My doctor wanted to induce at 37 weeks due to gestational hypertension. I asked if we could do 37 + 1 because the 37 week mark was my son’s second birthday. As fate would have it, my blood pressure spiked the morning of my son’s birthday and we had to go to the hospital that day anyways. It was a busy day there so I spent about nine hours in triage before they decided to start induction that day and get me to a L&D room. I told the Dr that I wanted to start with the least invasive induction methods first in order to try to avoid pitocin. I also said I didn’t want to be offered an epidural during labor.They decided to try a Foley bulb but when they went to put it in we were all surprised that I’d progressed from 1cm to 4cm while in triage. So that wasn’t needed, and they sweeped my membranes instead and let me borrow a pump to try nipple stimulation. At that point it was getting later in the evening so I asked if we could just take the night to see how I progressed and not start anything else yet. I was able to get some sleep and then have a big breakfast the next morning before the Dr came back at 8am. At that point I hadn’t progressed any further so we decided to break my water. After that I walked around the room, did lunges on a stool, and danced to music for about an hour. At that point contractions started getting more steady and requiring more concentration. I turned off the TV, turned on my Bluetooth speaker, and blared a meditation track on repeat about “empowered birth”. I bounced on the ball and worked through contractions for another half hour as contractions picked up, and called my Doula around 930am.
A snow storm slowed her down and I ended up standing up and working through contractions on my own until about 1130am. I had the ball up on the bed and was leaning against it. Each time a contraction came I swayed, moaned low, and counted to 4 in my head and then I pictured myself riding a wooden raft up a giant ocean wave. That helped me get through the contractions without pain, but it was hard work and required so much concentration. By the time the Doula got there my contractions were coming so fast that I couldn’t really even introduce myself or say hi. She jumped right in and started doing counter pressure on my back and taught my husband how to as well so that they could take turns. After about an hour of that, I knew things would get more intense very soon so I asked if I could have nitrous. They came in and told me I had to get in bed to have it, I didn’t want to get in bed but they let me get on all 4s and have the ball in the bed to lean on still.
Unfortunately that move was just enough to break my concentration and things started to get painful. I begin yelling “oooopenn” and taking hits of the nitrous. At that point my contractions were about a minute apart and my doctor came in and asked if I wanted to be checked. I knew I had to be about ten centimeters but I also knew that I wasn’t ready to push yet so I told her I would be ready in a few minutes. She left, I powered through two contractions and then I knew it was time to push. I screamed “I’m pushing!!” and at that point the doctor and a whole team of people ran in. The doctor confirmed that I was 10 centimeters and all the way ready to go. I remained on all fours feeling like I was about to push. The doctor asked me what position I was in to push my son and I told her on my back. But I said I didn’t want to be on my back this time. She said what if we put you on your side, and at that point I was just ready to be done so I said okay. I turned on my side and pushed as hard as I could while screaming and all I remember hearing is “1:02, 1:02!” I wasn’t really sure what was happening and was still breathing in the nitrous which was so loud.. but at that point my husband pulled the nitrous mask away and told me “she’s here!”. It had only taken one push! I couldn’t believe that she was out already but I looked down and there was her full head of hair and her little body being held up to me. I reached down and grabbed her and pulled her to my chest. We delayed cord clamping so I got to lay there and just enjoy her slimy little body still attached to me.
