Throughout my pregnancy, I saw an OB as well as a midwife. We were planning a homebirth, but because of my risk of gestational hypertension, our midwife suggested we keep a relationship with an OB as well, just in case. I went to the OB on Thursday, December 29, for my 38 week appointment and my blood pressure was elevated. We also found out at this appointment (from ultrasound) that he was head down, which was a HUGE relief (he had been breech up until this point). I let my midwife know and she told me to keep a close eye on it by checking my BP at home at least twice a day.
The next day, I was getting consistently high BP readings, so my midwife said she’d come by later that day and check my cervix. If my cervix was favorable, we planned to start an at home “induction”. When she checked me, she was unable to even reach my cervix because it was so high and closed, which meant we couldn’t start an at home induction. We decided that I’d drink pregnancy tea and do all the other methods of encouraging labor to start over the weekend, and as long as my BP didn’t get any higher, she’d come back Monday and check me again.
Over the weekend I walked, bounced on a birthing ball, did the miles circuit, took evening primrose oil, had my husband massage my feet and pressure points on my ankle, applied my “labor support” essential oil roll on, had sex (sorry if that’s TMI, but it’s really the best way to kickstart labor). On Monday morning, before my midwife came to check my cervix, my husband took our daughter over to our friends’ house, and I took a bath and listened to worship music. The song “Come and Rest” came on, and it brought me to tears. I had been holding everything related to my labor/birth so tightly, and that song was God’s reminder to me to lay my burdens down.
About an hour later our midwife came by. She was still unable to reach my cervix, and encouraged me to give my OB a call and let them know that I was getting high BP readings at home. When I called, I had to leave a message for the doctor on call, since the office was closed for New Year’s. Our OB happened to be the one on call that day, and he told me to come in to the hospital for observation and lab work. We went ahead and packed our hospital bag, since we knew an induction was very possible.
We got to the hospital around 2:30. My labs came back and were borderline preeclamptic, so they suggested we go ahead and be induced. Since my mom and cousin were already on their way to watch our daughter, and we already had our hospital bag there and ready, we agreed to stay for induction. They moved us over to a labor and delivery room, and suggested we get some dinner and shower before things got started. I took a shower while my husband went to pick up dinner. Around 8pm, we began the induction process. I was given cytotec to help soften my cervix. I was given a dose every 4 hours starting at 8pm and going until 4am.
Around 6am my contractions were picking up and I felt like getting up and walking around. My husband and I walked up and down the hall, then I tried using different methods to stay comfortable through contractions – the birthing ball, swaying, Branden applying counter pressure to my back, sitting on the toilet, etc. At 8am our nurse told us we’d be starting Pitocin. I talked to my husband and we decided that we’d like to avoid Pitocin if at all possible. We called the nurse and told her this. She said they’d need to check my cervix to be sure I was making progress, and if I wasn’t we wouldn’t have much of a choice. Luckily, I had progressed to 3.5cm, and we were able to avoid Pitocin. My doctor gave us the option of manually breaking my water, and we decided to do it to keep labor progressing. He broke my water around 8:30, and my contractions quickly became much more intense.
The back labor I was having was causing my body to shake uncontrollably. My husband and our nurse were doing everything they could to help me through contractions. Around 10am (probably around the time I was in transition), I told my husband I wanted an epidural. He asked me over and over if I was sure, and I said yes. Our nurse also asked me multiple times, just to make sure it’s what I really wanted (since I had intended on going unmedicated, like my previous birth). I felt that with the back labor I was having and how exhausted I was, I wouldn’t be able to push when the time came. I realized in that moment that if I didn’t get an epidural, it would be purely because of pride.
I got the epidural around 10:30, and was able to rest before it was time to push. Around noon our nurse checked again and I was fully dilated and ready to push. Our OB was still 30 minutes away, but because I had the epidural I wasn’t feeling too much urgency to push. Our OB got there and after just 4 pushes, our sweet Rowen was born.
He was 7 pounds 3 ounces of pure perfection. We were able to go home the next afternoon and introduce him to his big sister, which was a memory I will cherish forever (watch it here).
Our birth story did not go at all how I had planned, and I have mourned the home birth we didn’t get to have, but I am SO grateful to have a healthy baby boy.
