Induced Labor and Delivery Experience

My primary Obgyn schedule an induced labor on Sept 16. She said I will get a call from the hospital any time of the day within the 24 hour period. Husband and I waited all day and anxious when to get the call. Later part of the day at 3pm, I called the office because I didn’t hear anything from the hospital. Dr. W told me to do so and I did. I Apart from that I emailed her too. I got a response from her and the nurse and said that they were delayed. The doctor said in her email she's in the hospital and she made sure she will get me there as soon as possible when a room is available.

Past 11pm, nothing! I said goodnight to my husband and slept. Until 12:30am Sept 17, the labor and delivery manager called and told me to be around an hour or so in the hospital. Husband and I get all our stuff together, showered and head straight. I checked in at the front desk fill out a little form and Dr. W was there. She gave me a big hug and to the nurses "this is my special patient".  That was a reassuring comment.

I was assigned to room 11. How can I forget! So right away, the head nurse checked on me. Asked question and did the internal examination. I was at 1cm dilated. Wow I was surprised. I was even thinking that my cervix is still pretty much closed. I was not expecting any of it. I did observe a few times on nights I did my walk with the husband that the braxton hicks were getting intense.  So that 1cm then comes from that feeling.

At 2:30am started Cervidil, this helps softens and ripening of the cervix. In labor and delivery this allows the baby to pass through. I had lots of contraction within 12 hours. The nurse removed it at 2:30pm. I was in pain. I also tried to walk with it but it’s so painful. But I tried so that I can prepare my body in delivery. I walked the hallway with the husband and saw the labor and delivery manager from the Child Birth Class. She gave me a hug and told me that I am in good hands. After a chitchat with her, I walked. Every step is like climbing a mountain with grasping every breath and contraction pain is not easy.

3:30pm to 5:30pm Pitocin was administered. The difference of effect now is the longevity of the contraction and the interval of each when it happen. I tried my best to stay relax and calm even if the contraction is getting worst. There’s no way to deal with it but it is how it is. It's better than Cervidil where it's through IV. 

Past 5:30pm I was bleeding with a pool of blood. I didn’t see it actually. I was about to go pee and suddenly I felt the water leaked from my behind. I told the husband to check whether it’s the bag of water. To our surprise it was blood. As what he described it was a lot. The nurse called the on call doctor. She came and checked. She wasn’t surprised and so she raptured the bag of water. Then see how far along I was. Barely at 3cm but the cervix was thinning like a rubber band. Basically, just in the 2’s. I was already in pain. I didn’t know at that point how to take all the maximum pain if labor is going to be very slow for me. 

Came 6pm, the contraction is getting more and more painful. Also every contraction followed the amniotic fluid gushed out. I kept on pressing my left thumb and index finger to divert my attention on the pain. But as the minutes go by, it is getting hard and extremely painful. Couple of times I asked the husband if I can hold his hand when the contraction hit me. A couple of times it helped but later on it doesn't do the trick. The pain is just so excruciating. I told the husband to get myself an Epidural shot. He asked me twice or thrice I don’t exactly remember if I am sure on my plan and I told him I can’t take it anymore. The nurse also asked as to what stage am I on pain and I told her on the 8 and 9 scale. So she requested the doctor to come in and I got it before 7pm. Then the relief came to the rescue. Temporarily no more pain, the lower body was numb especially both my feet.

I tried to sleep but I just can’t. The intense monitoring of baby’s heart rate was alarming. The nurse kept on switching me from right to left. We tried every position to keep up his heart at bay. Every contraction, he will have a big deep. It was very concerning. I am so lucky that the nurse on the shift was so attentive in every detail. She closely watched the readings and asked the doctor’s opinion right away.

Since I got the epidural, I can't go to the bathroom. So she did put a catheter. Later on, the baby's heart is still dropping. She asked the doctor about it and the doctor said to have a heart monitor down there. I have 2 tubes hooked up now. After 30 minutes, still the heart rate is not doing any progress at all. Still keep on dropping in every contraction. The doctor decided to have an amniotic fluid back to my uterus. It's another tube passing my vagina. Those hours I was lying all my heavenly goodness out in the open. Also, she put an oxygen that I could breathe to help not only me but the baby inside the womb. 

By the time her night shift is over, she internal exam me by inserting her fingers to my cervix. To her amaze, she didn’t feel the wall on the cervix but the head of the baby from 3cm to 10cm full dilated just like that. She asked for a second opinion from another doctor and also a different nurse, did their internal exam and yes cervix was in full dilation. 30 minutes before the nurse checked, I asked her for another shot of epidural because I was in pain. I haven’t heard anything from her since then. After the internal exam with a different nurse and they all left, when she came back she arranged the table in front of me. She opened the blue kit full of delivery tools. Dr. J came in later and when she checked on me I asked her why I’m trembling. Hands were shaking like uncontrollably and the abdominal pain is over the top. She said it is the sign of labor and the body is ready for delivery.

The delivery was fast. There were a couple of nurses in front and right of me. Hubby was on my right holding my hand. When the push time came, all of them counted on the first push by 10 sec. I made progress because the baby is getting in the right position. Now, they wanted me to do the second push but making it to 15 sec. I was having trouble in the first push with my oxygen on my nose. They took it out and made real hard push counting to 15. I don’t know how I was able to push that long but I did and the baby is crowning. The third push for 10 sec was already a breeze and baby easily came out. I have not heard him cry right away. He was placed under a warmer. Nurses stimulated him and so the cry came. It’s nice to hear the first cry. He was laid on my chest after a few minutes and we were looking at each other and in silence we both said “we did it”.