G's Birth Story!

Due to complications, pre-e/PIH, I was induced at 37 weeks.On May 10^th I went into the hospital at 6 am.  After getting all checked in, I received myfirst round of cytotec at 7:49 am. I wasn?t dilated or effaced, my cervix wasstill high and posterior, but soft. Needless did I know, my uterus was tiltedand my cervix was always high and posterior and would never come down, whichmade internals brutally painful.

Anyways, about an hour after I got the first cytotec Istarted having consistant contractions every 1-2 minutes that lasted about 45sec-1 min. 3 hours after getting it, I was dilated to a 3, 50% effaced, and mycontractions were on top of each other. They actually had to give me Fentanylto slow my contractions because I would have 4 contractions back to back whichwas causing my BP to raise. I was suppose to get the second tablet of cytotec 4hours after the first, but since I was in active labor the doctor didn?t wantme to have it, and the nurse believed I would have DS before her shift ended at7pm that evening. Around 4pm my contractions started to taper off, and theygave me another round of cytotec. I was between 3-4cm dilated and around 80%effaced at  that time. Again, mycontractions started coming but ended up getting irregular and less frequent,then completely stopping by the time the doctor came in at around 9pm. Hedecided to let me get some sleep and start pitocin in the morning. They gave mesome ambien at 10pm and I slept like a baby, which was good since I was soanxious the night before that I hadn?t slept in 36 hours at this point and Iwas physically and emotionally exhausted. Physically because I went from being in active labor to nothing over andover again, and emotionally because I was fearful that the induction wasfailing and that I would be sent home.

The next morning I received the pitocin around 7:45. I was  still 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. The nursesaid it was a pretty aggressive approach with pitocin and was doubling the doseevery 30 min instead of every hour to hour and a half. I was having irregularcontractions, but nothing that really amounted to anything. Around 12pm I wasat the highest dose of 60ml/hr (I started at 2ml/hr). Around 1pm I was havingvery intense contractions. I broke down a few times and my mom would have to refocusme. These contractions were no where near like the contractions I was havingwith the cytotec. They were awful.

At 2ish the nurse came in to check me. I had told the nurseI needed to go to the bathroom and pee. At that point she was logging onto thecomputer, and I said ?Uhhh?nevermind I think I just peed myself?no?wait?.Ithink my water broke?.noooo?I think I peed myself?? She checked and indeed mywater had broke. She then checked me, I was 4 cm dilated and 100% effaced. Iwas so discouraged at this point. For the next 2 ? hours I breathed, cried, andturned into a crazy woman. Finally, I gave in and asked SO and my mom to callthe nurse so I could get the epidural. I could handle the contractions beforemy water broke, but they hurt so bad after. The amount of pressure and pain wastoo unbearable. My SO, doing what I asked him to do before we went to thehospital, told me I wasn?t going to get it because I didn?t want it and madehim promise that he wouldn?t let me give in. He refused to go get the nurse andI threatened to kick him out. I grabbed the nurse call light and told them Iwould do it myself, if they weren?t going to help me. He finally gave in andwent and told the nurse I wanted the epidural. And the nurse assured me Iwouldn?t have to have a catheter (that?s what I was most afraid of for somereason).  I, somehow or another, signedthe consent and the anesthesiologist came in and did my epidural. I was soon inheaven. It was so amazing and the pain was completely gone. Everyone told me topush the button so I wouldn?t be in pain, but I never had to push it. I feltnothing, no contractions, no pressure?.nothing. At 6pm I was 8cm 100% effaced,but my cervix was still high and posterior. The doctor came in and said thatthey wouldn?t check me anymore and just to let him and the nurses know when Ifelt pressure. I sat there and kept asking my mom what ?pressure? was suppose tofeel like. Finally at 7pm I asked the nurse to come in. I told her I feltdifferent, but that I couldn?t really feel anything so I didn?t know if it waspressure. She told me I was complete and that she was going to have me do a fewpractice pushes. I asked her if she was going to turn down the epidural becauseI couldn?t feel anything and she said no unless I couldn?t push well. I did 2practice pushes and she said she needed to go get the stuff to set up the roomand let the doctor know we were ready. SO asked how long it would take now andthe nurse said anywhere from 5 min to 3 hours. There was no way I was going topush for 3 hours. That?s just insane, I?d already been there for 36 hours, Iwasn?t going to extend it longer.

After the room was all set up, the nurse had me do a fewmore practice pushes for the doctor to see. The nurse also lowered the mirrorfrom the ceiling so I could see as well, because I kept asking if he had a lotof hair (that was my only concern, haha) . After 2 more practice pushes, thedoctor got into place and said I was an amazing pusher. I was pretty excited.For every contraction, I pushed 4 times. I asked if I would have to have anepisiotomy, but the dr said I had tons of room with his head. When his headcame out they asked me to give one more push, but the doctor also had to pullquite a bit because DS shoulders got stuck (he has very wide shoulders like hisdaddy). At 7:29pm DS was born. He weighed 8 lb 4 oz and was 20 inches long.

I was having some issues afterward and SO stayed by my sideinstead of going to DS, I kept saying ?just go take pictures baby, I want lotsof pictures??. Once my placenta detached I was bleeding quite a bit. The doctorhad clamped off two areas where I had torn, but the bleeding hadn?t stopped. Heended up putting this device that looked like tongs but instead of the trianglepart at the top it had a spike on each side that came out (sorry that soundskinda confusing).  He put it up there tohold open my cervix and check to see if my cervix tore or if my uterus tore. Iended up losing about 3 pints of blood, and couldn?t really hold DS because Ikept passing out. For some reason, I didn?t need a blood transfusion and myhemoglobin and hematocrit were low but not so low to need a blood transfusion.Somehow or another the bleeding stopped and the doctor was able to stitch meup. I had two tears. A second degree midline tear on my perineum and a seconddegree tear up the left side of my vaginal wall? And the doctor thought I hadenough room?? I don?t understand that. But the tears were straight, so theyhealed pretty quickly. We?re still unsure as to why I bled so much afterward,but at least it stopped. And I am so glad after seeing that device, that I gotthe epidural because I can?t imagine the pain that would have caused otherwise.SO and my mom had to hold DS for his first breastfeeding because I passed outagain and was very weak, but he ate well.

DS is now 4w1d old and it?s so surreal. I?m so in love withhim and wish the days would grow longer because he?s already growing up toofast. He had horrible trouble latching due to how my nipples were turned andhow big my breasts are so I pumped until my milk supply took a huge dip (I usedto get 6-9 ounces every 3 hours and now I get 1-2 ounces every 2-3 hours). Sowe are 25% BM 75% FF, and we?re still trying to get used to the change, sincehe seems more gassy and having harder time pooping, he pooped once in 28 hourswhen he used to poop at every feeding. We?re also still trying to find theright formula for him. Right now he is taking Similac Isomil Advanced SoyFormula because he seems to have quite a bit of trouble with the cow milk basedformula. But anyways, sorry that?s a bit long.