Birth story 8/17/19 - Crazy, beautiful experience💙

Finally have some time to share my birth story. It’s a little long, but hoping someone else can relate. My sons birth experience wasn’t at all what I had hoped for, but he’s here and he's healthy and that’s all that matters. Looking back, it definitely was a traumatic experience. But honestly, I would do it all over again. He’s perfect💙 Writing this now to see if anyone else experienced this type of labor and if so, could they share their story. I was told by my OB that everything I experienced was a fluke and not at all my fault. Just something that is rare and fhappens sometimes.

I went to my OB for my 40 week appointment. Our little guy passed his non stress test with flying colors. He had always been so active my whole pregnancy. I had been having prodromal labor for about a week. I was already 4cm dilated, lost my plug, bloody show, had a sweep done, but my contractions weren’t consistent enough to admit me for active labor. He was just sitting comfy inside me and I was okay with it. I wanted him to come on his own time. After my ultrasound, my OB came in to tell my husband and I that there wasn’t any amniotic fluid left and they needed to induce today. My heart sank. I did not want to be induced.

I was admitted to the hospital, and started on pitocin at 7pm. The contractions were PAINFUL and all the horror stories I had heard about pitocin contractions were true lol. I was doing well breathing through each contraction without any pain medication. I made it to 7cm dilated before the pain started to overcome me. By then it was midnight and I only moved 3cm in 5 hours. I decided to get an epidural. My catheter was placed and I received the epidural and tried to get some rest. I was checked a few hours later by the resident doctor and was still at 7cm. Checked another hour later, still 7cm. Another hour later, 7cm again. What was going on? My contractions were coming so frequently but my cervix was not dilating? It was heartbreaking and exhausting and confusing.

My OB finally came in to check me and noticed my catheter “was placed in an odd position”. She told me she was going to readjust it. As soon as she did I felt pressure and a pop. Surprised, my OB says “you’re 9cm dilated after adjusting your cath”. I was so out of it at that point I didn’t think to ask why or how or if the catheter was in the way? All I knew was 9cm was so close to 10cm and I couldn’t wait to push this baby out. My OB came back 30 minutes later to check me and yet again, another strange thing happened. She told me one side of my cervix was dilated to 10cm, the other side was 9.5cm and the baby was crooked in my birth canal..... what? Crooked? Who knew that was even a thing.

I was getting the urge to push. I now understand other women when they said “you’ll know when it’s time to push”. That is a STRONG sensation. My OB came back and I was still the same. I cried that I needed to push. I was told I could risk ripping but at this point I did not care. My OB let me push and with the first push he moved a good deal so she was hopeful she could massage my cervix so it was fully dilated to 10cm on both sides. With every push she could feel his head move down and she would massage my cervix. However, when I stopped pushing his head would move back up due to my cervix not being dilated fully on both sides. Also, because he was crooked in my birth canal. I pushed SO HARD for 45 minutes before my OB told me my cervix just wasn’t going to dilate evenly and that I was a warrior for trying so hard. But due to the circumstances she felt a csection was the safest way to get him out. My heart sank, yet again.

I was prepped and rolled into the OR. Everything went so fast. I could feel the pressure of the knife across my belly. I could feel them pull him from my abdomen. His head was so engaged in my birth canal I could feel the pressure release as they pulled him out. I heard him cry and they raised him over the curtain for me to see. He was absolutely perfect.

I could hear suction and so many hands on me. I heard one doctor say from behind the curtain “I need more suction, I can’t find where the bleed is coming from”..... Scary. I heard them say “more suction” about a half a dozen times before they finally started to close me up. Our baby boy Isaac was wrapped and put on my chest. Love at first sight. I’m sure you mamas can relate.

I was rolled into the recovery room and I could see that I was being administered blood. My heart rate was low so they were checking it along with my blood pressure every 10 minutes. Once we were brought to our room I continued to have my pulse and blood pressure checked every few hours. I had my blood drawn every day to make sure my blood platelet count was increasing, apparently it was low. I was also still being administered pitocin so my uterus could contract back down. That was fun. I continued to have contractions all night. No one tells you that fun part.

Isaac is now 17 days old and we are over the moon obsessed with him. He was born 7:23pm on 8/17 9lbs 4oz and 21 inches long. I was in labor for 24 hours before having the csection. Certainly was not how I expected I give birth but it brought our babe into the world the safest way possible and I’ll wear this scar proud💙