Yes, I spent 72 hours in labor w/ Z (a boy! 7lbs, 9oz, 21in) he's adorable even though he made labor a BIT TOUGH. Born Thursday, June 18, 934pm.
So my threads from before, folks know I went into labor Monday night and had the same light labor all tuesday, but ctx at some point hit 5min and were getting pretty hard to talk through so we figured we'd head to the hospital. I was also throwing up even water which made me think I was further along than I was I guess.
so his head was I think a bit malpositioned at first giving me massive hip pain that is what was making the ctx so painful (so not useful pain) but also keeping me from dilating effectively (my contractions they called 'dysfunctional' since when I got to the hospital, since they were every 5min but w/ these little aftershocks and weird delays occasionally) so when we went to the hospital Tuesday night I was only 2cm though 80% effaced, so some progress. So actually normally they'd have sent me back home but they wanted me on an IV due to all the throwing up. So they put me on Zofran.
so I labored Tuesday night into Wednesday and only got to 4cm, still with this massive hip pain and weird ctx that they thought might move the baby into a better position but didn't. I tried all the tricks in the books for repositioning, laboring on my side, laboring hands and knees, and nothing. Wed night the doc offered us a few options, I ended up taking the morphine sleep so that I could at least get some rest which I waffled about but was so exhausted couldn't think of what else to do.
So we slept maybe 5 hours wed night w/ that. Thurs Am, still 4cm. (contractions continue when you are on morphine, but given that they weren't effective, they still weren't, so no change in dilation) Z seemed to be in a much better position, so hip pain was better, but contractions still 'irregular' and 'dysfunctional' so they recommend a low dose of pitocin, which they ramp really slowly so that works. Labor 'effectively' all day though, much stronger contractions w/ Z in a better position, my water (sort of, a high leak) broke at 4pm, so I figured I was doing well. Thurs night at 6pm I was only 6cm. I was ready to really give up, get an epidural since I was SO exhausted (I was mostly using birth stool, ball, etc, so very active.)
My mom had been there since Wednesday and convinced me to try for a few more hours, since during the cervical exam where i was only 6cm they broke the bag of waters a bit more in an extreme way (I was merely leaking a lot, they really popped it)
And then labor did finally pick up I guess. All of a sudden I was needing to wail and such to get through contractions. So I went from 6cm to 9cm in like and hour and a half. By 730 I was feeling the urge to push, but was only 9.5 so I had to 'hold back' which is TOUGH (pant through the pushing urge) Finally ironically my doc that I like comes on shift at 8pm, so she checked me at 830, and was finally 10cm. So pushing time. I pushed for about an hour in some odd positions but it was working. Z was born at 9:34pm, 7lb 9oz. 21in. At that point I was so distracted by the labor process it was hard to even realize why I was doing it! I was so tired and out of it it took me a while to realize it was over. And that I had a baby boy
we are a bit exhausted needless to say. My MIL was also there starting Thursday AM which was cool. The nurses kept saying I had a great birth team. Given the weird hip pain, they were there to help get into all sorts of odd positions, let the mr. rest when he needed to, etc.
so woo-hoo! What's funny is during labor for those three days Z was SUPER active, all the nurses kept saying how odd it was for a baby to be that active during labor (he kept throwing off the monitors by moving around too much) and now he's out like a frikking light. He's adorable! Lots of black hair He looks like the mr. for sure.
We are still at the hospital but hopefully will head home sat or so.
so not quite as unmedicated as I wanted (morphine and pitocin) but was odd that even after they 'kickstarted' labor and Z was finally in a good position and I was contracting in a better pattern, they tried to dial it back and I would stop ctx effectively gain. Its like my uterus never quite figured it out. My mom actually helped me before we took the pitocin w/ other remediies (nipple stimulation, walking around more, etc) which did *sort* of work but not well enough or consistently. So I ended up taking the pitocin. It just makes me wonder why the ctx were so odd. I though it was head position, but once that was fixed I figured they'd be fine, but no such luck! If and when I have a second kid this might be something to try and figure out I guess.
So my threads from before, folks know I went into labor Monday night and had the same light labor all tuesday, but ctx at some point hit 5min and were getting pretty hard to talk through so we figured we'd head to the hospital. I was also throwing up even water which made me think I was further along than I was I guess.
so his head was I think a bit malpositioned at first giving me massive hip pain that is what was making the ctx so painful (so not useful pain) but also keeping me from dilating effectively (my contractions they called 'dysfunctional' since when I got to the hospital, since they were every 5min but w/ these little aftershocks and weird delays occasionally) so when we went to the hospital Tuesday night I was only 2cm though 80% effaced, so some progress. So actually normally they'd have sent me back home but they wanted me on an IV due to all the throwing up. So they put me on Zofran.
so I labored Tuesday night into Wednesday and only got to 4cm, still with this massive hip pain and weird ctx that they thought might move the baby into a better position but didn't. I tried all the tricks in the books for repositioning, laboring on my side, laboring hands and knees, and nothing. Wed night the doc offered us a few options, I ended up taking the morphine sleep so that I could at least get some rest which I waffled about but was so exhausted couldn't think of what else to do.
So we slept maybe 5 hours wed night w/ that. Thurs Am, still 4cm. (contractions continue when you are on morphine, but given that they weren't effective, they still weren't, so no change in dilation) Z seemed to be in a much better position, so hip pain was better, but contractions still 'irregular' and 'dysfunctional' so they recommend a low dose of pitocin, which they ramp really slowly so that works. Labor 'effectively' all day though, much stronger contractions w/ Z in a better position, my water (sort of, a high leak) broke at 4pm, so I figured I was doing well. Thurs night at 6pm I was only 6cm. I was ready to really give up, get an epidural since I was SO exhausted (I was mostly using birth stool, ball, etc, so very active.)
My mom had been there since Wednesday and convinced me to try for a few more hours, since during the cervical exam where i was only 6cm they broke the bag of waters a bit more in an extreme way (I was merely leaking a lot, they really popped it)
And then labor did finally pick up I guess. All of a sudden I was needing to wail and such to get through contractions. So I went from 6cm to 9cm in like and hour and a half. By 730 I was feeling the urge to push, but was only 9.5 so I had to 'hold back' which is TOUGH (pant through the pushing urge) Finally ironically my doc that I like comes on shift at 8pm, so she checked me at 830, and was finally 10cm. So pushing time. I pushed for about an hour in some odd positions but it was working. Z was born at 9:34pm, 7lb 9oz. 21in. At that point I was so distracted by the labor process it was hard to even realize why I was doing it! I was so tired and out of it it took me a while to realize it was over. And that I had a baby boy
we are a bit exhausted needless to say. My MIL was also there starting Thursday AM which was cool. The nurses kept saying I had a great birth team. Given the weird hip pain, they were there to help get into all sorts of odd positions, let the mr. rest when he needed to, etc.
so woo-hoo! What's funny is during labor for those three days Z was SUPER active, all the nurses kept saying how odd it was for a baby to be that active during labor (he kept throwing off the monitors by moving around too much) and now he's out like a frikking light. He's adorable! Lots of black hair
He looks like the mr. for sure.We are still at the hospital but hopefully will head home sat or so.
so not quite as unmedicated as I wanted (morphine and pitocin) but was odd that even after they 'kickstarted' labor and Z was finally in a good position and I was contracting in a better pattern, they tried to dial it back and I would stop ctx effectively gain. Its like my uterus never quite figured it out. My mom actually helped me before we took the pitocin w/ other remediies (nipple stimulation, walking around more, etc) which did *sort* of work but not well enough or consistently. So I ended up taking the pitocin. It just makes me wonder why the ctx were so odd. I though it was head position, but once that was fixed I figured they'd be fine, but no such luck! If and when I have a second kid this might be something to try and figure out I guess.
: What an amazing birth story! You were so strong through all of it - I don't know if I could labor that long! Great job, mama, enjoy your new one!
And what a strong name! I love it!! Get some rest, and I am truly in awe of you for being so strong!!
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