So, I've been induced twice. Once because I was postdates, and the other electively so Ben wouldn't miss it. (He had a national, big deal, non-remakeupable test for med school right after my due date.) Both times it didn't go so well.
Baby #1: I got Cervidel for effacement to prep and it kicked me into
tetanic contractions. No early labor, just relentless hard labor, baby went into fetal distress so had to give me something to slow contractions down and almost had to c-section. Unexpected, fast, crazy and kinda scary.
Baby #2: I got Misoprostal to prep, but after, what, 14 hours of being strapped to the bed it didn't do a darn thing.
Mistake 1- I wasn't dilated, but they started Pitocin.
2- I wasn't dilated, so they broke my water.
3- Some man behind the curtain thought things weren't progressing, because the nurse kept religiously pumping up the Pitocin, but without checking for progression.
4- I waited to get an epidural, until I was about to gouge my eyes out and my body was seemingly ripping in half.
5- Anesthesiologist came in, but was slow and, the staff thought I was still at about a 1. In fact, I was in transition and he was crowning while I was having to sit up on the side of the bed. There was a dramatic moment.
Thankfully, it all ended in a healthy baby via vaginal delivery both times, so the inductions did accomplish the ultimate goal.
And yet I've had to ask myself,
wow, isn't there a better way??
I'm obviously not an anti-medicine person. (Good thing, married to an internal medicine physician and all.) But even still, I've swore for 10 months I would not be induced. "Let nature take its course!"
But at my last appointment the OB informed me that there are risks of going postdates
with a baby with a single umbilical artery (
SUA). She strongly suggests I am induced by my due date. (In 8 days for the record.)
Do you think I have a chance of going into labor on my own
before my due date? Not on your life.
Do you think I can, in good conscience, go against medical advice for this baby and go ahead with my original plans? Not a chance.
Do you think I am feeling really horrible about having to go against my long hope of "letting nature take its course"? You better believe it.
I'm feeling pretty sick about the idea of being induced again. For my own sake. But I'm not about to let this little human suffer adverse consequences to meet my emotional and psychological "needs" for this labor and delivery.
So I'm praying that by some miracle, my body gets with the program and goes into labor before October 2. But I'm also praying that if that doesn't happen, that I'll be reassured it's for the best. And also that the Duke Hospital labor and delivery staff are more in my court than the staff at the other hospital in times past.
So we're praying here. Mostly, that we'll be ready to welcome this healthy new boy soon!
