Gage's Birth Story (kmbk27)

kmbk27 · September 2014

First thanks to my Labor Buddies for keeping S14 updated. Thanks, @Yuristar‌ and @MMason12‌! Also, thank you to all of you who sent thoughts or love tits or tacos.

Short Version: Gage Douglas was born 9/4/2014 (12 days before EDD) at 10:11pm weighing 7lbs, 4oz and measuring 20 inches long.

Less Short Version: Wednesday morning I was laying in bed thinking about how I had packages of baby things arriving that day and the next two days, and I had class on Saturday. I figured I would go overdue (EDD 9/16), but if I didn't any time he decided to come after my class on Saturday would be cool. After I finished this thought I got out of bed with my alarm at 7:30am to get ready for work, and my water broke as soon as I stood up. Called work to let them know I'd either be late (if it wasn't my water though it clearly was) or not in for the next couple months. Got in the shower, did a load of laundry, eventually headed to the hospital around 10:30am. I was contracting only slightly, and I was a tight 1cm and 60% effaced when checked. Two rounds of Cytotec and 8 hours later, I was still only barely dilated. So, around 8 pm, they started pitocin.
The pit got the contractions going strong. I bounced on the birth ball, walked the halls, etc to cope. Finally decided I wanted to sleep because at my last check I was only dilated to a 3. Well, I got IV pain meds (was attempting to avoid an epidural), they didn't help at all, and they made me throw up. Awesome. Finally, at 2 am, I asked for the epidural. It was in by 2:20am, and I was asleep almost immediately after. I was woken up intermittently for checks/to have my bladder emptied, and little man just seemed really eager to hit every number on the dilation scale. Each check had me at a higher number than the last until I was complete.
I did a few practice pushes around 7 o'clock this morning, then was left to labor down since he was still 0 station. Around 8am, I started pushing for real. After an hour and a half, the nurse called my doctor and told her I was making progress, but not enough, and I was fading fast. My OB came in and checked me during a contraction. She said I had two choices: she could use vacuum assistance to get baby out ASAP, or I could keep pushing and do it myself because she knew I could do it. She stayed with me through another half hour of pushing coaching me through, and Gage Douglas was born at 10:11am nearly 27 hours after my water broke. I ended up with a second degree tear, but this little boy is so worth it. We are exhausted, I am so sore, but we are very happy.