I was originally in the Sept group!

My baby girl is one month old today, and I wanted to finally post her birth story.

Autumn Elise was born on October 2. I'm the one who is so glad she made it to October with the new 12 week parental leave for federal employees in the US.

I'm 38, so they didn't want me to go much past 40 weeks. She is our first born. I had originally gone in the day before my due date because a specialist wanted me to get checked out after my last NST. They showed baby was doing perfectly well, but we did foley bulb that night hoping it would speed things up... which did nothing. I opted to go home and come back in 2 days for my scheduled induction, hoping id go into labor naturally by that point.. nope..

I went in for induction at 40 + 2. They started me overnight on Cervidil, which as far as they could tell the next morning, did nothing. I've never heard of this before, but apparently I was dialated a few inches on the inside of my cervix and the outside of my cervix wasn't dilating at all. I didnt know this was possible. I've always only heard of one number, like that you are dilated 2 cm, not specifying a difference between inner and outer cervix. They said this is rare and that they only really see this happening in women that have had trauma to the cervix or some sort of surgery, which hasn't happened to me. Id been having contractions the whole time but not enough to do much.

Anyway, then they started the lowest dose of Cytotec every 4 or 6 hours (i cant remember). After 3 doses at the end of my second induction day...nothing. I had been up and squatting and moving around the room all day and night.. still, neither drug had done anything. We still read baby girl her favorite bedtime story every night in the hospital. They did one last round of double Cytotec and checked me the next morning. Again. Nothing. So then they started the Pitocin. They kept upping it because I was tolerating it so well...until I wasn't. Id been in labor for 2 days at this point and under hard Pitocin labor for 8 hours until I asked for an epidural which I was trying to avoid. I did Hypnobabies course and was trying to do natural but wasn't opposed to an epidural if it came down to it. I knew induction would be a game changer in this regard.

Anyway, I hadn't slept in 2 nights at this point. I was exhausted. The epidural made it so I could get a few hours of rest before pushing. They had to way dial back the epidural strength. That was an awful feeling...my legs and whole lower half so dead like that, couldn't move or feel a thing. It was worse than the pain until it was adjusted. It felt like I was touching a slab of dead meat. Around 5 I told them I was having an increased pushing sensation. My midwife checked me and felt baby girl's head!! She came back at 605p and I started pushing. She turned the Pitocin too fully off and it slowed down the progress a lot. They offered a mirror which I didn't think I'd want but it was actually incredible, my husband and I both have fond memories of how incredible it was to see the progress and her little head inching its way out!!!

She was finally born at 650p, 47 hours after my induction began. I had no tearing. They told us she would be over 9 pounds and she was under 8...We had tummy time for an hour and she took to my breast right away! It was an amazing feeling. We left the hospital 24 hours later. It was such a roller coaster. Ill never forget after feeding her one last time and a nurse coming in at 230 am to ask me if I wanted her to show me how to give her a bath (um maybe in like 5 hours? I haven't slept in 3 days. Thanks. ) ill never forget finally drifting off to sleep at 3 am staring at my little miracle in the hospital bassinet right beside me. Our lives changed forever. We are so happy!

Btw I don't regret doing Hypnobabies. It still helped me so much during pregnancy and childbirth despite the induction and epidural.

Happy One Month Birthday, my sweet baby Autumn!!!