The day(s) leading up to Lucas’s arrival were really like nothing else I’d ever, ever experienced. When it came to childbirth, I really tried to go into it with little to no expectations. I’d been told by so many people that you can spend all the time in the world making a “birth plan,” but very rarely is that how things go down once the show gets started. So, speaking of the show getting started…
As you guys know, Lucas was a stubborn little guy and was having no problem hanging out in the womb for as long as possible. On Thursday, July 25th, I had another doctor’s appointment to check up on the little guy to see how he was doing. An ultrasound showed that he was still doing okay in there, but that my placenta was starting to slightly deteriorate. Because I would be 41 weeks the following day, combined with the status of my placenta, my doctor suggested a scheduled induction for the following day and Jay and I agreed.
So on Friday, July 26th, Jay and I were up by 4:45am in order to get up and get ready to be at the hospital for our 6am induction. The whole morning was really sort of surreal…the two of us were just sort of like, “ummm, are we really having a baby today?!?”
Well, as it turns out, we didn’t have a baby THAT day…
On our way to the hospital, I scarfed down a pb&j sandwich since I was told I would not be allowed to eat much of anything after I was administered the Pitocin for my induction. Once we arrived at the hospital, we were brought to our room, allowed to get settled in, and I changed into my sexy gown.
They took some vitals, hooked me up for monitoring, did an internal exam (I was still dilated 2cm) and by about 8am, I was given the Pitocin and started at a low, level 2. Although I did have to be hooked up to an IV with the Pitocin, I was still able to be up and moving which was nice.
I spent a good majority of my first few hours up and moving around, either doing labor lunges, walking, or just bouncing on the exercise ball. At this point, I was getting occasional contractions but I still wasn’t really feeling all of them. The only way I knew was if I watched the monitor I was hooked up to.
Every, oh I don’t know, 30 minutes(?) my nurse would come in to up my Pitocin slightly, and I was eventually able to start feeling some of the contractions, although they were not very strong. At about 10:30am, I was bouncing on the exercise ball while Jay, my parents, and my in-laws were all hanging out in the room. I was snacking on a push-up Italian ice when all of a sudden I said, “Uh oh…UH OH!!!”
Sure enough, my water broke…and there was NO question about it whatsoever. My doctor had told me that I had a ton of fluid so I’d definitely know when it was happening, and she was seriously not kidding. It was the weirdest sensation…fluid was literally just pouring out of me and it wouldn’t stop! The nurse came in and told me to stand up from the ball, and the fluid continued to flow. I’m pretty sure we had about 4 big towels around me on the floor trying to soak everything up. So glad I got to share that moment with everyone…
Not long after my water broke, my contractions definitely started to become more noticeable. I continued to sit/bounce on my ball for while and breathed through the contractions while Jay massaged my low back. My one nurse was just incredible and also gave me a killer foot massage, which helped take my mind off of the pain slightly.
Around 12:30pm (I think?) the contractions were getting worse and worse (thanks to my level of Pitocin continuing to be increased) so I asked my nurse if she’d check me again to see how dilated I was, and she told me I was dilated to about 6cm. Fantastic news! I had said I wanted to hold off on getting an epidural for as long as possible, but at this point, the pain was pretty awful and I figured if I was already dilated to 6cm, it would be a good time to get it.
WELL…there were only two anesthesiologists on staff that day; one was in the OR and the other had about 3-4 other patients in line waiting for him. It ended up taking him about an hour to make it to me, and let me just say that this was probably one of the worst hours of my life. At this point, my Pitocin level was up to about 20 and my contractions were coming one right on top of the other, so I had no breaks in between each.
I don’t quite remember how I got there, but I wound up hunched over my bed for a good majority of this hour, just trying to sway back and forth and breathe through each one. Jay was amazing and continued to massage my back, while my nurse let me squeeze her hands and attempted to calm me down. There were times I could help but moan and cry through certain contractions, but I tried so hard to keep calm, knowing that it would only help me in the long run.
Eventually, I heard the anesthesiologist come in to the room…FABULOUS! It was time for an epidural because I could not take it anymore. Unfortunately, my consent form appeared to be missing (?!?!) so my doctor raced out of the room and had a nurse print another one. At this point, I somehow got up and sitting on the bed with my feet over the side, hunched over. All of a sudden, I see a piece of paper in my lap and they’re telling me to sign it…I literally took the pen and scribbled some lines…good enough for them, thank goodness!
The anesthesiologist, from what I could tell, did a great job of administering the epidural. I don’t even remember feeling the needle go in, but I’m sure the endless contractions had something to do with that. He told me that I’d start to feel my feet warm up soon and that it would eventually travel up my legs and into my belly. After a super short amount of time, my world was changed. Holy freaking-moly…epidurals are an amazing, wonderful thing.
I was at the point now where I couldn’t feel anything, despite watching my monster contractions on the monitor. My nurse said that after all of those, I must have REALLY made some progress, which got me really, really excited. My doctor came in shortly after at around 2pm-ish maybe(?) to do another internal exam. As I watched her face while examining me, I started getting nervous…she did not seem to be as excited as I was.
I asked her what was up, and she turned to me and said, “Well, I think the nurse measured you wrong last time. You’re not dilated 6cm…you’re really only about 3-1/2.”
I looked at Jay, then her, and said “you’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me?!”
And then I started to cry.
This is already super long, so I’ll follow up with part 2 tomorrow!
Oh my goodness. It sounds like quite the eventful day. It must have been quite frustrating after the water breaking, feeling the pain, and then not even be super dilated. Oh man. And I’m also surprised you had to wait so long for your epidural. For some reason, I always thought pregnant women would be first in line for an anesthesiologist. Can’t wait for part two!
Aw, I’m always interested to hear birth stories because I’m still trying to figure out if I would go at it naturally but with how excruciating the pain seems, I’m not sure I could. I’m happy you decided to share yours and can’t wait to read the rest! I’m just so happy you didn’t have to have a cesarean!
I can’t believe pregnant women are on the bottom of the list for the anesthesiologist! There’s no way I would be able to last 18 hours without one. Can’t wait to read the rest!
Wow! Sounds like quite the adventure thus far, I am so eager to hear the rest!!
Maybe it’s because I’m reaching that age but I find birthing stories SO interesting :-). One thing I’ve learned so far. Must.have.epidural. haha Your story is so real, and really helps me understand what to expect.
Can’t wait to read the rest!
oh. my. gosh. You poor thing!!
At least your water broke in the hospital. I’m so scared I’ll be out shopping and it will break on me. Ah well. I guess everyone knows it’ll happen at some point to pregnant ladies, right?
Can’t wait to hear part 2!
OMG…this is intense! That totally sucks you had to wait SO long for the epidural AND then you got told your weren’t as dilated as originally thought. Jeesh!! I would’ve cried too!!!!
They started off my induction by breaking my water and I totally had the same intense contraction experience! So, so intense! I cried and moaned my way through them too until I got my amazing epidural. No regrets there ;)
I can’t wait to read the rest!
Awe I love birth stories! I can’t wait for Part 2!! You made an adorable pregnant lady, that is for sure!
I’m 4 months pregnant with my first and can’t wait to read the rest of this. I am SO anxious about labor. The good news is that you now have a beautiful baby boy, so all ends well!
Oh my gosh! I feel like I’m on the edge of my seat and I want to know more! What an exciting story so far. I’ve heard that epidurals work wonders. I know that I will definitely be having one when the time comes. The whole needle thing scares me but I’m sure it’s worth it. Can’t wait to read part 2. :)
AAAHHH I can’t wait to finish reading this!!! You are a trooper!!
Great way to leave off! Cliff Hanger! I can’t wait for part two!!! I love how calm you were about the needle, I get freaked out just thinking about it lol.
If memory serves me from over 20 years ago, pitocin gets you about centimeter per hour. Mine wasnt started until after 10 hours with no progess beyond my water breaking. At nearly exactly 10 hours later, when the nurse who checked me in was coming back on shift, they were taking me to the delivery room. Thank God the epidural didnt wear off…since my son was nearly 10 lbs and 20 inches and caught his shoulder on me on the way out. It is amazing how soon you forget this, once you are holding your little man.
Well I’m obviously excited to read part 2…you left us with a big cliffhanger!! ;)
Gahhh I’d be SO pissed! LOL. I’d totally bust into tears too.
They pretty much gave me the epidural right away, so I never had to experience SUPER painful contractions. However, by the end of my 16 hours of labor, the epidural was wearing off and I didn’t want to have to get another one with the chance of it slowing things down, so I pretty much felt everything when I pushed Hunter out! Eeek!
Looking forward to part 2! ;)
Girl, you are such a champ for not crying until finding out the cm count was off.. I would have been crying long before when they told me I would have to wait on the epidural ha! Looking forward to reading the next post and the happy part when Lucas makes his appearance! :)
I’m always so interested to hear about different experiences, especially when it comes to an epidural or not! Thanks for sharing your experience :)
Can’t wait to hear the rest!
What a cliffhanger! At least we know all turns out well! :)
And thanks for your honest insights. A lot of women paint this amazing picture of childbirth that always has me thinking…”is she for real!?”
I would be so scared if I found out I was less dilated then what I was told a few hours prior! I can’t imagine how horrible contractions are but I know how much it stinks to be stuck in a hospital bed waiting for a doctor to come in to give you some pain medication! I can’t wait to hear about part two!
Oh no….. And I totally know the feeling. This sounds a lot like the birth story of my first daughter, but without the epidural. Can’t wait to hear more!
I feel like I’m reading a story! What happens next?! Next chapter please!!
Wow!! It sounds like a really long day. Baby Lucas, just didn’t want to come out. Enjoying his time inside, that’s cute. You left me wanting to read more, like a really good book that I got caught up into and can’t wait for the next part to be written. ;) at least you have a great story to tell everyone, and when Baby Lucas doesn’t listen you can say, “do you know how long I was in labor with you??” Lol, it never gets old.
Holy eventful!! I can’t wait to read part 2!
Oh my goodness, what an experience! Not only physical, but mental and emotional pain I’m sure were through the roof. Looking forward to hearing about the rest!
Awww i love reading birth stories and can’t wait to read the next part!! You did an awesome job – your little man is so adorable!
Oh my gosh, something very similar happened to me! The doctor came in to check after many hours of labor (during which I thought I was doing great!) and said “I don’t know why they told you 6 hours ago you were almost 7 cm. You are barely 2.” I LOST IT. I was sobbing. My poor DH! I can’t wait to hear about the rest of your story!
Ah a cliffhanger!! I can’t wait to read the rest tomorrow. You’re a trooper!
Is it weird how much I love to read birth stories? Can’t wait for pt. 2!
I have been DYING to know what went on those 18 hours, and I am now dying to hear Part 2 tomorrow! Deanna and I have spent the morning pinging each other in terror/awe of what might come in tomorrows post haha.
Hahaha!! Oh my gosh, you guys are too funny :)
Oh my gosh! I’ve never EVER heard of a nurse measuring wrong. That’s horrible!
How disappointing! Can’t wait to hear the rest of the story!
Oh wow, I can’t even imagine! I would also think nurses/doctors would be able to tell and not be off by 3 :( what a huge bummer. You are such a trooper for handling it well! Can’t wait to read the rest!
I literally cannot imagine labor. It sounds like such a traumatic experience! I know it’s all worth it in the end, but it’s very intimidating and scary to read about!
Yikes what a cliff hanger!! Hi Courtney, I’ve been reading your blog for a while now but haven’t really commented before. Just want to say congratulations on your adorable little boy! I’ve really enjoyed your pregnancy posts and cannot wait to hear the rest of your birth story!
Holy smokes–what an experience! Thanks for leaving us with a cliffhanger ;) haha.
This is all totes interesting to me, of course, since my labor is coming up right around the corner it feels like!
Oh. my. gosh. Now I am terrified to ever be preggo… not like this is something in my near future (hello, 22!) haha but seriously this sounds like quite the experience. I applaud you! I also realize that the result of this craziness is so amazing. Congrats again!
thank you for sharing the REAL experience, and not just “oh it was lovely and easy and I didn’t break a sweat” :) congrats again!!!
Ahhh, I can’t wait for part two! I’m going to my first birthing class tonight and I’m kind of scared. I’ve been in denial about the whole labor thing…ha!
Oh god you poor thing! My mum and her three sisters all were the same, long drawn out labours…on round three and four my auntie ended up booking in for c-sections just to avoid it.
Oh my goodness! I imagine that was just about the most heartbreaking news of your life!!!
Oh the suspense!
I love these posts – sounds like you had quite an eventful labor experience. I can’t believe that your entire family was in the room while your water broke. Oh my goodness, I can’t even imagine my father-in-law seeing that, haha.
I can’t wait to hear the rest!
Oooh man. This is so intriguing!! Haha. That is nuts that the nurse measures you wrong. Ugh. Can’t wait to hear part 2! Oh and by the way…today is National Frozen Custard day..so I hope you get to celebrate! :p
wow, that must have felt like such a long day! I felt like that with my birth too, and I was just about to say that “yayyy so cool that you and I had very similar birthing experiences minus the fact that she was only a few days late”, but then you surprised us with the 2.5 cm part. :P Can’t wait to read the next chapter, Courtney! These are always so fun to read.
Oh my goodness! I can imagine that the water breaking was a bit embarrassing, but imagine if that had happened in public? Yikes! Can’t wait for part two! :)
OMG I feel like you’re writing my birth story! The EXACT same thing happened to me. I was put on pitocin, couldn’t feel any contractions, a medical student checked me & said I was dilated to 7. Awesome! I was gonna do this thing w/ no drugs! Woo hoo! 3 hrs of excrutiating back labor later the doc checked me & informed me I was only dilated to 4. Oops! I immediately started hollering for the epidural, which ended up being just as glorious as yours (I may or may not have told the anesthesiologist he was the most wonderful man I’d ever met). I actually fell asleep for several hrs at which point I was ready to push, & I popped her out in less than 30 min. :)
lol i literally felt like i was there when i was reading that.. hope i look that cute when i go into labor! :)
I am sitting here nodding at EVERYTHING. I was induced too, they increased me too (though I needed my water to be broken by the doctor) and the whole pain of not dilating as fast and the AMAZINGNESS that is the epidural. Next baby I might call it in before I even get the hospital. SO excited to hear part 2, after my own 36 hour labor, I 100% empathize. It isn’t easy, but the outcome is so worth it, right?! :) :)
Oh wow! I can’t wait to read Part 2. What a cliffhanger!
I’m not a mom or pregnant, but I love reading birth stories. It’ll be so cool to look back and read this someday. I love how you wrote it while everything was still fresh in your memory:) Looking forward to part 2!
Oh my goodness, I am dying FOR you! I seriously think I would have passed out if I had heard that news. Unbelievable!
Ahh, omg what a long first half (?) of the day! I am glad the epidural eased your pain, I couldn’t even imagine. I look forward to your part 2!
I have to agree with you 100%. Epidurals are a gift from God!!!
And wow, what a story already and we aren’t even done yet! You are a rock star mama!! :)
SUCH a good part 1!!!! You had me on the edge of my seat!!! I did the swaying from side to side with my head on the bed while standing to get through contractions too. Those things are no joke. I remember looking at the monitor while I was fighting them and one was so strong that it went OFF the chart. I was like, are you serious?!?! haha
This is a well written first part of the story! Lots of tense moments! I’m always curious to read about reading women’s birth stories to know what it’s really like as i have not gone through it myself yet. It must have been really disappointing to hear that news from the Doctor…..anyways on to part 2!
Ahh, omg what a long first half
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