I just had my baby 5 hours ago so this is fresh in my mind! I had a super fast painful but positive induction today.

My first came naturally at 40+6 when my waters slowly broke, sending me into labor with back labor contractions, got the epidural, 10 hours of labor including 2 hours of pushing, and a few stitches for a small second degree tear.

So I was nervous for my second birth. I had to be induced today 39+1 due to 2 vessel cord. I got to the hospital at 11:15 and they took a while to even get to me. My doctor put the balloon thing into my cervix (which was at a 1 and pretty thick). I was super scared it would hurt but besides the pain of the pelvic exam and hands up there it wasn’t bad. They filled it with saline water and that didn’t hurt either.

Around noon they started the pitocin. Apparently they start it at a 2, where the highest dose is 24. I started having contractions 5 mins apart. I felt the balloon shift. Then she upped it to 4, then contractions were closer to 2 minutes apart. I think she upped the pitocin one more time but that’s when it really really started to hurt. All I could focus on was timing them and they were all mostly 1 minute 50 seconds apart, with a few 2 minute 30 seconds in there. She came by to check me and tugged the balloon out no problem. 5-6 cm dilated!

Then I asked for pain meds because it was getting to be really bad. I was moaning through the contractions and not as able to speak through them. They wanted me to get through a whole IV bag first which I had started but it was so full still. They jacked that up and it felt real cold. I started to shake a lot, but I wasn’t sure if it was the iv or the contractions. My BP and temp and stuff were fine.

Then I hit a new level of pain with the contractions and was kind of yelling at the IV bag to hurry the fuck up! Begging someone to give me the epidural. Finally, FINALLY they get the guy in for the epidural and it felt like forever but he got it placed and running. And it felt like it did nothing! I could feel my legs and everything. They said it would take up to 30 minutes to really work. The next contractions were so bad that my whole body was shaking and I felt like my body was pushing!!! I’m yelling and pressing the stupid epidural button and it’s so painful. The nurse comes back in and checks me and says I’m an 8 with bulging waters. She goes to put a catheter in and I’m not being a nice patient, yelling and stuff. She can’t get the catheter in because...baby is right there! All of a sudden I’m a 10 and she’s telling me not to push yet because my doctor is coming. They prep the room and my legs are going up on the stirrups (still not totally numb). My doctor barely pokes into me and bam, waters break and they look nasty. They call NICU to stand by because of meconium in the water. I’m told to start pushing and the head is right there and I actually screamed like in the movies. It only took two or three contractions but it hurt so bad I was yelling “I can’t do this I can’t do this!”

But I did! At 4:56 my son was born. And I got to reach down and pull him out myself. He was very white/purple looking and not screaming so I was worried, but they counted what noise he was making as a cry. I guess my first came out shrieking so I expected that. He was cleaned up and NICU team found nothing the matter with him thankfully. He is 7 lbs 5 oz!

I think I numbed up enough by the epidural by then because my doc had her whole hand up there tugging on the placenta. And then everything felt all right!

No tear! No hemorrhage! No NICU! My baby is super calm and sleepy and hasn’t had luck breastfeeding yet but had some bottle. I’m so relieved he came out healthy and good sized because I was worried about his health with the two vessel cord and dilated kidney and too much amniotic fluid. All the tests I’ve gone through with him added to my anxiety and it’s great to be on the other side of that. I feel good in my recovery room although nervous of the sleepless nights to come and what I will decide to do about feeding. I feel like I’m leaning towards formula but I guess I have to give breast milk a chance. I breastfed my first until 20 months old but it did a number on my mental health. One thing at a time. I’m glad to be through the birth!