I'll join the
anything to keep my mind off the "is it today?" topic!
My first labor was induced due to PE. My lab values were all screwed up and my bp was way up there. I was at high risk for seizing and for having kidney damage. So, at 37.5 weeks, I had AROM. I went into labor about an hour later and he was born 6 hours later. All was going fine, except for the fact that I was basically stuck in bed, which was NOT in my birthplan. They needed to monitor him (why, now, I question) and I was stuck with a foley catheter to keep an eye on my protein level. It was either the catheter, or mag sulfate, which is nasty stuff.Anyway, I finally asked for some pain meds, cause I was just so miserable and couldn't get up and move around. I had the first dose around 8 and the second dose around 10:30. No one checked to see how far along I was before giving me the second dose of narcotic. So, second dose on board, sleeping between contrax and really out of it. Then I needed to push and was at 10cm. LP was born in about 30 mins of pushing... but his 1 min apgar was a 1!!!! He was blue and required Narcan to reverse the narcotic, he was not breathing and totally limp. He had his little scalp pricked for blood gasses and they had to bag him until he was breathing on his own. Very scary... meanwhile, I am so out of it, that I barely knew what was going on. My SIL, who is a RN, was watching the whole thing and monitoring the situation. Thank God she was there. It seemed forever before I could hold him. I had a small tear that needed stitching, and the doc did not give me enough lidocaine, so I felt every stitch and poke, but was too out of it to argue. Of course, everything turned out ok, but it was a stressful situation and not at all what I had planned... quiet room, no interventions, no meds...
So, with my dd, GV... I went to my check up a few days before 40 weeks. I was absolutely resolved NOT to have any pain meds after what had happened. NO way, no how nothing doing. I was getting desperate though and when she did my exam she asked if I wanted my membranes swept. Sure, why not? Go for it, I said. It seemed like a good day to have a baby.
I went home with some slight cramping and then an increase in my BH contrax. Nothing to make me say, I am in labor. It was a beautiful day and dh was home from work. I decided we needed to go to Wallyworld to pick up a few items we needed. While in Walmart, I went to the bathroom and noticed quite a bit of show. Hmm, I thought. We'll see. Then, while trying to decide what nailpolish would look best during labor, I decided I was in labor, because I could not concentrate on anything else but breathing through them. I found dh in the electronics and off we went home, 30 min drive. I called my SIL who said, go for a walk. I really wanted to take a nap (denial). So, we went for a quick walk and then I took a shower (put on that new polish
) and then we headed to the hospital. When checked, I was at 6 so, we got to stay. Guess I was handling things so well they didn't believe me. We moved to the birthing suites and then she was born about an hour later. I pushed maybe 10 mins. at the most. All in all, it was about 4 hours of labor. No pain meds, no monitoring and a 10 on the apgar. Still didn't get to sit in the tub though, because the rooms with the tubs were all taken. And this time, I was very proactive about getting enough lidocaine during my little stitches.
This time, I am getting a room with a tub and hoping we will have time to use it. A close friend of mine is a doula, and she thinks this one will just fall out!
So, in a nutshell, that is it!
I thought I would go early with this babe, but not yet. Due 9/26.
(And lets face it...trying to do anything to keep my mind off of, "I wonder if today is the day!") 
:
: ) 18 hour labor
