No Two Births are the Same

Posted on: June 25, 2015 | Birth Stories, Childbirth

The birth of my second child was a whole new experience.

This pregnancy I read a well-known book about expecting.  I found out that I was not supposed to have doses of Demerol administered as close together as they were during my first labor.  I spent the end of my pregnancy in extreme discomfort as my daughter had her feet shoved up in my ribs, despite my best efforts to push her down.  I was due on New Year’s Day but was begging my doctor for an induction.  She agreed, but not before I was a week past date.  She told this was in case anything went wrong, she would have a reason to give for the induction.  (Should have been my warning flag.)

When it was time for my induction, my husband and I went to the hospital early.  Despite them telling me I had to fast, I still also had to get an enema (it is nasty and if you do not know what that is…google it because I am not talking about it!).  The doctor comes in after we were settled in (for about 2 hours!) and breaks my water, then tells me to walk this baby out.  I walked for hours upon hours, up and down the same short hall.

During this time I had many visitors.  My mom came and brought my husband lunch, which he ate in the room while I walked.  Keeping in mind I hadn’t eaten since midnight the night before, walking into a room smelling of fast food was not exactly soothing.  Apparently, the labor was tiring…for my sweetie.  He ended up wearing my robe and taking a nap in my bed.

I walked.

Around maybe 6pm or so, I was offered Pitocin to speed things along.  After all I was on a clock and if baby wasn’t out within 24 hours of my water being broken I was headed for a cesarean section.  The thought of a toddler and newborn at home after having major abdominal surgery was not appealing!  Almost immediately after the Pitocin was started I was ready for the epidural.  No one was allowed to be with me for this, except this tiny little nurse I was afraid I was going to break!

From this point on, I was bed ridden (sorry honey, you need to give me the bed now).  I took a nap and my mom went to grab dinner.  I don’t remember much.  I remember my mom bought me a sandwich and the nurses put it in their fridge.  One of the nurses joked with me that I had to have my baby by 1am or she was going to eat my food.  I remember the doctor checking on me just before midnight and finally going home for the night to get some sleep.

Shortly after that the pressure started.  Baby girl was ready for her debut, but I was told I can not push.  The doctor had just gotten home, into bed, and the nurses called her back.  Being January, in the Midwest, a snowstorm started.  The doctor took forever getting back to the hospital and I couldn’t wait any longer.  She walked in while I was pushing, gave me an episiotomy, and delivered my baby.  A healthy baby girl entered the world at exactly 1:00 (take that nurse and give me my sammich!)

As I am being stitched up, I hear whispers coming from the baby warmer, whispers of “We need to tell her”.  I started to freak out.  They bring my daughter over to me and show me her foot.

Her foot was folded up flat against her leg!!!

That in itself is a long story, but the short of it is … she crossed her legs in utero and after leg braces/casts and therapy she was fine and walking by her first birthday.

My lesson from this birth was I would have again benefited from education and knowledge and the right support, a doula.  Things may have gone smoother had I been allowed to eat and drink.  Things may have progressed quicker with other positions instead of just constant walking.  Most of all I learned, I was wrong.  I was wrong to ask for the doctor to evict my baby.  Yes, I was in extreme discomfort, but I had no idea the risks that come with an induction.  If I had been more tech savvy (we still had dial-up internet at that point), maybe I could have done some research.  I don’t believe I would have decided that the risks outweighed the benefits.  There was no medical reason to induce.

I decided right then and there, if we decided to have more children, I would never be induced again!

Never say never…

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