Birth Story (EDD Oct 1, born Oct 7)

I really enjoyed reading different birth stories for different perspectives. My turn now Sorry so long, I like details!

Lots of BH in pregnancy and was 3cm dilated at 40 weeks with no signs of real labour.

Early labour started Monday (40+4) from mid-afternoon and overnight (enough to wake me up but very able to go back to sleep in between the 10-30minute spaced contractions). They picked up in intensity and frequency Tues morning. They were painful enough that I could see my loose plan to try not have an epidural quickly disappearing. Hubby tried to help keep me distracted with Netflix, even sat on the bathroom floor while I took a bath and we Netflixed on the iPad. I didn't really think the contractions were intense enough to count as active labor but since they met 5-1-1 rule and by them I knew I definitely wanted at least some morphine, off we went. Luckily I was just at 4cm, station zero and got admitted and had a single dose of IM morphine around noon. Contractions stayed regular (every 2-5min, lasting 60-120 seconds) but were so manageable (such that my GP didn't think I was in active labour)! We watched Hitch on our laptop (best hospital bag decision:)) and I stayed upright a lot of the time, I found walking or leaning my back against a wall the least painful. Between I either stood or sat/bounced on a yoga ball. My lower back was getting pretty tired but wasn't too painful, massage from my husband was great for this! My GP remained really skeptical about me being in true active labor (and I was concerned too, I just thought the contractions weren't "bad enough" but nothing to compare to as a FTM) so everyone was surprised to find I was dilated to 7cm at 5:15pm. Up to that point I thought had decided that I was going to get an epidural, just wasn't sure when. Finding out I was already seven cm made me wonder if I could keep going and see how things went. We started Save the Last Dance and carried on. Later, I was trying to plan ahead and when I started asking questions about other pain options, one my nurses suggested a bath. (I tried the gas once too but wasn't a fan of it).  I slipped on an old loose sports bra but skipped my swim bottoms (modesty... goodbye..). The hot water was heavenly but after a half hour I felt like being on my back was making everything more painful. So, I started kneeling in the tub instead, sitting back on my heels. During contractions I would go more hands and knees style and lean on the front edge of the tub. I think I was in the tub only an hour or so in total but it was a nice change. Got an IV and a dose of fentanyl and at 8:30pm I was 9cm+ with an anterior and right sided lip. Did a few contractions on pseudo hands and knees with the bed upright and hugging the head  of the bed and a few on my right hand side, to try and rid of those lips. Things were painful but I was shocked at how manageable I still felt they were (albeit with another dose of fentanyl) -- by no means did I start labour thinking I have a high pain threshold. Unfortunately at 10:30pm everything was exactly the same and my GP was convinced now that this was because of her asynclitic head presentation. She recommended getting an epidural (with oxy to keep contractions going and not risk stalling things, my hospital's policy in general apparently), and catching some shut eye asked hopefully with my pelvis fully relaxed baby could turn.

The epidural went in at 10:40pm (took three tries cause of scoliosis...owies) and hubby and I both got some sleep. The epidural took absolutely all the pain and sensation away from belly down. I couldn't even feel the pressure from the contractions! Eventually my right leg also got quite floppy - I could move it around in the bed up and down but couldn't lift it. At 12:30am I was fully dilated so they started turning down the epidural a little at a time. I couldn't feel any pressure down below but the awareness of the contractions started to return so at 2:15am (and baby seemed to be getting tired) so they thought I should I started pushing. (The nurses and GP had a good chuckle about the fact that DH was snoring away during this.... Finally had GP wake him up at 3am:D). After an hour my GP called Obs for their opinion. They tried guiding her head to turn while I was pushing but it didn't work and they said even though I was pushing well baby was not descending at all. He said we could try forceps or go straight to a c section and he gave me an option but I asked what he recommended and he said he was doubtful that forceps would be effective and he was a little concerned about her heart rate. So after 21 hours of early labour, 15 of active, and 2 hours of pushing.... I opted for surgery and we joined Team Pink! Alyx was born at 5:33am, weighing in at 8lb 1oz, 47.5cm length and 35cm head circumference. Apparently she likes to tuck chin to chest and look left

She feeds like a champ and is the spitting image of her dad.

Congratulations / good luck with delivery October mamas!