Ayden
Birth Location: Keesler AFB
Special Notes: VBAC, 41 weeks 3 days
The doctors were strongly encouraging induction at 40 weeks. I refused the induction at 40 Weeks. Then, I refused the induction at 41 Weeks. Based on me knowing the baby’s heart rate was perfect and he was not in distress, I held on to the belief that my body just needed more time because I knew that I ovulated later than the 14 days that they base due dates on. Also, since I knew that while my amniotic fluid was on the lower side of “normal”, their normal anyways, it still was not under the actual limit to be actually dangerous to the baby. With all that being said though once looking at the dangers of still births past 41 Weeks I finally decided for the safety of my baby to schedule the foley bulb at 41 Weeks/3 days then Pitocin the following morning.
I had tried everything under the sun to get myself in labor. From acupuncture and prenatal massage, all the things you eat, all the exercises and stretches and sex. Nothing was working. I was still only 2 cm dilated at 41 Weeks. Almost losing hope in myself I woke up 330 am the morning of the scheduled induction at 3 pm. I waited an hour of consistent contractions every 3 minutes before waking up my husband. And another hour to wake up my mother. I was DEFINITELY in labor and it WAS happening!! I was so excited! They told me if I started labor on my own to come on into the hospital because I was a higher risk patient. We went to the hospital at about 8 am. I was so excited to find out when they checked me that I’d progressed and dilated but when they checked me I was still 2 cm!!!! They would not admit me and forced us out of the room to walk around the hospital. My contractions are getting serious and I’m now really having to stop and breathe.
We go back at 11a because I’m sure I’ve progressed and they check me and I’m still a 2!! They make me leave again. Now I’m really feeling these contractions and the last thing I want to do is leave my room. I bring the birthing ball to an empty waiting room and really have breathe through the contractions. They are getting so bad that I’m self consciously moaning through them. I MUST have progressed by now!!! We go back at 3p and still, I have not changed. They go through with the foley bulb and finally let me stay in my room!! I believe that things are getting better because it was only in for about an hour when it fell out. I was a 3ish. But that foley bulb made my contractions worse! Now I’m in my room and I feel like I am in serious labor. I know you could hear me down the hall. I’m going through all the techniques and I’m still in so much pain. They offer me a shot and all it does is make me dizzy. Every 3 minutes these contractions are hitting me so hard lasting 30-45 seconds of excruciating pain and I’m not freaking progressing!!!!
Again I’m starting to question my abilities to do this. It’s now 8 pm and I’m starting to freak out. How am I suppose to make it to the morning? The pain is unreal. I’m violently shaking. Nick is rubbing my back so hard it leaves bruises and rug burn. I’m exhausted. They give me morphine and it literally feels like they gave me nothing. It’s midnight. I’m crying. It hurts so bad. I keep telling myself just make it to the next check. And they check me and I’m a 4. My spirits are low. How can I have gone through this since 330 am the previous morning and not dilate!! I’m not even considered active labor!!! I make it to 430 am and I have finally reached my breaking point. What is wrong with me?!?!25 hours of horrendous labor and I’m only a 4. They tell me they will start the Pitocin at 530. I can’t handle it. I’m totally shutting down. I know the Pitocin is going to make the contractions worse. And at this point I honestly can’t imagine them getting any worse. I call for the epidural. The epitome of my defeat. To me, I just knew that the epidural would lead me to csection because that’s what happened last time. I wasn’t completely ruling out having an epidural but my goal was making it to 6 if I was going to get it. But I’m at my wits end. I’ve pushed it off this long. I feel like I truly cant go on any longer. I cry and cry and cry. I’m a failure. If I didn’t progress on my own I’m de,finitely not going to progress with the epidural. However, they give me the epidural and my body can finally relax. I am able to sleep. The nurses flip my body over every half hour with the peanut ball between my legs and up the Pitocin each time. They do this but they don’t check my cervix. They tell me the doc will be in at 9 to check me out. The doc finally comes in and checks me just to say, “ Alright, grab the table, it’s time!!!” Wait, what?! What do you mean it’s time?? My husband was still sleeping and I’m not believing what I’m hearing!! As dreadful as all that was the day before everything else that follows was absolute perfection. They brought a mirror out so I could watch. When it was time to push I was still able to control my body enough to do so! It was only a total of 3 minutes of pushing! No forceps, no vacuum! No rips!! They were all totally impressed and said they couldn’t believe I was a vbac and I did so good! I want to say maybe that’s where all the exercises, stretches, and massages came into play! Ayden was brought to my chest and I had my skin to skin. The whole experience was beautiful and amazing! I was in disbelief that I actually did it!! So that was my story.
Note to Bianca: I wanted thank you again for all of your help and encouragement! I truly believe that the knowledge you provided me helped guide my decisions that lead to my successful birth! And again I thank you for everything! I actually had a successful vbac and I attribute the success to you!!!
Special Notes: VBAC, 41 weeks 3 days
The doctors were strongly encouraging induction at 40 weeks. I refused the induction at 40 Weeks. Then, I refused the induction at 41 Weeks. Based on me knowing the baby’s heart rate was perfect and he was not in distress, I held on to the belief that my body just needed more time because I knew that I ovulated later than the 14 days that they base due dates on. Also, since I knew that while my amniotic fluid was on the lower side of “normal”, their normal anyways, it still was not under the actual limit to be actually dangerous to the baby. With all that being said though once looking at the dangers of still births past 41 Weeks I finally decided for the safety of my baby to schedule the foley bulb at 41 Weeks/3 days then Pitocin the following morning.
I had tried everything under the sun to get myself in labor. From acupuncture and prenatal massage, all the things you eat, all the exercises and stretches and sex. Nothing was working. I was still only 2 cm dilated at 41 Weeks. Almost losing hope in myself I woke up 330 am the morning of the scheduled induction at 3 pm. I waited an hour of consistent contractions every 3 minutes before waking up my husband. And another hour to wake up my mother. I was DEFINITELY in labor and it WAS happening!! I was so excited! They told me if I started labor on my own to come on into the hospital because I was a higher risk patient. We went to the hospital at about 8 am. I was so excited to find out when they checked me that I’d progressed and dilated but when they checked me I was still 2 cm!!!! They would not admit me and forced us out of the room to walk around the hospital. My contractions are getting serious and I’m now really having to stop and breathe.
We go back at 11a because I’m sure I’ve progressed and they check me and I’m still a 2!! They make me leave again. Now I’m really feeling these contractions and the last thing I want to do is leave my room. I bring the birthing ball to an empty waiting room and really have breathe through the contractions. They are getting so bad that I’m self consciously moaning through them. I MUST have progressed by now!!! We go back at 3p and still, I have not changed. They go through with the foley bulb and finally let me stay in my room!! I believe that things are getting better because it was only in for about an hour when it fell out. I was a 3ish. But that foley bulb made my contractions worse! Now I’m in my room and I feel like I am in serious labor. I know you could hear me down the hall. I’m going through all the techniques and I’m still in so much pain. They offer me a shot and all it does is make me dizzy. Every 3 minutes these contractions are hitting me so hard lasting 30-45 seconds of excruciating pain and I’m not freaking progressing!!!!
Again I’m starting to question my abilities to do this. It’s now 8 pm and I’m starting to freak out. How am I suppose to make it to the morning? The pain is unreal. I’m violently shaking. Nick is rubbing my back so hard it leaves bruises and rug burn. I’m exhausted. They give me morphine and it literally feels like they gave me nothing. It’s midnight. I’m crying. It hurts so bad. I keep telling myself just make it to the next check. And they check me and I’m a 4. My spirits are low. How can I have gone through this since 330 am the previous morning and not dilate!! I’m not even considered active labor!!! I make it to 430 am and I have finally reached my breaking point. What is wrong with me?!?!25 hours of horrendous labor and I’m only a 4. They tell me they will start the Pitocin at 530. I can’t handle it. I’m totally shutting down. I know the Pitocin is going to make the contractions worse. And at this point I honestly can’t imagine them getting any worse. I call for the epidural. The epitome of my defeat. To me, I just knew that the epidural would lead me to csection because that’s what happened last time. I wasn’t completely ruling out having an epidural but my goal was making it to 6 if I was going to get it. But I’m at my wits end. I’ve pushed it off this long. I feel like I truly cant go on any longer. I cry and cry and cry. I’m a failure. If I didn’t progress on my own I’m de,finitely not going to progress with the epidural. However, they give me the epidural and my body can finally relax. I am able to sleep. The nurses flip my body over every half hour with the peanut ball between my legs and up the Pitocin each time. They do this but they don’t check my cervix. They tell me the doc will be in at 9 to check me out. The doc finally comes in and checks me just to say, “ Alright, grab the table, it’s time!!!” Wait, what?! What do you mean it’s time?? My husband was still sleeping and I’m not believing what I’m hearing!! As dreadful as all that was the day before everything else that follows was absolute perfection. They brought a mirror out so I could watch. When it was time to push I was still able to control my body enough to do so! It was only a total of 3 minutes of pushing! No forceps, no vacuum! No rips!! They were all totally impressed and said they couldn’t believe I was a vbac and I did so good! I want to say maybe that’s where all the exercises, stretches, and massages came into play! Ayden was brought to my chest and I had my skin to skin. The whole experience was beautiful and amazing! I was in disbelief that I actually did it!! So that was my story.
Note to Bianca: I wanted thank you again for all of your help and encouragement! I truly believe that the knowledge you provided me helped guide my decisions that lead to my successful birth! And again I thank you for everything! I actually had a successful vbac and I attribute the success to you!!!
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