My gallstone attack turned induction
So Feb 9th Bryan and were watching a movie when we were rudely interrupted by... a gallbladder attack! Fun times. Non stop gallbladder pain had been the norm for the last few weeks, but after this session it seemed worse. Bad enough that I didn't sleep that night and woke Bryan to take me to the hospital around 1.30am. I figured they could at least run a blood count and check liver function.
We went straight to triage because as my obgyn put it 'ERs don't know what to do with pregnant people'.
Had blood drawn, baby monitored, and got an IV administered for pain management. Was also having mild but consistent contractions, but that had been happening for days.
They tell us at 4am that at 39 weeks and 6 days, I've finally developed cholestasis of pregnancy, caused by gallbladder problems. Time to be induced, one day before my due date.
We'd really been hoping for a natural delivery where we could labor at home and then proceed to the birthing center, but mostly I was just excited that baby was finally going to be born.
Labor and delivery is swamped, and we don't get a room until ten. They let me eat breakfast even though it's against protocol before an induction because it's been so long since I've slept already, and they said I'll need my energy.
Since I'm contracting on my own we start with a foley ball induction. It was an easy first step actually, and had a good chance of dilating me from my current one centimeter to a four or five after several hours, without having pitocin.
It popped out half an hour after it was put in, and I was 5 centimeters!
The next step was to start pitocin and break my waters; I asked if we could break the water but skip the pit and see how things progressed because my contractions were consistent- everyone was happy to try without pitocin.
Bryan and a walked around the halls for a few hours afterward and contractions got stronger and stronger. Went back to our room to labor in different positions and things were going great- 6/7 dilated and baby not stressed.
Bryan was great at keeping me calm and applying counter pressure. And then... baby turned sunny side up with his head down but his back to my spine. Holy hell back labor.
Held out for an hour, but asked for an epidural around 8.30pm. At that point I hadn't slept since Wednesday night, and couldn't focus or breathe through the contractions anymore, which were now felt exclusively in my lower back and pelvis. Felt like baby was trying to go through my tailbone. It wasn't part of my plan but I feel no shame or regret, the back labor was just too much for me to handle.
The epidural was provided quickly and painlessly, though it took some time to reach my right side. When it finally did I was a numb limp noodle from the waist down. Not what I'd intended, but I could breath again. Lay on my side with the peanut ball between my legs and rested for a bit.
They turned it to a half dose, and my doctor said she might as well check me while she was in the room- turns out I was now complete and baby had flipped to the correct position!
They turned off the epidural and I rested for twenty minutes, and then he was crowning.
Fifteen minutes of pushing later at 9.29 pm Friday night, Kaylan James was born. He is the healthiest, happiest little baby, making things easy on mom and dad. I had one tiny tear that my doctor said took one stitch to fix, I barely notice it at all.
My mom and sister arrived half an hour later after driving 12 hours from out of state, and the looks on their faces when they saw I had Kaylan already were perfect.
They were both amazing support as we've adjusted to parenting and dealing with my gallbladder issues, which escalated quickly postpartum.
Elevating liver enzymes, bilirubin and white blood count accompanied by severe pain, itching and jaundice means I was hospitalized from the 10th to the 15th. Had a procedure on the 13th that scoped down my throat all the way to my bile ducts, where they cleared away a build up of infected sludge and migrated gallstones.
Surgery on the 14th at 10.30am to remove my gallbladder, and got discharged the evening after.
So grateful to be home with my son, exhausted but so happy.
Comment
Add Comment
Let's Glow!
Achieve your health goals from period to parenting.
