Induction Birth Story 💗

Here's my birth story for yesterday, when baby girl was born!

I had an elective induction at 39 + 1 weeks. When I last saw my doctor on Tuesday last week, I was 2.5 cm & 70% effaced. I walked a little and had some mild cramps on and off throughout the week but nothing else. I got to the hospital yesterday morning and got in my room and my doctor came by to check me and break my water & start me on pitocin. I was 3.5 cm so they broke my water, but I asked if we could hold off on pitocin for an hour to see how/if my body would progress at all. She said "without pitocin your body wont do much but we'll see in an hour how you're doing." She broke my water at 7 am.

At 8 am, I had only had 3 or 4 contractions and they weren't intense at all so I was like shit, I'm going to have to have pitocin.

My nurse was running late to work and was supposed to be there at 8. She didn't get there until 9:30 and came into the room, said "Someone is delivering next door, I won't be back to start pitocin for a bit." I was annoyed but understood, so I said okay and she left. I started having more frequent contractions that were a little more intense but not painful or unbearable. I figured I might be at a 4 or so when they checked me again, but wanted to start my pitocin to get things moving because I thought it would be a long labor. So I paged a nurse and a new nurse came in (who was fabulous and became my nurse since mine never came back) and she asked what was going on. I let her know my doctor broke my water at 7, and I'd like to start my pitocin if I wasn't progressed because it was supposed to be started at 8 (it was 10:15 now) and she checked me. I was at 6 cm and she said I didn't need the pitocin, but my contractions were getting more painful so I asked for the epidural. She said no problem, as soon as I finished my saline bag (it was about half way done since they hooked it up at 7). I had 2 more really intense contractions and said I didn't think I had time, I felt like I was going fast. She checked me literally 10 minutes later and I was at 8 cm, so she immediately called the anesthesiologist and said I needed a fast epidural because I was an 8 and going quickly. She was there and had the epidural placed within 10 minutes. It only worked on one side, just like with my son, but it was so much better than feeling everything so I was ok with it. She checked me again right after and I was still an 8, and I figured labor would slow down a little.

I had my family in the room for about 15 minutes after that and started getting intense pressure with my contractions and said I think it's time (11:30 at this point) - she checked me and I was 10 cm and her head was right there. They paged my doctor and she got there at 11:35 to set up. They put my legs up, said go ahead and push, and I pushed for 45 seconds. 3 pushes and she was out! 1 little stitch, no complications at all, and 4 and a half hours of labor from start to finish. I had maybe 15 intense contractions the whole time, and I was super content and pleasant the entire labor. I wouldn't have changed a thing!

Little miss Rowan Elise was 7 lbs, 13 oz. & 19.5 inches long. Daddy and I are so in love already 💗