my 30+ hour, but successful induction story

USCgirl · February 2010

This is a long post, but aren't most birth stories.

Just wanted to post my birth story, since I was really nervous about being induced. I went in for my induction at 41 weeks. My induction began at 8 pm, at that time I was 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated (I had been dilated 1 cm for 4 weeks now)- I knew that this didn't bode well for a successful induction . The doctor began the induction by placing Cytotec to ripen my cervix. During the treatments, I only had mild period like cramping. I did ask for something to help me sleep, because I knew that I would need my energy.

At 3 pm the next day, I had had 4-5 treatments of Cytotec and I was only 3 cm dilated and 85% effaced. My doctor had decided to break my water at this point. Once my water broke, I immediately began to have contractions. Since the contractions were regular, they did not start me on pitocin. I had to breathe through every contraction- the best way for me to get through each contraction was to have my husband give me a number. I would then take a cleansing breath, take the number of breaths he specified and then take another cleansing breath. This took my focus off the pain. After about 2 hours, I began to get scared that if I waited to get my epidural then I would be in horrible pain and it would take to Dr. forever. So, I had them get the anesthesiologist , who literally came in about 5 minutes later. Oh sweet relief!!! The epidural was amazing.

At 8 pm, I was checked again and was only 4 centimeters dilated. What the heck!!! I prepared myself for the possibility of a c-section. They began pitocin on me. I was checked again at around 11:00 and I was now 8 centimeters dilated. I was so happy. I was bleeding a lot since I had dilated so quickly. At around 1am, I was 10 centimeters. II started to push at around 1:15/1:20. I thought that this would be the hardest part, but it really wasn't. I think that all my walks to try to encourage the baby to come out really helped me. They would tell me to give 3 strong pushes, and I would ask them if I could do 4. The Dr. did give me an episiotomy (I was not familiar with this Dr, but have a feeling that he does them routinely). 30 hours after my induction started my baby boy had finally arrived. At 2:44 am on 2/20 our little Jacob was born. He weighed 6 lbs, 15 oz.

What this new mom learned/didn't expect during the whole process:

-The worst part of the epidural was being confined to bed. My hips were killing me! This was actually probably the hardest part of labor for me.

-How difficult it was to share a room after the delivery. My hospital only has a limited number of private rooms, which is an extra fee. Unfortunately, they had no more left. Since the other bed in my room was occupied, my husband could not stay with me and could only visit during visiting hours. Here I was this brand new mom, after being induced for 30+ hours and had this new baby with me without my husband's support. On Saturday night, I even started to cry. All that I wanted to do was go home. I even had the lady in the bed next to me telling me that she thinks that my newborn has colic because he was crying. Umm, hello lady HE IS A NEWBORN BABY!!! BTW, her first child was in the NICU for several weeks and her current child (her 2nd) was staying the nursery due to respiratory distress so she had never cared for a newborn all on her own.

-You know how everyone tells you to enjoy your sleep while you are pregnant, well I still think that it is BS. I absolutely love waking up at nights taking care of my little man. Last night, he wanted to eat 5 times between 10 pm and 7 am. I loved every minute of it. When he is eating and looks with his beautiful eyes, it melts my heart. -Despite having an episiotomy, my recovery has been pretty easy. I really have had very little pain down there. Most of my pain has been muscle soreness from bearing down while pushing. I have taken a couple of Motrin, but that is about it.

-How much I really love breast feeding. I do eventually want to begin pumping and bottle feeding, but I don't know when yet. I love feeding him and spending that time with him. Sometimes though, this does have my husband feeling helpless. The only time the baby cries is when he is hungry and my husband can't really do much for that. - The period like cramping does not stop. Before I was pregnant, I thought that you only got the cramps with your period. I have now learned that you get these cramps throughout pregnancy and even after when your uterus is shrinking. Breast feeding stimulates your uterus to contract, so I especially feel them then.

-How many people throughout my hospital stay would see my whooha and my boobs.

Good luck ladies!! I do also have to be a proud mama and share pictures that were taken at my home, when my little man was 6 days old.