Birth Story Part I

So I thought it all started Friday night. I began having what I thought were real contractions. I wasn't in pain, but they definitely felt different from the regular BH. Those contractions continued into Saturday, so much so that DH began packing up the car. Then, early in the am on Sunday, nada! It all stopped, and I was sad. I figured this was my last chance to go in au natural and not have to be hooked up to machines.

Monday morning we checked in at 6:00am for the induction. I was 41w5d, and with the activity of the past weekend, I figured they'd check me and say "Wow, look how far you've come!"

No such luck.


Me and my pret.ty pus.hers gown. Aren't I huge??

The doc came in around 8:00 and checked me. I was still around 2, -2 station (what what? baby went back up?) and my cervix was high. My "labor" pains this weekend? Obviously nothing because I regressed.

She told me she was starting me on cyto.tec. I freaked out. I thought we were doing cervidil, and all the google search I've done on cytotec was so scary, so we discussed the pros of cytotec. She basically said that the cytotec is a pill, works for 4 hours, and its job is to soften my cervix. So the pill was inserted and we waited. I was bound to the bed for 2 hours, but that was fine because I was feeling nothing other than the urge to pee. DH and I watched TV, and when I could move out of the bed, I went to the bathroom and then proceeded to do anything in my power to get things started. I was bound to the bed area--I had the GBS IV, saline IV, and the contraction monitor and baby monitor around my belly. I was a pissy beyotch to say the least. I was not fun. I felt trapped and irritable, but I pushed on forward. I danced, walked in circles, did yoga, belly danced, whatever to keep moving.

Then the nurse came back around 12:30 to check me. The cervix was really really soft, but other than than, nothing. The monitor showed I was contracting every 3 minutes or so, but I wasn't feeling anything. She went off to call the doc and said she'd be back with the next step, which according to the doc earlier would be pitocin. Blah! I was pissy again. Then, I swear as soon as she left the room, I heard a loud thump on the baby monitor to coincide with what I felt as huge thump in my belly.

And it was like I was hit by a truck. No lie. The contractions just began like freakin mad! I was stunned and shocked at the intensity of what was happening. My body just went crazy. I was speechless, breathless, and I thought I just wanted to run away. It was the most thrilling rush I had ever experienced.

And it kept happening.

The nurse came back and said the doc said we could try a thrid method, and that was to see if my body would begin contracting on its own. As soon as she said that, she looked at the monitor and said "Like it is doing now." I breathed out a "yes," and she left us alone.

And the party began. The next time I looked at the clock, it was 3:30pm, and I was yelling our code word for the epidural.

I caved, but let me tell you what happened. This was not fun. Not that I expected labor to be fun, but I forgot EVERYTHING! I forgot how to breathe, what position to be in. All sense of confidence and control of what I was supposed to do was GONE! And I am not just talking about birth breathing and all that jazz, but even meditation. Gone. I wished I had a doula, but I didn't. My poor DH tried to do the acupressure, but every time he put his hands on me, I tensed up even more!! It was awful. I was horrible and mean and feeling it all. All of the world felt like it was pushing down in my lower back and butt. This was labor!!! I was in labor, and I wanted out. I wanted to run.

I chose the epidural because I was literally stuck in a corner. I didn't want this moment to be something I hated, and I was beginning to go nuts. The only thing I could do was goddess pose and breath heavily, and after 3 hours, my throat felt as though it was on fire. I would barely speak.

The nurse checked me around 3:30pm and I was around 5 cm dialted. She had to infuse me with 2 liters of saline before I could be numbed up, so I continued to goddess and breathe and tell baby to move down. The music was blasting in the ipod (I had headphones on). I was singing. Imust have looked like a freakin lunatic. Definitely not the beautiful natural hypnobirthing videos I saw on you tube.

The epidural was put in about 30 minutes later and as I was being scooched back, my water broke. The nurse checked me and I was at 7! She phoned the doc, and the doc said she'd be ASAP. I was having a baby in the next few hours!