Alexander's Birth Story
Finally got around to typing up the story. Please forgive the excessive punctuation and general lack of "flow." I am a sleep-deprived new mommy!
At my last doctor's appointment, my OB decided to do a quick ultrasound to get an estimate on the size of the baby since he had been measuring big. Now, I already knew that ultrasounds can be way off and inductions have a tendency to end in c-sections, but when the doctor recommended getting things started at 39 weeks, I think the combination of physical discomfort, impatience and my inability to say no to healthcare professionals got the better of me. I did, however, refuse cytotec. The doctor agreed to induce with pitocin only, and we scheduled things for October 7th, which happens to be my boyfriend's birthday!
Since I had pre-registered with the hospital, they pretty much took us straight to my delivery room and got my IV set up. I'd say within thirty minutes the pitocin drip was going and I was having contractions!
The contractions were something I had apparently been having for weeks and just didn't know that's what they were. I was expecting things to intensify quickly, since I'd heard that pitocin contractions are ridiculous, but after a few hours, they were coming regularly and picking up, but still very bearable.
At some point, they stopped coming at regular intervals and I had only dilated to about three. They decided to turn down the pit for a while and start it back up. By about 7:00 the next morning, (12 hours of pitocin at this point) I still hadn't done much progressing, so my doctor decided to break my water.
Now, she warned me that the contractions would intensify, but they went from tolerable to the most intense pain I've ever felt almost immediately! Jeff (the boyfriend) was trying to help me breathe through them, but there were almost no breaks between them and I really wasn't prepared for things to escalate that quickly. I ended up asking for the epidural after about twenty minutes of these crazy contractions. Bummer.
Any disappointment I would've felt at this point was truly masked by relief. I was able to relax! The contractions continued in force and according to my doctor, they were strong and regular, but I never dilated any further than five.
Things really get a bit fuzzy at this point. After about 21 hours of labor, the baby's heartrate did something funky and they strapped an oxygen mask to my face. They started the c-section talk and I couldn't hold back the tears. I felt disappointed that I had even agreed to the induction in the first place.
The decision had been made for me though, and I was wheeled to the OR in minutes. The whole thing went really fast. I also had some issues with the epidural. I got sick on the operating table and my whole left side was numb. I could barely lift my arm or open my left eye! Very strange.
Jeff was sitting next to me the whole time, watching me get sliced open. After a little tugging, I heard the most incredible sound... My baby! I couldn't help but cry when I heard him. They showed him to me quickly, but I couldn't really see. I listened to their comments on how big he was and how he had red hair! Getting sewn up took forever! Once they finished, they wheeled me to another room and I got to hold my little boy. Amazing.
The whole experience was crazy, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat! I can't believe how much love I feel for this tiny person. He's pretty much the greatest!
Here are some pictures of our boy:
Daddy being a cheeseball.
I have really enjoyed this community and watching all of your pregnancies! I will lurk, and hopefully be posting again in a
couple years! Also, thanks to all who commented on the birth announcement. :)
At my last doctor's appointment, my OB decided to do a quick ultrasound to get an estimate on the size of the baby since he had been measuring big. Now, I already knew that ultrasounds can be way off and inductions have a tendency to end in c-sections, but when the doctor recommended getting things started at 39 weeks, I think the combination of physical discomfort, impatience and my inability to say no to healthcare professionals got the better of me. I did, however, refuse cytotec. The doctor agreed to induce with pitocin only, and we scheduled things for October 7th, which happens to be my boyfriend's birthday!
Since I had pre-registered with the hospital, they pretty much took us straight to my delivery room and got my IV set up. I'd say within thirty minutes the pitocin drip was going and I was having contractions!
The contractions were something I had apparently been having for weeks and just didn't know that's what they were. I was expecting things to intensify quickly, since I'd heard that pitocin contractions are ridiculous, but after a few hours, they were coming regularly and picking up, but still very bearable.
At some point, they stopped coming at regular intervals and I had only dilated to about three. They decided to turn down the pit for a while and start it back up. By about 7:00 the next morning, (12 hours of pitocin at this point) I still hadn't done much progressing, so my doctor decided to break my water.
Now, she warned me that the contractions would intensify, but they went from tolerable to the most intense pain I've ever felt almost immediately! Jeff (the boyfriend) was trying to help me breathe through them, but there were almost no breaks between them and I really wasn't prepared for things to escalate that quickly. I ended up asking for the epidural after about twenty minutes of these crazy contractions. Bummer.
Any disappointment I would've felt at this point was truly masked by relief. I was able to relax! The contractions continued in force and according to my doctor, they were strong and regular, but I never dilated any further than five.
Things really get a bit fuzzy at this point. After about 21 hours of labor, the baby's heartrate did something funky and they strapped an oxygen mask to my face. They started the c-section talk and I couldn't hold back the tears. I felt disappointed that I had even agreed to the induction in the first place.
The decision had been made for me though, and I was wheeled to the OR in minutes. The whole thing went really fast. I also had some issues with the epidural. I got sick on the operating table and my whole left side was numb. I could barely lift my arm or open my left eye! Very strange.
Jeff was sitting next to me the whole time, watching me get sliced open. After a little tugging, I heard the most incredible sound... My baby! I couldn't help but cry when I heard him. They showed him to me quickly, but I couldn't really see. I listened to their comments on how big he was and how he had red hair! Getting sewn up took forever! Once they finished, they wheeled me to another room and I got to hold my little boy. Amazing.
The whole experience was crazy, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat! I can't believe how much love I feel for this tiny person. He's pretty much the greatest!
Here are some pictures of our boy:
Daddy being a cheeseball.
I have really enjoyed this community and watching all of your pregnancies! I will lurk, and hopefully be posting again in a
couple years! Also, thanks to all who commented on the birth announcement. :)