XP - finally an outside baby

khagan9368 · June 2012

Well I love reading other people's birth stories/experiences so I will share mine (in case ya'll do to).

Last week my MW told me to come in the following Wednesday and "if I was still pregnant" they would schedule my induction (chronic high blood pressure, they didn't want me going past 39 weeks). So I of course spent those 5 days or so trying every old wives tale known to man, spicy food (killed me with heartburn) lots of sex (least my husband was happy) pineapple core (back to heartburn) and walking (flat out uncomfortable) all with NO results. ugh

Wednesday morning I was determined to get some cleaning done because lately I accomplish one or two things then collapse. So i'm vacuuming and stuff and started getting really really painful cramps, but more like the kind of cramp you get from running, not contraction like. Weird.

I manage to get myself and my 3 yr old dressed pausing to stretch and pant cause this cramp thing REALLY hurt. Fine, driving to my appointment I start feeling different TIMEABLE pains, ruh-roh - contractions? Anyway I just try to ignore them and get to my Dr's office. We arrive and I'm in the waiting room and ended up knocking on the door because it hurt so badly that i couldn't sit there. They scooted me right in and got me on the monitors. Definitely having contractions but not very regular. Now they come in with the blood pressure machine and here's where things start to go south.

186/137 - YIPES, danger danger. My MW agrees to check me but says one way or the other we ARE going to the hospital. So she checks me and I am ONE centimeter (yep, ONE) oh nooooooooooooooo. Ok I pack us up and get back in the car (hospital is around the corner so they let me bring my car there) and called my husband to get ready and leave work. Checked into L&D where I was again put on the monitors and the contractions were still there. Blood pressure is still way high. The plan is to intervene with balloon catheter and pitocin to get labor going. Ok fine. I'm not happy but I'm trying to stay positive.

Then they go ahead & strip my membranes, well what do you know, my contractions immediately pick up so everyone is happy thinking we may not need to intervene. They decide to wait a bit and see if things are happening on their own. A few hours later I get checked again, STILL a 1

Somewhere in there the Husband arrives and grabs DD to head home and get hospital bag (that I hadn't even packed yet, yeah I suck like that)

insert balloon things here (extra fun was that they let an intern "try it" twice before the mid wife stepped in and did it, I really need to learn to speak up and stop being so friggin nice" They also started pitocin on low. I asked about eating but was told liquids only (I had a english muffin sandwich at 10 that morning and dammit I was hungry) oh well, no turning back now. My H got back around 8 with my stuff, hung out for a bit but went home with DD to wait for the call (not ideal but it was better that he stay with DD) MW said that the balloon thing would fall out between 3-4 centimeters or they would take it out after 12 hours. Please please let this thing fall out is all I can think, no such luck. Sometime after midnight they came in and offered me a shot to take the edge off in the hopes that I could get some rest, I agreed. And did get some sleep (thank god)

6 the next morning its time to take out balloons and assess my progress, i'm a THREE, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, a 3??? My positive attitude is rapidly dissapearing. I contemplate a c-section (even posted on the bump about it, lol) In the end I decide to stick it out. I agree to get the epi (contractions are now 2 minutes apart and BAD, pitocin is no joke) I wanted to be further along before getting it but I am SO GLAD I got it then, it definitely helped things. I could not believe what a great feeling it was, I could totally feel my legs but it's like the contractions dissapeared, AMAZING! Shortly after that my MW broke my water - also a lot more pleasant with an epi in place. Back to relaxing/resting and waiting. Not so bad now that the pain is gone. A few hours go by, I dozed on and off but now it's like 2pm and I'm starting to feel a little weird, my catheter (did I leave that part out?) is starting to feel weird, just pressure pressure. I tell my nurse about it and she grabs the MW to check me, i'm an 8! woo hoo, I dilated more in a few hours then I had in a full DAY, i'm HAPPY. Now it seriously seemed like MINUTES later that I felt like I was going to poop myself, nurse is shouting happily, "don't poop, that's the baby", as she's dashing out to grab the MW, they both come rushing in and are telling me to breathe and just "hold on"

I'm panting and OMG I can't help it i'm PUSHING. I manage to say "someone better get down there cause I CAN'T stop pushing" lol. Sure enough I'm at 10 and baby is right there. My lovely amazing heaven sent MW busted out some mineral oil and started massaging and stretching while coaching me through the pushing. I think it was honestly 4-5 pushes and his head was out, seconds later his shoulders and the rest of him. NOT A TEAR, NOT A STITCH! Amazing!

There was a small scare because James wouldn't cry at first but after a little stimulation I finally heard him and all was well. They put him on my chest and let him feed for a while which was so nice. We are both happy and healthy and I am SO GLAD I stuck it out, this recovery can barely even be called a recovery, everything down there is AOK.

This story ended up way longer then I thought it would, hopefully you found it funny or entertaining (or both). Good luck everyone!!!