On Monday I went in for my scheduled induction, at around 6:30 AM. It took a little while to fill out paperwork and get settled in, so it was about 8:30 or 9 before the induction actually started.
They installed a foley catheter into the cervix to dilate it (I arrived at about 1.5 cm and about 50% effaced, just like I'd been at my last checkup), and I got an IV for the Penicillin (Group B Strep positive) and to get the Pitocen going. Then we settled in expecting a long day. I started feeling the contractions as fairly strong and uncomfortable by 10 or 11, but not bad. My family came in to visit, and I was able to talk to them, which actually distracted me pretty well.
When we got to the hospital, we prayed that every contraction would accomplish something, and God definitely heard my prayer! We went into this with the mindset that we don't know what will happen, or how well I'll tolerate the pain, so we were open to whatever pain management we felt was necessary, but would see how it went without any intervention, and take it from there.
We sent my parents out around 11:30 so I could get up to go to the restroom without their having to see my behind through my beautiful hospital gown. As I got up, we discovered that my water had broken, or it broke just as I was moving off the bed. Once that happened, obviously the catheter had done its job, so I was at least 3-4 cm dilated by this time.
Because my water had broken, we asked if they could decrease the Pitocen dosage and they said it was a possibility once we could tell the contractions were steady and regular. Around noon they did halve the Pit dosage. The contractions were getting to the point that I had to breathe and really concentrate through them.
I labored mostly on the bed, on one side or the other; at one point I got on the birth ball (which didn't help a whole lot), and another time I got on all fours on the bed, which was pretty good for a while until I got pretty tired.
At around 3:30 I asked to try to labor in the tub, since it was an option (it even had jets, which I probably would have enjoyed a whole lot more had I not been in labor). In order to do that, I would have to not be hooked to an IV, so because my contractions were still going strong, we asked if we could take off the Pitocen altogether, and they said it was fine, but if they stopped, we'd go back to it. It took quite a while for the tub to fill up, and once I got in, it was pretty nice, but the contractions there killed, since I had to be on my back to be in the water enough to do any good. So that didn't last very long.
When I got back into the bed, my midwife (who was awesome in every way - I am so grateful for the entire staff who worked with us while we were there) measured me, and I was at 5 cm and 90%! Things were happening. At that point, I was ready to ask for the epidural, but my husband (who was also wonderful through the whole process) suggested I try an IV drug first, to take the edge off the peak of the contractions. I was up for that, and I'd see how it goes, and if it didn't cut it for me, then I could go to the epi.
Somewhere around that time one of my best friends came in to the room to see how we were doing. We hadn't planned on her being with us, but it turned out to be so wonderful that she came, because she was able to help and offer support and take pictures at the end.
The IV drug (Nubain?) didn't appear to take the edge off, because they kept coming strong and hard. I was just taking deep breaths and slowly exhaling/moaning/sighing as my mode of trying to live through the contractions. In each breath I was also praying out in the Spirit, which helped me stay calm and I'm sure helped in more ways than that. But it was still labor, so I asked for the epidural. They'd have to check my progress first, and so we waited for the midwife to come back from down the hall where she had another delivery (we were neck and neck the whole time). At some point they asked me if I was beginning to feel the urge to push, and I said that I was trying to keep a BM in. The nurse looked at me with big eyes and called the midwife in faster. When she checked me, I was complete, and ready to push!
Apparently the reason that the IV narcotic drug didn't seem to be working is that I was in transition the whole time, so the "hard" contractions I was feeling were really my majorly intense contractions, and they felt about the same as they had before! I didn't get an epidural, of course, since the worst was already pretty much past.
I pushed and pushed for about an hour. It surprised us at how long we were stuck at the crowning phase. Her head
Finally at 6:33, they told me to bring my hands down there; they hadn't told me why, so I did, and all of a sudden, there was a slimy, squishy mass in my hands - my baby!
She was 7 lbs 13 oz, measuring 20.5 inches; scored 8 and 9 on her Apgar score, and was flailing her arms straight out of the womb. She had one hand raised right next to her head as she came out, which contributed to my getting 2 tears (a 2nd degree in the back, and a 1st degree in the front) that had to be stitched up. So my labor was actually only about 9-1/2 hours long, and I didn't have an epidural. We are so aware of the kindness and faithfulness of our God to help and answer our prayers.
We got home on Wednesday afternoon, and have been adjusting to our new life. We are completely in love with her, and can't go more than 20 minutes without saying, "she's so beautiful." She is a happy baby, who has her nights and days mixed up... but we still love her.
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