My labour story: Unscheduled C-section

I had a very smooth pregnancy & was 39 weeks when I went into labour last Thursday evening. I wasn’t admitted to the hospital until Saturday evening, at which point I was 4 cm dilated. I started with laughing gas which helped take the edge off the contractions, however, after a couple of hours, as the contractions became stronger & lasted longer, I requested epidural. Once I was fully dilated, I started pushing on early Sunday morning. This lasted for ~2.5 hours and was by far the most difficult part of my labour. I tried pushing in all different positions which the nurses and doctors encouraged me to keep going. As my progress stalled, an OBGYN suggested I take oxytocin to progress my labour but that didn’t do much to help. At this point, I was utterly exhausted from all the pushing and while the nurses/doctors kept telling me I was doing great, I just wanted to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Later Sunday morning OBGYN’s were coming into my room regularly to check my cervix. Eventually, they told me they thought it was best to opt for a C-section given how long I had been pushing. I had a fetal monitor on & the baby’s heart rate was fine but they didn’t want to take any chances. At that point, I felt very emotional & started crying. I felt like I had given so much but it still wasn’t enough. A C-section was the last thing I wanted but I also understood it was important to do what was best for me & the baby so I agreed. It felt like forever until they were ready for me in the OR. The C-section itself went smoothly & was very fast. I could hear what was happening around me and my husband was by my side. As soon as our little girl was born, they handed her to me for skin to skin and it felt so surreal. I was in a daze but I was just so relieved knowing she was healthy and finally here. She was a healthy 7 lbs 9 oz & I am so appreciative of the care we received at the hospital! We were discharged this Wednesday afternoon.

My baby girl is 5 days old now & I just can’t get enough of her 😍 Wish all you Mom’s & Mom’s to be the best!