Induced...very quick labour. No pain meds!

I called Labour and Delivery at 6am on Thurs. Sept 3rd to find out when I was to come in for my induction (I was overdue and had a slow leak in my water).  The charge nurse told me that they were very busy and they would call me later when they had a time for me.  I ended up getting a call at 12noon.  They told me to come in at 2pm. 

I had been dilated to 5cm since the Monday before.  I was hoping they would just break my water and that I could avoid the pitocin since I was having contractions, just nothing that got stronger or closer together.

We were brought to our room right at 2.  We had to wait for our nurse since she was in the OR with a c-section.  We had some snacks, listened to some music, and checked out the room.  I got changed into my gown and they put me on the monitors to check out the baby.  They hooked me up to the IV for fluids.

At 3:15 they broke my water.  I was 6cm dilated before they broke it.  I was laughing big time when they broke my water.  It was like a tidal wave all over the bed and every time I laughed, more water would come gushing out.  The nurse and the OB, DH, and I all had a pretty good laugh which kind of relaxed me.  They decided to give me 2milis of pitocin and I was told I could go walk around or whatever I wanted.  I didn't want to stay on the monitors and that was totally fine with my nurse and OB.

As an aside, my nurse Grace was awesome.  She was Dutch and super nice.  She told me that since I am Dutch too that I would have no problems :-)

We went for a walk, called some friends, and had a few laughs.  Tommy is really funny and he was videotaping me and making me laugh.  My contractions were coming stronger and closer together.  We got back to the room at 4pm.

I was checked by a student OB at about 4:15, and she said she thought I was still 7.  Grace asked the resident OB to check me too, but the resident said she trusted the student.  I think Grace thought I was further along and seemed a little ticked that the other OB didn't do the check. 

I laboured standing next to the bed with Tommy putting counter pressure on my hips.  I was also sort of rotating my hips like I was hula-hooping and that seemed to help.  I was having a tonne of pressure down low...I decided to try the birth ball.  It was pretty good too, but I was feeling like I needed to pee so I went to the bathroom.  While I was in there peeing, I suddenly felt like I needed to push.

Grace got me back on the bed and checked me.  She said I was 10 and paged my OB.

I started to push just as my OB ran in.  I couldn't help it.  I gave one push and they all yelled STOP! because she was coming out....I yelled "I can't stop pushing!!!" and my body just kept pushing her out.  I would say it was about 4 pushes that were combined into one long push.

They put her right up on my chest.  She was looking all around.  She seemed very curious and she didn't cry.  She was breathing fine and didn't have to get suctioned or anything.  Totally different than my son who was crying before his whole body was out!  I breastfed right away and didn't need any stitches!  No tearing!

She was born at 4:59pm and scored 9 and 9 on her apgars. 

When they took her to weigh her and check her out, I realized I hadn't had any pain meds.  No epi, no drugs!  We named her Penny.  She was 7lbs 12oz.

I tried to cherish every moment because I am pretty sure our family is complete with two kids.  It was amazing and I think that giving birth is just the biggest miracle.  The labour and delivery was exactly what I had hoped for.  I was able to work through the pain without drugs and I didn't have to stay in bed labouring on the monitors. 

If you read this whole thing....WOW!  I am longwinded!  LOL