Just a warning....this may get a little long.
I was induced on Sunday May 29th at 39 weeks becuase DH changed jobs & our insurance ran out on May 31st. We were trying to stay off of COBRA insurance...without any luck. ANYWAY....I went in on Sunday May 29 at 4pm. Things started out with pills inserted behind the cervix, 3 doses in 12 hours without much luck. Next came the Pitocin drip, off & on for the rest of the induction except the last 12 hours. Charlotte heart rate kept decelerating while I was on this. Next came Elidel?....it s a tampon looking thing that is inserted into the cervix to help with dialation & effacement. That was used for 12 hours. Then the contractions started comming hard & fast but Charlotte wasn't dropping. She was still at minus 2 station. I went ahead & got the epidural because they said if she didn't drop soon & I couldn't push her out I'd have to had an emergency c-section. Two hours after the epi, they broke my water & the Dr. though I was having a 9 or 10 pound baby. With my whole 5 pushes & an internal monitor they lost Charlottes heartbeat 3 times. They threw scrubs at DH & escorted my mom to the waiting room. DH said they pumped me full of drugs as we went down the hall to O.R. & more even as they cut me open. From the time I was on the table to the time I heard Charlotte cry was 2 minutes. She arrived on May 31st at 3:56pm. She weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces & was 18 1/2 inches long. I don't think I went completely under from the drugs until I heard her cry. In the middle of this long induction, we tried the birthing ball, reflexology, aroma therapy, massage, walking & hypnosis to get her to come down. Nothing worked. After she was out the Dr discovered that she couldn't come down because her cord was too short. He said that in 20 years of delivering babies, this was only the third one he'd ever delivered with a cord short enough to prevent a vaginal birth. When I consented to the epi I had a feeling it was going to be a c-section. When I signed the epi & emergency c-section forms I told DH that I needed my mom. She made the 45 minute trip to the hospital & parked within 25 minutes for DH call. While they put the second IV in, because the first one stopped working, it took the nurses & the epidural lady a total of EIGHT tries to get a good vein. My veins were rolling & blowing. The epidural lady finally put it in my wrist after she tried twice before & both veins blew out. By the time Charlotte arrived, I was just glad that she was okay & that it was all over.
Recovery wasn't fun either. I had gas so severe from the surgery that you could see the gas bubble rolling around in my stomach....like I'd never had the baby! After vomiting 4 times in 3 hours...not being able to hold down liquid, the nurses gave me some pills to help break down the gas. They helped but then they gave me what they call "The magic drink" & it worked wonders. In cup you pour 1/2 sprite & 1/2 milk over ice...then drink it. Within an hour, I was passing gas like crazy & with the 2nd drink....the instestional gas was gone! The taste was similar to cream soda.
We were discharged Friday evening & are recovering. My parents are keeping my LC until Sunday afternoon. DH went back to work Monday & my best friend came over this afternoon & cooked 3 meals, scrubbed my kitchen floor & did some laundry for me. I didn't ask, she just insisted. I love her like a sister. She is AWESOME!
My pain killers are kicking in so I'm going to catch a nap before Charlotte wakes up.