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November 2014 Moms
howin23
member
Marissa's birth story -- cytotec disaster
howin23
member
To start, I want to say that Marissa and I are doing very well. She's a week old today and is sleeping and nursing well, and I'm already out taking long walks and grocery shopping. So despite the disaster that L&D was, things are fine now.
I was due November 22nd. Last Tuesday, the 18th, hubby kissed me goodbye to head to work, then got delayed because he lost his chapstick. I rolled over and while he was looking for his chapstick realized I was wet. Thanks to the lost chapstick, he hadn't left yet. He grabbed me a tissue, and when I stood up water gushed out. Way more than I expected, but my fluids had been high at 26. He rushed around to grab the last minute things on the list and I tried to help but was saturating a full hand towel about every 2 minutes. We got in the car, me on a plastic bag and big towel, and I called the OB as we headed to the hospital. They said yes, go in.
8:30 am -- Got to the hospital and they were in no rush to get the paperwork done. So much for having preregistered.
9:15 am -- Brought into triage and they checked me. BP 154/95, way high for me, but I was really nervous. They decided to monitor me for preeclampsia (I had no idea it could kick in up to a month after delivery)
9:43 -- Cervix check, 0 dilated and 0 effaced, but they confirmed that my water had broken (not that there was any question). One of the docs in my practice came in and we went through my options. Because my water had broken, we needed to induce, but anything vaginal risked infection, so cervadil and the bulb thing and vaginal cytotec were off the table. Oral cytotec was my only option. We said okay, but asked to talk to the anesthesiologist about options since my hematologist had recommended against an epidural due to my bleeding issues.
9:57 -- IV inserted for GBS and electrolytes (evidently have to have electrolytes if doing oral cytotec)
10:09 -- GBS meds started.
10:38 -- Move to High Risk Pregnancy room because that's where there was space (not high risk at this point). BP down to 134/84.
11:22 -- Finish paperwork and living will. Eat a granola bar and have some ginger ale, since I haven't eaten since the night before.
12:20 -- Cytotec dose 1
2:30pm -- Cytotec dose 2; Contractions had started by this point but they couldn't find them on the machine (which I now know is common for cytotec). The nurse said it was just irritable uterus and that I wasn't having contractions. I insisted I was and hubby started timing them. They weren't bad at this point, and I was working on a crossword puzzle and reading a news magazine. Hubby was working remotely.
2:35pm -- 2nd GSB dose of ampicillin started (every four hours)
4:35pm -- Cytotec dose 3; Complaining of strong contractions and asked again for the anesthesiologist, whom by this point we'd been asking for since around 9am. We were told "he knows you're here."
5pm -- OB shift change. Expecting the next doc to come see us soon. Pain is getting worse.
6:09pm -- Contractions are strong and timeable, but I could still rest in between them. Checked a text message from a friend around this time. Asked where the OB was and was told she was on her way in. Approaching the next dose of cytotec but my pain was getting out of control. Very nauseated from the pain.
6:30pm -- Learned from the nurse that the first OB said to hold off on another dose of cytotec until we could get the pain under control.
7pm -- Still asking for the anesthesiologist, and contractions getting worse. Start vomiting up the little I had in me. Ask what we can do about the pain because I know it will only get worse. Dilated to 2cm. My response: "are you kidding me?"
7:20pm -- Nurse gives me stadahl, calls it a "miracle drug," and it doesn't do a damn thing. Learned later that stadahl rarely works once you're in full-on labor. Anesthesiologist and OB laughed when we said the nurse gave me stadahl and said they don't even know why it's used, other than that it's the only thing the nurse can use without a doc's approval. Nurse still can't find my contractions on the monitor, still calling it irritable uterus.
8pm -- Pain is getting worse, contractions longer and closer together, but I can still fall asleep in between them. Still asking for the anesthesiologist and for my OB.
9:15pm -- Contractions are 2 minutes long with a 30 second break. Anesthesiologist arrives and recommends fentanyl (which I asked for weeks ago, and was told my hospital wouldn't do it). I'm in so much pain by this point that I ask about an epidural just because and tell them to call my hematologist. He said "if you were my sister, I wouldn't do it" and "Even if you did decide to do it, I'd have to get the hospital general counsel to authorize it." So I say "well then give me the fentanyl, can we start that?" Evidently he needed my OB's approval because it could affect the baby. So he left without giving me anything.
9:30pm -- I say "where the hell is Dr. XXX" just as my OB walks in. The nurse hadn't told her there was any issue with pain so she was blindsided. She starts trying to figure out the fentanyl, but needs the anesthesiologist to authorize it as well, and now he's in surgery and unreachable.
9:45pm -- 5cm dilated. I'm in full-on labor and extreme pain. Seems like three doses of cytotec was too much for me but at this point it's like a high-speed train that can't be stopped. Contractions are 2 minutes long and overlapping now. As one dies down, the next is already starting. I'm really upset and hubby is pushing on my back with every contraction. Still trying to sleep in between but getting really aggressive. Nurse says they're moving me to L&D and I can get fentanyl there. I say "why can't I get it now?" They put me in a wheelchair mid-contraction (bc there are no breaks at this point) and move me.
10pm -- OB has the nurse give me a "small test dose" of fentanyl and says we need to wait 30 minutes to see how the baby handles it. Then a fight ensues. The charge nurse (aka troll woman) comes in and flips out bc the nurse pushed the fentanyl instead of the OB, who was busy trying to stretch me because I was in "turbo labor" so she expected bad tears. Charge nurse sends my nurse home, gets mad at my OB, who turns to hubby and mouths "WTF?" I finally get involved a say someone just get the fentanyl. Charge nurse dismissively says that the pharmacy has to mix it and it will take half an hour, and that the anesthesiologist still has to approve a drip and he's still in surgery. I desperately shout/cry "well someone just order it."
10:50pm -- 7-8cm dilated, completely effaced, +1, and still no fentanyl drip. Now pretty much one constant contraction. Absolutely miserable since 5cm. OB says I'm almost ready to push and troll woman gets upset and says "she can't push! she's not at 10cm!" Nobody listens to her.
11:30pm -- I finally get the fentanyl drip, but the OB says I can't use it within an hour of delivery, so she'll let me have it for 15 minutes (2 pushes) and then she's taking it away. I get literally 20 minutes of relief.
11:50pm -- I declare that I'm pushing. I don't care what troll woman says, my body is telling me to push. Fentanyl drip is taken away but I actually didn't mind the pushing. It didn't hurt at all compared to unnaturally dilating from 5 to 10 in two hours. I keep pushing while hubby and a new nurse hold my legs and OB desperately tries to stretch me out.
12:30am -- OB asks, "Are you ready to have this baby?" Then she says she's taking the table apart and gets everyone in the room.
12:40am -- Marissa is born. I had two 2nd degree tears (one was 3cm). Baby got 9/9 on the APGAR tests (blue feet) and was able to be put on my chest immediately. Hubby helped wash her up, vaccinate her, etc. while the OB sewed me up (needed another doctor to help), did the massage, and gave me a clotting medication and another antibiotic due to the tearing. Then there was some debate about when the baby was born (stupid hospital, change your clocks for daylight savings!), and we finally got moved to our room around 4:30am (I think, but maybe it was 3:30).
Overall, it was a pretty bad experience. The fact that it took 12 hours to get to talk to the anesthesiologist and then bureaucratic infighting delayed my medication was ridiculous. My OB was pretty angry about it. But at the end of the day, I have a healthy baby and I'm doing pretty well. I lost more blood than normal but my iron levels are fine and we came home on time. Everyone says you forget the pain, but I gotta say, I can't forget that kind of pain, and neither can my husband. I really hope that with my next baby I don't need to do cytotec basically without pain meds.
I was due November 22nd. Last Tuesday, the 18th, hubby kissed me goodbye to head to work, then got delayed because he lost his chapstick. I rolled over and while he was looking for his chapstick realized I was wet. Thanks to the lost chapstick, he hadn't left yet. He grabbed me a tissue, and when I stood up water gushed out. Way more than I expected, but my fluids had been high at 26. He rushed around to grab the last minute things on the list and I tried to help but was saturating a full hand towel about every 2 minutes. We got in the car, me on a plastic bag and big towel, and I called the OB as we headed to the hospital. They said yes, go in.
8:30 am -- Got to the hospital and they were in no rush to get the paperwork done. So much for having preregistered.
9:15 am -- Brought into triage and they checked me. BP 154/95, way high for me, but I was really nervous. They decided to monitor me for preeclampsia (I had no idea it could kick in up to a month after delivery)
9:43 -- Cervix check, 0 dilated and 0 effaced, but they confirmed that my water had broken (not that there was any question). One of the docs in my practice came in and we went through my options. Because my water had broken, we needed to induce, but anything vaginal risked infection, so cervadil and the bulb thing and vaginal cytotec were off the table. Oral cytotec was my only option. We said okay, but asked to talk to the anesthesiologist about options since my hematologist had recommended against an epidural due to my bleeding issues.
9:57 -- IV inserted for GBS and electrolytes (evidently have to have electrolytes if doing oral cytotec)
10:09 -- GBS meds started.
10:38 -- Move to High Risk Pregnancy room because that's where there was space (not high risk at this point). BP down to 134/84.
11:22 -- Finish paperwork and living will. Eat a granola bar and have some ginger ale, since I haven't eaten since the night before.
12:20 -- Cytotec dose 1
2:30pm -- Cytotec dose 2; Contractions had started by this point but they couldn't find them on the machine (which I now know is common for cytotec). The nurse said it was just irritable uterus and that I wasn't having contractions. I insisted I was and hubby started timing them. They weren't bad at this point, and I was working on a crossword puzzle and reading a news magazine. Hubby was working remotely.
2:35pm -- 2nd GSB dose of ampicillin started (every four hours)
4:35pm -- Cytotec dose 3; Complaining of strong contractions and asked again for the anesthesiologist, whom by this point we'd been asking for since around 9am. We were told "he knows you're here."
5pm -- OB shift change. Expecting the next doc to come see us soon. Pain is getting worse.
6:09pm -- Contractions are strong and timeable, but I could still rest in between them. Checked a text message from a friend around this time. Asked where the OB was and was told she was on her way in. Approaching the next dose of cytotec but my pain was getting out of control. Very nauseated from the pain.
6:30pm -- Learned from the nurse that the first OB said to hold off on another dose of cytotec until we could get the pain under control.
7pm -- Still asking for the anesthesiologist, and contractions getting worse. Start vomiting up the little I had in me. Ask what we can do about the pain because I know it will only get worse. Dilated to 2cm. My response: "are you kidding me?"
7:20pm -- Nurse gives me stadahl, calls it a "miracle drug," and it doesn't do a damn thing. Learned later that stadahl rarely works once you're in full-on labor. Anesthesiologist and OB laughed when we said the nurse gave me stadahl and said they don't even know why it's used, other than that it's the only thing the nurse can use without a doc's approval. Nurse still can't find my contractions on the monitor, still calling it irritable uterus.
8pm -- Pain is getting worse, contractions longer and closer together, but I can still fall asleep in between them. Still asking for the anesthesiologist and for my OB.
9:15pm -- Contractions are 2 minutes long with a 30 second break. Anesthesiologist arrives and recommends fentanyl (which I asked for weeks ago, and was told my hospital wouldn't do it). I'm in so much pain by this point that I ask about an epidural just because and tell them to call my hematologist. He said "if you were my sister, I wouldn't do it" and "Even if you did decide to do it, I'd have to get the hospital general counsel to authorize it." So I say "well then give me the fentanyl, can we start that?" Evidently he needed my OB's approval because it could affect the baby. So he left without giving me anything.
9:30pm -- I say "where the hell is Dr. XXX" just as my OB walks in. The nurse hadn't told her there was any issue with pain so she was blindsided. She starts trying to figure out the fentanyl, but needs the anesthesiologist to authorize it as well, and now he's in surgery and unreachable.
9:45pm -- 5cm dilated. I'm in full-on labor and extreme pain. Seems like three doses of cytotec was too much for me but at this point it's like a high-speed train that can't be stopped. Contractions are 2 minutes long and overlapping now. As one dies down, the next is already starting. I'm really upset and hubby is pushing on my back with every contraction. Still trying to sleep in between but getting really aggressive. Nurse says they're moving me to L&D and I can get fentanyl there. I say "why can't I get it now?" They put me in a wheelchair mid-contraction (bc there are no breaks at this point) and move me.
10pm -- OB has the nurse give me a "small test dose" of fentanyl and says we need to wait 30 minutes to see how the baby handles it. Then a fight ensues. The charge nurse (aka troll woman) comes in and flips out bc the nurse pushed the fentanyl instead of the OB, who was busy trying to stretch me because I was in "turbo labor" so she expected bad tears. Charge nurse sends my nurse home, gets mad at my OB, who turns to hubby and mouths "WTF?" I finally get involved a say someone just get the fentanyl. Charge nurse dismissively says that the pharmacy has to mix it and it will take half an hour, and that the anesthesiologist still has to approve a drip and he's still in surgery. I desperately shout/cry "well someone just order it."
10:50pm -- 7-8cm dilated, completely effaced, +1, and still no fentanyl drip. Now pretty much one constant contraction. Absolutely miserable since 5cm. OB says I'm almost ready to push and troll woman gets upset and says "she can't push! she's not at 10cm!" Nobody listens to her.
11:30pm -- I finally get the fentanyl drip, but the OB says I can't use it within an hour of delivery, so she'll let me have it for 15 minutes (2 pushes) and then she's taking it away. I get literally 20 minutes of relief.
11:50pm -- I declare that I'm pushing. I don't care what troll woman says, my body is telling me to push. Fentanyl drip is taken away but I actually didn't mind the pushing. It didn't hurt at all compared to unnaturally dilating from 5 to 10 in two hours. I keep pushing while hubby and a new nurse hold my legs and OB desperately tries to stretch me out.
12:30am -- OB asks, "Are you ready to have this baby?" Then she says she's taking the table apart and gets everyone in the room.
12:40am -- Marissa is born. I had two 2nd degree tears (one was 3cm). Baby got 9/9 on the APGAR tests (blue feet) and was able to be put on my chest immediately. Hubby helped wash her up, vaccinate her, etc. while the OB sewed me up (needed another doctor to help), did the massage, and gave me a clotting medication and another antibiotic due to the tearing. Then there was some debate about when the baby was born (stupid hospital, change your clocks for daylight savings!), and we finally got moved to our room around 4:30am (I think, but maybe it was 3:30).
Overall, it was a pretty bad experience. The fact that it took 12 hours to get to talk to the anesthesiologist and then bureaucratic infighting delayed my medication was ridiculous. My OB was pretty angry about it. But at the end of the day, I have a healthy baby and I'm doing pretty well. I lost more blood than normal but my iron levels are fine and we came home on time. Everyone says you forget the pain, but I gotta say, I can't forget that kind of pain, and neither can my husband. I really hope that with my next baby I don't need to do cytotec basically without pain meds.
It's a girl! Due November 22, 2014
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Marissa's birth story -- cytotec disaster
Dx: PCOS
DS1 born 11/2014
DS2 born 11/2018
3 previous losses
Rainbow baby due 12/2021 - Team Green
I did put in a complaint about the nurse who was responsible for f-ing up my meds.
On the bright side, congratulations!
Holy crap. That was insane. I get it. Totally. My labor was a lot shorter but pretty much turbo labor. I was already in so much pain I was seriously contemplating a epi and you did all this without barely any pain medicine for lot longer than me. Super woman you! Don't let this terrible experience stop you from future babies. Maybe your Ob can take steps to make the next labor easier.
Congrats on your baby girl!
BFP#4 3/17/14 - rainbow Baby BOY arrived 11/10/14 !!
DX: Uterine Septum - Resection 9/5/13 || MTHFR Hetero A1298C || My Chart