and feeling very trapped.
Contractions started immediately at 3 minutes apart.
My pitocin level was upped every 30 minutes.
By 2 pm I could not focus through the pain. I couldn't breathe through it, I just wanted it to stop. Well, there was no turning back, so stopping was out of the question.
At 4 I get examined by a nurse and I'm 1.5 cm and 0 effaced .
30 minutes later the OB comes in and repeat examines me ( I assume to try and push me to the OR for lack of progress) and says I'm 5 CM and 80% effaced.
I get the epidural I always swore I'd never need at 6PM. It really did take the edge off and make it possible for me to relax for the next 2 hours while I contracted heavily and very strong.
I could still lift my legs, feel my feet and lift my butt off the bed, but my contractions just felt like cramps so that was good enough for me.
at 8 pm I felt immense pressure in my rectum. The nurse checks me and says I'm 7 CM and that when that pressure is non stop, THEN it's time to push, but I have a way to go still.
20 minutes later I ask her to get the Dr because the pressure is just not right, it's relentless and painful and makes me want to puke or crap.
The dr examines me and says " get the bed ready, it's time to push"
WHAT?
8:20 I start some "practice pushes"
It's exhausting to push. It really is. Because no matter how deep you inhale first, it's just not enough to get you through 3 sets of pushing for 10 seconds each.
I keep saying " I quit, I'm not cut out for this, I can't do it"
Meanwhile, the baby's head is almost out.
The dr comes in. 3 pushes later ( I say that now like it was so easy)
3 VERY exhausting, very difficult pushes, one episiotomy later and he was out! It was the wildest sensation I've ever felt in my life.
" pushing through the pain" took on a whole new meaning. you literally have to dig in to some primal reserves of strength and mindset and PUSH like you've never pushed anything before.
They laid him on my chest immediately and I started in to his chubby little face, half exhausted, half amazed at what we just did.
He weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces, 22 inches long!
Quite smaller than DS 1 who was 10 lb 12 oz 22 inches long!
He nursed right away and we came home very late last night ( after the minimal 24 hour post delivery stay requirement)
I just wanted to be home with my husband DS 1 and DS2, the cats and the dog.
Hospitals suck. Hospital food sucks. Hospital beds suck.
we are all doing great so far! My vagina is pretty sore from the stitches and swelling, but it pales in comparison to the recovery of a c-section. I'd do it 20 times over rather than have that recovery again.
So, that's my story! The VBAC I wanted and never thought I'd get!
Re: VBAC Success!
Yay, Bonzer! Congrats! I love this story.
Can I ask, what was the reason for your C/S with your DS #1?
Sarah - 12/23/2008
Alex - 9/30/2011
"I say embrace the total geek in yourself and just enjoy it. Life is too short to be cool." - Shirley Manson, Garbage
Congrats!
I'm hoping for a VBAC. Last appt Ob said they'll only let me go til 41 weeks tops and dont recommend meds for augmenting or inducing. I guess that's normal. I'm surprised you were induced as their is a higher chance of uterine rupture.
Pitocin is not contraindicated for VBAC, according to the link at the end of this post. Prostaglandins are, as many studies have shown they greatly increase the risk of rupture (a lot of people think it softens the scar tissue as well as the cervix). Studies on pitocin induction and VBAC are inconsistent. Most of the time, there's no significant difference, and in the studies where there are, the rupture risk is still around 1% or less.
That said, spontaneous labor has a higher success rate than an induced VBAC, but that's the same as with any pregnant woman.
https://www.acog.org/acog_districts/dist9/pb054.pdf
Sarah - 12/23/2008
Alex - 9/30/2011
"I say embrace the total geek in yourself and just enjoy it. Life is too short to be cool." - Shirley Manson, Garbage