[Deb]

Contractions started on Dec. 5th in the evening. Our doula joined us around 12:30. I was in the tub trying to relax. I drank a glass of red wine and shortly thereafter, the contractions began to subside. Our doula left us around 3am and Kieran and I tried to get some rest.

The morning of Dec. 6th I went for a NST with Chris at 11:00 am and was having contractions every 5-6 min lasting about 30 sec. very manageable. 2 cm. dilated and “thin”. Chris said to call her on Friday to check in and set up another NST on Saturday morning. As day goes on, contractions taper off even more to about every 20-30 min.

Finally, Friday evening (Dec. 7th) labor really begins. Our doula joined us at 4am and I was focusing on relaxing—breathing, on my birth ball, etc. Once the contrx. got to every 3 min. we headed to the hospital (around 6:30am) and it was the worst car ride EVER!
8am-6 ½ cm 100% effaced
9:30 am-my water broke
9:50am-7 cm. I got in the tub, but labor slowed to every 4-5 min. Got out and it sped up some.
11:40am-7 ½ cm
1:10pm-not much change. Chris suggests getting some rest with the help of Stadol. While this was not part of my birth plan, I had been in labor since Wed. and I was tired. I did get some rest, but the baby had not turned his head. And there was still no cervical change.
Had to make another tough decision—Chris felt that pitocin would help bring him down and turn him, but an epidural would be necessary because of the intensity of the contractions.
3:30pm-got an epidural and pitocin drip was started.
Little did everyone know, the catheter had not been inserted correctly in my back. After the initial shot wore off (1 hr.) I was receiving no pain relief from the epidural—so, I was feeling ALL of the effects of the pitocin with no pain relief.
5:30pm-got second epidural which worked wonderfully!
7:15pm-9cm!
9pm-pitocin and epidural are turned off and I can start pushing when I get sensation back.
10:56pm-Declan arrives! But there is meconium in his lungs and he needs suctioning. Pediatrics is called in to check him out. Thankfully, all is well and he doesn’t even need to go to the nursery for observation.
I only had a 1st degree tear.


All the best,
Bridget McKenna