working it out

[leighann79]

I'm hoping you ladies can help me work through my DD2's birth. I'll try to make sense.
DD2 was due December 15th. (Thursday) The previous Friday (the 9th) I was up for hours with some major contractions. I really thought for a while that I was in labor. It finaly petered out and I got sleep. At my appt Monday DH and I asked about induction.
**back story**
I was induced with DD1 and DS. I was determined to not be induced with baby #3, but toward the end my hips hurt so bad that I couldn't even roll over in bed. I spent the last 2 months in the recliner. I had some of that with DD1 and DS and it went away after I had them, so I was very ready to get baby 3 out and be rid of the pain. I was in tears so much of the day from the pain.
**back to the story**
Dr was willing to induce on the 14th. DH and I talked it over again and set it up.
Went in Wed. morning (6 am) and started induction (7am). Used cytotec (I know! I really didn't know what else to do. ) but he used the smallest amount he could at my request. I don't remember the exact schedual, but I know he put in one more dose some time later. Finally got labor going.
Just like the last time, I took hours to get to 4 cm. Dr promised baby by 3pm and at 3pm I was maybe 3cm. From 4cm on I had horrible back labor and felt like transition. Felt pushy, ready to give up, etc. All the stuff I had read about. Finally Dr wanted to give me pitocin. I told DH, there was no way. These contractions were plenty strong, I couln't handle stronger from pitocin. Told nurse no way and asked about change of postion. she called dr and he was like, "Oh, sure. If you want to try that go ahead." I had an hour to show progress. After an hour I was .5 further and he told the nurse to let me continue as is. He also knew that once I hit 7 cm it was go time. With DS I went 7 cm to 10 in 20 min.
During this, I'm losing it with each contraction. DH is a champ and so much help, but after each contraction I feel like I can't go on and panic as each new one starts.
Finally I get checked (still so pushy) and am 7. Nurses mosey around and DH looks at them like they are nuts. Points out that they should call dr. "Oh, we have time" NO you don't understand. Tell them about last time and what dr said and they give him a call. I get off of bed (again) and in about 2 mins. PUSH. They freak out! LOL Start telling me to get back on bed. I almost said no, but didnt want to risk dropping baby on hard ground. I climbed back up. (that was a feat) and my body starts pushing. They all scramble and tell me to stop. (Yeah right) They call the ER for extra help because they didn't think that the dr would make it. By this time her head was crowning. I felt a wierd pop in my pelvice as she came down by the way. The nurse was telling me not to push. I kept asking why (because I wasn't going to not push just to wait for the dr) and she wouldnt say. She just said, "Don't push". Poor DH thought she was telling me that because pushing would be bad for the baby so he got in my face and told me I had better not push. He helped me to breath and not push.
Finally the dr came. He came running in already putting on gloves Love him. They finally let me push and she came out in two pushes.
I sorta sat up and watched as the dr was getting her cleared some. Then he was trying to get her breathing. She wasn't. I reached down and stared rubbing on her and talking trying to get her to breath. They finally took her to work on her. After awhile she was breathing, but grunting so they took her to the nursery for x-rays and oxygen. DH went with.
**I forgot. When they broke my water it was meconium (sp) stained. It turned out that she had inhaled some and they had to clear that out also.**
Dr staid with me and took care of me. He showed me the amniotic sac and pointed out how it was stained. He said that for it to stained like that, Colleen must have been in meconium for 5-7 days. Then he told me what they were going to do with baby and then went to take care of her. During this I was very calm. DH was with Colleen and so I wasn't worried.
Once I was cleaned up, they were also done and so they wheeled me into see her. She was under a oxygen tent (a big one because she kept fighting the small one off ) I got to see her a bit and then I was feeling faint so I asked to go lay down.
What they told us is that she had a small bubble of air outside her lungs. They were going to give her oxygen to help her body reabsorb it. If that didn't work they would transport her to get it fixed. Thankfully, after an hour it was sure that she wouldn't need to be transferred. I got to hold her and nurse her. Another hour later (she was 2 hours old) they brought her to my room and I got to keep her. She had to wear a monitor to check her oxygen, but that was only 24 hours.
I think that covers it. Here is what I'm working through.
I was worried in labor that the meconium was from the induction. From what the dr said though, I wonder if it wasn't from my Friday "labor". If that is the case, I'm very glad that we induced because, "what if" you know? Then that leads me to worry about "should I induce again?" "can go into labor myself" "what is a better way to induce?" etc
Also, I want to know what caused the bubble. He gave me a name for it, but of course I dont' remember. lol
I would love to not go back to the hospital for any other babies. I don't feel like I can move around with those cold floors and I think I move backwards in readiness as soon as I walk in. After the last birth though, I can't see myself convincing DH otherwise.
Thank you for reading if you actually made it to the end. Any ideas, help, etc would be great.

ETA: I forgot, they broke my water early on, about 5 hours into it. I remember it was about noon, because the dr thought that breaking my water would help the baby be there about 3 pm. There was meconium in the water then and the contractions hadn't gotten bad yet. Also, I had A LOT of fluid. So much more than with my other two. It just kept comming! lol Even the nurses were amazed.

[notjustmamie]

I don't know if you will ever really be able to answer your questions (since who can really say what might have happened), but I did want to say that meconium staining is one of the known side effects of Cytotec.

I have never heard of an HCP suggesting that because the sac looks a certain way, meconium was present for a given amount of time. That's not to suggest it's not possible, just that it's new to me!

Maybe you could post a link to this thread in the birth professionals section to get the advice of the wise women there?

I wish you well as you continue to process.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

I have no doubt that induction increases the risk of meconium. Meconium is often a sign of distress, and induction causes distress.

[Kidzaplenty]

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[leighann79]

I had forgot something about the birth, so I added it to the OP.

[Beccadoula]

I read every word of your story and I just wanted to say that you can and should trust your own body. A lot of the time doctors make women feel their bodies aren't able to do the job...and they will use any evidence around them, because they are convinced that is the true way of things. BUT, we would not be here if our bodies were sooo unreliable. Many of the complications of birth are brought about by the interventions in a hospital setting...which is why the evidence points to home/birth center births being safer for low risk moms. BUT, all that aside, you have to do what you and your hubby feel is best - you have to go with your own instinct and no one can define a good birth for you! You have to realize that other countries that have higher rates of home births also have lower overall losses, America doesn't have a great safety rating for birth!!!

As a doula I often recommend to moms that they labor at home for a while before heading to the hospital...it reduces the chances of some of this...AND I also recommend having a doula! I know it always sounds like I'm just tooting my own horn, but having seen the stats compared for a non-doula labor and a doula labor...you're just better off with one. You're far less likely to need interventions and they are less likely to have the same negative effect. Just future food for thought.

I truly hope that you are able to make peace with this birth experience and that you're able to totally enjoy your new baby!!!

Blessings!
-Rebecca

Good books: mothering the mother and gentle birth choices

[dewi]

Leighann

CBE and Doula here from the Birth prof area.

You had a pretty standard medically managed hospital induction birth and likely stressed the baby with the induction or when they were stopping you from pushing. Who knows. It sounds highly unlikely it happened when you were happily pregnant at home in your recliner chair waiting for the end of pregnancy.

In a good way Nothing about your birth strikes me as a lay person to put you at risk for anything but a physiologically normal birth next time.
With midwifery support you could and would have waited for labor.

Seriously, You did remarkably well under the circumstances.

Sounds like if you did not have a medically managed labor and birth
(next time with a midwife) you could pop an unstressed baby out on your own at home, with no medical reason to induce, wait for labor on your own.

Great book for you to read is "Pushed" by Jennifer Block.

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FYI: Did you know your pelvis hurting so much at the end of pregnancy sounds like Pelvic Girdle pain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelvic_girdle_pain
This is the body's way of preparing and loosening up the pelvis and ligaments for birth. Acupuncture is helpful to relieve some of the pain in pregnancy. Knowing about this next time and using an acupuncturist will help you not feel so uncomfortable at the end.

[leighann79]

I have done some research and agree that Pelvic Girdle pain is what I had. I've had it with each child and it got worse each time. I have looked into some treatments and plan on using a chiropractor next time to help me out. We have one local that is certified for working on pregnant women and also does the Webster method.
It's a relief to hear that I should be fine next time around. With help with the pelvic pain, I think I can hold out for no induction. DH agrees that induction is the problem. My next hurdle will be to convince DH that I want a midwife. We love our dr. (he's the family doctor, works in family practice) and I'm sure DH will not want to change. I have a few points to make to him and I hope he will listen. *sigh*
I am sure that going to the hospital makes it harder for me even past the induction. At my dr appt the dr said that I was 80% effaced and dialated (but I forget how far). Once I got to the hospital I was maybe 30% effaced and much less dialated. My first thought was that the dr had lied (not a great thought to havce) but now I think I had moved backward. My dr really isn't the type to lie. Anyway, anytime I think of having my baby I just can't mesh that thought and the one of being in the hospital again.
I was glad to find a birth center about 40 miles away. That is the closest. I doubt I can convince DH to do a home birth. I also found a few doulas that should be willing to travel to this area.
I'm glad that we won't even be trying to get pregnant for about 8 months because I need plenty of time to work on DH. lol

Oh, I wanted to add that my nurses at the hospital were great. Never even suggested that I would want pain relief (I put that in my birth plan "Please don't offer") Once I was done, one of the nurses came up to me with a huge smile and said, "You did it!" Not like she was surprised, but very proud of me. I needed that. I almost cried. LOL

[leighann79]

Originally Posted by dewi

Seriously, You did remarkably well under the circumstances.

I tear up every time I read that. Thank you.

[sbrinton]

Another option for the miserable hip, back, and pelvic pain in the end of pregnancy is cranio-sacral massage. My mom is a doula who also does this type of massage with pregnant women, usually with good results.