Okay, so the past day or so has been somewhat of an emotional roller coaster.
I had a great morning yesterday filled with an awesome maternity photo session and lunch with the girls. Then I was off to my OB appointment, feeling a little tired but not too bad. They brought me in and took my BP and didn't tell me what it was. 'That's odd', I thought, since they always announce it right away. 'Good or bad?' I asked the nurse. 'A little high but not too bad,' she replied. I was being nosey and tried to read the numbers over her shoulder and I think I caught a 140/86. Remember the 'goal' from my OB is 140/90 or less, so I figured it was acceptable. So the nurse left and in walked the other nurse for my doc, saying something like, 'Oh hi, how are you today?' while reaching for the BP cuff again. 'I'm getting the old switcharoo, I see?' I asked because no offense--but you can be as sneaky as you want but I'm still going to be that patient who demands to know what is going on. I'm thinking that will bode well during labor and delivery, too, and hope I can keep up my nerve to be an informed patient.
'Yeah, just a recheck,' is what the new nurse announced. And she did tell me the number which was 136/86, still not 'normal' but again, since I was holding onto that 140/90 standard as my goal I figured it was no big deal. Next came the waiting for the doc and a few relaxation breathing techniques on my part to stay calm and not let my mind run wild.
So doc comes in. Asks the same questions she asked at my first 'uh-oh' appointment last week, like 'How are you feeling? Any vision changes? Cramping? Do you have any reason to believe your water has broken?' You know, nice calming questions like that. Of course I replied 'no' to all questions but I realized then that my doc wasn't liking the higher BP no matter what she set as my 'goal'.
Then she asks how much more I'm supposed to work. I told her no more weekends but still scheduled for a full 40 hours during the week. She winced at that statement, then asked, 'What kind of maternity leave do you have?' I knew what she was getting at so I told her I only get 12 weeks, whether that is used before or after the baby it is just 12 weeks and that is that. So if she takes me off work all together, I start my maternity leave and have less time with baby boy after he arrives. She nodded her head and wasn't ready to completely pull the plug just yet since my numbers are still hovering on the borderline, possibly a warning sign to something worse but not bad enough just yet to completely freak out.
I stated that my boss thought they might be able to be flexible with my hours and if we needed to find a happy medium between me working on my feet for 40 hours per week and the other extreme of bedrest, we could probably find a way to make it work. So she sent me off with a script to work only 4 hours a day, then go straight home for 'modified bedrest' to do just that.....REST. No grocery shopping, no more prenatal yoga or the gym, no added projects. Just chilling out. She wants to see me again on Thursday when we will probably begin internals. I asked her what she forsees happening with these last 4.5 weeks of pregnancy and she has a gut feeling that I won't carry baby blueberry Carlos until my due date. She thinks I'll get to 38.5 weeks with *hopefully* the same type of BPs (not worse! please don't let it get worse!) and then she will consider induction. Ick, the 'I' word....definitely not a part of the whole 'natural delivery' thing. I picked her brain a bit more and she feels that once the baby reaches about 39 weeks the amount of growth he will sustain past that point may not be worth the risk he's putting on my body with high blood pressure, and therefore the pros for induction outweigh the cons. But who knows. Maybe the little bloob will be ready to come out even before then. Maybe my pressures will magically get better and she'll let me go until the end. Or perhaps they will get worse, she'll pull me out of work all together and put me on bedrest until 38 weeks then induce me. I felt the need to mention to her that my ultimate goal, aside from a healthy well-incubated baby boy, is to avoid a c-section. I told her I was worried that inducing may lead to one and she assured me that they truly only do a C if the baby is in distress during, if it's an emergency situation that needs to be remedied asap, or if I fail to progress all together during labor which puts baby at risk. I can handle that. I just wanted her to know where I stand with interventions and I'm willing to be a little more flexible on things like meds and possibly an epidural if it means I can avoid a C-section. I mean, after all, my pregnancy has taken a major turn and it's hardly 'normal' right now so I will pick my battles because my body might need more assistance than I originally hoped.
I'll spare you the details but after this appointment I called the 'Leave of Absence' coordinator at work and although I thought dropping my hours at work wouldn't initiate my short term disability and maternity leave, turns out I was wrong. She said that if I cannot work my full days then my maternity leave will begin for those missed hours, thus using about 2 weeks before baby boy is born and leaving me with only 10 weeks after. I was upset. I threw a pity party and cried to Nate about it and felt sorry for myself for awhile. But then I talked to my boss and my doc today and feel a little more realistic about the whole thing. I just had to mourn the loss of that 'plan' of having a full 3 months at home with my little blueberry.
Now knowing that my maternity leave will be affected, my doc has decided to let me TRY working full time but closely monitoring my BPs and stopping the day if anything goes above 140/90. So that's good but of course I realize there is a good chance I won't last full days for the next 4-ish weeks. My boss is going to meet with me tomorrow and we'll try to brainstorm ways I can still work without being on my feet for the full day. There are a lot of unknowns out there which totally freaks me out but I'm trying my best to stay positive and focus on what I DO have going for me instead of what is at risk.
So basically this is a huge, wordy post to say that my appointment was mediocre, then my day turned ugly when I thought I would burn through my time off, but then today I found out I might be able to stretch it a bit longer. Obviously the top priority is a healthy baby, even if that means going on full bedrest and losing out on time with him after he arrives. I don't want to push my body past it's limits all in the name of saving a week or two off work after delivery, but at the same time I don't want to be overly cautious if it's not warranted.
I guess that's why I have an OB---to make those decisions for me, and I just need to roll with the punches a little bit better. Relinquish control, focus on the positive facts (ie baby boy might come even sooner than I thought! And I will still have a good chunk of time with him after. And I am blessed with a job that provides for my family...see? lots of good things in there), and chill out. Those are my goals right now.
If you've made it through this rambling, I'd like to ask a favor. Can I hear some good stories about being induced that resulted in a vaginal delivery? I feel like I've heard so many women talk about failed induction leading to a C-section that it's hard to know if that risk is truly founded. Of course I Googled a bit and found conflicting research on the subject, so I figure hearing real-life success stories might ease my mind. I did find 3 girls at my work in the last day that assured me their inductions lead to 'fast and furious...and painful' vaginal deliveries. That pitocin stuff man, it sounds like no joke but if it does it's job and gets baby out safely I'll deal with it. I just might look like I got hit with a Mack truck for the post-delivery pictures, that's all:)
We shall see what happens tomorrow at work and at my appointment on Thursday. Never a dull moment around here lately!
Oh, Julia, I'm sorry. :( I'm sending T&P your way for Carlos' health and your ability to keep working and thus maximizing your bonding time!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you and baby are okay though. I know it sucks to abandon a plan, especially one that involves your new baby but feel lucky to get 12 weeks. Many only get six and that would really suck! You are so fortunate to have a boss that values you and is willing to work with you. Hang in there sista.
ReplyDeleteThe short version for you is I've been induced with all 4 kids for one reason or another, and all have been vaginal deliveries with no complications. If you want some details from me about this please email me, or hit me up on facebook. I know everyone paints induction to be such a horrible terrifying thing that almost always ends in a c-section, but it's really not all bad. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm still praying your bp's will, at a minimum, stay where they are, or come down at least a little to buy you and your baby boy some more time to cook without eating a ton of your maternity leave up.
I'll be thinking of you! My sister-in-law was induced with #2 and had him vaginally.
ReplyDeleteMy friend was also induced and had a healthy vaginal birth. Good to hear you and baby are okay!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry things are not going how you planned. I've been thinking about you!
ReplyDeleteMy mom was induced with my brother, twice. Once on his due date because they wanted to see if they could get him to come before her mom died (on her due date) and again two weeks later because he was so overdue. She made hardly any progress until the epidural and then within 2 hours he was here. She had a great experience with induction. I hope it doesn't come to this with you, but I agree, if it means avoiding a c-section, I'd do it too.
I have three friends from work who were induced. Two because they went beyond 42 weeks, and one because she had very high blood pressure. All three of them were able to deliver the baby vaginally, and 2 of them had smooth deliveries that did not last too long. The other one was in labor for about 27 hours, which was obviously not ideal, but she was still able to deliver the baby naturally and safely. Praying for you, I know this must be a stressful time!
ReplyDeleteI was induced with ALL THREE of my BOYS...and each one was vaginally. My only complaint is that on the second birth, I was induced and he came 30 minutes later....leaving no time for drugs....and OMG....well, I'll finish that statement AFTER you give birth! ;)
ReplyDeleteI had BP issues and had to collect urine like you did. My blood work and urine came back negative but my doctor still wanted me on modified bed rest. OB scheduled an induction on my due date but I fortunately went into labor 5 days prior.
ReplyDeleteI know I was further along when this happened but I had a very easy pregnancy until the end (just like you). I guess what I'm trying to say is that there's still a chance that you'll go into labor on your own and spend 12 glorious weeks with your blueberry :)
my sister was induced for both of her boys and there were no complications with either...and if I remember correctly, she had them both pretty quickly also. with the first, she was on bed rest as well. don't push yourself, girl! I know it sucks that you wont have as much maternity leave, but there is no need to compromise your and the babe's health. you dont need me to tell you that though. take it easy! I highly recommend renting six feet under and/or dexter. :)
ReplyDeleteThat sucks Julia. I'm sorry you are dealing with this right now. Pregnancy is such a crazy thing...I'd never think that someone as healthy and active as you would be plagued with high BP. I'm really happy to hear your boss is so willing to work with you though. And one thing I've learned for sure is that the birth "plan" really doesn't matter. This is coming from someone who thought she'd have serious PPD if her labor didn't go as planned - turned out, everything got messed up and I couldn't care less. I know how incredibly difficult it is to see that right now, but I promise, it won't matter, no matter what kind of labor and delivery you have.
ReplyDeleteOh, and while inductions do increase the risk of c-sections, that doesn't mean you are guaranteed a c-section...I know lots of women who have had successful inductions. And if your body is favorable - you've already started to dilate and efface - you are that much more likely to have a successful induction. Waiting until 4+ cm to get the epidural will reduce your risk of a c-section too.
I'll be thinking of you!!
Oh, I'm so sorry! It makes me so sad that things aren't going according to your plan. But, a healthy baby is what is important and I know you are doing (and will do) everything you can. I'm thinking of you!
ReplyDeleteOh, one more thing. Obviously, there's nothing you can do about an emergency C. But in regards to a failure to progress C, talk to your doctor before hand about what she means by that. How many hours will she let you labor? What kind of progress does she expect to see? That way you aren't blindsided if they want to do a C after just 8 hours for failure to progress, ya know?
ReplyDeleteinduced at 3 days post due date (for no great reason), hate to say that it was long, long enough that the epidural wore off, BUT, it was a vaginal delivery and I wouldn't have wanted it to end any other way (regardless of how painful it was)!
ReplyDeleteHi Julia- I've never commented but have been reading for a while :). I had to be induced at 38 weeks when my daughter was born. We tried Cervadil and it didn't work, so then I agreed to try Cytotec which is a somewhat controversial drug for cervical ripening. It got my labor going and I never even needed pitocin. Once my labor was started, I didn't need any other drugs or interventions and had a natural childbirth. I didn't want an induction, but ended up with the best possible outcome. You can do it! If your doctor and nurses are supportive of natural birth it definitely helps. Just make sure everyone knows your wishes and question everything so you're not put through unnecessary interventions.
ReplyDeleteI'm praying for you, Julia! It sounds like you're trying hard to stay focused on the positives, and you're right, there are several of them. Keep your head up, and take it as easy as possible!
ReplyDeleteI am an avid reader, but don't think i have commented before...I didn't have an induction, but I did have three weeks of high BP's that resulted in an overnight stay in the hospital at 36 weeks. The next day I was sent home, and my water broke on its on. My baby, a little girl, came three weeks early. I was thrilled my water broke, because when we got to the hospital, my doc told me that I all signs of pre- E and she would have induced me if labor hadn't started on its own. It wasn't what we planned, but in the end everyone was healthy and happy...Our baby girl, Evie, is doing great and turns 7 weeks tomorrow! Hang in there, it will all turn out for the best!
ReplyDeleteJulia, hang in there! I PROMISE--and I mean that as a captial PROMISE, it will all be worth it in the end!
ReplyDeleteInduction does NOT always mean C-section. Just remember that, and don't look at the internets bc they are not always right :) Trust your body to do what it needs to do and do what you need to do to get that baby out the safest way possible! In the end, you will be happy with the end result, a happy and healthy baby Carlos!
I too believe you have to be flexible, because babies don't have a plan (nor do they come with instructions, trust me i've asked!) and sometimes birth plans need to be thrown out the window! I'll be thinking of you and if you are still here after reading this book of a comment, I can't wait to hear all about Carlos birth! (and his freaking name, lol!!)
I don't have any uplifting baby stories, but I'm sure you are in great hands! Praying for your and baby's health!
ReplyDeletesorry to hear that things might not go according to plans.. but I'm sure you will be ok! I work with a lot of physical therapists and several have been pregnant over the years, and I was always amazed that they were able to keep working as long as they did.. just seems like a lot of physical stress goes into the job while pregnant. So if you do have to reduce your hours, it's probably the best overall.. better to stay healthy to be ready for full time baby care!
ReplyDeleteIn terms of induction, my downstairs neighbor just gave birth to her second and had an induction. She was able to have a vaginal birth after a quick 45 minutes, and said it was much easier than with her first childbirth - which was about 12 hours of labor. So, induction can be a good thing! Sounds like lots of others have had similar good experiences, so try to focus on these stories rather than the scary stuff from google :)
Sorry to hear you are so stressed out. Totally understandable.
ReplyDeleteI was induced with my son at 39 weeks. We did pitocin, the doctor broke my water, I had an epidural...13 hours later, my little guy was born. The labor was painful, yes, but isn't all labor painful? I have a friend who just had a baby and was worried about all the same things you are. It was her 3rd baby and she had never induced before. She was worried about the Pitocin. Needless to say, it went much smoother than she anticipated and it was less painful that her first 2 pitocin free births.
You will hear stories on each side. There is no telling what your story will be until you go through it.
I went through a really stressful 3rd trimester and now that my son is 2, I've learned that it was merely training for relinquishing control. Parenting is all about flexibility, and I'm a planner so that was a huge adjustment for me. :)
Hang in there!
Sorry to hear everything is not going to plan. I would be sad to lose anytime with the little one too. Two separate friends have been induced and had successful vaginal deliveries!
ReplyDeleteI think you're just trying to skip your last baby shower with all this high BP stuff. :)
ReplyDeleteJust kidding. It's scary stuff, I know. I hope that your boss can come up with something for you to do that allows you to get off your feet. It can't be ALL standing, can it? There must be some paperwork...
I'll be thinking of you!
Deep breath!!
ReplyDeleteI was induced with the max dose of pitocin allowed...I got to the hospital at 2-3 cm, contractions 5 minutes apart. My OB broke my water, found blood in the amniotic fluid and that's when he learned I had an abruption. His wife was an anesthesiologist and she was placed on stand by. My OB slept (in bits and snatches) in the labor room next to mine and was in hourly to check on me. I went "natural" and had back labor, but I delivered my sweet baby boy vaginally. And that was 25 1/2 years ago. Soooo...think good thoughts!
Julia...I am so sorry you are going through this BUT both of my girls were induced. If I could go back, I would change it...but only because there was no reason to be induced. The inductions went smoothly and they were both delivered vaginally. C-Section was never even brought up with either of them. Slow down and rest completely...all will be fine in the end. :)
ReplyDeleteI was induced at 38 weeks because of blood pressure issues. I had been on bed rest for about 5 weeks at that point. I had her vaginally....
ReplyDeleteHi Julia- Sorry you are having a rough time!
ReplyDeleteI was induced with Halston (40weeks, 4 days) and ended up delivering vaginally! They started pitocin at 7:30 am and she was born at 2pm. The pitocin really didn't bother me at all and Halston tolerated it well. I did get an epidural however.
I had really high blood pressure on and off just like you towards the end, but no pre-e. Just had to take it easy.
Everything ended up great and I am sure it will with you as well.
You are right, there are reasons we have OB's...they kind of do know what's best for us ;).
I will be thinking of you in these final weeks. Enjoy every little kick from Baby Carlos, I miss those now!
Take Care,
Kayla
Hey, I never post but wanted to put your mind at ease. I was induced with both my babies, and both I delivered vaginally. One was scheduled and the other my water broke and they started me on pitocin. I had no problems and had wonderful deliveries!! Hope that helps you rest a little easier!
ReplyDeleteHi Julia - keep the faith, girl! You're so close to holding baby Carlos...and we're so close to learning baby's REAL name! :) I was induced with our daughter and had a vaginal delivery - email me if you're interested in more details...janeestedman@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteyou guys rock. I already feel better just hearing real life stories of inductions gone right! Keep em coming.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I probably need to ask my doc the specifics about how long she'll let me go on before she considers a big C. I have a feeling if I keep up the twice weekly appointments we'll get many chances to discuss! :)
thank you so much ladies! I knew I could count on you...
Hi there. I decided to come out of hiding to tell you I was induced and had a vaginal delivery! I technically went into labor because my water broke, but I never really started conracting so we ended up going the whole pitocin/induction route. It was a pretty rough labor but it was also very important for me to avoid a c-section. Anyway, I also had high BP at the end of my pregnancy and was on bedrest- I know it can be really scary/stressful but hang in there! I can tell you are going to be an excellent momma. You baby boy is lucky to have you.
ReplyDeleteP.S. My baby boy's name is Henry :)
Oh, I'm sorry to hear it's a concern again :( Will be praying for you all!
ReplyDeleteMy friend actually wrote a [somewhat lengthy] blog post about her pregnancy journey, but I think it would be encouraging and worth the read for you right now. She was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and went through a very long journey, however in the end she was induced and delivered vaginally to a healthy baby boy!
Here is the link:
http://talesfromthelonghill.blogspot.com/
I'm not sure I have ever commented on your blog but have been reading for awhile. I wanted to respond though and tell you I had an induction with my first around 38-39 weeks (we were never fully decided on his due date). It resulted in a perfectly normal vaginal birth. I also got an epidural (that pitocin is very powerful) and his birth was completely pain free and was faster and less painful than with my second who came on his own. Anyways, I just wanted to tell you, it doesn't always end up in a c-section! Good Luck!!
ReplyDeleteNo good stories but lots of good thoughts for you and Carlos. I think maternity leave policies totally suck. Hopefully your boss can work something out for you!
ReplyDeleteI was induced b/c of high blood pressure & had a vaginal delivery with a 8lb 40z baby boy.
ReplyDeletePitocin is no joke though. Those contractions will come strong & fast. I had to get an epi at 1cm dilated b/c the pain was intolerable but when it came to me being ready to push, I could still feel the pain. You just don't get a break to regroup. Course that's also what usually harms the baby too as it started to do in my case (baby's h/b was dropping). I pushed for just under 2 hrs and the I started hearing the emergency c-word.....at that point I got so pissed off at the world, the baby, God, everybody...lol...and used that anger to deliver Alex. It worked! So if you get in that situation just redirect your anger to helping with delivery. My doc was great though- she did have me try everything in order to keep from having a c-section.
ack. I don't have any babies, so I can't reassure you, but I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you and your baby boy and to think stress-less thoughts! :)
ReplyDeleteI had to be induced at 40 weeks because of high blood pressure and lots of swelling.
ReplyDeleteI had a very quick labor once they started pitocin - only 7 hours and my baby boy was born vaginally with only 30 minutes of pushing.
The only bad thing is I felt with the pitocin contractions came on quite strong and I didn't have a chance to get use to the pain. I went from having no pain to intense contractions in a short time. So I opted for an epidural even though I wanted to try and have a natural labor.
But in the end it was a good experience and I'm glad they did induce because I was miserable at the end, and my baby boy was almost 9 lbs!
Oh man. Just from reading your blog for a short time I can already tell that you're probably disappointed with the "I" word. But I promise you, it's not that bad.
ReplyDeleteRemember reading my birth story? I didn't even need pitocin! I was already progressed enough that all my body needed was to have my water broken and BAM, labor was in progress! I labored from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 and was ready to push. It wasn't a drama-free delivery, as you read, but that fact had nothing to do with being induced.
There are plenty of successful inductions. More interventions? Possibly. But automatic c/s? Nope.
Good old-fashioned vaginal delivery right here. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat if my doctor told me that's what she preferred to bring a healthy baby into this world.
Take it easy, mama!
Sending you good vibes that you make it as long as possible so you don't have to be induced and so that you can have as much time off as possible with baby boy. You're very lucky to have 12 weeks off and I know its not in your plan but even if you get 10 weeks or so that's still a lot of time, I would kill to have that much time off! Just try to stay calm and relax and hang in there the next 4.5 weeks!
ReplyDeleteJulia - Hope your bp continues in the "safe zone" and that your work situation works out! It is true - there are lots of positives as well, but you'll just may have to adjust that plan of yours (very tough to do when you're a type-A personality!!).
ReplyDeleteI am pregnant with my first so I don't have any induction stories - but I believe my sister was induced and she had vaginal deliveries (but she also had an epidural, by choice).
hi, julia! i've never commented on your blog, but have been reading for a long time (a little bit before you announced you were pregnant). i'm from stlwed, so i hope you don't think i'm a weirdo :)
ReplyDeleteanyway, just wanted to share with you that my SIL has had three children, all induced and all vaginal deliveries. i truly believe that every woman will react differently, though, so just try to keep in mind that this is one circumstance in which you need to be as flexible as possible in regards to things not going exactly as planned :)
i'm excited to read your birth story, though, and to find out baby carlos's real name!!!
good luck coming your way!
nicky
P.S. Just to brighten your day and because I've been enjoying your blog so much lately, I nominated you for an award on my blog!
ReplyDeleteI commented before that my sister had preeclampsia with baby #1 and she went full-term. Well, she was actually late and had to be induced. No c-section for her-she delivered vaginally (though she did not do a med-free birth). I'm continuing to think about you and hope that you get to get a few hours working/day so that you don't have to burn your maternity leave.
ReplyDeleteHow about just quitting your job once the maternity leave ends? Then you can take a year with the baby.
ReplyDeletei know this isn't the question you asked but i just wanted to throw this in there. as someone who planned on having an all natural birth for my first and had to have a c-section for a breech baby, i just wanted to add that if you end up having to have a c that you don't beat yourself up to bad about it. the most important thing is safety and in the long run c-sections are not the worst thing in the world. my two beautiful daughters are proof of that!
ReplyDeletei'm currently 13 days "overdue" - so hearing the "i" word more these days... :) i feel ya.
ReplyDeleteOne word of advice - if they're considering inducing you a little early, i would start taking evening primrose capsules orally maybe this week & then vaginally the next week - it's great to soften & ripen the cervix & hopefully ripen what didn't quite get a chance to ripen on it's own... i like drinking the raspberry leaf tea too - good to tone the uterus.
i've noticed with a lot of my friends, if they have any type of condition that is difficult with a pregnancy, their body often goes into labour early on it's own. Likely, if you need an induction, your body is preparing for an early arrival too.
I watched a friend give birth vaginally after being induced with pitocin. The rest of the delivery went smoothly and she has a healthy baby girl now!
ReplyDeletehello to all the lurkers! And thanks for all the happy stories, ladies.
ReplyDeleteA few things:
I WISH I could just take a year off from work to be with little man, but let's remember that my husband is in full time grad school and thus, I am the sole breadwinner/insurance holder for our family. So not working is not an option right now....but someday, as God is my witness, I will let Nate be the sole breadwinner! :)
And I do realize that a C-section isn't the end of the world. If that is what has to happen to get mister man out of me safely, then so be it. But I'm still hoping to try every single method possible before it comes to that.
I truly hope that my 'overly stressed' body will go into labor early on it's own. I was thinking about that...I know most first time pregnancies go late, but if there are complications I have heard a lot of people say their bodies just know it's time to stop being pregnant and so they go into labor 'early.' One can hope! :)
I think that is it for now...feeling much better already!
Came across your blog recently through some circuitous path of blogs I read and have been so impressed with your preparations for the baby. I have a 1 1/2 year old who was induced and my experience was great. My amniotic fluid was getting slightly low, so my daughter was induced on her due date. Once the contractions started they were incredibly strong, but having the epidural actually made the experience pleasant. I was comfortable enough to appreciate the experience, not just agonize about getting through it.
ReplyDeleteYou'll be happy to know that being an avid exerciser probably means that your actual labor will also be relatively quick and easy (as mine was)- you may think you have no abs left, but being in shape going into it helps a ton!
Good luck! Emily
I was induced 4 wks ago (to the day) w my daughter & I had such a positive experience that I must share.
ReplyDeleteIt was 39 weeks & I had high bp, etc.. so the doc opted to play it safe & induce. While I was on pitocin for awhile- it wasn't anything dramatic. I just laid there all day while my cervix dilated. It just felt like bad cramps. The doc broke my water after a few hrs, which picked up the pace of my contractions. I did get an epidural (which wasn't a huge deal & definitely made the pain more bearable) A few hours later, I was ready to push (since I was fully dilated). After an hour of pushing, my daughter was born. I didn't need a c-section (this was a huge concern of mine), I didn't need to be cut, I didn't rip- no stitches- NOTHING. And my beautiful, healthy baby girl was born at 9pm. A wonderful experience being induced.
I was bummed at first I wouldn't have the whole "water breaking" experience, but... I really don't care anymore- I'm just happy my baby is healthy. AND I have limited mat leave too... so I looked at the 39 wk induction thing as an extra week to spend with my baby. I tried to stay positive!!! (but its hard when you're reading the horror stories on the internet.. which I did too)
I know I'm a couple days late on this...just got a chance to catch up with GR. And I'm not reading through 50 comments, so sorry if this is repetition. I know I already mentioned my BP issues, and while I'm no doctor, I find it really surprising that your doc is so concerned even though you have no other symptoms. Mine told me that even though I was on the "low end of high BP", since I didn't have any other pre-e symptoms, they'd just monitor me. Although, I have a cushy desk job, so that might have something to do with it! Anyway, I was induced at 41 weeks and even though it took 4 hours of pushing, I was able to deliver vaginally. I'm thinking about you all the time, hope today's appointment brought good news!
ReplyDeleteI just had a baby boy on New Year's Day. I was induced at 38 weeks and had a vaginal delivery. My "labor" was 22 hours long, but 14 of those hours were super boring...since I was induced early, I had to progress quite a bit before the excitement of active labor kicked in. But once it kicked in, it kicked in. I was surprised how labor went from nothing to "oh dear!" on a dime. If you prepare for that, you'll be awesome! Good luck...I promise it'll be the best day of your life no matter how the baby comes out.
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm late to this blog entry, but came upon your blog through another one I follow. Anyway, I don't know what you're facing now after your appointment, but I gave birth 2 months ago to a lovely little boy after a pitocin induced birth without drugs (other than the pitocin, but no epidural!). You can do it too!
ReplyDeleteI too was high on the BP and had a few "suspicious" blood test results two days before my due date. My husband and I took Bradley classes, had a doula, and a very supportive L&D nurse. All in all the labor was 8 hours (after a night of Cervadil) and I pushed for 30 minutes. Best of luck to you! If you need anything, feel free to e-mail me at varockchalkgirl at gmail.com. Take care! Dedra