At my last doctor’s appointment on Wednesday, June 22 (39 weeks), the doctor was ready and willing to induce me the next morning at 7:00 am. She asked if we were interested in inducing the next day so that I would have plenty of time for my strep B IV medication. She also said she doesn’t just induce anyone, but she thought my cervix was very ripe and ready. She thought I was a good candidate for induction. I wasn’t so sure! I opted not to be induced on Thursday and asked if we could wait a few more days to see if baby came on his or her own. I had such a great labor with Orin- short and relatively little pain. We set up an induction date for Monday, June 27 at 7:00 am if baby hadn’t come by then. Ryan and I spent all weekend walking around town hoping to get baby to come on their own. He decided to stay put until Monday morning.
7:00 am- Monday morning, we arrived at the hospital at 7:00 am sharp. Right away, they hooked me up to the monitor to check baby’s heartbeat of 153. I also got my first round of IV drugs for strep B at 7:30. We waited for the doctor to arrive at 8:00.
8:00 am- Doctor checks my cervix. I’m still only dilated to 2-3 cm. Head is down lower than last week at my appointment and I’m completely effaced. Doctor placed the cytotec pill near my cervix. This is the first I've actually looked up cytotec and now I wonder what they did to me. I’ve ready enough about it that I won’t go that route again! I had to stay in bed for an hour to let the medicine absorb.
8:30 am- Started feeling minor contractions and had some lower back pain. We spend much of the morning listening to music on Pandora.
9:00 am- Ryan and I walked the halls for the next hour- not feeling much at all other than small contractions.
10:15 am- Doctor came in to check on me. I was dilated to 4 cm and 100% effaced. Doctor broke my water.
10:45 am- Spent the next hour in the whirlpool tub. Loved it!! It really helped ease the pain of my contractions that were gradually getting stronger. They were coming 3-4 minutes apart.
12:05 pm- Doctor checked in with me. I was only at 4-5 cm and 100% effaced. I went back to the whirlpool which was really the only thing that seemed to help with the pain. I felt like I should have been walking around and getting things to progress faster, but I really needed the pool to relieve the pain.
1:45 pm- I was 5 cm and I had a little cervix left on the right side. Not sure how I went from 100% effaced to having a little cervix left. Doctor recommended laying on my right side to even out my cervix.
2:35 pm- Back to the whirlpool tub (Can you tell I loved it?) Contractions were very strong- I was seriously contemplating an epidural. At this point, I told Ry that I’m never being induced again! It was a totally different and worse experience than I had with Orin. Although all births are different, I really don’t think if I had gone naturally it would have been like it was. I tried to encourage myself by remembering all the ladies I know who had chosen natural childbirth. It wasn’t helping much! I told Ry that I was going to ask the nurse to check me and if I was still only at 5 or 6, I was getting an epidural. I couldn’t take much more of the pain.
3:30 pm- Nurse checked me- still was only at 5 cm. I decided to wait a little longer and I chose to walk the halls to see if that would help with my progression. I asked the nurse if I could eat anything (I was starving at this point- very cruel to have magazines all around the waiting area with big juicy cheeseburgers on the covers!) She walked me to the mini kitchen where I picked out a jello and popsicle to eat. I scarfed down the jello in between stopping to breathe through contractions. I made it back to the laboring room and decided to ask the head nurse for an epidural. The head nurse notified my nurse to call the anesthesiologist. While I was eating my popsicle and using the birthing ball, my nurse came in to call my doctor to notify her that I’d like an epidural. I signed my life away for the epidural. At that point, I didn’t care about any of the risks or complications- just take away the intense pain! Nurse also wanted to hook me up to monitors- she said she could either do it while I was on the ball or I could get in bed to be monitored. I opt to get in bed- good thing I did with how fast the ending occured!
4:00 pm- Doctor came in to check on me and ask me about being ready for an epidural. She checked my cervix and I’m at 8 cm. At this point, I really want an epidural but am not sure I will get one in time. Ry informed me later that the nurses were discussing the fact that they couldn’t reach the anesthesiologist and that they had no idea where to find him. Sure glad I didn’t hear that conversation! During that time, doctor said I still had some cervix left on the right side and to lay on my right side to thin out. I rolled over and immediately felt the urge to push. Doctor had just reached the hallway and came racing back in as soon as she heard me yell that I’m pushing. She yanked off her sweater and pulled on a smock. She had one glove on catching Kiptyn’s head while asking the nurse for another glove. After my very first push, Kiptyn’s head was out (told you his head was very low!) and by the end of that contraction, he was born.
4:04 pm- Kiptyn arrived! 8 lb 2 oz and 20 ¼ inches.
