On 8/30 I went in for my prenatal checkup with my doc as usual at 37 weeks. I had had a few contractions the night before but nothing major. For the last 2 appts I had been getting NSTs done due to my history of gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy. I was not technically diagnosed GD with this pregnancy as sugars were ok and I was following a very strict diet to keep them under control; however, doc had agreed to take her at 39 weeks anyway to be safe.

Yesterday we were hooked to the monitor as soon as we got in and after around 15 min of no movement I told the nurse. It was a little odd, she agreed. They buzzed my belly a few times and we mushed around on my stomach to get her to move. She finally kicked a few times and we stayed on the monitor till doc arrived. Doc buzzed her a good few times as well with only 1 or two kicks. Her heart rate was high, he said, and he didn't like that she wasn't reacting very quickly to outside stimuli. He wanted to send me to l and d to be monitored and get a BPP ultrasound by one of the maternal/fetal docs to be safe. I got my things and called my hubby then made the short waddle from the office across the grounds to the l and d ward. I was hooked up again and the maternal fetal med doc came in to see about me and baby. By then my hubby had made it there from work, breathless and worried, and we both just wanted our girl to be ok.

After asking me some questions he told me baby's heart rate was tachycardic, which in regular terms meant too high and since we had a history of gestational diabetes it'd be better to take her now. He did the ultrasound and we saw that my placenta had started to calcify around the edges and was considered grade 3. She was ok for the moment, but there was no telling how much longer she could have sustained herself off my worn out placenta.

It was decided after her heart rate leveled out that we would try induction. Started cervadil at 530 pm yesterday and it was out by 530 am . I had gone from closed to a 1cm and 40% effaced. They started pitocin after and around 11 they broke my water. I asked for the epidural and had one within 30 min. Went pretty quick after that. By 2pm I was at 7 cm and 90% and by 4pm we were pushing. Pushed for 39 minutes and Eden Len arrived at 4:39 pm. We are so blessed to have had that nst that discovered the grade 3 placenta, we were told she wouldn't have made it long without being delivered. 👆

compared to my first labor (horrible experience I don't want to even share right now) it was the most beautiful, calm, involved delivery I could have imagined. I was able to labor on my own until my water broke at 4cm and this in itself made me feel proud of myself. I kind of felt bad for getting the epidural right after water broke bc while they were painful, they were tolerable. I am so glad I went with the epidural though. I was numb enough not to feel contractions, just pressure and still able to lift my legs and push. It was calm and serene and such a great experience to have with my last baby.