Blaine's Birth Story: Part 3

Blaine's Birth Story: Part 3

The One Where We Throw the Birth Plan Out Completely

After starting the Pitocin, I began to feel contractions. While they were not incredibly painful, I could definitely feel them and instinctively began to use the labor techniques I had studied to manage the pain and remain comfortable. I sat on a birthing ball for a lot of this time, and did anything I could to stay out of the bed. I hadn't had any pain medication at this point, so I could still move freely. I had to stay connected to the monitors at all time, unfortunately, due to having Pitocin, so I was unable to use the shower as I had planned to. Michael helped me as much as possible during this stage, and I was so glad to have my mom there to be a distraction. 

At 7:00 A.M., I had maxed out on the Pitocin. Soon after, my doctor came in to check in on me. Following a cervical check, he informed me that I was 2 centimeters, not the 4 centimeters my nurse had measured earlier in the day. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. Those 4 centimeters had been my willpower for the last few hours, and all of a sudden, I was told that I hadn't really progressed at all. Then everything went downhill.

During this visit with my doctor, he informed me that he would be breaking my water. This was not my birth plan. I had no intentions of having my water broken. Unfortunately, my doctor felt that I would not progress without having my water broken. He also increased my Pitocin dosage AGAIN, to the point where I was past the typical dosage they give.  Yep. That was fun. At this point, I was 1-2 centimeters dilated, 75% effaced, and -3 station. 

Immediately following the breaking of my water, my contractions kicked into gear. My nurse would not allow me to get out of bed, because we were having a very hard time keeping Blaine's heartbeat on the monitor. I, of course, wanted to guarantee that my son was safe and healthy, so I stayed as still as possible so that we could get the best reading.  I had not had any pain medication at this time. 

Soon after, I realized that I was experiencing back labor. Every single one of my contractions I felt in my back. I can not even put into words how it felt. We turned down the lights, started the essential oil diffuser, and tried to maintain a calm atmosphere. This did not last very long, and I requested I.V. pain medication. Another part of my birth plan completely ignored. I was so disappointed in myself at this point. I cried, not because of the pain, but because I was grieving the loss of the birth I thought I would have. In this moment, I knew that I was no longer in control, and that I needed to do what was best for me.

Thankfully, the I.V. pain medication worked long enough for me to refuel and get some rest. When they wore off, my contractions were lasting 1 minute, and were 30 seconds apart. I decided that I was ready for an epidural. It was a really emotional decision for me, and nothing like what I planned. However, the doctor felt that I was not progressing well, and that maybe relaxing would help. I could not get the epidural until I had two additional bags of fluid. The angel of a nurse on duty rushed the fluids, and literally pumped them into my I.V. in about 5 minutes. I was 3 centimeters at this time (11:00 A.M.), 75% effaced, and still -3 station. By this point, I knew that my chances of a vaginal birth were dwindling. I mentally prepared myself for a c-section, and started to ask questions, when I could speak, about recovery and pain management. A few minutes later, the anesthesiologist came into to administer my epidural. I had 4 contractions while they prepped me, and had another while he inserted the catheter. The relief flooded over me. I finally had a clear head to the point of being able to process what was happening, and to speak with my family and friends that were patiently awaiting Blaine's arrival in the waiting room.