Phantom710
Momx1, Surrogate #2
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I was set for induction at 7:30am on October 12th, 2011. Exactly one week before my due date. My doctor and I felt it the best option to induce
me before my due date, or worse yet, if I went overdue, as Cody had consistently been measuring big at all my appointments. Big babies run in
both sides of the family, so I wasn't really surprised.
I got to the hospital 7:00am, I'd arrived early as I wanted my choice of delivery rooms because my doctor had warned me that I was probably in
for a long labor. They had me change into the gown, put on the belly band and the external monitors and a few minutes later checked me for
dilation. I was still not dilated, and 70% effaced. I'd made no change since my last pre-natal appointment at 38 weeks.
They needed me to stay on the monitors for a half hour, uninterrupted before my doctor could come in and begin the whole process. At about
7:45 he arrived and told me we had a bit of a dilema. He said since I hadn't dilated, my cervix was still very posterior and unfavorable I had
two choices. I could go ahead with the induction, or I could go home and come back the next week (or sooner if I suddenly went into labor
myself). However, by going home I risked needing a c-section since baby would gain around a lb in the last week, at the same time if my
induction din't work/progress I'd risk a c-section anyways.
I was already there, I was hooked up, and I wanted to meet my baby! Plus, I really felt if I chose to go home I would have pretty much signed
on the line that I would have a c-section. So, I chose to continue with the induction as planned and see how it went.
We'd decided the previous week that we would use a Foley Catheter for the first part of induction. (Basically they insert the catheter into my
cervix, and blow up the ballon between my cervix and the baby's head with water. Every 15 minutes for the next 2-4 hours, we would pull on it,
and basically dilate my cervix from the inside out.) So the doctor inserted the catherter (this part was painless, the only discomfort was when he
had to insert the speculum and open me up. Owwie. Think intensified pap-smear)
The doctor showed my mom how to do it for the first time, and then waited we waited in bed for the next 15 minutes for her to do it again. It
was an odd pressure, but not painful. The nurse said I could walk with it, and encouraged as that can help with dilation. So after the second pull,
we put on my robe and walked around the hospital, updated my hubby (who was sat in the waiting room), and then slowly waddled my way back
15 minutes later for my third pull. I laid down, mom pulled and.... it came out.
For a split second i was super happy, because that IS the goal
after all, but then I remembered my doc had said no way would it happen in under an hour or even two. We called the nurse, she came in, was
equally confused, and then a bit later the doctor came back. He basically said I was giving the name unfavorable a whole new meaning. It was so
hard and far back it basically just rejected the bulb.
So, it was decided cytoprep would be the next step. since now, I was at lease a LITTTTTLLLEEE dilated. The nurse took a white tablet, and
basically just rubbed it into my cervix. I had to stay in bed for a half hour while it fully desolved, but then I would be allowed to be mobile again.
About an hour after it had been inserted, I started getting my first "real" contractions. They were not really painful at this point, mildly
uncomforable more than anything, so I went for a final walk. The walk helped to bring on the contractions a bit more, and for the first time, I felt
like my body was starting to do what it was supposed to do.
The cytoprep had to be in there for four hours before they would check me again, so at 1:30pm the nurse came in. I had progressed to a whole
TWO cms. She told she would let the doctor know, and I was slightly shocked when they came in a few minutes later and he announced he was
going to break my water and start the pitocin drip.
In just a half hour (2pm), my contractions got to a painful point, but still bearable and able to breathe through. They were also coming faster.
Both the pitocin and the breaking of waters helps start contractions, so I was basically getting a double dose. At 3:00pm they checked me again.
THREE cms dilated now, and 90% effaced. My cervix was also becoming more favorable, although still posterior. They told me I could have an
epidural now if I wanted one, as my waters had already been ruptured. HELL YES, sign me up for that, as by this point they were definitely to
that "oh my god, that freaking hurts" stage.
There was another lady in labor before me, so the anesthesiologist was taking care of her first, and it seemed like it took FOREVER. Finally, they
were in my room and I was being walked through all the info about Epidurals and how exactly the procedure goes about. I got sat up, and my
backed was prodded with fingers and pushed as they tried to find the right location. I had my first little break down here.
I wasn't scared of the
epidural, and I wasn't in pain as far as IT went, but I just started sobbing. Then I'd cry, because I was crying and I didn't know why. Yay for nerves.
They cleaned the area, numbed it, and waited as I had another contraction before putting the epidural needle in. I felt a little pressure, and then
was told not to move, (which sucked, because I had another really big contraction and just had to sit there in complete stillness. A few minutes
later the needle was out, and the flexible....catheter...tube thing was in. I was now officially confined to my bed. This meant I had to be
catheterized every few hours to empty my bladder. Good news; didn't feel it. They told me to expect it to take about a half hour to fully take
effect, and that's about what it took. The epidural doesn't completely numb you. You still feel pressure in your lower area, but all the pain in your
stomach and back from the contractions are gone.
I was able to sleep a bit then, and the next few hours kinda drifted by. Around midnight my epidural alarm sounded that it was low on juice, the
anesthesiologist came in for a refill and left. In the next 15 minutes I realized I was feeling pain in my left side, my right side was numb as it
should be, but the left side wasn't. It started off as just a more intense pressure down "there" and then moved up into my stomach and sides.
The lady was called again, and this injected some sort of medicine directly into the epidural line. It started working, back to just the pressure. I
was checked again and was told I was 8cms, stretching to a 9 on my contractions. YAY!!! (I was checked one other time somewhere between
the 3cm mark and now, but I can't really place it on a time line. I was 4 cms at the time, though)I was checked again, a bit later, and was told I was now a 9. They told me to rest and relax as much as possible, it was nearing time.
At 2:15 am I was checked again, and ready to "practice push". I was feeling a lot of pressure now in my lady parts, but I assumed it was
normal. It was definitely getting onto the painful side now though. After a few pushes they told me that they were gonna change my position. I
was put into the "Queen Position" (A lady sitting on her throne). I was sat almost perfectly straight up and my feet and legs were lowered, just
like a chair.
This is where it really started getting intense for me. I felt SO much pressure, and they wanted me to sit like that for 20 minutes. I ended up
not lasting that long, and begging to lay back down.
Once I was lying back down, it was time to do some more pushing. They wanted the baby to basically be crowning before the doctor came in. I
started feeling my contractions, and began to freak out.
They were hard and coming so fast together I couldn't get a rest. I begged for them to fix it, and the anesthesiologist came in one more time to put something into the epidural line. It didn't work. In fact, I was feeling pretty much
everything now.
I thrashed, I wimpered, and I remember looking at my mom and saying "they lied. they said it wouldn't hurt. why did they lie?"
They told me to push through the pain and I refused. I told them to make it stop hurting and I would push. Funny, how I thought I was in a
position to bargain. The nurse said. "Fine, we won't push." and proceeded to busy herself preparing the room for the labor. I think I was kinda
shocked she hadn't ran to go find some miracle pain med. It didn't matter thought because in a few contractions I understood exactly what "the urge
to push" was.
So, I pushed. And it hurt. A LOT. I won't lie, I was half breaking the bed with the way I was grabbing at the rails and thrashing as much as
someone with her legs in stirrups could thrash. I was getting anywhere from 2-3 contractions back to back and they were having me push between 3-4 times with each contraction. I was sure I was making progress, but no. The nurse said I still had an interior lip that was sliding back
over baby's head when I would stop pushing. The only way she could get him to come down at all was to put her fingers up inside me, and pull the lip while I was pushing. MORE PAIN.
Someone must have called the doctor, but I have no idea who, I just remember seeing him and thinking "Finally, he'll fix this. He'll make it
better." Nope. He came to me, observed one of my pushes (which despite not making any progress the nurse told me they were really good
pushes, especially for a first timer) and looked at me. "Michelle, you're not gonna be able to have this baby by yourself."
WHAT?!!!
Okay, so the first thought through my mind was that he meant I was going to have a c-section, luckily, before I go start panicking he clarified.
"We're gonna have to use the vacuum. He's to big for you to push out by yourself. He keeps retracting back in."
The vacuum. Okay, I could deal with that. It didn't sound to horrible. Then he told me they were also going to have to cut me, and he apologized with "I'm sorry, you're going to feel it, and you shouldn't have to." He asked the girls to give me some more medicine in my IV. I'm not sure if they did or not. I was so out of it I could care less. I just tried to focus on pushing and breathing. They told me I didn't have to push, because it wasn't like it was doing anything, but I did anyways. Halfway wanting to prove them wrong, that I COULD do it, and the other half just trying to ease the pain in whatever small amount I could find.
He did a testing "pinch" with his little scissors. I felt it, he gave me a local, it actually worked for the first bit, when he cut me. That I was thankful for.
He looked at me & promised that I would have my baby in the next contraction.
That was all I needed to hear. I pushed as hard as possible although I felt like I was being ripped apart. Really. No exaggeration. No baby.
Next push, I pushed as hard as I could. I felt an odd feeling, at the time I didn't understand what it was but I realize now it was baby being
sucked into a crowning position, then all of a sudden another odd feeling. The vacuum seal breaking and baby sucking right back up inside.
Still no baby.
"We're going to have to use the forceps."
It hurt like hell as he clamped the forceps around baby's head, and began to pull. I pushed he tugged, I pushed again, he pulled some more, I felt an insane pain and FINALLY the head was out. One more push/pull and out came the body as well.
I heard him cry immediately and was happy.
At least HE was okay.
It's a little hazy after this, but I remember getting to see him, saw my mom cut the cord, and he was placed on my stomach for just a minute.
They took him away to the in room warmer/baby station and I looked down at my doctor. I wondered why he was still down there. The baby was out, so in my drug/exhaustion induced brain fuzzyness couldn't figure out what he was doing. Then he was pulling. and prodding and pushing and tugging. I "birthed" by placenta. The doctor pushed on my stomach pushing al the blood clots and a lot of blood out. It hurt, my stomach was so sore already, but in comparison, wasn't that bad.
Somewhere in all the chaos I heard the doctor tell me to guess his weight, and then heard them announce his weight and the time of birth. 8lbs 14 ounces; 5:13am. 21 hours after my induction began.
They told em they had to take him to the nursery to test his blood sugar since he was so big and also because he had took his breath inside
the birth canal and he breathed in a ton of junk. I nodded. Thinking it was over now.
Nope again.
My doctor called for some sutures and informed me that I had ripped even farther than the cut. Three levels of stitches later, but third degree tear
was closed up and I felt like I was going to die. I felt all the stitching too. The local had worn off.
They brought my baby back in, and I tried to nurse but was to weak to even hold him. I just begged someone to take him off of my stomach
before I dropped him. They gave me a bottle of formula first, and I manage to feed him for about a minute before my arms were shaking under
the weight.
That was the last thing I remember until a little over an hour later and they woke me up. They needed my delivery room and were wondering if i could feel my legs enough to walk. "Yes." I said, I was felt fine. Or so I thought. I got up, walked to the bathroom, sat down, and woke up laying against the nurses stomach. I'd passed out.
They wheeled in the wheel chair, I sat down, and woke up leaning against another nurse. Yep. Passed out again.
I woke up at 9 in the morning in my post-partum room, wanting my baby. But first, I decided to walk myself to the bathroom again. Big Mistake.
Had to pull the nurse call chain, and she got there just in time for me to pass out against her again.
We stayed in the hospital a day longer than average. They took a blood count, and said I actually should have had a transfusion after delivery, but
they hadn't realized it was that bad. By the time they did, they just had me on constant bed rest for the most part and were pumping me full of iron and something else in an IV.
It was traumatic, and honestly I can't imagine having another baby at this point. The doctor said he can't say for sure, but he expects DH and my
kids will all be fairly large, so I'd run into the same issues. Next time, maybe my epidural would work, maybe not.
But, like the ending to all birth stories. He was completely worth it.
me before my due date, or worse yet, if I went overdue, as Cody had consistently been measuring big at all my appointments. Big babies run in
both sides of the family, so I wasn't really surprised.
I got to the hospital 7:00am, I'd arrived early as I wanted my choice of delivery rooms because my doctor had warned me that I was probably in
for a long labor. They had me change into the gown, put on the belly band and the external monitors and a few minutes later checked me for
dilation. I was still not dilated, and 70% effaced. I'd made no change since my last pre-natal appointment at 38 weeks.
They needed me to stay on the monitors for a half hour, uninterrupted before my doctor could come in and begin the whole process. At about
7:45 he arrived and told me we had a bit of a dilema. He said since I hadn't dilated, my cervix was still very posterior and unfavorable I had
two choices. I could go ahead with the induction, or I could go home and come back the next week (or sooner if I suddenly went into labor
myself). However, by going home I risked needing a c-section since baby would gain around a lb in the last week, at the same time if my
induction din't work/progress I'd risk a c-section anyways.
I was already there, I was hooked up, and I wanted to meet my baby! Plus, I really felt if I chose to go home I would have pretty much signed
on the line that I would have a c-section. So, I chose to continue with the induction as planned and see how it went.
We'd decided the previous week that we would use a Foley Catheter for the first part of induction. (Basically they insert the catheter into my
cervix, and blow up the ballon between my cervix and the baby's head with water. Every 15 minutes for the next 2-4 hours, we would pull on it,
and basically dilate my cervix from the inside out.) So the doctor inserted the catherter (this part was painless, the only discomfort was when he
had to insert the speculum and open me up. Owwie. Think intensified pap-smear)
The doctor showed my mom how to do it for the first time, and then waited we waited in bed for the next 15 minutes for her to do it again. It
was an odd pressure, but not painful. The nurse said I could walk with it, and encouraged as that can help with dilation. So after the second pull,
we put on my robe and walked around the hospital, updated my hubby (who was sat in the waiting room), and then slowly waddled my way back
15 minutes later for my third pull. I laid down, mom pulled and.... it came out.
For a split second i was super happy, because that IS the goal after all, but then I remembered my doc had said no way would it happen in under an hour or even two. We called the nurse, she came in, was
equally confused, and then a bit later the doctor came back. He basically said I was giving the name unfavorable a whole new meaning. It was so
hard and far back it basically just rejected the bulb.
So, it was decided cytoprep would be the next step. since now, I was at lease a LITTTTTLLLEEE dilated. The nurse took a white tablet, and
basically just rubbed it into my cervix. I had to stay in bed for a half hour while it fully desolved, but then I would be allowed to be mobile again.
About an hour after it had been inserted, I started getting my first "real" contractions. They were not really painful at this point, mildly
uncomforable more than anything, so I went for a final walk. The walk helped to bring on the contractions a bit more, and for the first time, I felt
like my body was starting to do what it was supposed to do.
The cytoprep had to be in there for four hours before they would check me again, so at 1:30pm the nurse came in. I had progressed to a whole
TWO cms. She told she would let the doctor know, and I was slightly shocked when they came in a few minutes later and he announced he was
going to break my water and start the pitocin drip.
In just a half hour (2pm), my contractions got to a painful point, but still bearable and able to breathe through. They were also coming faster.
Both the pitocin and the breaking of waters helps start contractions, so I was basically getting a double dose. At 3:00pm they checked me again.
THREE cms dilated now, and 90% effaced. My cervix was also becoming more favorable, although still posterior. They told me I could have an
epidural now if I wanted one, as my waters had already been ruptured. HELL YES, sign me up for that, as by this point they were definitely to
that "oh my god, that freaking hurts" stage.
There was another lady in labor before me, so the anesthesiologist was taking care of her first, and it seemed like it took FOREVER. Finally, they
were in my room and I was being walked through all the info about Epidurals and how exactly the procedure goes about. I got sat up, and my
backed was prodded with fingers and pushed as they tried to find the right location. I had my first little break down here.
I wasn't scared of the epidural, and I wasn't in pain as far as IT went, but I just started sobbing. Then I'd cry, because I was crying and I didn't know why. Yay for nerves.
They cleaned the area, numbed it, and waited as I had another contraction before putting the epidural needle in. I felt a little pressure, and then
was told not to move, (which sucked, because I had another really big contraction and just had to sit there in complete stillness. A few minutes
later the needle was out, and the flexible....catheter...tube thing was in. I was now officially confined to my bed. This meant I had to be
catheterized every few hours to empty my bladder. Good news; didn't feel it. They told me to expect it to take about a half hour to fully take
effect, and that's about what it took. The epidural doesn't completely numb you. You still feel pressure in your lower area, but all the pain in your
stomach and back from the contractions are gone.
I was able to sleep a bit then, and the next few hours kinda drifted by. Around midnight my epidural alarm sounded that it was low on juice, the
anesthesiologist came in for a refill and left. In the next 15 minutes I realized I was feeling pain in my left side, my right side was numb as it
should be, but the left side wasn't. It started off as just a more intense pressure down "there" and then moved up into my stomach and sides.
The lady was called again, and this injected some sort of medicine directly into the epidural line. It started working, back to just the pressure. I
was checked again and was told I was 8cms, stretching to a 9 on my contractions. YAY!!! (I was checked one other time somewhere between
the 3cm mark and now, but I can't really place it on a time line. I was 4 cms at the time, though)I was checked again, a bit later, and was told I was now a 9. They told me to rest and relax as much as possible, it was nearing time.
At 2:15 am I was checked again, and ready to "practice push". I was feeling a lot of pressure now in my lady parts, but I assumed it was
normal. It was definitely getting onto the painful side now though. After a few pushes they told me that they were gonna change my position. I
was put into the "Queen Position" (A lady sitting on her throne). I was sat almost perfectly straight up and my feet and legs were lowered, just
like a chair.
This is where it really started getting intense for me. I felt SO much pressure, and they wanted me to sit like that for 20 minutes. I ended up
not lasting that long, and begging to lay back down.
Once I was lying back down, it was time to do some more pushing. They wanted the baby to basically be crowning before the doctor came in. I
started feeling my contractions, and began to freak out.
They were hard and coming so fast together I couldn't get a rest. I begged for them to fix it, and the anesthesiologist came in one more time to put something into the epidural line. It didn't work. In fact, I was feeling pretty much everything now.
I thrashed, I wimpered, and I remember looking at my mom and saying "they lied. they said it wouldn't hurt. why did they lie?" They told me to push through the pain and I refused. I told them to make it stop hurting and I would push. Funny, how I thought I was in a
position to bargain. The nurse said. "Fine, we won't push." and proceeded to busy herself preparing the room for the labor. I think I was kinda
shocked she hadn't ran to go find some miracle pain med. It didn't matter thought because in a few contractions I understood exactly what "the urge
to push" was.
So, I pushed. And it hurt. A LOT. I won't lie, I was half breaking the bed with the way I was grabbing at the rails and thrashing as much as
someone with her legs in stirrups could thrash. I was getting anywhere from 2-3 contractions back to back and they were having me push between 3-4 times with each contraction. I was sure I was making progress, but no. The nurse said I still had an interior lip that was sliding back
over baby's head when I would stop pushing. The only way she could get him to come down at all was to put her fingers up inside me, and pull the lip while I was pushing. MORE PAIN.
Someone must have called the doctor, but I have no idea who, I just remember seeing him and thinking "Finally, he'll fix this. He'll make it
better." Nope. He came to me, observed one of my pushes (which despite not making any progress the nurse told me they were really good
pushes, especially for a first timer) and looked at me. "Michelle, you're not gonna be able to have this baby by yourself."
WHAT?!!!
Okay, so the first thought through my mind was that he meant I was going to have a c-section, luckily, before I go start panicking he clarified.
"We're gonna have to use the vacuum. He's to big for you to push out by yourself. He keeps retracting back in."
The vacuum. Okay, I could deal with that. It didn't sound to horrible. Then he told me they were also going to have to cut me, and he apologized with "I'm sorry, you're going to feel it, and you shouldn't have to." He asked the girls to give me some more medicine in my IV. I'm not sure if they did or not. I was so out of it I could care less. I just tried to focus on pushing and breathing. They told me I didn't have to push, because it wasn't like it was doing anything, but I did anyways. Halfway wanting to prove them wrong, that I COULD do it, and the other half just trying to ease the pain in whatever small amount I could find.
He did a testing "pinch" with his little scissors. I felt it, he gave me a local, it actually worked for the first bit, when he cut me. That I was thankful for.
He looked at me & promised that I would have my baby in the next contraction.
That was all I needed to hear. I pushed as hard as possible although I felt like I was being ripped apart. Really. No exaggeration. No baby.
Next push, I pushed as hard as I could. I felt an odd feeling, at the time I didn't understand what it was but I realize now it was baby being
sucked into a crowning position, then all of a sudden another odd feeling. The vacuum seal breaking and baby sucking right back up inside.
Still no baby.
"We're going to have to use the forceps."
It hurt like hell as he clamped the forceps around baby's head, and began to pull. I pushed he tugged, I pushed again, he pulled some more, I felt an insane pain and FINALLY the head was out. One more push/pull and out came the body as well.
I heard him cry immediately and was happy.
At least HE was okay. It's a little hazy after this, but I remember getting to see him, saw my mom cut the cord, and he was placed on my stomach for just a minute.
They took him away to the in room warmer/baby station and I looked down at my doctor. I wondered why he was still down there. The baby was out, so in my drug/exhaustion induced brain fuzzyness couldn't figure out what he was doing. Then he was pulling. and prodding and pushing and tugging. I "birthed" by placenta. The doctor pushed on my stomach pushing al the blood clots and a lot of blood out. It hurt, my stomach was so sore already, but in comparison, wasn't that bad.
Somewhere in all the chaos I heard the doctor tell me to guess his weight, and then heard them announce his weight and the time of birth. 8lbs 14 ounces; 5:13am. 21 hours after my induction began.
They told em they had to take him to the nursery to test his blood sugar since he was so big and also because he had took his breath inside
the birth canal and he breathed in a ton of junk. I nodded. Thinking it was over now.
Nope again.
My doctor called for some sutures and informed me that I had ripped even farther than the cut. Three levels of stitches later, but third degree tear
was closed up and I felt like I was going to die. I felt all the stitching too. The local had worn off.
They brought my baby back in, and I tried to nurse but was to weak to even hold him. I just begged someone to take him off of my stomach
before I dropped him. They gave me a bottle of formula first, and I manage to feed him for about a minute before my arms were shaking under
the weight.
That was the last thing I remember until a little over an hour later and they woke me up. They needed my delivery room and were wondering if i could feel my legs enough to walk. "Yes." I said, I was felt fine. Or so I thought. I got up, walked to the bathroom, sat down, and woke up laying against the nurses stomach. I'd passed out.
They wheeled in the wheel chair, I sat down, and woke up leaning against another nurse. Yep. Passed out again.
I woke up at 9 in the morning in my post-partum room, wanting my baby. But first, I decided to walk myself to the bathroom again. Big Mistake.
Had to pull the nurse call chain, and she got there just in time for me to pass out against her again.
We stayed in the hospital a day longer than average. They took a blood count, and said I actually should have had a transfusion after delivery, but
they hadn't realized it was that bad. By the time they did, they just had me on constant bed rest for the most part and were pumping me full of iron and something else in an IV.
It was traumatic, and honestly I can't imagine having another baby at this point. The doctor said he can't say for sure, but he expects DH and my
kids will all be fairly large, so I'd run into the same issues. Next time, maybe my epidural would work, maybe not.
But, like the ending to all birth stories. He was completely worth it.
xx
