Labor Story

So I've been putting off writing this. I wasn't sure how to format it, what to say, and didn't want any details to be lost in translation. It was such a precious, scary time for me. I really hope to remember it so I'm forcing myself to write it out finally while Aidan sleeps.

I went in for my scheduled induction on Wednesday, November 25th at 7am. They took my right up to labor and delivery, I changed into a gown, and my nurse set up my IV for fluids. After a quick cervix check, still 1cm and 50% effaced, my nurse popped some Pitocin in my IV line at 8am and we were getting settled in. I had Mike with me of course, and my really good friend Stacey took her time to be with me there, too. We sat around and played cards, Phase 10. I started getting menstrual cramp like contractions around 9am, but they didn't reach a painful point until about noon. By noon I was having clear cut contractions, I could feel the beginning, the peak, and the end of each one. By this point I had been having consistant contractions every 2-4 minutes for about 4 hours, so she checked me again. I was only 2cm and 60% effaced. After she checked me I started losing my mucus plug, and that resulted in pretty much constant bleeding for the rest of my labor. By 3pm my contractions were painful enough that I wanted the TV off, total silence, and something for pain. Because I was still early on an epidural was out of the question, since my doctor seemed to think I would end up a 2 day induction. I opted for a shot of Nubain, which basically made me feel drunk. I spent 4 hours in and out of sleep, only waking up for contractions. I could still feel them, even though the sensation was dulled a bit.

By 6pm my doctor checked me and I was 2.5cm and 80% effaced. She turned off the Pitocin, let me shower, eat dinner, walk around, etc. She wanted me to rest, so I took an Ambien and passed out until 4am when my IV was hooked back up to the Pitocin. I started having pretty immediate contractions. My body remembered the pitocin and kicked right into gear. By 6am I was really, really uncomfortable with such close contractions and I had to go to the bathroom. I went to sit up and I felt like I had peed on myself! I got up, went to the bathroom, and came back. I noticed though that with every contraction more fluid would leak out. I really didn't want to cry wolf, but I mentioned it to my nurse anyway. She kind of laughed and said it was probably urine, but when she checked me it was my water! It definitely broke on it's own at 6:05am when I was only 2.5cm. By 6:30am I was in tears, begging for an epidural. Whoever said contractions kick in big time after your water breaks was NOT lying! My stupid nurse didn't want to give me an epidural, since I was so closed still, but after talking to my doctor she relented and called anethesiology. I was about 2 second away from hitting her if she didn't comply ;)

Dr. Ben came in and gave me my epidural. I had to answer questions so he knew that I knew I was consenting to it, had to sign a paper even though I'd preregistered. It was over and done with in about 10 minutes, and no, it didn't hurt at all. Compared to the contractions I'd been having I would have let him stab me 50 times in the back!! I was also given another shot of Nubaine, because my stupid nurse "didn't hear me" when I said I didn't want it, that I'd wait for the epidural. So I spent the rest of my labor in and out, passing out anytime I wasn't being spoken to.

I was checked at noon, and I was 6cm, 100% effaced. My nurse said the lip of my cervix was swollen, and even though I was a 6 the lip was making my cervix remain partially blocked. She decided to fiddle around in there to see if she could stretch my cervix lip out of the way. At this point I had partial sensation in my legs, and I could somewhat feel what she was doing. It didn't feel good, and I couldn't imagine what it would feel like without any medication! She did manage to move it out of the way, and managed to stretch me to 8cm while she was in there. My cervix was swollen 2 full cms! She left for a minute, and by the time she came back I was in transition. I was crying again because I could feel the contractions and the pressure was IMMENSE. I was shaking the whole bed, crying all over myself, and all Mike could do was stare and ask Stacey if this was normal. I tried to tell him it was but I was shaking so bad I thought I'd bite my tongue off with my teeth chattering.

My stupid nurse came prancing back in the room singing "someone looks like they are almost completeeee! look at those shakes!" and I would have literally throat punched her if I thought I would be able to. :P

She told me I'd be pushing in about 30 minutes, she was off to call my doctor and then came back and was setting up. She checked me 5 minutes later and I was complete, ready to go. She instructed me NOT TO PUSH because my cervix lip was swollen again. She thought I might end up with a c section because of it. If I could have lifted my leg I would have kicked her, because no way did I go through all of this to end up with a c section. My doctor popped in, pretty cheerful considering I'd interrupted her Thanksgiving! She agreed my cervix was inflamed, but she said she'd manually hold it back while I pushed. I thought, "okay!" but as soon as she started to hold it back I was screaming in pain. Seriously pushing out my son was EASIER to deal with on a pain level than her hand in there doing god knows what she had to do to get him out. I am not happy my epidural wasn't working right, but it helped me to push because I could feel it. Oh, by the way, the Ring of Fire is definitely an accurate statement to describe what crowning feels like!

I started pushing at 1:56pm on Thanksgiving day, 11/26. I pushed for a total of 5 contractions, 3 pushes each. I delivered Aidan Michael at 2:08PM. He was 7 pounds, 12 ounces, 20.5 inches long. I did have an episiotomy, & stitches.

Honestly it hasn't been bad at all. I expected to feel a lot worse than I do. He is such a joy, incredibly handsome. He has his days and nights mixed up, he sleeps all day and it up from midnight until whenever he stops fighting sleep. The first 4 days was midnight until 7am, last night was midnight until 4am. I'm hoping it keeps getting better!

There was a mix up at the hospital and he wasn't able to be circumcised there, so we took him this morning. He took it well, he screamed for a minute afterwards, and in the car on the way home. Once he was fed and snuggled he fell asleep and has been out all day. I can barely wake him to feed him! My poor little man is tuckered out from it.

Anyway, I hope someone took the time to read that, and hopefully it helps someone else! :)