Esther's Birth Story

Baby's Name: Esther
Sex: Girl
Date of Birth: 3/4/14
Original Due Date: 2/24/14
Weeks Pregnant: 41.1
Baby's Weight: 7 lbs 11 oz
Baby's Length: 20.5 inches

My whole pregnany my fundal height was measuring 4-5 weeks ahead. At my last appointment I was measuring 45 weeks. The dr. thought the baby was going to be 9+ pounds because of this. She was good about not wanting to induce early, but once  I got to 41 weeks she recommended induction and I was so ready to have this baby.

On the morning of March 3rd we went in at 6am to start the induction with a foley bulb and pitocin. The dr. inserted the foley bulb about 8 am. This was horrible and basically traumatized me for the rest of the day. It hurt way more than a cervix check or membrane sweep, and i started cramping like crazy afterwards. I think the adrenaline combined with that made the pain of the pitocin a lot worse. They started me at a 2 and I felt like I was dying. But after about an hour of this, I started watching tv with Leland and I was able to relax a lot more. By the time my mom and sister got there (about 12pm) I was just in minor pain and handling the contraction really well. Early in labor I developed a small fever 99 degrees F, but the Dr wasn't too concerned. Contractions were about 2-5 minutes apart at this point. We just chilled in the hospital room until about 4pm when I got up to go to the bathroom, and the foley bulb came out in the bathroom. (Yeah TMI, but it's a birth story).  After this my dr. checked me and I was dilated to a 4. She went to get the supplies to break my water, and after she did I was dilated to a 5. It was now about 6pm. As soon as my water was broken the contractions became really intense. I asked for the epidural and got it about 7pm. The epidural was pretty bad,  I could feel it going in and grinding against my spine, he kept having to adjust it and it didn't fully work until about 2 hours after I got it. I could barely handle contractions at this point and decided that I would never voluntarily do natural labor.  After I got the epidural I was dilated to a 6.

My fever had kept going up and was about 101 or so at this point. The Dr gave me antibiotics in my IV to protect me and baby from any possible infection. The baby's heart rate was dropping with every contraction, but it would go right back up afterwards, so they weren't too concerned. They did have me lay on my side and wear oxygen. Around 9pm a nurse checked me and told me I was dilated to an 8. Then at 11pm she said I was dilated to a 9 and would be pushing soon. During this time the baby's heart rate was still going down with each contraction and my fever was rising. 

At 1am a different nurse came in and checked me. She told me I was only dilated to a 7. She said she had longer fingers than the other nurse and that the other nurse was wrong. I was so upset! This meant I had been at a 7 for four hours or more. The Dr. came in and felt the baby's head which was wedged face up and crooked in my pelvis. The Dr thought that the baby was either too big to fit through my pelvis, or her head was in the wrong direction to fit through. The dD. said she would give me until 2am to dilate more and if I didn't she would take me back for a c section.

By this point I had been in labor for 20 hours and I was tired beyond belief. I was so so hungry and thirsty but I was only allowed to have ice chips and small sips of water. I hadn't eaten anything since 5am that morning. At 2am I was still at a 7 so I was taken back for the c section. I was really upset and scared.  Only one person was allowed to come with me for the c section so of course I chose Leland, but I had really wanted my mom to be there for the birth too. I was so afraid for the c section. I was really on the verge of hyperventilating/crying as they prepped me. I really just wanted to stay pregnant and not do this. I never realized how scary surgeries are. I kept thinking of all the people I knew who had a c section and thinking if they could do it so could I haha.  I could feel everything as the Dr began to cut into me, but no pain. After about 10 minutes our sweet baby Esther was born. The Dr. said "that is no 9 pound baby" as soon as she was born. I remember waiting a good 10 seconds for her to cry, but she finally did and I was amazed/relieved. They showed her to me then took her to another room and Leland followed. They told me her weight and apgar scores, which were 8/9, then Leland brought her out to me. My hands were tied down so all I could do was have him put her by my face so I could give her a kiss. I was happy to see her but so sad that I couldn't hold her.

They took Esther away (still not officially named at this point) and they finished stitching me up. I didn't get to hold my baby for 3 more hours. I hardly remember her first day because I was so tired and they gave me morphine after she was born. Even though the birth went completely opposite of what I wanted, I am so grateful to have a healthy and happy baby who is a great sleeper.