Megan's Birth of Preston

Megan's Birth of Preston

My 3^rd baby’s due date was September 15 2006. We decided to induce 1 day early in the hopes that he would be born on my brother’s birthday (Sept 14).

My husband and I headed to the hospital just after midnight on September 14. After getting settled they started me on Pitocin and I went to sleep for a few hours. In the early afternoon the Pitocin had been increased a lot and the contractions were crazy intense!  I had a great nursing staff who didn’t argue with me when I decided to labor in the whirlpool tub for a few hours. This was amazing and really helped to alleviate the labor pains.

At about 3pm the nurse came in to check on my progress (I was dilated to 5cm) and while she was examining me my water broke…all over her. It was like a waterfall gushing everywhere. Every time I laughed over the next 2 hours more came out.

I was at 5 cm again when they checked me at 5pm and then at 7pm. No change. I was getting frustrated and my contractions were so painful! I’m so grateful for my Bradley classes and for my wonderful husband for being such an amazing support. I was in a ton of pain, but I knew I could get through them because I had been taught, I was being supported, and I was feeling completely empowered!

Finally around 730pm my doctor came in and said that since I was still at 5cm he either wanted to put an internal monitor on the baby so they could measure the contractions better, or give me an epidural so my body could relax, or do a c-section since I was “failing to progress”.

I flipped out, told him I didn’t want any of those things and politely as I could, told him to leave so I could think about it. As soon as he was gone I called to consult my sister who had gone to midwifery school—and who was watching my almost 4 yr old daughter while I was in labor. After a lot of crying and discussion she said that if I have to do something, I should choose the least of the 3 “evils” and hope that something changes soon.

I was crying pretty hysterically when I got off the phone and having a hard time getting through the contractions and realized that I was in transition.  I called the nurse back in at 8pm because I was really feeling the need to push and my contractions were only feeling better when I pushed.  She told me that I was at 10cm, fully effaced and ready to have the baby! Gee, really?

I couldn’t help it and kept pushing as they were setting up the room. I pushed my son out a bit too fast (10 min) and my sweet new baby was born with some skid marks on his head. I had a tiny skid mark, but no tears. (I knew there was no way in hell they would ever be allowed to give me an episiotomy.)

My doctor delayed cutting the cord for me so my son could get all of that extra blood. He nursed right away and was a perfect little boy. He was born at 8:22pm. He weighed 8lb 14oz and was 21” long. His head was a huge 38cm. Owie!

The next day we took our perfect intact son home and he has been an ideal addition to our little family. 

Tags: pitocin,induction, Bradley, Bradley method, birth, birth stories, birth stories on demand, natural birth, natural hospital birth, positive birth stories