Friday, February 24, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
An Induction Story {Grace}
Induction - a rite of passage
Grace’s labor and delivery story, is a story of induction; it is a representation of me, my thoughts, and my gut. My instincts always prevail, whether I like them too or not.
I have never been a fan of induction. In fact I said I would never do it unless medically necessary. All stories of induction sound painful, labored (pun!), and usually end up with an epideral and/or c-sections. All things I did not want part of any labor of mine. Well, ok, the pain, I know there is no “pain free” labor, and ironically drugs scare me more than the pain. But induced pain, to create “contractions on crack” was not something I thought I would ever sign up for…but I did.
Grace’s labor and delivery story, is a story of induction; it is a representation of me, my thoughts, and my gut. My instincts always prevail, whether I like them too or not.
I have never been a fan of induction. In fact I said I would never do it unless medically necessary. All stories of induction sound painful, labored (pun!), and usually end up with an epideral and/or c-sections. All things I did not want part of any labor of mine. Well, ok, the pain, I know there is no “pain free” labor, and ironically drugs scare me more than the pain. But induced pain, to create “contractions on crack” was not something I thought I would ever sign up for…but I did.
Induction Part I:
My due date was January 6th. I was right on-time with Luella
and thought I would for sure deliver early with Grace. I went to the doctors the
day before my due date and my Dr. suggested induction for the next day. He
thought it was a great idea and going against all that I believe I decided to
do it. It seemed good. I knew Luella could be at daycare, Megan was already at
our house to help out and it was still Christmas break so my friends Charla and
Becky would not have to take off any work to be at the birth.
So induction it was 5am on January 6th. That morning all seemed very surreal. We checked in, got to the room and I started to get hooked up. First off, I hated the room we were in…small, dark, not comforting. Second the nurse asked why I was inducing, the only answer I cold come up with was “I don’t know”…this was a little bit awkward. Then the real fun began. I was hooked up to monitors and IV was in and the next thing I knew, I was waking up to about 8 nurses in my room staring down at me. I looked at my arms, I was the most disgusting color of grey, that color of gray that only belonged on dead people…but I wasn’t dead. I passed out. I had come into this day uneasy and my nerves were getting the best of me and so was my hunger. I was starving. The nurses didn’t quite know what to do with me, and I am sure wanted me to turn the normal color of human, so they let me have some apple juice and water. Ok, I was feeling better. My nurse called the doctor; he wasn’t too worried about me passing out. He chalked it up to be a vasovagal response and said to proceed. This meant it was time for pitocin. Aaron
asked a few questions about the artificial hormone and how it worked. The nurse explained I would experience cramping and increased contraction and as she was getting the IV ready. At that moment I started feeling very sick again, only to start puking. Great, now I was for sure going to be cut off from the apple juice (not to mention the crackers that Aaron was sneaking me). It was in that moment, I knew this wasn’t right. I looked at the nurse and asked, “Am I allowed to go home?” She told me the doctor would be here too soon and we could talk to him. As I waited for the doctor, I started feeling so much better because no matter what he told me, I was going home. I knew this
wasn’t the day to have a baby and Aaron agreed. So did my Doctor, he called it a dry run and we were on our way…
…to go have breakfast at Schooner or Later. We made phone calls and Facebook updates that baby Grace was not coming that day and we were going to let her come out on her own. I confirmed my decisions with a delicious, much needed, breakfast with friends and family and all that kept going through my mind was, Luella came on her own just fine, fast labor, no drugs, so why wouldn’t Grace...
This leads me to Induction Part II:
So why wouldn’t Grace…why? We waited and waited and nothing. We started to try all the wife’s tales, which I never believed in, but thought it couldn’t hurt. Right? I even ate “the salad” in LA. Searching the Internet for any natural inducing solution I came across this blog. If I was a good writer, I would want to write like this…this woman captured my feelings exactly. Be not to my surprise, nothing was working. Therefore, I had to leave it up to the power of Facebook prayer and wait for my induction date set for exactly 42 weeks, two weeks later then my first attempt. My patience and prayer paid off. On Thursday night, the night before the induction, I started having contractions, nothing consistent enough to send me to the hospital, but enough to know the induction would have some natural help! This I was excited for because I knew then I could do it.
It was 6am, January 20th, Friday morning when we got the hospital. The nurse that checked us in said we looked familiar… “Yes, we were here two weeks ago…I was the one that passed out.” She looked at me, smirked, remembered, and then gave a knowing nod…we were back. She led us into the room. This room was where I gave birth to Luella. There was something calming about having the same birthing room. It was familiar, it was big, and it had great memories...already a good start. We got settled, Charla and Becky arrived and I got hooked up. The contractions I was having the night before were still not strong enough to call real labor, so the induction was still on. I got all hooked up. I made sure to verbalize any stress I was having, I did not want myself to get the best of me and have the same psychosomatic symptoms as before. Finally by 8am they started the first round of pit. The contractions increased but were not bad. The Doctor arrived at 9am, she (different dr. then above, same office) said she was ready to break my water. I was surprise so soon, but also happy. The nurse warned me that the contractions were going to be more intense after that…she wasn’t joking. From 9 to 10 am I pretty much had one contraction that never let up. I stressed I needed rest, that it was too much. I was sweaty and strangely pulling my wet bangs out of my face so compulsively I was annoying myself by this repetitive action but couldn’t stop. Becky suggested we call the nurse to see where I was at and make a decision at that point if drugs would be in my future. The nurse came in…I was at 9cm and ready to push. I thought YES, NO DRUGS, and then I thought, really I can push already, REALLY!!! Becky reminded the nurses to call the doctor, as she missed Luella’s birth by 1 minute and she did not want to miss this one. It was time to push and I did. I also growled and grunted like some primal female beast that was, well, that was giving birth. I surprised myself and everyone else in the room by my intensity, but it was the only natural thing to do to get this baby out.
Two pushes later,
and the doctor reaching in pulling out her stuck shoulders she was out.
Everyone in the room had tears of joy. I had no tears, but was beyond ecstatic; I mean it was an hour. One hour, yes!...All that ran through my head as I clutched my new little one was, I did it, it was fast, I was done and she was beautiful. Well, you know, beautiful in that new, blue, wow really blue, wrinkly, swollen, slimy, puffy faced, looking way. But she was mine and I loved her.
We came to find out later why she was extra blue. So blue that the nurses nick-named her smurf. This was due to what you call rapid descent. She shot down the birthing canal, so Blue or not, we did it. We were a family of four. Aaron and I make pretty rad kids!
I was excited to share this experience with Charla and Becky again and I could not be happier. I was off to my room to soak up the morning and anxiously awaited for Luella to meet her little sister.
Charla Blue captured the day..check out the amazing slide show below and her take on the day and more pictures of Grace and her Birth here.
So induction it was 5am on January 6th. That morning all seemed very surreal. We checked in, got to the room and I started to get hooked up. First off, I hated the room we were in…small, dark, not comforting. Second the nurse asked why I was inducing, the only answer I cold come up with was “I don’t know”…this was a little bit awkward. Then the real fun began. I was hooked up to monitors and IV was in and the next thing I knew, I was waking up to about 8 nurses in my room staring down at me. I looked at my arms, I was the most disgusting color of grey, that color of gray that only belonged on dead people…but I wasn’t dead. I passed out. I had come into this day uneasy and my nerves were getting the best of me and so was my hunger. I was starving. The nurses didn’t quite know what to do with me, and I am sure wanted me to turn the normal color of human, so they let me have some apple juice and water. Ok, I was feeling better. My nurse called the doctor; he wasn’t too worried about me passing out. He chalked it up to be a vasovagal response and said to proceed. This meant it was time for pitocin. Aaron
asked a few questions about the artificial hormone and how it worked. The nurse explained I would experience cramping and increased contraction and as she was getting the IV ready. At that moment I started feeling very sick again, only to start puking. Great, now I was for sure going to be cut off from the apple juice (not to mention the crackers that Aaron was sneaking me). It was in that moment, I knew this wasn’t right. I looked at the nurse and asked, “Am I allowed to go home?” She told me the doctor would be here too soon and we could talk to him. As I waited for the doctor, I started feeling so much better because no matter what he told me, I was going home. I knew this
wasn’t the day to have a baby and Aaron agreed. So did my Doctor, he called it a dry run and we were on our way…
…to go have breakfast at Schooner or Later. We made phone calls and Facebook updates that baby Grace was not coming that day and we were going to let her come out on her own. I confirmed my decisions with a delicious, much needed, breakfast with friends and family and all that kept going through my mind was, Luella came on her own just fine, fast labor, no drugs, so why wouldn’t Grace...
This leads me to Induction Part II:
So why wouldn’t Grace…why? We waited and waited and nothing. We started to try all the wife’s tales, which I never believed in, but thought it couldn’t hurt. Right? I even ate “the salad” in LA. Searching the Internet for any natural inducing solution I came across this blog. If I was a good writer, I would want to write like this…this woman captured my feelings exactly. Be not to my surprise, nothing was working. Therefore, I had to leave it up to the power of Facebook prayer and wait for my induction date set for exactly 42 weeks, two weeks later then my first attempt. My patience and prayer paid off. On Thursday night, the night before the induction, I started having contractions, nothing consistent enough to send me to the hospital, but enough to know the induction would have some natural help! This I was excited for because I knew then I could do it.
It was 6am, January 20th, Friday morning when we got the hospital. The nurse that checked us in said we looked familiar… “Yes, we were here two weeks ago…I was the one that passed out.” She looked at me, smirked, remembered, and then gave a knowing nod…we were back. She led us into the room. This room was where I gave birth to Luella. There was something calming about having the same birthing room. It was familiar, it was big, and it had great memories...already a good start. We got settled, Charla and Becky arrived and I got hooked up. The contractions I was having the night before were still not strong enough to call real labor, so the induction was still on. I got all hooked up. I made sure to verbalize any stress I was having, I did not want myself to get the best of me and have the same psychosomatic symptoms as before. Finally by 8am they started the first round of pit. The contractions increased but were not bad. The Doctor arrived at 9am, she (different dr. then above, same office) said she was ready to break my water. I was surprise so soon, but also happy. The nurse warned me that the contractions were going to be more intense after that…she wasn’t joking. From 9 to 10 am I pretty much had one contraction that never let up. I stressed I needed rest, that it was too much. I was sweaty and strangely pulling my wet bangs out of my face so compulsively I was annoying myself by this repetitive action but couldn’t stop. Becky suggested we call the nurse to see where I was at and make a decision at that point if drugs would be in my future. The nurse came in…I was at 9cm and ready to push. I thought YES, NO DRUGS, and then I thought, really I can push already, REALLY!!! Becky reminded the nurses to call the doctor, as she missed Luella’s birth by 1 minute and she did not want to miss this one. It was time to push and I did. I also growled and grunted like some primal female beast that was, well, that was giving birth. I surprised myself and everyone else in the room by my intensity, but it was the only natural thing to do to get this baby out.
Everyone in the room had tears of joy. I had no tears, but was beyond ecstatic; I mean it was an hour. One hour, yes!...All that ran through my head as I clutched my new little one was, I did it, it was fast, I was done and she was beautiful. Well, you know, beautiful in that new, blue, wow really blue, wrinkly, swollen, slimy, puffy faced, looking way. But she was mine and I loved her.
We came to find out later why she was extra blue. So blue that the nurses nick-named her smurf. This was due to what you call rapid descent. She shot down the birthing canal, so Blue or not, we did it. We were a family of four. Aaron and I make pretty rad kids!
I was excited to share this experience with Charla and Becky again and I could not be happier. I was off to my room to soak up the morning and anxiously awaited for Luella to meet her little sister.
Charla Blue captured the day..check out the amazing slide show below and her take on the day and more pictures of Grace and her Birth here.
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