FTM, induction birth story at 39+5

My baby is 13 days old today and I’m just now sitting down to write her birth story! I was induced at 0430am on 10/25/19. I was already 4 cm and 60% effaced when I arrived to the hospital that morning. I had been having irregular contractions days prior but nothing that was causing progression. I somehow lucked up and got the biggest delivery room. I changed, the nurses started my admission history, placed my IV, and got me on the monitor. By 0545am they had started my Pitocin and Ancef (IV antibiotic). I began having small contractions immediately but nothing too difficult to handle. I decided to rest while my contractions were manageable. About 0730am, my doctor came in (I was so thankful she was the one on service) and checked me. I was still at a 4 so she decided to break my water. It wasn’t painful just a big reach and a pinch, so to speak. I didn’t feel a huge gush of water but instead just intermittent trickles. I was able to ambulate around my room for a while. All of the fluids they were running into my IV kept me going to the bathroom. My mom and husband were by my side during everything. The nurses kept coming in every so often to bump up my Pitocin rate. Contractions started getting harder and more frequent so I spent some time on the yoga ball and practicing deep breathing. My husband applied pressure to my hips and assisted me to change positions. I had originally intended to labor without an epidural, but the pain was so intense. At 1230pm, I finally decided to get the epidural at 5.5 cm. Thankfully, the CRNA came quickly and placed my epidural. It was no where near as bad as I had anticipated. It was a small pinch and a burn and was over in 5 minutes. I was still able to move slightly during placement, thank goodness, because I was contracting so hard. After the bolus dose of pain medication, I felt instant relief and was able to lay down. Within an hour and a half, I was numb from my ribs down. It was a very odd sensation and I didn’t particularly care for it but it was better than crying and experiencing intense pain. I dozed on and off for the next several hours, as did my husband. The nurse assisted me to turn every hour and placed a peanut ball between my knees. My mother-in-law and father-in-law stopped by to visit briefly as I labored. My father was also in and out of the room. He bought me beautiful fall flowers from the gift shop! I was completely relaxed and could watch my contractions on the monitor without pain! Fast forward to 6pm, my doctor checked me and I was complete and fully effaced! She decided to let me labor down for another hour or so, so that baby could descend further into my pelvis. This is where I started to get a bit anxious/excited. I finally started pushing with the nurses about 7:45 pm, after my doctor completed rounds. My mom held the left leg and husband held the right. The nurses said I was pushing perfectly. Side note, yes, you HAVE to bear down and use muscle memory like you’re having a bowel movement. I pushed on my back, on my right and left sides, and pushed doing tug of war. Pushing was absolutely exhausting. I would push with each contraction for three counts of ten. I began to cry after close to 2 hours of pushing because I felt so defeated. My nurses, mom, and husband kept encouraging me and helped keep me focused. At around 10pm my doctor came back in and stayed this time (she had been popping in and out of the room during my pushing). She helped encourage me and finally, I reached up, grabbed my feet, and pulled them back parallel to my ears in order to push. I pushed hard and fast for another 45 minutes and at 1045pm, my doctor called out of the room and requested all nurses come in for delivery. This is where things get a bit blurry for me. I remember my doctor gowning up, the nurses removing the bottom portion of the bed and moving down the large light. My doctor told me to push hard and I did, feet still pulled back at my ears. My doctor became my focal point and I paid less attention to everyone else in the room. My baby girl began to decel slightly, so they placed oxygen on me. My doctor asked for one big push and with that, my daughter was out at exactly 11pm. I looked down and there she was. That was the most incredible moment of my life. It was indescribable. There was this beautiful baby that I had known for 9 months on the inside and she was finally earth side. She weighed 7 lbs 1 ounce and was 18.5 inches long. My mom and husband both cried tears of joy. My husband cut her cord and they placed her on my chest. She laid snuggled there for over an hour while my doctor placed stitches. I had an episiotomy, 2nd degree internal and left labial tear. I felt nothing but was overwhelmed with love and admiration for my daughter. It’s true what they say, you feel an instant love. My husband said I “lost a lot of blood” but if that was the case, I was unaware. They bolused the rest of my Pitocin to help my uterus contact and clot. I was allowed to recover for about 2 hours and then I was transferred to the mother baby floor. I was exhausted and clueless, but so in love. Labor and delivery and even recovery was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced but I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant I got my daughter all over again. She’s became a champ at breastfeeding and overall, she’s an excellent baby. Only wakes to eat and look around and for the most part, snoozes most of the day. She’s absolutely perfect and I am so in love.