rubyroselee
New member
Hi everyone,
I finally have a minute to sit down and tell you how it went...
I was scheduled for induction last Sunday night. The plan was to start Cervidil that night and then begin Pitocin in the morning. When I was checked I was 3 cm, 75% effaced, and -2 station (which was an improvement from 1.5 cm the week before). They hooked me up the monitors while they contacted the doctor about my induction.
Apparently I was having Braxton-Hicks on the monitor, so they wanted to watch the contraction pattern to make sure it wasn't real labor contractions first. By the time they got my IV started (after 5 pokes and a call to the IV Team) it was after midnight. They came in with Cytotec and I quickly refused it saying that I thought the plan was to use Cervidil. They didn't quite understand why I was so against it, but they happily called the doctor and he agreed to Cervidil instead. After doing research on the Cytotec (thanks to Caroline) I just didn't feel comfortable using it for induction purposes. I felt much better using the Cervidil which could be removed if needed. So they placed the Cervidil about 12:30am.
I started cramping around 2am and asked the nurse if that was normal. She said it was. So I tried to get some sleep. I would get about 20 mins of sleep and then the darn cramping would start again. By 4am I was getting pretty uncomfortable and asked what my pain control options were to get through the cramps until the morning. I kept checking the Toco monitor and it didn't appear that they were contractions because they weren't very regular and they weren't always showing up. The nurse didn't seem to know if they were real contractions or cramps either (which I find odd). The baby's heart rate started to decelerate a little so they decided to remove the Cervidil around 5am. When they checked me I was 5 cm, 100% effaced, and 0 station. I sat up and felt the gush of water and knew I was in labor at that point.
I got very excited to know that I was in natural labor and was likely not going to need Pitocin. The doctor agreed that Pitocin was not needed. Hooray! That is what I had hoped for. So now I was laboring on my own and getting quite uncomfortable with each contraction. I asked for my epidural, but because it was change of shift it took them awhile to get to me. It was about 7am and they finally came in and at this point I was screetching in pain with each contraction. He kept talking to me explaining the risks of the epidural, yadda, yadda and I'm just thinking to myself <i>"Hurry the heck up!" </i>As I was bent over for the epidural I felt the intense urge to push with each contraction and I just knew I was complete and ready to push. The nurse knew it too and kept telling the anesthesiologist to hurry up because I was probably ready to deliver. I just remember trying to hard to stay still during the contraction so he could put the epidural in, and he assured me that I would be feeling better in a minute or two. My family in room are still making fun of me for the faces and noises I was making during those hard contractions <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
So I laid back and they checked me, and sure enough it was time to push. It just came on so quickly after my water broke. Luckily my epidural did take and all I felt at that point was pressure and not much pain at all. I don't know how anyone can do that without an epidural. But at least I made it all the way to the pushing stage without it - I'm proud of myself for that. I just remember pushing and pushing so hard and remember the strange feeling of the baby coming down. I delivered Gavin at 8:30am after 30 mins of pushing. What an awesome experience that I wouldn't trade for anything!
The aftermath:
I ended up having a 3rd degree laceration (almost 4th according to the doctor) and was in quite a bit of pain for the 3 days following. I ended up not even being able to cough for those few days (due to the bottom pain) and I'm now paying the consequences for that. I am finally feeling more healed and am able to get back to my normal CPT routine.
Breastfeeding: All I can say is UGH to that. I attempted to breastfeed in the hospital. The baby had a horrible time latching on from the beginning. I had to work incredibly hard and long each time to get him to feed and was feeding him very frequently. When I came home, I attempted to pump and ended up doing pretty well at first. I tried get him to latch on a few times every day but he just wasn't doing it. Then the engorgment set in and it was soooo incredibly painful for me to pump anymore. I spent every attempt at pumping and breastfeeding in tears because it was always ending in failure. So after 4 days of him getting breastfed, we decided to switch to formula. I was pretty devistated and felt defeated, but I've come to realize that it's what is best for us. I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders now and things are going well with the formula.
Baby is jaundice, 15.7 bili yesterday, but pediatrician thinks it is on its way down and he will not require any extra help with that.
Click to see pics:
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd53/rubyroselee/Gavin/">http://s222.photobucket.com/al...d53/rubyroselee/Gavin/</a>
I finally have a minute to sit down and tell you how it went...
I was scheduled for induction last Sunday night. The plan was to start Cervidil that night and then begin Pitocin in the morning. When I was checked I was 3 cm, 75% effaced, and -2 station (which was an improvement from 1.5 cm the week before). They hooked me up the monitors while they contacted the doctor about my induction.
Apparently I was having Braxton-Hicks on the monitor, so they wanted to watch the contraction pattern to make sure it wasn't real labor contractions first. By the time they got my IV started (after 5 pokes and a call to the IV Team) it was after midnight. They came in with Cytotec and I quickly refused it saying that I thought the plan was to use Cervidil. They didn't quite understand why I was so against it, but they happily called the doctor and he agreed to Cervidil instead. After doing research on the Cytotec (thanks to Caroline) I just didn't feel comfortable using it for induction purposes. I felt much better using the Cervidil which could be removed if needed. So they placed the Cervidil about 12:30am.
I started cramping around 2am and asked the nurse if that was normal. She said it was. So I tried to get some sleep. I would get about 20 mins of sleep and then the darn cramping would start again. By 4am I was getting pretty uncomfortable and asked what my pain control options were to get through the cramps until the morning. I kept checking the Toco monitor and it didn't appear that they were contractions because they weren't very regular and they weren't always showing up. The nurse didn't seem to know if they were real contractions or cramps either (which I find odd). The baby's heart rate started to decelerate a little so they decided to remove the Cervidil around 5am. When they checked me I was 5 cm, 100% effaced, and 0 station. I sat up and felt the gush of water and knew I was in labor at that point.
I got very excited to know that I was in natural labor and was likely not going to need Pitocin. The doctor agreed that Pitocin was not needed. Hooray! That is what I had hoped for. So now I was laboring on my own and getting quite uncomfortable with each contraction. I asked for my epidural, but because it was change of shift it took them awhile to get to me. It was about 7am and they finally came in and at this point I was screetching in pain with each contraction. He kept talking to me explaining the risks of the epidural, yadda, yadda and I'm just thinking to myself <i>"Hurry the heck up!" </i>As I was bent over for the epidural I felt the intense urge to push with each contraction and I just knew I was complete and ready to push. The nurse knew it too and kept telling the anesthesiologist to hurry up because I was probably ready to deliver. I just remember trying to hard to stay still during the contraction so he could put the epidural in, and he assured me that I would be feeling better in a minute or two. My family in room are still making fun of me for the faces and noises I was making during those hard contractions <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
So I laid back and they checked me, and sure enough it was time to push. It just came on so quickly after my water broke. Luckily my epidural did take and all I felt at that point was pressure and not much pain at all. I don't know how anyone can do that without an epidural. But at least I made it all the way to the pushing stage without it - I'm proud of myself for that. I just remember pushing and pushing so hard and remember the strange feeling of the baby coming down. I delivered Gavin at 8:30am after 30 mins of pushing. What an awesome experience that I wouldn't trade for anything!
The aftermath:
I ended up having a 3rd degree laceration (almost 4th according to the doctor) and was in quite a bit of pain for the 3 days following. I ended up not even being able to cough for those few days (due to the bottom pain) and I'm now paying the consequences for that. I am finally feeling more healed and am able to get back to my normal CPT routine.
Breastfeeding: All I can say is UGH to that. I attempted to breastfeed in the hospital. The baby had a horrible time latching on from the beginning. I had to work incredibly hard and long each time to get him to feed and was feeding him very frequently. When I came home, I attempted to pump and ended up doing pretty well at first. I tried get him to latch on a few times every day but he just wasn't doing it. Then the engorgment set in and it was soooo incredibly painful for me to pump anymore. I spent every attempt at pumping and breastfeeding in tears because it was always ending in failure. So after 4 days of him getting breastfed, we decided to switch to formula. I was pretty devistated and felt defeated, but I've come to realize that it's what is best for us. I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders now and things are going well with the formula.
Baby is jaundice, 15.7 bili yesterday, but pediatrician thinks it is on its way down and he will not require any extra help with that.
Click to see pics:
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd53/rubyroselee/Gavin/">http://s222.photobucket.com/al...d53/rubyroselee/Gavin/</a>