- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Natural Birth
mrshall10210
member
Options
My natural birth that never happened LONG!
mrshall10210
member
Just wanted to post an update and birth story after my unplanned surprise induction on Thursday.
I had an ultrasound to check fluid levels while waiting to go into labor on my own. They were low, 2.4. My midwife was concerned enough to recommend that I have an induction that evening. I was crushed. I cried all afternoon before going back to the hospital. I was terrified of being induced and the consequences that could mean for baby and myself. I felt like my chances for birthing naturally were taken from me before I even had a chance to try. Of course, I understood that this had to be done for obvious reasons, but I was convinced my natural birth plan was not going to happen. I was right.
Prior to starting the induction, I was about 80 effaced and not dilated at all. Thursday night, the induction was started with 2 doses of cytotec. By morning, they had done nothing to change my cervix so at 6am, they started Pitocin. My contractions started out nicely enough, and by lunch time I was not able to talk through them. I tried my best to relax my whole body and breathe through them. I felt like I was doing a good job. They checked me and i had not dilated at all, so we decided to try a balloon that is inserted into the cervix and filled with water to try and help me dilate. The contractions continued. However, by about 3pm, they were becoming pretty severe. I walked a bit and rocked my hips with DH helping me. By 4pm, I was completely unable to control myself. The contractions were coming very close together and were much longer. I lost any ability I had to relax through them and my whole body just shook while I basically hyperventilated through them. During the short time periods between them, I slept,
as I had not gotten even one minute of sleep the previous night. Around 7pm, they checked me. I was 1 cm dilated. At that point, I broke down. I knew I could not do it any longer. I had an iv shot of Demerol and begged for the epidural. Immediately I passed out and slept until 1 am. At that point, they checked me again, and I was already at 7! And of course, in absolutely no pain. By around 4:30 am I was fully dilated, and baby was still doing well, so I was allowed time to just relax and allow baby to continue to move down on her own, which was nice. I requested that they turn down my epidural at that point, because I could not move my legs at all. We did, and my sensation returned, which made me feel better, but then I began having back labor pains again. They were bearable, though. At about 6:30, I started pushing, and my baby girl was born at 7:12 this morning.
My water never did break. We don't know for sure if it was leaking slowly through labor, and we didn't notice it break because there was so little volume, or if I had been leaking all along. She had passed a small amount of meconium during the labor and her cord had wrapped loosely around her neck. She was fine, with an apgar of 8 and nursed from both sides like a champ. She is only 5lbs and 12oz!
We did get to delay cord cutting, which was nice. I was also in charge of the pushing, although I never felt like trying any positions other than on my back at an angle with my legs pulled back. I had a 2nd degree tear which didn't seem too bad at all.
I didn't end up getting the birth I wanted. My body was just not ready for labor. However, I felt like we made the best of it and I tried as long as I could to go pain med free. At least I don't have to wonder if I could have done it without it, because I know I could not have. The hours of insanely awful labor were worth it to me to just know that. I don't have to wonder if I tried my best, because I know I did. And I have a beautiful, healthy girl in the end and that's all I care about.
I appreciate every one of you who took the time to answer my questions, tell me your stories, and reassure me over the past 9 months. I learned so much, and I plan to hang around and pray that next time, things go more according to plan.
Julie Evelyn:
I had an ultrasound to check fluid levels while waiting to go into labor on my own. They were low, 2.4. My midwife was concerned enough to recommend that I have an induction that evening. I was crushed. I cried all afternoon before going back to the hospital. I was terrified of being induced and the consequences that could mean for baby and myself. I felt like my chances for birthing naturally were taken from me before I even had a chance to try. Of course, I understood that this had to be done for obvious reasons, but I was convinced my natural birth plan was not going to happen. I was right.
Prior to starting the induction, I was about 80 effaced and not dilated at all. Thursday night, the induction was started with 2 doses of cytotec. By morning, they had done nothing to change my cervix so at 6am, they started Pitocin. My contractions started out nicely enough, and by lunch time I was not able to talk through them. I tried my best to relax my whole body and breathe through them. I felt like I was doing a good job. They checked me and i had not dilated at all, so we decided to try a balloon that is inserted into the cervix and filled with water to try and help me dilate. The contractions continued. However, by about 3pm, they were becoming pretty severe. I walked a bit and rocked my hips with DH helping me. By 4pm, I was completely unable to control myself. The contractions were coming very close together and were much longer. I lost any ability I had to relax through them and my whole body just shook while I basically hyperventilated through them. During the short time periods between them, I slept,
as I had not gotten even one minute of sleep the previous night. Around 7pm, they checked me. I was 1 cm dilated. At that point, I broke down. I knew I could not do it any longer. I had an iv shot of Demerol and begged for the epidural. Immediately I passed out and slept until 1 am. At that point, they checked me again, and I was already at 7! And of course, in absolutely no pain. By around 4:30 am I was fully dilated, and baby was still doing well, so I was allowed time to just relax and allow baby to continue to move down on her own, which was nice. I requested that they turn down my epidural at that point, because I could not move my legs at all. We did, and my sensation returned, which made me feel better, but then I began having back labor pains again. They were bearable, though. At about 6:30, I started pushing, and my baby girl was born at 7:12 this morning.
My water never did break. We don't know for sure if it was leaking slowly through labor, and we didn't notice it break because there was so little volume, or if I had been leaking all along. She had passed a small amount of meconium during the labor and her cord had wrapped loosely around her neck. She was fine, with an apgar of 8 and nursed from both sides like a champ. She is only 5lbs and 12oz!
We did get to delay cord cutting, which was nice. I was also in charge of the pushing, although I never felt like trying any positions other than on my back at an angle with my legs pulled back. I had a 2nd degree tear which didn't seem too bad at all.
I didn't end up getting the birth I wanted. My body was just not ready for labor. However, I felt like we made the best of it and I tried as long as I could to go pain med free. At least I don't have to wonder if I could have done it without it, because I know I could not have. The hours of insanely awful labor were worth it to me to just know that. I don't have to wonder if I tried my best, because I know I did. And I have a beautiful, healthy girl in the end and that's all I care about.
I appreciate every one of you who took the time to answer my questions, tell me your stories, and reassure me over the past 9 months. I learned so much, and I plan to hang around and pray that next time, things go more according to plan.
Julie Evelyn:
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: My natural birth that never happened LONG!
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
First, congratulations on your beautiful little girl! She's absolutely perfect!
Second, I will echo the support that these lovely ladies gave to me when I wrote about my disappointment with my medicated birth that I had with my son. I also had to be induced, and after 19 hours (and not sleeping for well over 24 hours) I requested an epidural. It allowed me to get some much-needed rest, and I dilated to a 10 in no time at all. It was a tool my body needed to help me get through a long and difficult labor, and I know now that I did the right thing by asking for it and getting some sleep. I'm sorry that you didn't have the birth experience that you wanted, but you did an amazing job and you should be proud of yourself. *hugs*
Oh she's so sweet! Congratulations on the arrival of your little girl.
Epidural are a wonderful thing when they're needed and I'm so glad you were able to have the things needed so your baby could arrive healthy and loved.
I understand the fast contractions, my most recent labor only allowed 30 second to 1 minute breaks and at one point I told my husband "I really want an epidural but don't tell Lauren (doula) she'll be disappointed."
Getting an epi was a wise decision! Who knows how it would have ended had you not been able to get some much needed rest! You did a fantastic job mama!
She is just beautiful! Enjoy your little bundle of joy! Congratulations!
had to change my sn
Miracle Baby #1 - March 2012
Yep! I totally agree!
Congratulations - she's beautiful!!
I totally get your strong desire for a natural birth, *and* you are a rock star for hanging in as long as you did under the circumstances -- you know you did everything you could. I am thankful epidurals are there for situations like yours -- so glad she's healthy. All births are natural...we get hung up on what it means to be medicated, but there are very good reasons to use medications.
She is beautiful! Congratulations!
Back labor is horrible and exhausting and unrelenting. If I have it again I'm not torturing myself and will opt for an epi. I'm impressed at your strength, you did great!