Benjamin Peter's awesome induction

mrs.ptb

He's here and now we are home!My birth story is pretty quick and uncomplicated.  I had a great pregnancy, but in my family, no one has ever gone into labor on their own (7 nieces and nephews and I am one of my mom's 3). Based on this (and our ability to make giant babies if we wait too long), I was scheduled for my induction to happen the night of my due date. Unfortunately, there were no beds available so they pushed me back indefinitely. Lucky for us, we are good friends with a NICU PA, so she was able to talk to some people and I went in the next morning.  About 14 hours after I wwas originally scheduled.At my 39 week appointment, I had made no progress from 38 weeks. 1.5cm and about 50% effaced. My doctor was figuring the induction would take 24-36 hours.I wanted to start with a cervix softener rather than pitocin. This had seemed to work best of all of my sisters' inductions. They checked us into the hospital around 10:30ish Wednesday morning. I hung out in triage for a little while, then we were moved to a pre-labor room. The gave me misoprostol at 2:10pm. Within 30 minutes I was having regular 5 minute apart contractions lasting for a minute or more. Another 2 hours later and it seemed the contractions were getting worse. Turns out, I was having them more frequently, I just wasn't feeling all of them.They came and checked me at about 5ish. I hadn't progressed at all, but since the contractions were so regular they would not be able to give me anymore misoprostol (it is given in 4 hour increments). They said, once space opened in L&D they could move me there, do a fully balloon, and then once I hit 4 or 5cm they would start Pitocin. They were figuring I would be moving to L&D around 9pm.Since nothing was happening, I sent my husband out to get himself some dinner. I no sooner do that, than a nurse comes in and says she is moving me to L&D. The contractions were getting worse, but still weren't as bad as I was expecting labor to be.I let my husband know what was happening and he got to L&D right after I did. By the time we were in the room the pain level I had given the nurses for the contractions had gone from a 6 to a 9 (remember, I was still expecting it to be much worse). I went to the bathroom remembering that I had heard/read somewhere that an empty bladder helps labor go easier/quicker. The contractions got worse! They came in with the doctor who asked about an epidural since the nurses told her I wanted to wait as long as possible. They told me there was a scheduled C and an emergency C, so if I waited it could be another 4 hours minimum before the anesthesiologist was able to come help. I said I had been concerned with the epi slowing down labor. The dr. said that was in conjunction with Pitocin, but right now my contractions were hard enough and strong enough that she didn't think it would be a problem. She wanted to break my water and said the contractions would get worse once she did that. I still wasn't understanding that I was in active labor. The birthing class I took had me convinced that was after 4cm. I agreed to the epidural now. which really meant about 3 hours later, but it wasn't to bad.They came and gave me an IV painkiller. Nubane and Benedryl. They hit me beyond hard and threw me for a loop. That was around 8:30 or 9pm? I went from "I want to die" to "ooooh I need to lay down" almost instantly. Before I knew it, the  anesthesiologist was giving me the epidural at 10ish. They broke my water and while she was breaking my water a contraction took me completely from 3 to 4cm.I relaxed and fell in and out of sleep. The nurse came in and asked how the pain was. I had never been told - or didn't know I had been told to push the button for the epi! She pushed it once and said I could push it again at 11pm. I watched the clock for 20 minutes and pushed the button. She came back in and I asked about needing to flip to the other side so that the epi was even. She said yes, let's check me while I flip too.She checked and said I just had a lip of cervix left and to not push the button anymore. It was going to be time to push soon. She put me in an upright seated position with my legs spread and told me to let her know when I got the urge to push.About an hour later, I woke up my husband and told him it was almost time. He asked if he could sleep 5 more minutes. I said ok...the nurse had said the longer I could wait to push, the easier it would be because the baby will have done more of the work.  Rather than 5 minutes, I tried to tell myself to wait another half hour and start pushing at 1am. Again I watched the clock. At 12:50, I couldn't wait anymore. I called the nurse to tell her I was ready. We started with a practice push right before 1am. The nurse said I should wait a little longer because I could be pushing for 2.5 hours if I didn't. I had another contraction and said, nope, definitely want to push now.After my first "real push" the nurse said the baby would be out by 2:12am. I pushed through the contractions and sure enough, he was born at 2:13am!I had a slight tear that required 1 stitch. Other than that we were pretty good to go. He had a few latching issues in the beginning, so now I am a bit sore, but recovering. He was already to his transitional poops within 24 hours, and breast milk poops before leaving the hospital! He has a bit of jaundice, so I am a little sad about that, but hopefully it will fix itself quickly. We have our first pediatrician appt. tomorrow morning.

Oh! And he failed his hearing test on both sides   but once of the nurses told me about 90% of the babies fail the first time on one or both sides...it is just fluids. So he'll go back for another check on Friday). 

rickandcaitlin

Congratulations! Sounds liek a nice smooth labor and delivery!

CeHbunnie

Congrats he is adorable!