FTM birth story with tips!

My baby's birth was a bit unusual. At 41 weeks, I still had no signs of labour nearing.

10 days past due, I went in for induction as my fluids were getting low and baby was quite crammed.

And so the story begins...

1. My water was broken artificially (does not hurt btw)

2. Epidural was put in and Pitocin was started

3. Epidural only froze my left side

4. Contractions hurt like a B and seemed more pronounced as I was numb on the one side

5. Epidural was redone

6. Pitocin worked too well and dilated me from 5 to 10 cms in a ridiculously short time - hurt so much they had to administer a different drug to help as the epidural didnt cut it

7. I was asked to do practice pushes with a nurse and get things going before the doc came in. Pushes were working well until the alarm on my monitor went off. Baby's heartbeat dropped from 135 to 54 to 0

8. 8 people appeared in the room and began flipping me from side to side and trying to get the heartbeat back. I was in tears fearing baby would not make it

9. The doc told me he would be doing a vacuum extraction and I needed to keep pushing

10. In a short while, my baby was born. He was completely healthy 9/9 on the Apgar scale. I am so grateful for the medical team at the hospital

Tips: I am now 4 weeks postpartum and recovery was hard and I wish I had these tips:

Tip 1: Stock your house with super poop inducing foods ahead of time as well as laxatives and stool softeners

Tip 2: Get yourself an inexpensive sitz bath - $12 ish from the pharmacy - great for keeping the bum and lady parts clean

Tip 3: If you already have hemorrhoids, get creams etc for them. Mine were so bad postpartum especially with constipation

Tip 4: Dont skip pain killers after birth. I thought I didnt need them --- dummy --- I had stitches for goodness sake

Tip 5: Recovery for me was tough BUT it gets better!!! One day, you just feel ok again. For me that was week 3.

All the best ladies!!! Hope these tips help!!

- Alex and baby Carson