There were only two things I really, really, didn't want when I gave birth: pitocin, and a c-section. My goal was a natural birth without pain medication. It was a tall order: I am over 40 and a type II diabetic, on insulin during my pregnancy. I was also giving birth at a hospital with a 95% epidural rate for first time moms. On my side were my doctor and OB - both committed to natural childbirth. My doc had three natural births, one with pitocin.
Everything went swimmingly until 39w2d. I wasn't feeling my daughter move as much. An ultrasound showed that my amniotic fluid had decreased significantly; my OB wanted to induce me that day. I demurred and went home to do everything I could think of to start labour naturally: acupuncture, evening primrose oil, raspberry leaf tea. No labour.
The next morning, I went to the hospital for the prostaglandin gel. One application increased my Bishop Score to 8, meaning I would not need another application. My family doc did a membrane sweep and said my waters were bulging. I asked her not to break them. I wasn't planning on having a sweep but if I didn't go into labour naturally, I was going to get the pitocin I really didn't want. My doc suggested a long walk.
While I was out on the walk, my water broke. My doctor told me to get a good night's sleep - I would likely be in labour by morning.
Morning came. No labour. I went back to the hospital for monitoring and learned there were no beds available. I offered to go home and wait - still hoping to go into labour naturally. My husband and I went home and tried to relax and get some extra sleep. The hospital called around 4:00 p.m., almost 24 hours after my water broke. They had a bed.
I got the pitocin drip around 5:30 p.m., which also meant I needed an IV (which I didn't want.) Diabetic women are often given glucose by IV and this can contribute to hypoglycemia in the baby if not closely monitored. I refused gucose and monitored my blood sugar myself, drinking fluids as needed to keep my blood sugar within target. Still no labour.
The hospital uses a low-dose pitocin protocol that increases every 30 minutes. Five hours later, I was on the maximum dose of pitocin - still no labour. I was sitting on a birth ball, shooting the breeze with my husband and the nurse. I was beginning to wonder if it was going to work. I was having contractions, but they weren't any worse than period cramps.
Two small things that really helped me were wearing my own clothing and bringing nourishing food. The hospital still followed the outdated 'clear fluids only' policy. I'd done my research and decided to follow the rule - unless I got very hungry. My husband had made me chicken broth and while I awaited labour, I drank an entire large Mason jar of it (at least 3-4 cups). I'm convinced it gave me the energy I needed.
While we awaited labour, we walked the halls. I had telemetry monitoring so I could stay mobile and use any position that was comfortable.
Around 11:45 p.m. I had a contraction worthy of the name. Things started happening quickly after that. I got my bathing suit and went to the tub. I couldn't use the shower on my belly as I'd hoped due to the continuous monitoring, but I did lie in the tub for about an hour. Unfortunately, the hospital's hot water wasn't very hot and it kept running out. My husband poured water on my belly during contractions.
We called my doula around 12:15 a.m. From 12:45 a.m. through 2:30 a.m. I tried labouring in any number of positions. The contractions were intense - about 45 seconds long (I just kept thinking, "six breaths, six breaths"), 2 minutes apart. At some point the pain never really went away, it just lessened when each contraction finished. My conscious mind receded and I went into myself. I began to doubt that I could make it through without pain medication. I'd been told to expect 8 hours in active labour and 2 hours of pushing. Around 2:30 or 2:45 a.m. I felt nauseous and threw up into a kidney bowl. I remember thinking that it must be transition.
I went to the toilet and began grunting. I had the urge to push. The nurse coaxed me back to the bed and did an internal exam which revealed that I was 9cm. I went back to the toilet. The urge to push became overwhelming. I don't remember anything that was going on in the room - a marching band could have come through and I wouldn't have known or cared.
I remember the nurse saying, "call the doctor!" in an urgent tone and felt relief - it broke through my consciousness that the baby was coming very soon. My doula and the nurse helped me back to the bed and I panted through the contractions.
My doctor arrived at 3:00 a.m. and I began pushing as hard as I could. It was impossible not to cry out during the pushes - I hollered like a banshee. They got me onto my hands and knees but it must have compressed the cord - the baby's heart rate plummeted. My doula and the nurse quickly got me seated with my knees up to my shoulders. Our daughter Kate was born at 3:13 a.m. after only 12 minutes of pushing. The total labour lasted only 3.5 hours. The placenta came about five minutes after Kate.
I shook uncontrollably for what I thought was half an hour but my husband said was only a few minutes. They brought Kate to me and I breastfed her while my doctor put in a few stitches - I had a small first degree tear.
We had a couple of hours to bond as a family and the nurse brought me PB&J on toast - I was starving. I refused a wheelchair and walked up to the recovery floor. My husband carried our daughter.
I felt like a million bucks after the birth and our daughter was alert and breastfed well from the beginning. I credit much of this to making it through without pain medication. It was something I wanted very much for her.
We went home about 32 hours after Kate was born.
I'm sharing this story because I was so apprehensive about pitocin throughout my pregnancy. I was confident I could manage regular contractions but from everything I'd heard, pitocin was an entirely different matter. I was so worried I would not be able to cope without pain medication and about the cascade of interventions that would likely follow if I succumbed to the epidural. If my labour had lasted 10 hours, it might have been a different story - I don't think I could have coped with the pain for that long.
Other than the short labour, what helped me through the most was having done the research so that I understood the benefits of labouring without pain medication - it wasn't just pain for the sake of pain. Having a doula also really helped - despite all the knowledge I'd acquired, I was in no position to put it into use. I needed her to remind me of what I needed to do. And my husband's support and chicken broth gave me the strength I needed to birth Kate naturally.
I don't know how my contractions would compare to contractions without pitocin, but I want to encourage any moms facing an induction with pitocin that it really is still possible to have a natural childbirth without pain medication.
Everything went swimmingly until 39w2d. I wasn't feeling my daughter move as much. An ultrasound showed that my amniotic fluid had decreased significantly; my OB wanted to induce me that day. I demurred and went home to do everything I could think of to start labour naturally: acupuncture, evening primrose oil, raspberry leaf tea. No labour.
The next morning, I went to the hospital for the prostaglandin gel. One application increased my Bishop Score to 8, meaning I would not need another application. My family doc did a membrane sweep and said my waters were bulging. I asked her not to break them. I wasn't planning on having a sweep but if I didn't go into labour naturally, I was going to get the pitocin I really didn't want. My doc suggested a long walk.
While I was out on the walk, my water broke. My doctor told me to get a good night's sleep - I would likely be in labour by morning.
Morning came. No labour. I went back to the hospital for monitoring and learned there were no beds available. I offered to go home and wait - still hoping to go into labour naturally. My husband and I went home and tried to relax and get some extra sleep. The hospital called around 4:00 p.m., almost 24 hours after my water broke. They had a bed.
I got the pitocin drip around 5:30 p.m., which also meant I needed an IV (which I didn't want.) Diabetic women are often given glucose by IV and this can contribute to hypoglycemia in the baby if not closely monitored. I refused gucose and monitored my blood sugar myself, drinking fluids as needed to keep my blood sugar within target. Still no labour.
The hospital uses a low-dose pitocin protocol that increases every 30 minutes. Five hours later, I was on the maximum dose of pitocin - still no labour. I was sitting on a birth ball, shooting the breeze with my husband and the nurse. I was beginning to wonder if it was going to work. I was having contractions, but they weren't any worse than period cramps.
Two small things that really helped me were wearing my own clothing and bringing nourishing food. The hospital still followed the outdated 'clear fluids only' policy. I'd done my research and decided to follow the rule - unless I got very hungry. My husband had made me chicken broth and while I awaited labour, I drank an entire large Mason jar of it (at least 3-4 cups). I'm convinced it gave me the energy I needed.
While we awaited labour, we walked the halls. I had telemetry monitoring so I could stay mobile and use any position that was comfortable.
Around 11:45 p.m. I had a contraction worthy of the name. Things started happening quickly after that. I got my bathing suit and went to the tub. I couldn't use the shower on my belly as I'd hoped due to the continuous monitoring, but I did lie in the tub for about an hour. Unfortunately, the hospital's hot water wasn't very hot and it kept running out. My husband poured water on my belly during contractions.
We called my doula around 12:15 a.m. From 12:45 a.m. through 2:30 a.m. I tried labouring in any number of positions. The contractions were intense - about 45 seconds long (I just kept thinking, "six breaths, six breaths"), 2 minutes apart. At some point the pain never really went away, it just lessened when each contraction finished. My conscious mind receded and I went into myself. I began to doubt that I could make it through without pain medication. I'd been told to expect 8 hours in active labour and 2 hours of pushing. Around 2:30 or 2:45 a.m. I felt nauseous and threw up into a kidney bowl. I remember thinking that it must be transition.
I went to the toilet and began grunting. I had the urge to push. The nurse coaxed me back to the bed and did an internal exam which revealed that I was 9cm. I went back to the toilet. The urge to push became overwhelming. I don't remember anything that was going on in the room - a marching band could have come through and I wouldn't have known or cared.
I remember the nurse saying, "call the doctor!" in an urgent tone and felt relief - it broke through my consciousness that the baby was coming very soon. My doula and the nurse helped me back to the bed and I panted through the contractions.
My doctor arrived at 3:00 a.m. and I began pushing as hard as I could. It was impossible not to cry out during the pushes - I hollered like a banshee. They got me onto my hands and knees but it must have compressed the cord - the baby's heart rate plummeted. My doula and the nurse quickly got me seated with my knees up to my shoulders. Our daughter Kate was born at 3:13 a.m. after only 12 minutes of pushing. The total labour lasted only 3.5 hours. The placenta came about five minutes after Kate.
I shook uncontrollably for what I thought was half an hour but my husband said was only a few minutes. They brought Kate to me and I breastfed her while my doctor put in a few stitches - I had a small first degree tear.
We had a couple of hours to bond as a family and the nurse brought me PB&J on toast - I was starving. I refused a wheelchair and walked up to the recovery floor. My husband carried our daughter.
I felt like a million bucks after the birth and our daughter was alert and breastfed well from the beginning. I credit much of this to making it through without pain medication. It was something I wanted very much for her.
We went home about 32 hours after Kate was born.
I'm sharing this story because I was so apprehensive about pitocin throughout my pregnancy. I was confident I could manage regular contractions but from everything I'd heard, pitocin was an entirely different matter. I was so worried I would not be able to cope without pain medication and about the cascade of interventions that would likely follow if I succumbed to the epidural. If my labour had lasted 10 hours, it might have been a different story - I don't think I could have coped with the pain for that long.
Other than the short labour, what helped me through the most was having done the research so that I understood the benefits of labouring without pain medication - it wasn't just pain for the sake of pain. Having a doula also really helped - despite all the knowledge I'd acquired, I was in no position to put it into use. I needed her to remind me of what I needed to do. And my husband's support and chicken broth gave me the strength I needed to birth Kate naturally.
I don't know how my contractions would compare to contractions without pitocin, but I want to encourage any moms facing an induction with pitocin that it really is still possible to have a natural childbirth without pain medication.
