41+ Weeks Induction to C Section

Grab a snack, it’s a long one. Finally ready to share nearly 6 weeks PP:

I came in Wednesday night to begin the induction process with the Cervidil insert. It was placed around 8 PM with no issue and hunkered down for the night. Husband helped me settle in, popped out to get food for himself, waited on me in the evening and got some shut eye. The night was uneventful other than continuously coming off monitor and little sleep (which was really a non-event for me at this point).

I woke up the next morning and had the insert removed - no dilation had occurred but some softening had happened over night (the expected outcome, more or less). Dr came before 9 AM and warned me this may be a slow, unsuccessful induction and gave me the opportunity to schedule a C section for that morning. Between the fact there was food in front of me and that it seemed unnecessary at the time (as the top reasons given were that they suspected she was larger than estimated - more on that later) I waived the procedure, chowed down, and showered before getting hooked up to the IV (fluids, pitocin, antibiotics as I was positive for GBS) at 10 AM. I had a few contractions on my own before pitocin which encouraged everyone.

Simply put: back labor is NO JOKE - imagine Beyonce swinging her baseball bat but hitting your back instead of inanimate objects as she’s walking down the street. I had a steady pattern of contractions roughly every 2 minutes lasting around 45 seconds each. I opted for the epidural around 3:30 PM, which had to be placed twice as the first placement was showing blood in the tube - also no joke. However, once it kicked in and I was burritoed in bed with pillows, blankets, and TV all was well.

The doctor checked me around 5 PM and artificially broke my water as it was bulging and we’d progressed to 2 cm dilation. All continued to be well and I met with the night doctor when she came on shift. Husband had stepped out to feed himself and take care of a few things when I started feeling rectal pressure - normal considering baby had made her way to 0 station but it started to get stronger with each contraction and eventually made its way up my back. Husband returned and we asked the nurse for help. The evening anesthesiologist came in and adjusted my medication for some slight relief but was basically futile.

Not long after, my nurse repositioned me and was alarmed (but kept her composure) about the amount of blood I was losing and how baby’s heart rate was dropping whenever I had a contraction (after it had been consistently good since we were admitted). The doctor agreed this was concerning and had the hypothesis of placental abruption, which is when the placenta separates from the uterine wall/tears. Around 8:45 PM, the decision was made that a c section was necessary for both of our sakes. I have never seen a group of people move so quickly and in such orderly fashion in my life!

I was wheeled to the OR and moved onto the operating table where I received a full spinal block. Being numb from the waist down was one thing, but from the neck/chest down was a whole different ballgame and I felt quite nauseous at time (thankfully the minuscule barf bag they gave me was unnecessary). As soon as I was numb the procedure began and our baby girl was born shortly thereafter at 9:07 Pm, quickly screaming loudly for all to hear (clearly her father’s daughter). She clocked in at 20 inches long and 7 lbs 1 Oz (her last ultrasound estimate was 7lbs 13 Oz, so no - she was not big in the slightest). There are no words to describe the emotions going through you when you finally see this small human you’ve been cohabitating with for almost 10 months and she’s just as perfect as you dreamed.

After she was cleaned up a bit and came back with great APGAR scores she was placed on my chest and the three of us got to hang out with her for a bit as I was getting put back together. The doctor confirmed my placenta did start to partially abrupt and that things could have gotten a LOT worse. Husband was dispatched to get our things from the L&D room while they finished me up and all of us moved to Recovery. Our doula team had made it to the hospital and was in the waiting room; they joined us in recovery and we recounted the epic adventures of that last hour as well as getting their help with latching and planning the post partum visit. Baby was rooting around right away which was very encouraging and charmed everyone with her looks and feisty personality.

Husband and I finally got to our maternity room around 11:45 PM and he conked out shortly after we settled in (men). Baby was getting cleaned and measured in the nursery so I waited up for her until around 1 AM to be brought to me to nurse - tricky at first but ultimately successful. She wanted to snuggle so we spent a bit of extra time hanging out watching Food Network (torture when you can’t eat, but not much else on at that hour) before she went back to the nursery. I received medications for pain throughout the night as well as compression boots for my legs.

Overall, this experience was SO far off birth plan it was like a different book entirely. However, when you are 11 days overdue by the time you deliver you gotta do what you gotta do, and we are all here in one piece! (Though with many more grey hairs for us along the way!)