I Was Almost Induced, Almost Got An Epidural

To say this birth story is over due is an understatement, but I’m sitting here, staring at my 15 month old asleep on the couch, remembering how amazing that day was and realizing I’ll be going through it all again in 4 months! So I thought I should share just how crazy and amazing that day was! WARNING ⚠️ LONG POST

My original due date was Friday, October 19, 2018. The Friday before (12th), I started getting what I know now we’re semi-painful braxton hicks, but as a first time mom I thought “Holy crap these are contractions!” (If only I knew then what I know now😂) So I waited until hubby got out of work around 6pm and we headed to the hospital, which was only 10 minutes away. Of course when we got there and they hooked me up to the monitor, the contractions weren’t consistent or strong enough for them to keep me. They did a quick cervical check and told me I was dilated to a 3, which was exactly where I was at my last OB check-up 3 days prior, and sent me home. I was so disappointed, but the contractions had stopped being so painful so I just went to bed early that night. The next day I again started to feel these semi-painful contractions, but this time they were much more consistent and closer together. So again, I waited until hubby got out of work and we headed back to the hospital. This time they checked and I was dilated to a 4. They kept me for an hour to see if I progressed, and I didn’t, so I was sent home. I don’t remember much of the next day but when Monday rolled around I scheduled an appointment with my midwife to talk about my frustrations. I told her how I was very uncomfortable and in pain because these contractions kept coming. So she decided that on Wednesday at 9am they would induce me at 39+5 weeks! The next day I spent all day getting the last touches for baby set up. Then, about half way through the day I started freaking out because it was starting to dawn on me that this baby was going to be here like tomorrow! I cried to my sister that I had never taken any maternity photos. So we went and pulled hubby out of work to do a mini maternity shoot. I hadn’t felt a single contraction all day and started to worry if I was doing the right thing being induced. My MIL came over that night to cook for us and to stay the night so she could come in with us in the morning. Big mistake, this lady made the spiciest rice and beans I had ever tasted! The heartburn was real😂 We went to bed around 11pm. About an hour after we went to sleep I had gotten up to pee but as soon as I stood up I felt a trickle running down my leg. I thought, “What are the chances my water breaks 9 hours before I’m supposed to be induced?!”. I started walking faster to the bathroom and then the big gush came. I sat down on the toilet and a whole bunch of fluid came out. I still wasn’t 100% convinced I hadn’t just peed myself until I started up the stairs and kept leaking the whole way up! I woke up my mom and sister to tell them my water had broken and we were headed in. I stopped by my MIL’s room to wake her up but she had just taken all her sleeping pills and was out cold! We headed into the hospital, I had to make the awkward call to the hospital telling them I was coming in yet again but this time my water had actually broken so I was pretty sure this was the real deal. On the way there my contractions started and I remember telling hubby that this had to be the real deal because these were actually getting really painful, unlike the pain I thought I was in from the braxton hicks😂 We check in around 1am, they already had my room ready since I was set to be induced that morning. I was GBS positive to after getting checked (still only 4cm dilated) they hooked me up to an IV. I started to feel a lot of pain in my back so as soon as the IV had administered, I asked to get up and move around. I sat on the ball at first with my mom rubbing my back, that was not doing it. The nurses kept trying to get me to sit in different positions to help with the pain, but nothing was doing it. I decided to get in the shower and holy cow, when I say that shower took my pain away I mean it! I sat backwards on a shower chair and had hubby switch from spraying the water on my back to my stomach as the contractions came. I wanted to stay in there forever but after 2 1/2 hours the nurses said I needed to get out so they could check me again. I kept protesting, as this was helping a lot and I wanted an unmediated birth more than anything, but eventually complied. They checked me and I had only progressed 1cm in the almost 5 hours since my water broke. I was deviated. The pain was getting very intense since I had gotten out of the shower. They offered me the gas and air, but after a few minutes it made me feel sick to my stomach so I stopped. Next, they asked if I would want to get in a tub. Our room didn’t have one, but we were the only ones on the floor that morning and the room down the hall had a jacuzzi tub. I had done a lot of research and found that the birthing tubs helped a lot of people. NOPE! Not me! I got in and felt worse! I couldn’t get comfortable and I was just in SO much pain! I got out about 30 minutes after I got in. So I’m standing there, butt naked, screaming in pain, and my midwife walks in. She said, “Oh I’m sorry, I’ll come back in a second!” but I said, “Oh don’t worry, come get a ticket to the free show!” Since I was the only one giving birth in the hospital that morning the whole staff was focused on me, pretty sure everyone on the floor had seen me naked at this point😂🤷🏼‍♀️ I had to go to the bathroom so my midwife came in and started getting updated by the nurses while I went. I was in so. much. pain. I even couldn’t stand up from the toilet! My midwife came into the bathroom after awhile and helped me get up and onto a bed. She checked me and informed me that in the 8 hours I had been there, I only progressed to a 6😭😭 That broke me. I couldn’t believe the pain I was in and only at a 6! Against everything I wanted, I asked for the epidural. Well the anesthesiologist said it would take them 45 minutes to come in. So I hobbled back to our original room to get ready for them. When I had finally gotten in the room I ripped off the robe they had put on me to walk through the hallway and just went to the floor on all fours. So. Much. Pain. Everyone kept trying to get me up and into the bed but I was not having it. I curled up on the floor and sat there for the hour it took for the anesthesiologist to get to our room. He had gotten everything set up and I had finally gotten off the floor and into the bed when I felt this drop. All of a sudden I felt like I had to poop, BAD. My midwife suggested checking me one more time before they gave me the epidural. And what do you know I was at a 10 and crowning! The anesthesiologist packed up and left as the nurses rushed in delivery supplies and my midwife got her gloves and gown on. I had hubby call my mom and sister as they had stepped out for me to get the epidural. Well my sister had just left to go feed our dogs since we all thought it would take so much longer. She ended up missing the whole thing! My mom came in and lifted one leg and hubby grabbed the other. My midwife gave me a whole speech on remembering that this could be a long and painful process. I got ready for my first push and as soon as I felt the urge, I started to push with everything in me. All of a sudden I hear “Wait, wait, wait!” and the nurses moved around a lot. They asked if hubby wanted to see real quick, but he declined, poor thing was being so brave, he hates blood😂 I said “If he’s not going to look I want to!” so they pulled up a mirror to let me look. But I didn’t see what I was expecting to. Her head was basically out! “Wait she’s almost out!” I yelled at my midwife and she said that this was it, one more push and she was going to be here. I don’t remember feeling much pain until my mom said “Hold up I need my camera!” and dropped my leg to run over and grab her phone. Like OW! But anyways she came back over and picked up my leg with her camera pointed right into my coochie😂 I gave that last push and my beautiful baby girl Mia Rose slipped right out at exactly 11:11am! They immediately placed her on me but my cord was very short so they pretty much laid her on my stomach. She was so beautiful and cried right away. After hubby cut the cord I remember hearing my midwife say, “Okay Paige, it looks like your placenta tore, Im going to have to put my arm inside you to pull out the other pieces” I said okay and she went in and Oh. My. Gosh. That hurt worse than anything else I had felt that day! She fished around for awhile and then pulled out 3 big chunks of placenta! She told me I was very lucky. I didn’t tare at all so there was no stitching up to do. After they wiped off my baby everyone left the room and we were able to be with our sweet girl for almost 2 hours before anyone came in to bother us, which was amazing. And since I didn’t get an epidural I was able to walk around right after and clean myself up.

I couldn’t have asked for a better labor and delivery and I was so happy I ended up not getting the epidural as that was one thing I really didn’t want.

Baby girl is now 15 months old and we are expecting her sister in June! God I love being a mom!