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ibis
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Positive induction story, no epi
ibis
member
I hope my story will be encouraging to anyone who has their heart set on a natural birth but needs to be induced... it can be done!! On Monday January 18th I went for a scheduled OB appt at 40 weeks and 4 days pregnant and we saw on ultrasound that the amniotic fluid level was a little low. The next morning DH and I went to the hospital for further testing (biophysical profile and non stress tests) and the overall picture showed that baby was possibly not thriving and better off delivered that day. I was admitted to L&D on Tuesday morning. My OB knew of my preference for a med-free birth, so she broke my water at 11 am to give me a chance to progress on my own. I was 2-3 cm dilated and 90% effaced when she broke my water. The plan was to start me on Pitocin at 2 pm if needed. I spent three hours walking and sitting on a birthing ball, and my contractions became more organized but were still mild, so just before 2:00 they started a Pitocin drip at the lowest dose ? one unit. They would increase it by one unit each hour. DH and I listened to a hypnobirthing track to relax, but my contractions started coming on strong quickly. We called our doula and told her to come to the hospital soon. She arrived around 3pm and I was already having pretty heavy contractions that I had to breathe and sigh heavily through. I was checked around that time and was 5 cm. I had thought I would want to move around a lot during labor, but the contractions were really strong and close together ? the nurse said they were about two minutes apart, and some of them were doubled up ? throughout active labor. I changed positions a few times but mostly stayed on the bed. Our doula took advantage of one break between contractions to tell me that I should try to make my breaths longer, focus on moving the contractions down, and keep my vocalizations low and deep. This was really good advice and was pretty much what I was focused on through the rest of my labor. I think it was around 4 pm that I was checked again and was at 6 cm. The contractions were really hard, and each time I felt a new one coming, I felt like I couldn?t hang on. But my coaching team of DH, our doula, and the L&D nurse were absolutely amazing. They kept me going because I knew they totally believed I could do this and they kept telling me that I was doing great ? and they kept telling me that it was moving fast. I just kept thinking that I would keep going for one more contraction. I?m glad that no one ever offered me pain meds or an epidural, because I think it would have drained my confidence. Transition was fast and furious ? during every contraction I felt like I was going to give up, and between contractions I still felt crampy as though I were having menstrual pains. My moans had turned to deep, primal yells and I briefly had the thought that I must be scaring all the other delivering mothers on the floor. I started having an urge to push but was still at 9cm so I had to spend some time blowing through the pushy feelings, which was incredibly difficult and frustrating. I heard Dr. J come in and ask if she had time to go to the grocery store. They told her she had just enough time to do that but it would be really soon! That gave me another boost of confidence that I could make it to the end. Dr. J and the baby nurse came in and they let me start pushing sometime around 5 pm. For me pushing did not feel like relief ? it was very painful, difficult, and exhausting. I felt like I didn?t know how to do it and there was no way I could possibly push a baby out of my body! But DH, our doula, and the L&D nurse were cheering me on like crazy, and the baby nurse acted as the drill sergeant, giving me some much needed stern motivation. I felt the ?ring of fire? but it didn?t hurt nearly as much as Dr. J stretching the perineum to make way for baby. Suddenly I heard DH cry, ?There he is, oh my god!? and I opened my eyes and saw our baby in Dr. J?s hands. I couldn?t believe he was there ? relief washed over me. They laid him on my chest immediately, and he stared into my face (and pooped all over my belly!) as his daddy and I stared back at him and cried with happiness. Miles was born at 5:56pm after 7 hours of labor (4 hrs from the time they started Pitocin), scoring 8/9 on his Apgars and looking beautiful and healthy. He was 7 lbs 3 oz, 19 ? inches long, with his daddy?s big feet, some dark blond hair, and a handsome little face all his own.
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Re: Positive induction story, no epi
Matthew Kevin
7/31/83-7/20/11
Met 1/8/00
Engaged 4/21/06
Married 9/29/07
Two beautiful legacies: Noah Matthew (2 yrs) and Chloe Marcella (8 mos)
Day Three