Sunday night the 9th, which was Mother’s Day here in the US, I didn’t feel great so figured I would take my blood pressure. It was higher than it had ever been – around 160/95, my doctor told me to lay down for an hour and then try taking it again. After no change she wanted us to go to the hospital for monitoring.
We figured we were most likely coming home with our baby so we finished packing and got there around 11pm. My bp was staying elevated so we decided it was best to start an induction before it potentially escalated to pre eclampsia.
By 330am Monday morning I was hooked up to a low dose of pitocin and we tried to get some sleep. Not much happened Monday, very small progress made so around 7pm they gave me a pitocin break, we had dinner, took a shower and got hooked back up around 11pm.
Tuesday morning rolled around and I was desperate to do anything to get the process moving! I asked for a breast pump and started pumping, my doula recommended 3 sessions of 10 minutes on each side with a 5 minute break in between sessions. 5 minutes into my last session I had what I would call my first real contraction around noon, my water broke 10 seconds after that and it all started!
My lunch showed up about 10 minutes after that, and it never got touched! Contractions were pretty strong from the start!
I labored in the tub for probably 3 hours, then on the bed on all fours for another 2. During those 5 hours I listened to meditations, had dim lights, a lavender and chamomile room spray and Baxter and our doula both did readings! After that I just couldn’t get my body to relax through contractions anymore so decided an epidural was the right call. I felt so good about my decision, just by knowing if I couldn’t relax I would never progress.
By the time the epidural got hooked up it was around 5 and it was perfect! It took most of the pain away while still being able to move and reposition myself often!
Around 1230am I was checked and the doctor said I was getting close (a soft 9 and fully effaced) and to wait until I really felt ready and like I had to push given her suspected size (8.5-9lbs as of the beginning of the induction). Unfortunately not long after that Lilah’s heart rate skyrocketed and after about 45 minutes it wasn’t coming down so the doctor said we really should do a c section. As hard as it was after almost 48 hours at that point, I knew it was the right option to keep both of us safe. We had about an hour while they prepped to wrap our heads around what was happening and then I was rolled back into the OR. I couldn’t have asked for a better support team in Baxter and our doula or better medical professionals in the moment. The entire OR was women, everyone knew none of it was going to plan and was so supportive and understanding the whole time. The nurse held my hand the entire time I was being prepped before Baxter could come in and the doctor was sitting right in front of me during the spinal tap (my epidural came out at some point!)
Baxter was brought back and Lilah was born at 3:23am, just about 48 hours after pitocin got started!
It was quiet the whirlwind experience, and was the start of Lilah telling us that she runs the show over here!
Although, literally nothing went according to plan from the induction, to epidural, to c section I felt super confident and comfortable with every decision made throughout the process and I owe a lot of that to you and hypnobirthing!
Michelle & Baxter
