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| Waiting to be induced |
At 39, 40, and 41 weeks I had my membranes sweeped. If you have no idea what that is, I'd google it. It's not the most pleasant experience out there though. This of course did nothing. I also worked up until I hit my due date (I would have continued if my work would have scheduled me), which involved lots of walking but of course I did that all of my pregnancy. I basically tried everything I could think of that I knew of. At 42 weeks, and 0 dilation, I was supposed to come in to be induced.
I was originally scheduled to go in on that Sunday, but after calling the hospital I found out they were understaffed so we got pushed back to the Monday. Monday, I called and came in first thing in the morning. I was checked in but still at a 0. I was still trying to avoid pitocin as I wanted that water birth so they gave me a dose of cytotec to try and induce without the pitocin. After that I was free to roam the hospital and get some breakfast. I don't remember if I was given a second dose of cytotec or not but I do know that I felt nothing. When the nurses would monitor me, they said that I was having little contractions that were almost on top of each other but not strong enough to do anything.
After a long conversation about how this wasn't working and we were now in the evening of day 1, we decided to try pitocin as well as a baloon catheter. The catheter is put into the cervix to help dilation. It is supposed to fall out on it's own around 4 cm. We were also under an agreement that if my labor starts, we'll pull me off the pitocin to see if it continues without it. I was still hoping for that water birth or at least a natural birth of some kind.
I started having contractions after that. When you're on pitocin you have to be monitored and I kept having to pee which kept me having to go off the monitor. I felt dumb because I couldn't ever get it situated just right when I came back. I also felt like all I was doing was peeing. LOL. At some point, while in the bathroom, the catheter ripped out of me. It was taped to my inner thigh to keep the pressure and I don't know if I really was dilated enough or not but I think it was taped a little too tight so when I went to sit it ripped out, and not that nicely.
After that, since I was having contractions and I was at least at 4 cm, they agreed to take me off the pitocin. At this point it was super early in the morning and I was UNCOMFORTABLE to say the least. I kept jumping in the bath trying to relieve some of the discomfort.
Somewhere in the morning, they sent me off to a laboring room. They wouldn't let me use the birthing tub yet though so I was in a different room that didn't have a tub. Because I was two weeks over due, they wanted to make sure there was no meconium in the water before they would allow a water birth. If there ended up being meconium that I wouldn't be allowed a water birth. At this point things were definitely moving along and they were guessing i'd have him around 1:00 or so.
I pretty much stayed on the birthing ball all morning and was trying to breath through all of my contractions. I took another pee break and while in the bathroom, my water broke. At this point, because they hadn't actually seen it, they made me wear a pad so they could make sure it was clear and wheeled me to the room with the birthing tub. I know everyone has had difference experiences with their water breaking but mine was literally gushes of water. I was sitting there and all of a sudden a flood of water would come out of me. All over the floor in between the two rooms. It happened probably 3 times, and I remember being so embarrassed and continuing to apologize for it. Because you know, I had so much control over it. LOL.
At that time, it was obvious the water was free of meconium so I went into the tub. I stayed in the tub for the next 6 hours! I literally did not progress at all, if anything tightened back up a little. My midwife had been afraid that if she was to break my water earlier that it would take pressure off and I wouldn't dilate. That's the big reason it wasn't done artificially. She was exactly right too. Without that pressure of the water bag, I stopped progressing. Unfortunately for me though, I was still having contractions. And they were painful contractions, right on top of each other. Again. I was getting no breaks in between and it wasn't helping me progress.
After that 6 hours I just remember being done. I told them to go ahead and put me on pitocin and I wanted an epidural too. I felt like I was giving up but I was so tired by this point. And I never wanted to go into labor with the pitocin.
Literally 45 minutes after being put on the pitocin and given the epidural, I had my little boy. He was the most precious little thing ever. I remember trying not to cry really hard even though I really wanted to.
My family had been sitting at the hospital all day by this point but I was determined to breastfeed so I wouldn't let anyone in the room until after I nursed him. That went great as well, and he was just perfect. I do have some pics I'll share but they're not the greatest quality so bear with it. I also have a video if you want to watch. Beware, it is a birth video but you really can't see anything unless you're staying at my hooha and not the baby.
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| The perfect baby |
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| Me with my brothers |
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| My dad holding Gideon |
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| Gideon at 1 month |
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