Interested in Hearing from Some Mamas About Their Birth Experiences!

Hi Marianne,
I chose to induce after my due date. My doctor is in a practice with several others, and one of them is a former neighbor that my husband still golfs with. I decided it would be very uncomfortable if my he delivered my baby, and so I arranged to be induced on the day my dr was on call. Everything went great - I was already dilated 3 cm when they started induction - and I did not have to have a c-section.
Very happy with the whole process!

Ok, here's my story:

Uneventful 1st pregnancy, due date in Feb, ob who wanted to let nature takes its course. I went into the hospital bleeding a bit 2 days before my due date, ob decided to induce me with pitocin (dont' know how much), & I ended up with an amniotic fluid embolism.

I delivered a 10 lb. baby vaginally, immediately went into shock after the embolism, I went into disseminated intravascular coagulation, kidney & lung failure, & then I went into a 6 hour surgery which ended up in a hysterectomy.

I was life-flighted to a major hospital, put into a medically-induced coma, & put on dialysis. I was in the coma for 1 month, & I was in the hospital for another month to deal with my muscle atrophy & blood clots.

1. My doc was just the type to work on the problems as they came up. She listened to me & what I wanted.

2. I begged to be induced early, but my doc said to wait & see what my body does.

3. Uh, see above.

4. Life-saving measures were used...no option to be happy or not.

Hi Marianne,
I am 24 years old and last year I had my first baby. I really wanted the experience to be special and I really wanted to at least feel like I had some control over my baby's birth. My husband was terrified of having our baby at home (because my mother had hemorrhaged and almost died giving birth to me so I agreed to having the baby at our nearest hospital with my OB. She didn't try to induce me early, although they thought my baby was bigger than she was, but because of my own insistence they let me wait until I went into labor which was 6 days after my due date.
I hadn't slept in about 36 hours when I went in to labor, but when we went into the hospital I was already at 4cm. My doctor came to check on me and she encouraged me to let them break my water. She brought it up to me like it was no big deal. She said, "Why don't we just go ahead and break your water and that'll move things along." After they broke my water the contractions started coming so quickly and were so intense. But I continued to labor with out pain medication because that was my wish. After 6 more hours and still no çhange in dilation the nurses came in and they were in panic mode. They thought I was in transition because of how my contractions were coming, but when they saw that I hadn't moved at all they started freaking out and yelling at me and my husband and told us that if I didn't start dilating that they would have to do a cesarean. Like I could do anything about it in that kind of environment. I told my husband that I just wanted to go home. I felt so forced and pushed around.
The not so funny thing about this was that if they hadn't broken my water then I would not have needed any intervention because my body being so exhausted would have most likely caused labor to stop or ease up and let me get some rest until I was ready to continue. But my water was broken and labor was full on. They tried to make me lie down but I couldn't without vomiting, so we finally opted for an epidural which scared my husband because he felt like that was just one more step on the way to them pushing a cesarean on me. However, I fell asleep as soon as it took effect and I woke up 3 hours later completely dilated and ready to push.

I pushed for an hour and when my baby was about to come out the doctor appeared and, without even asking me I over heard her tell the nurse that they were going to do an episiotomy on me and use forceps to pull the baby out. I said, "Excuse me, but you're not going to touch me if you think you're doing that." She looked at me (finally) and said, "Oh no, I insist." I said, "No, I insist. If you touch me with a knife and try to put forceps on my baby's head, I'll hit you." She continued to fight with me right there with my baby's head crowning! I couldn't believe it! I told her to just massage me with the oil and let this baby come out on it's own. She finally begrudgingly obliged and I pushed my baby out in a couple more pushes without tearing at all. She looked at me so amazed and said, "I've never seen anything like this. I was so sure you were going to tear." Maybe because she cuts everybody before they can show her any different.
Well, I'm pregnant again with my second child and needless to say we're having this one at home with a midwife. I don't want to fight my way through labor ever again. My husband doesn't want to either. Even after the baby was born we were still fighting the nurses, but that's another story. I hope this helped.
-F.

Hi there Marianne. I was actually induced because my doctor was moving to another state before my nine months were up and I really wanted her to deliver my baby. She induced just two weeks early. So, to try to answer your questions, my understanding of my due date didnt really play a part in the decision of inducement. I just didnt want a strange doctor around when I was at my most vonerable (sp?). As for the way my labor went, well, it was horrible. I was in labor for 23 hours, my epidural didnt work, neither did the other two pain drugs they gave me (cant remember the names but they are popular). Yes, I am happy with my decision. Nothing bad happened to me or my daughter.

My oldest son is 2 years old and his birth was a great experience. He was a little smaller than average, but developementally fine. He was 5 days past his due date and my md decided to go ahead and give me a foley catheter put into my cervix to help me dilate. If it didn't do anything, we would wait it out a little longer. I ended up going into labor on my own that very night. I had a 9 hour labor and a 15 minute delivery of a healthy 6 lb 7 oz baby boy. no trouble at all. i had an epidural. I did not have to have an epesiotomy or anything. my friends that have been induced have had major problems with their deliveries and longer stays in the hospital due to an unhealthy baby that was not quite ready to be born. my second son was 10 days early. no induction. i did have a c-section because he was breach. Both were great experiences. My doctors were great! When we decided my due dates they made sure they didn't stick to those dates as if the babies would HAVE to come out then. So they allowed some time just in case they weren't ready to be born yet. I am thrilled that i didn't induce and my boys both were happy and healthy and so am I.

I chose a midwife group when I was pregnant with my first and only son. Induction was not ever discussed through my pregnancy so I decided to ask about it one day towards the end of my pregnancy. I was told that they would not induce unless it was medically necessary for either me or the baby. I was comfortable with that and didn't think anything else about it. Just two weeks before our due date I went in for my routine weekly check-up and was rushed immediately to the hospital because my blood pressure had gone sky high. I had very low blood pressure for my entire pregnancy so they were very concerned that it could change so fast. I was admitted for the night to monitor me and baby, still no talk of inducing. When I was released I asked my midwife if we should discuss inducing. She said that the body tends to take care of these problems on it's own and she felt that my body would decide that something had to give; either the baby or the blood pressure. She was right. The morning of my next appointment, I went into labor and I did not have to be induced. I showed up at the hopsital and everything went so fast that my midwife barely made it in time. Later that day I heard the nurses talking about the woman who came in and delivered her first baby within the hour. The only problems I faced in the hospital is that no one would believe that I was ready to have a baby. Since it is not common for a first baby to come fast I could not convince them that this was happening. They kept saying that I had to wait for my midwife to come check my progress. Turns out the monitor had slipped and was not reading the contractions so they did not belive that they were on top of each other. When my mom finally convinced someone to check me they discovered that I was not just a whiny mom making stuff up and maybe I did know what my body was doing even though I was not a medical professional.
Just a side note to the moms who had c-sections; I do not refer to my birth as natural because that implies that a c-section is not natural. That baby came out of your body which makes it natural. For the woman who was told that she didn't try hard enough and that is why she had to have a c-section; I would love to know what your response to that was. She was obviously a very rude person who needs to expand her world to include others.

Hi Marianne,

My experience was interesting in that I was in N. California till 6 months, than S. California after, so I had to switch doctors most of the way through. Luckily, I had an easy pregnancy, so I had only had the typical monthly checkups. The doctors in both locations were very nice. I delivered in Tarzana, and my OB's shared a practice - younger woman, middle aged man. They didn't believe in episiotomies (thank goodness!). I carried pretty small, but the baby wsa growing fine. I was expecting to deliver around April 14, and was only 1.5 cm dialated (100% efaced) at my 4/10 appointment. They were going to do a non stress test on 4/12 - but my water broke at 10pm on 4/10. Contractions were building slowly so they suggested a small amount of pitocin if they didn't pick up in a reasonable amount of time. Don't remember if I got it though - they didn't push it, and I asked if we could wait and see if my body did what it was supposed to. I think it did. 7 hours of labor+ 2 hours of pushing, stadol at 5 and 7 cm dialation - got me over the pain hump, then push, push, push. I was very happy not to have an epidural as it made me nervous, and I wanted to be involved in pushing. If I had gotten in my own way, I may have done things differently, but it worked out find. I found the labor contractions to be more painful than the pushing contractions, and I would say I felt 7 out of 10 on the pain chart. there was a little meconium in the amniotic fluid, but he was fine. I'm very happy with my decisions. I wish he could have spent more time with me when he first came out, though, but his cord was a little too short, and they wanted to make sure his lungs were ok.

I gave birth to my baby girl 5 yrs ago. I was induced on my due date (Aug 21) because I wasn't dilating at all. I went to my OB appt the day before due date and she said I was at about 1 1/2cm and she didn't think I was going to do anymore on my own. No explanations as to why this may be happening, they just told me to come in the next morning to be induced. I knew she was going to be a fairly big baby, but not too big to deliver vaginally(I had NO idea how big her head would be though...omg).

Arrived at the hosp at 5am on due date. Induced by Pitocin by 6am. They broke my water after I'd dilated to about 4-5cm. At about 6-7cm, they gave me my epidural. The anesthesiologist missed the correct place the first time he stuck the needle in, so he had to do it twice.(Yay! NOT) Hard labor started around 3-4pm and I pushed until 6pm when she FINALLY made her appearance. I had a level 4 episiotomy and still tore a bit even then. My daughter had a 13cm head and weighed 8lbs 3oz.

It was tough and for a while afterwards, I said I'd never have another. Now, I've reconsidered and know that I will one day(after I'm done with school). Am I happy with my decision? I don't really feel like I was the one who made the decision, but I guess I am ok with it. I mean, I have to be now, don't I? The only thing I feel could have been changed is how horribly my tearing was sewed up. I still have problems and pain there.

I had 4 out of hospital births, with the same midwife each time. I'm not sure my answers are what you are looking for since homebirths are so different (or I assume they are from what I read, I haven't bothered to set foot in a hospital while pregnant). Let me run through what you're asking for one at a time - obviously induction wasn't an option, or necessary. And big babies were not suspected ;)

My due dates never changed because of u/s measurements or anything like that. I only had u/s with the last two (couldn't stand the suspense, honestly, not medically necessary) & they did measure "ahead" for dates. Weight was estimated by palpation only and they were all healthy, not big, good for my size ;).

They were -
#1 born 3 and a half weeks early, 6 pounds 4 ounces. Labor was great, used water for pain relief & ate taco bell (yes, I threw up), pushing was the hardest part for me.

#2 was born 3 weeks before his due date exactly, 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Labor was amazing, hung out in the tub again, but alone this time, and prayed through it. There was mec in the water but I had no idea until one of the follow up visits, I guess it just wasn't enough for them to worry me about it.

#3 was, again, 3 and a half weeks. 6 pounds, 7 ounces. Lots of prodromonal labor, and I was exhausted and SURE labor had begun and I was in transition only to find out I had barely dialated any in the whole night. Took a short nap & woke up ready to go. He did a couple of weird breathing things after he was born, well one right then and one a day or so later (we copied what the midwife had done since we were on our own that day).

#4 was born only a week and a half before her due date (our only girl - fashionably late?! yes, I considered her "late" by my standards ;) She was my biggest at 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Her labor was several weeks of prodromonal build up, and a veryveryvery fast 4 to 10. I emailed a friend at 7:30 saying things started to feel different, was talking to my kids at 7:45 and still totally fine, got in the tub at 8, and was calling for my husband by 8:30 to call everyone NOW (I believe I was in transition around 8:45). I was complete by the time the midwives arrived at 9. It was way intense and I am scared to death to do it again (but I'm kind of stuck now - May).

Thats it. Sorry I love sharing my birth experiences even though you seem to have wanted the more uhm mainstream type of stories ;) But in my experience people who love birth, love to hear it all so I'll post it ;)

Marianne,

I was given the option to induce and not because of a large baby, but because I was so uncomfortable. I had lost the use of my hands for the most part due to bad swelling compressing the nerves in my wrist and basically giving me carpal tunnel. I was due July 22nd and we decided to induce on July 11th. I was not dilated at all when we induced and the doctor let me know that it may not work. We went into the hospital on the evening of July 10th and they gave me two doses of cytotec overnight and started pitocin the next morning around 7:00. I labored all day and at 4:00pm my doctor came in to check me and I was barely a 1. He gave me a choice to either stop the induction and just let nature take its course or do a c-section. At that point in time I decided to do the c-section since I did not want to go through labor all day again down the road and possible end up in the same spot. I'm glad I decided to do the c-section though because after I got back to my room and my doctor came in he said that I would most likely have had to have done one regardless. That my pelvis would not have been large enough for her to pass through. My daugher was 17 3/4 in and 6lbs 14oz. I'm only 4'10" so I knew my chances of a c-section were 50/50 anyways so I don't regret my decision at all.

First daughter born 10 weeks premature-2 lbs. 11 ounces--C-Section due to high blood pressure--no problems--no OTC pain relievers afterwards either--1st daughter is now 9 and is fine, no problems except a smart mouth.

Second daughter--7 lbs 5 ounces--born at 38 weeks--was on bed rest last 2 months of pregnancy due to high blood pressure---at first I planned to have her vaginally but CHICKENED out because all the pushing and labor stuff scared me, didn't seem right to go through all that if I could just lay there, be cut open and the baby comes out---thus changed it to another C-Section--again..flawless Csection--no OTC pain medication afterwards.

I also had Hyperemesis with both pregnancies with a Reglan pump. Along with Pre-eclampsia (I spelled it wrong I know), I loved my Ob/GYN also (we moved out of state, so I no longer go to her).

If I could have any more babies, I would definitely plan a CSection. I am glad both babies were born C-section and do not feel like I missed out on all that pushing and labor. It is ok for others "to let nature takes it's course" ..but for some people it is not. Luckily, I am not one to "let nature takes it's course" if I were, or if my Dr. was, I would probably be dead. Or I would have suffered a stroke with my first pregnancy. Everyone is different,,,no matter what they do or how they give birth.
So--yes happy with how I gave birth and yes I understood my due dates--

My Dr. was going to induce me (I was 4 days overdue, and my placenta had too many calcifications, so he was concerned). My water broke the night before my appointment.

My Dr. preferred to have me push when the baby was ready, as opposed to forcing it like so many other Dr.s I hear of (which resulted in 3 grueling hours of pushing for my sister).

It was a relaxed and pleasant delivery (I pushed for a little over an hour, and had an epidural), but I needed a vacuum delivery. I did not get an episiotomy beforehand, and so I had very bad tearing, and a horrible healing experiance.

The thing that made me maddest about my experiance, was when I was admitted to the hospital, the nurse told me my water did not break, and tried to send me home. She didn't physically check me until about an hour later (I was dilated alomost to a 10 and "paper thin"). Later she checked the "water sample" and discovered my water HAD broken and there was meconium in it.

Hi, Marianne. Here goes.

My first daughter: my water broke, then nothing. I was induced at about the eight hour mark and things went very slowly but progressed.

My son: I was induced at his due date. I agreed with the docs, he had some days where he quit moving, a full day in the hospital being observed. The concern was for his health and all went smoothly, except for him getting stuck, that is. lol I was comfortable with the induction and understood the reasoning.

My baby: She was a week late and I showed no signs of labor, and I also had excess amnio fluid until two weeks before her due date. I again agreed with the docs on induction when her due date came and went. Her labor was the fastest and when she finally turned it went very smoothly.

I hope this is what you were looking for.
Juli

All 3 of mine were induced. I chose to induce the first 2 (they were 10 months apart) because my husband worked out of town alot, and I wanted to make sure he was there. I actually couldn't believe it when my doctor agreed to do it. She told me it was also easier on her to plan it out. They were both delivered 10 days before my due date. My first was 7lbs 1oz, and born about 9 hours after start of induction. Second was 6lbs 9oz, and born about 6 hours after start of induction. We had to move when I was 7 mos along with baby #3, and when looking for a doctor the only requirement I had was someone who would induce (by this time I wouldn't have it any other way). The first doctor I went to had no problem with it. She was born 6 days before due date. She was 7lbs 14oz, and showed up 7 hours after induction. Personally I love induction. Everything goes like clock-work, and I never have to worry about getting to the hospital on time, or being too late for the epideral (which I am a huge fan of). With my first 2 the entire birthing process was absolutely perfect. With baby #3 everything was great except that the epideral did not work, it just made my left leg immobile. Luckily she came pretty quick.

I gave birth to a baby girl 5 1/2 years ago. My twin boys were born 2 1/2 years ago. With my girl, I was due on February 14th. My doctor had vacation scheduled for the week after. Being a first time Mom, I did not want anyone other than this doctor delivering my baby. My husband and I decided that if had not yet arrived, I would get induced on her due date. Not any earlier than that. I pushed for about 1 hour. I don't regret it! She was healthy and perfect, 7lbs, 11oz, 18 inches long. With my twins, it was a textbook pregnancy. They came 5 days before their due date. I pushed 3 times!!! They were 6 and 7 pounds. I did not need to be induced. Water broke, and there they were. I would of been induced on or after the due date. But not any sooner than that!

I have given birth to two babies and expecting my 3rd in March.
My first was a vaginal delivery induced at 40 weeks due to high blood pressure.
I wish more than anything I had waited until she was ready to come. The delivery was horrible! I had to push for over 2 hours for a baby that was NOT coming out.
She was face up which I learned while pushing, if your baby is face up, they can not make it out on their own which is when forceps were used.
She was 8lbs 1oz and was left with a pretty good sized cut and bruise on her head from the forceps having to be used.

I feel now if I had only waited until she was ready to come into the world, she would have been in the right position and delivery would have gone alot smoother.

My second baby's weight was being monitored by sonograms from about 7 months on due to him growing bigger so fast.
At my 39 week sonogram he weighed 10lbs 2oz on level 2 sonos and I was advised it would be safer to do a C-section due to the safety of my baby. My doctor told me if I chose a vaginal birth and he couldn't "fit" his way out, then I was risking breaking his shoulders and when I knew I could put my babies health at risk, I opted for the C-section and the very next day I delivered him by cesarean.
He came out weighing 10 lbs 3oz and is still a BIG boy! : )
The C-section was of course a much easier delivery but recovery was horrible!
I was bed ridden for 2 weeks and the pain was unbarable.
The only reason I would say I'm happy with the decision to have a c-section is because he was such a big baby and I'm a small framed person so I'm certain if I had tried to have a vaginal delivery, I most likely would have ended up in the Operating room regardless.

I'm now expecting another boy and will most likely have to plan on having another C-section due to my baby's size and the size of the boy's is always bigger in my family.
I am not at all looking forward to another cesarean but I've heard it can be pretty risky having a child vaginally after cesarean.

Well, those are my birth stories and 1 more on the way! : )
Good Luck to you!

We were originally given a due date of 7/6, adjusted up by a few days as the pregnancy progressed. I developed high blood pressure very early in the pregnancy and at about 26 weeks my MD informed us that we would likely be induced because of the high blood pressure. After several weeks of bed rest, negotiations and prayer, he agreed to induce at 38 weeks but not a day longer! He had discussed inducing starting at 35 weeks because of my health. I loved being pregnant but my body did not! I was so swollen that my skin was cracking.
Induction day: Went very smoothly. He broke my water and started pitocin. GOt my epi after a few hours. After 12 hours and minimal progression I was so sick and the baby's heartrate kept dropping with contractions. We opted for the c-section at that time. My only regret is that I was so drugged up from the vommiting that I was barely coherent during surgery. I remember seeing him and hearing him cry. I continued to vomit throughout surgery. Not the beautiful moment I was dreaming of.
Afterwards, I was in such pain and groggy for a couple of days. Hindsight is 20/20...if I had to do it over, I'd go for the c-section. I don't regret being induced though. My son came out healthy and I am grateful that we were able to hold out as long as we did.

I have had 2 children naturally. The first was overdue and I had meconium in the fluid. She was 8 lbs 9 oz. The second was overdue by a week and was a much harder birth I had him naturally as well. He weighted 8 lbs 4oz. 12 years later I delivered my 3rd child. He was induced a week early and weighed 8 lbs 8 oz. The induction was wonderful as I was already 2 cm dialated and having irregular contractions for several days. My births have always been fast 8 hrs from the beginning on the first and faster each time. I also had an epidural for the induction which was wonderful. I am expecting another child in about 60 days. I am totally comfortable with induction if I show signs of readiness. I also have Hyperemesis which means I have had to be on long term medical support throughout the entire pregnancy. I have a good rapor with my Dr. and while I trust his medical judgement I also trust my body. If I feel in anyway hesitant I would not induce. I will say that my 3rd birth was my favorite and I have such positive memories. I was so scared after my 2nd even all those years later. I am actually looking forward to this birth and if all is well I have no issue inducing a week early.

1. I was due on June 12th with my first baby after dealing with fertility issues. I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes which I was able to control with my diet...no insulin needed. I was worried about everything that I read on the internet about having a very large baby! My doctor said that he would be willing to induce me if he thought the baby was getting a bit too large, so don't worry. My baby was not growing too large, but I had already gotten excited about him arriving early. There was no reason for me to want to be induced...it was just I was so anxious! So, my doctor agreed to induce me 1 1/2 weeks early...May 30th.

2. It was always an option...I was not forced...I was just anxious. I also lived in McKinney and my Doctor delivered at Medical Center of Plano and if I didn't make it in time to him I would have gone NUTS!

3. I went in on a Wednesday night at 10:00 for the pill they put on my cervix. I got one at 10:30 and one at 3:30AM. My water was broken at 8:30 AM, I felt one contraction and got an epidural, ready to push a bit after 11:00AM and baby was born after 5 pushes at 11:50AM. It was textbook perfect!

4. I am very happy with my decision. I wanted things planned out...I didn't want to be surprised in the middle of the night with my water broken, etc.

I was worried about being induced because I was told that your body is not ready and you will probably have a c-section. I wasn't ready at all so I had to have the pills help soften my cervix and it did.

I was also worried about having the epidural too soon. I was told that if you get the epidural too soon that it would prolong your labor also...not true in my case.

I love sharing my story because everything that I was told and scared about was not true with me.

I did have an episiotomy, but that was nothing. I was off pain meds in 4 days. The baby was coming quickly and his cord was around his neck so I needed a bit of help getting him out safe.

Hi, here's our story or the story! My due date was Dec. 30, 2005. The last check up the week before, nothing at all was happening with me and she said my daughter was over 7 lbs., no water breaking, no softening of my cervix, nothing, so my midwife scheduled me to be induced on January 4th, 2006. I went in on Wed. evening, started on some stuff they gave me, not sure what, but I know at that point it was not Pitocin because I was still nowhere..she came in my room about 9 am Thurs. told me that my last exam by the night nurse at 4 am showed no change, they were going to give me something...maybe cervadil (sp?) I can't really remember, and send me home because nothing was going...she did one final exam and accidentally broke my water, well, needless to say at that point, I wasn't going anywhere, so they started me on the Pitocin...by 3 pm I was 6 cm. dialated. At about 3:55 pm my daughter's heart rate dropped down below 50, this was all after I'd had my epidural, so needless to say I was pretty helpless as far as moving around and repositioning. They tried all of that, repositioning me, on my side, sitting up, they hooked her up to the fetal monitor on the scalp and within 5 minutes they made the call for me to have an Emergency C-Section because her heart rate was not coming back up, they wheeled me into the emergency room, did the c-section and she was born at 4:22 pm. She was born a healthy and happy 6 lb. 14 oz., 19 inch beautiful little girl....would I change things about the day, of course, it was a very scary time when her heart rate went so low, not anything anyone was expecting at all. As far as changing things about the induction, not really, I'm a "planner" and a professional working Mommy, so it helped to be able to "plan" the birth, somewhat at least. I have to say that I was deathly afraid of having her the "natural" way, and after having had a c-section, from which I recovered very quickly, fortunately (I know some aren't so lucky), I would say that if we have another child one day, that I would have a c-section again. Though I am the first to admit, I feel a little sad when I realize that I never got to feel the "natural" onset of labor, but every situation is different for every person. And in the end, through our true emergency situation, we are just so fortunate to have had a healthy, happy, beautiful baby girl!

I had 2 natural child births. I had them at a birthing center with a midwife. It was spontaneous labor. The first one was 1 hour and the second one was 3 hours. They were both incredible experiences.

Both of my babies had to be induced. The reason for inducing my first baby is that when the doctor tried to sit in on an ultrasound to count fetal movements of arms, legs, etc, there was no movement, because the baby had simply run out of room. Because she was so crunched up inside the womb, he couldn't even tell how big she really was, so he induced labor that night. I was in labor for 14 hours, and had her naturally. I didn't even have anything for pain until after she was born. The baby was 7 pounds 14 oz. and 21 and a half inches long. With my second baby, eight years ago, my water began to leak, and I was dilated, but did not have any contractions. The doctor induced labor, and I had her within an hour or two afterwards. She was born naturally at 8 pounds, 9 oz. and 20 inches long. I was getational diabetic with both babies, and had problems with blood pressure during the second pregnancy.

My doctor pushed induction for my first, for conveince for him and me, I suppose. I did the induction, and it failed. I went into labor on my own. I was given Stadol at the hospital, but I did not have an epi. His head was not positioned correctly, so I am glad I had it. After doing research, I did decide against any medication or indcution with my daughter. They did give me ptiocin at the hospital, and I wished I had fought that. I did not need and it made my labor miserable, but I did not use any other drugs. Next baby, I really want to have at home, with a midwife, so that I will not have to deal with the hospital stress.

To answer your questions, after my little rant.
1. My doctor wasn't too concerned about my son's size, just that he was going to be a little big. He was 8lbs. He did not do any late ultrasounds to measure him. The ob used an early ultrasound to date my pg because my cycles ran long, so the average 28 days didn't give a correct date.

2. I was given the option for induction (after the 39th week) for conveince for my first and my blood pressure was creeping up. The ob pushed it for my second because of size, but I declined. She was a few ounces smaller than my first anyway. Live and learn, and I was much more confident about my ability to deliver the baby.

3. The induction failed with my first and I went into labor on my own. I was pretty happy with the outcome. I had a wonderful nurse who was suporrtive of not getting an epi and very calm during my labor.

My second labor went fine until I went to the hospital. My body does not dialate in the normal pattern, I stay at a 4 until the baby is ready to come out, and then my cervix opens quickly. Hospital staff thought my labor wasn't progressing and gave my pitocin, which is god awful stuff. It made my labor miserable. The nurses were very pushy and unsupportive of my decision not to get pain medication and were constantly asking if I wanted it. I was glad that I did not have an induction, though.

4. I think I was happy that the induction did not work with my first, although I wish my ob had been a little more hands off. I was also glad that I did not get induced with my second, I just wish the hospital staff was a little more flexible.

That was a bit rambly, but I hope it helps.

I am a diabetic and on an insulin pump. All my levels were GREAT and my doctor advised that if I wanted a baby, that was the time. Thankfully I was pregnant quickly and my pregnancy went great for 6 months. My daughter was due April 8th (2000) and I went into labor January 2! I expected to go in and get the little pill to stop my labor, only to find out that they don't do that for diabetics. The hospital said they could give me IV medication/fluids to slow me down but they could not stop me. I was slowed down to 30 minutes apart and was told that when they got back to 2-5 minutes apart, to come back. I repepated the IV medication/fluids for 59 days! On Feb 28th, my doctor put me in the hospital and for two days they gave me steriods to make sure my daughters lungs were formed correctly. It was also leap year and many babies were being born on February 29th and my doctor wanted me to have the hospitals full attention. On March 1st I was in full labor, 1 minute apart and it was time. I dialated to a 2 and then nothing. They came in with a IV bag and told me they were giving me "patosin" (spelling??) since they had slowed me down so much they needed to spead me up now. No one ever asked me. 30 minutes later when the patosin was in its full effect my blood pressure hit 200 over 120. Afraid I would stroke, they rushed me into OR for an emergency c-section. 9 minutes later my daughter was out.
I had no blood pressure problems until that moment and have always felt it was from the patosin.

Well, I come from a family history of c-section babies. I think I actually have 1 aunt that had natural delivery. My family is historically very small - I am 5'2", sister is 5' and mom is 5'1 and we all weigh in at about 115-120...needless to say, our bodies were not made for pregnancy or delivery. I was 38 weeks along with my first child (who they thought weighed about 8-9 pounds) and went to my usual weekly appointment to beg for induction. My back and hips were killing me to the point of not being very mobile. I had already fallen once too. He agreed with the induction but told me that I would probably end up with a c-section but I still wanted to try. I labored and pushed 3 times when my son's heart stopped due to stress. Wound up with an emergency c-section...when that decision is made, it is a matter of minutes before delivery. My son was a healthy 6 pounds and 7 ounces with a perfect round head and face. He was the most beautiful baby I had seen. The healing process after labor & then emergency c-section was not that fun. I swore that I would NEVER have another baby. But after 3 years, God blessed me with yet another boy. We went for the scheduled c-section and it was MUCH easier the second time. Again, I was blessed with another most beautiful baby I had ever seen weighing in at 7 pounds 6 ounces. I love my doctor and fully trust him of course. Same doctor and hospital for both boys. After being in denial over my c-section - I felt as if I failed somewhat because I could not have natural delivery - I had a long discussion with my doctor about it and he point blank told me that either I would have died or my son would have so the decision that was made was the only one that would have saved us. I applaud the mothers who are able to do it but there are some that are not and that is perfectly fine too. I do not feel that I was a give up because I made the decision to be induced nor do I feel slighted to not have experienced delivery like a "real mother" as I have been told. I am a real mother with a scar to prove it!

Good luck on your teachings and I hope this helps...

I have a 16 month old, and am currently 38 weeks pregnant. With my first, we found out at 36 weeks that the baby was breech. My doctor clearly gave me the option of having him turned, or getting a c-section, and actually encouraged having him turned. We did, and he was then in correct position. I went past my due date, and at 7 days overdue, my doctor had still not even mentioned the THOUGHT of induction. When I brought it up, she simply stated that my baby was healthy, I was healthy, and nature seemed to know best. I was shocked! We had just had a sono, indicating the baby may be as big as 10 lbs, and my doctor wasn't batting an eye! Many of my friends were induced within days of their due date, if not before.

When I hit the 1 week overdue mark, my doctor did have me come in every few days to do a non stress test, but continued to send me home. At 10 days overdue, I began early labor, and BEGGED to be induced, as I was dilated to a 2, and had been having regular, but far apart contractions for 3 days. She still said no, and that nature would take it's course.

At 12 days overdue, I went into full labor on my own. My water was leaking, and there was meconium in the fluid. I labored without pitocin for 19 hrs. My doctor was in absolutely no hurry to get that baby out, but did let me know that a NICU team would be in the delivery room, in order to properly suction the baby's lungs due to the meconium. She never urged us to get the baby out any faster, saying it would not make a difference. I had an epidural, and was comfortable. My family kept expecting her to "speed things up", as it was getting late. At 1:30 am, I was fully dilated. After pushing for nearly 2 hours, my baby's head would not engage, and we ended up opting for a c-section. I felt like i had all the options in the world. The actual C-section was a little rough. I did throw up, my arms did have to be tied down, and I was shaking too badly to hold my baby for about 20 minutes after they returned me to my room. After that, however, my baby was perfectly alert, we were able to nurse, and my recovery was a breeze. I was nearly back to normal by the end of week 1.

My next baby will be here in a few weeks, and my doctor has actually encouraged me to try for a VBAC, as opposed to scheduling another surgery.

To put all of this in perspective, my Dr. is part of a large group affiliated with a hospital, so none of the scenario is what I expected. I am so grateful my Dr. sees childbirth as normal, and does not feel a need to rush things along.

I was induced at 37 weeks with my first becasue I was 3 cm and my OB was leaving town in a few days. She is a very good family friend and did not someone else to deliver my baby, since it was my first. I had my water broken at 6:30AM and Carson was born at 5:22PM, 6 lbs 3 oz, 19 inches and very healthy. My 2nd was induced at 36 weeks because she had stopped growing and was born in 5 hours from the time we entered the hospital, 5 lbs, 18 inches, but very healthy...we came home in 2 days. I am now pregnant with my 3rd and would have another induction no problem.

Overall, my pregnancy with my son wasn't too bad. 1st trimester, I hardly had any morning sickness. 2nd trimester, I felt good. 3rd trimester, I started getting uncomfortable, and near the end, I was experiencing pre-hypertension and low amnionic fluid. Two days before my expected due date (which was determined from the ultrasounds), my OBGYN at the time asked how I felt about being induced. She recommended it b/c of the pre-hypertension and the low amnio-fluid, and b/c she also thought that perhaps I was overdue. However, she didn't say I absolutely HAD to be induced. It was my decision, and because I was so uncomfortable and on bed rest at that point, I agreed.

I spent the night in the birthing bed b/c they did a procedure that softened my cervix. Although I was given Ambien, I didn't sleep too well. At 5 a.m., they gave me petocin (sp?). At 7:30 a.m., they broke my water. After that, I really started feeling contractions. My plan was to go as long as possible without an epidural; I lasted about an hour or so. It got to be really intense. Fortunately, an hour and a half later, they said I was ready to push. But unfortunately, I pushed for another hour and a half. I had a partial 3rd degree episiotomy, and then he was born at 8 lbs, 1 oz.

Overall, I thought everything went all right. I wouldn't say I regretted it. However, I think that my labor might have been a little easier if I wasn't induced and if my water broke on its own. But then again, I don't have any other experiences for comparison.

My daughter was born May 31, 2006 she is our first and only child to date.

She was induced. This was a request made by me...she was growing so fast inside of me and I felt as if my skin was going to rip open so I asked to be induced a week early. So she was born at 39 weeks (Her due date was June 8th). A health 7 lb 11.5 oz little girl. It was a good thing we did another week she would of been too big for me to push out. I tried for an hour and just couldnt get her to come out so they had to use a suction cup to pull her out.

I did have an epidural and loved every minute of it. Recived it at 3 cm. Since I recieved Patocin to start my labor my contractions came so hard and so fast back to back. As soon as one would end it would start back up again. I had no rest between contractions so I requested the epidural earlier than I had planned but wouldnt change a thing.

We did have a regular OBGYN and was very satisfied with her. Because I was very sick with Extremely bad case of Hypermesis (morning sickness gone wrong) and under a lot of medications to help me hold food and liquids down. I felt she was very understanding and a caring doctor. I did have a birth plan but forgot to give it to them...but things went how I had planned with the exception that I didnt get to hold her right after birth. This was due to her having to the suction cup they used to assist the birth.

The only thing I would of liked to of had was a Dula. I was unable to get one before my delivery. I couldnt find one that was FREE or reasonable in their fee.

Hi Marianne,

I was induced with my 2nd child. The main reason why my midwife induced me was because my blood pressure was up, alot! I went in on my due date (monday) and they said if I did not go into labor by friday come in and get induced. By then I was 5 days over due date, and gained 60 lbs. I was told my son would not be over 9 lbs, by the midwife and labor midwife feeling my belly. The day I was induced was Friday the 13th. I received my first gel dose about 9 am, 2nd dose did not come till 6 pm, 3 hours past schedule time. I was up walking around very uncomfortable after my 2nd dose, and yes walking around helped me dialate, but made me very irritable to noises around me because I could not sleep.

Between 1 and 2 AM they broke my water and I could not tolerate the pain so I begged for an epideral. Well the epideral slowed down the dialation because I could not feel the contractions and time the pushing. SO they cut the meds off, oh-yeah I really felt it then!!

Because I was so big in the belly I begged the nurse to let me stand up or sit up in bed. Well the nurse let me roll over on my hands and knees on the bed to take the pressure off my back.

I was told if he did not come on his own I would have to have a C-section. Well once I rolled over they could not get me to the delivery room fast enough, I about had him in the hallway.

Well the male midwife (army) and yes I still remember his name 9 1/2 years later. Did not think Joshua was over 9 1/2 lbs by guessing his weight after he was born. Joshua tipped the scale at 10 lbs 10 oz, 21 3/4 inches long and amazed everyone that I had him natural.

My opinion if I had not going in for inducement when I did, I think it could have been worse on me. I do think doctors do need to pay more attention to womens size before and durning pregnancy to calculate baby size.

1. What was your understanding about your due date, your babies size and role in birth.

I was due to have my son on Nov 11, 2005. The pregnancy was normal, no complications, baby was growing like he should be. I was planning on having a normal vaginal delivery with the option of an epidural. At about 38 weeks, my MIL did an u/s (she's a tech at Methodist) just to see the baby and she noticed that his abdomen was about 2 weeks smaller than the rest of his body. In previous u/s this was not the case, so she was concerned. I contacted my dr. and had her look at the results. She incouraged an induction within the week. I was hesitant, b/c my husband and I were long skinny babies and I thought that was what was going on with the baby.

2. Were you given the option of induction or encouraged to induce and give the reason.
I was given the option to induce ad she left it up to me, but she strongly recommended that I induce b/c if we wait too long and there is a problem there's a chance of still birth. When I heard that I felt that my decision was made... in order to be on the safe side I decided to go ahead with the induction.
3. How did your labor go?
The Pitocin drip was started around 7am and when my contractions got real bad, the baby's heartrate dropped. The nurse had to keep reducing the amt. of Pitocin b/c of this. I was put on oxygen. At 4:30pm I was 10 cm and started to push. Baby's heart rate went way down again and the NICU nurses were called in. On the 3rd push we got him out with the help of an episitomy and the vacuum. Baby was fine after some oxygen.
4. Are you happy with your decision?
I am b/c everything turned out fine and my labor and delivery weren't as long as I expected them to be with the stories I've heard of inductions lasting forever. I am prenant with my second child and hope to not be induced this time, though!

1. What was your understanding about your due date, your babies size and role in birth. - My due date was Feb 27th. I went to an appt with my OB/GYN on March 1st and was quickly admitted to the hospital with a bp of 145/90 which is high for me.

I was put on a pitocin drip at 4am on March 2nd and after 6 hours of labor and an epidoral, at 10pm I was told that I would need a Cesarean section. So I was given another shot in the spine and wheeled down to the OR for a C-section. I was a little annoyed since I had planned on a Vaginal birth but, my daughter was stuck and instead of making her get more bruised the doctor decided on a Cesarean section.

I have a happy and healthy daughter. I would have done anything to have her alive. She had a 14cm head... and apparently the tunnel was too small. So, she got her own exit.

I have 3 children ~ the 1st born by cesarean, the 2nd by vbac and the 3rd by home waterbirth. I will only answer your questions in regard to my last birth though...

1. I know that an EDD is just an ESTIMATE, and that it is not very accurate at all. I knew when I ovulated, but I have also heard that every baby is different, some need a longer time period to develop than others. I was just hoping that I would have my baby between 39-42 weeks! I also really believe that in most cases you won't grow a baby bigger than you can birth, so I didn't ever really worry about size.

2. When I was 40 weeks my midwife did talk to me about induction methods. She recommended castor oil, or taking b&b cohosh, only because legally (I think) she has to transfer care to an OB at 42 weeks so she likes to have her clients' babies here by that point. Anyways, I thought it was totally stupid and offensive that someone would suggest trying to force my child out of me before she decided to come on her own. Obviously I didn't do any of it and at my 41 week appt. we didn't have that talk again.

3. My labor started a few days after my 41 appt. and it was easy, but pushing was hard. I think I was in labor for about 7 hours and I pushed for around 2 hours? Seems like 20 though! She was born in the water at 5:59 AM and she weighed 9 lbs 10 oz! We were surprised that she was that size because my belly didn't look that big and didn't measure ahead at all.

4. Yes, I am happy with my decision. I wanted to have a homebirth and I did, the waterbirth of a big, chubby baby girl was just icing on the cake. If I get to have another baby I will probably have another waterbirth and the baby will probably be a bit bigger. I am looking forward to it.

L.
www.dfwbirthphotographer.com
www.dfwbirthphotographer.com/blog/

I switched OB's late into my first pregnancy - my first OB recommended termination b/c my daughter was missing vital organs - a kidney and a heart chamber.

After switching, at an ultrasound to determine fetal size, the tech asked if I wanted to know what the baby was... she had miraculously grown a penis and all organs were present.. I liked that doctor. I ended up induced at 42w+5 - we compromised, I let them induce, they didn't break my water - and for 23 hours an otherwise unmedicated labor progressed smoothly to a 9 / 95%. Then the nurse "accidentally" broke my BOW, the baby went into distress in the next few contractions, and I ended up with an "emergency" c-section two hours later.

I've had complications with the epidural that was then forced on me ever since (I begged for general anesthesia - my doctor knew I was afraid of having anything that involved a needle and my back because of complications that landed my friend in ICU for two weeks, and on disability for migraines and seizures for a year and a half after her baby was born) , and having since learned that an emergency c-section is usually less than 15 minutes from see to section, have never gone back to that hospital or used that doctor.

For my next baby, I drove over an hour to Denton, to a very holistic OBGYN - I swear he is a midwife with an MD - with whom I originally planned an unmedicated VBAC .. I chickened out at 39 weeks (with absolutely no input on his part) and scheduled a repeat c-section (with general anesthesia) for a few days later. I still see that doctor, and were miracles to get me pregnant again, he's the only one I would use - both because he's an AWESOME medical practitioner and because he let me make every informed decision he could.

S.

Dear Marianne,
I have two little girls of my own. My first child, I was 9 days over my due date which was Aug.15th. I had a ultra sound just 4 days before my due date and my baby was measuring at 8 pounds 5 ounces. They told my to give or take a pound. All I could think of was that my baby could be
a 9 lb baby. I was in a lot of pain and I kept asking the doctor if they could just induce me close to my due date and they wouldn't. Instead I was scheduled to be induced two weeks after my due date but my water broke a couple of days before that at home and went to the hospital. I was not contracting at all so I was put on pit. I was in labor for 18 hours and pushed for 50 min. The next day, my delivering doctor said that he was really considering c-section. She ended up being 9lbs 5 oz and 21". OUCH. I am glad that I was able to have her without the c-section.
With my second child, she was breech up until I was about a little over 7 months and so we had just talked about c-section. She ended up turning, but my doctor said that because my other child was big he would let me be induced a few days before the due date, which was just fine with me. I had a ultra sound two weeks before her due date and she was measuring at 8bls 2oz. She was due on Halloween, but I had a scheduled induction on the 27th of Oct. I had the pit going for 8 hours and I was still only dialated to 1 1/2. My doctor came in and gave my the option of stoping it and starting it back up the next day, coming back on my due date to have her, or to have a c-section. I told my doc. that I came to have her today so I had a c-section. I was very ok with having one. She ended up being 8lbs 11oz and 21". I am pro c-section. I would do it anytime over having a child naturally.
I hope that this helps you with what you are doing.
S.

Hi, Marianne!

I, personally, was induced (42 years ago) because Mom needed to have me on Saturday, or my Daddy wouldn't be there!! (He was a Seminary student and worked part-time, at the time, and I have 2 older brothers, who were 4 1/2 and 6.) My original "due date" was Oct 7, and I was born on the 2nd. My sister was induced (also 5 days early, 19 months later) because Mom's uterus was completely "inverted". (Doctors still can't figure out how she got pregnant; I can ~ GOD!) BTW, neither of us was delivered by c-section!

My oldest son, who is 16, was supposed to be induced at 38 weeks, but I went into Labor, beginning March 24 (he was due May 5), 5 times over the next 3 1/2 weeks. He was actually born on Tuesday nite/Wednesday morning (3 minutes after midnite) before I was going to be induced that Friday. I had to have an emergency c-section because my mother and one of my OB/Gyn's "overdosed" me on my anti-labor med (brethine), saying I "couldn't" be in labor, because it was "too early"....yadda, yadda, yadda...RIGHT (who was having the contractions, here?). He was 7 lbs, 15 1/2 oz, and 20 1/2 inches long.

My little guy was a planned C-section, because I had to have the emergency C with his brother, so I never went into labor with him. The funny thing about my pregnancy with Noah was that the doctors who were doing my sonograms kept commenting on how BIG my baby's head was! I just looked at them and smiled and said, "It doesn't matter how big his head is....I'm having a C-section, anyway!" :) He does have a big head, though...we have to buy his shirts a full size larger than his pants, because we can't get his head through the collar of the "appropriate" size! :) (Don't they say big brains need a big skull to hold them? LOL) He was 5 lbs, 15 oz, and 19 inches long.

As far as inducing because of the baby's size, I really have to disagree with ACOG in most cases on that one. A friend of mine gave birth just a few days before we had Noah, and her baby was almost 10 lbs. She ended up having to have a C-section because of the baby's size. I don't think it's the induction that causes the need for a c-section in those cases, it's because the baby can't get through the birth canal! (mind you, ACOG is mostly made up of MEN, am I right?? LOL)

OK, Moms who are reading my story....Do NOT get scared by my story! I'm a type 1 diabetic who has had the stinking disease since I was 13 years old, so I had a FEW complications with both of my pregnancies, more so with the 2nd than my 1st because of my age. I actually LAUGH about most of what happened to me, because it is just so doggoned FUNNY watching these people who are supposed to be professionals "freak out" over the stuff that I do or has happened to me!

Marianne, Please give me a call sometime. I'd love to share more stories with you! My number is ###-###-####. The only thing I'd change about the births of either of my sons is for ME to have more control over what happened, instead of the doctors.

My first daughter was born almost two weeks past her due date. I was induced and, after 12 hours of labor, I had dialated a 1/2 cm. I wound up having a c-section. I am fine with the decision. When they broke my water, there was meconium staining, and we had to have a neonatologist at the delivery to check her lungs. With my second daughter we scheduled a c-section one week before my due date. I am happy with my doctor and both birth experiences. With my first, it was clearly time for her to come out, but she had no indication of doing so on her own.

I was one week past my due date before my doctor scheduled me for an induction. I was due on Feb. 21st. My scheduled induction was for March 1st. As nature would have it, though, I went into labor on Feb. 28th. My doctor didn't present the induction as an option. I didn't really want to be induced, but at 41 weeks, I didn't argue! I'm glad it worked out the way it did, though. The only reason my doctor wanted to induce was because I was past the projected due date, not because of the size of the baby. I did have a baby on the large size...8 pounds 8 oz.

Marianne,
First of all I thought I had the flu. lol yeah I did the 9 month flu. by the time I found out that I was pregant I was 3 1/2 months..... My husband and I decidied to get married in Augsut so we just done it in MArch..... My due date was Oct. 10th. I deliver my first baby Octocber 15th. I had a midwife and she was awesome. She was in Florida. I was induced. I was in lobr for 22.5 hours. For some reason my body didnt want to go into labor on its own so I ws induced. To me inducing is the hardest labor ever! I am very happy with my decision. I would do it all over again if I had too...... oh yeah first baby girl was 7' 7 1/2 and 21 1/2 inches long...... oh yeah I had edpideral and I slept threw labor. The midwife had to wake mu up to push! How many of us women have it this easy! oh yeah the midwife broke my water and after I got to 5 ity was like 30 mins and baby was here. lol
My 2nd pregecny ended due to a miscarrige....
Then 19 1/2 months later I delivered my second daughter. She was delivered by a military doctor but, at a hospital down town. I didn't really care for him. I felt like he was rough. But, I felt like he knew what he was doing. My due date was april 22nd. My daughter was born on June 3rd. I had 2 epiderals. lol The forst one accidentally got cut off how does an epideral get cut off. I was really upset and annoyed. I was screaming for a nurse to get in there and check me. I was in labor for 8 hours, by induction again. boy them contractions were really strong by then. My water broke on its own...... I was like what is that...... Baby weighed 6'14 22 1/2 inches long...... She was also born with a congential catract.
3 years later I had my 3rd baby girl. She was deliveered by a civilian docotr here in Abilene his name is Dr.Bass. AN amazing doctor I would tell you. My due was was March 26. My daughter was born March 22. He told me since I had 2 other babies before that I could go in early and have the baby. My baby weighed 5 '12.9 and 21 3/4 inches long. She was so tiny......... First of all in the hoptial I was contracting but, nothing was showing up on the mo nitior so they had to put the probes in and boy do they hurt. It was so painful for me. Then finally they got my contractions. Yay on a road now.... Not really. Well, another indcution, pain meds and edpieral again. By this time I barely made it for the epideral. When I dialte I go really fast. I was kinda mad cause, I told the nurses the baby was crowning and they didnt belive me so thats why I barely got the epideral. Thank goodness I got it..... 10 hours in labors and then I had my baby girl...... I was sop happy that I was cring. SHe was so beautiful. AS I have said once and I will say it a million times If I had to do it all over aghain all 3 times I would do it all over i love my girls......
Since I was induced 2 other times, my doctor thought it wouuld be a good idea to induce again. I think that hardest labor in a woman's life is when she is induced. ZI am very happy qwith my decision. My husband and sisternlaw was there during all 3 births and I am very happy that they were there for my support. It is very import to have a good support system........

I hope I answered your questions...... K.

Marianne,
I might not be quite clear on what the induction process is, so I will tell you my story and you can use it if you so choose.
During the end of my pregnancy with my first child, I had severe back pain. It was my own fault for allowing my family to spoil me and fatten me up. Going from a healthy, athlete 5'2" 118 lb to 178 pound woman in a short 6 months. (my husband and I didnt announce it until after our third month)
As what is sometimes normal, I was dialated at one for about a week with strong braxtons. For three days I would go to the hospital and since I was not at three I could not stay, but the contractions were right on top of each other. So the doctor prescribed patosin, oral, to take that evening with a warm bath.
Before I continue, I must mention that my husband and I had our Child Birth Preparation classes with an awesome nurse who later was on duty during the majority of the labor. During the class she educated us on the stages of delivery. What to expect and what drugs were available. We spend a whole lesson going over epidural and another over c-section.
Ok, so I take this warm bath and relax (which is the key) my husband is begging me to take the patosin, but I had already started to strawberry spot, so I ensured him I was fine. He and my mother stated that I should take it before I got dressed.
Reluctantly and under duress, I took it. That night I slept at home until about four in the morning when I lost my cork.
My water did not break, but we went to the hospital anyway.
We went back to the hospital- finally I was at three so I was admitted. But nothing happened for fourteen hours. The nurse asked me to relax, but because I had taken the patosin without really wanting too, I was tense and the cramps were stronger, but I still was not dialating. For the fourth day of non-stop cramping I was so tired that I allowed myself the staydol. I slept that day.
While still on the staydol, I suddenly woke up and told the nurse that something was happening. She said, no I was still only at five (they had just checked that is why she was in the room, she had just checked). I begged her to trust me that something was happening and fast. The moment she pulled the blanket back she shouted- "oh God, youre crowning". Now my husband is in a panic, the nurse is telling me not to push, I am not pushing I asure her. She pushes the button on the handle of the bed, but no one responds fast enough. She runs to the door and shouts something like "this room is delivering, please call the doctors and I need some assistance". I knew I was big, but to refered to as a room, well then. IT was too late, by the time she had come back to my bed, my husband had already caught my Isaac, my smallest at 7lb11oz. 21 3/4" long.
When the doctor arrived about twenty minutes later, he was laughing that I was too fast, according to the nurses I went from 5 to delivered in 15 minutes flat.
Not that big of deal, except it happened that way for all four of my deliveries. By the third child, I begged them to not release me although I hadnt advanced all day. With in the hour, we were delivered. The nurses wouldnt believe me until I asked them to look at my chart. (I delivered all four with the same practice in the same hospital)Of course after that first pregnancy, I stayed a healthy weight and the last three deliveries were completely natural and drug free.
All my boys, except the first one, nursed nearly immediatley after delivery. Isaac had been so groggy due to the staydol that he did not eat breastfeed for nearly 12 hours and his first meal was a bottle, I was so upset, but that is another story.
IT is not that I am so brave I dont want an epideral, it is that I am too terrified to put anything in my back and the loss of mobility, oh, no. I need to feel and use my legs. I walk up until they have to tie me to the monitors and even then, I move around in the room and squatting is the most comfortable position for me. I have a short second and third stage of delivery, but that first stage drags on for days.
And as most moms, my story has become a ramble. I am a rarity in that I love being pregnant, I feel good and the delivery is not nightmarish for me. We have decided not to have anymore, but I sure will miss that part of my life.
If you would like to ask any questions or anything, my email is ____@____.com
M.

I had a wonderful birthing experience! My doctor explained everything thouroghly before he did anything and left the decision up to me. I was induced and I was given the option. I was two weeks overdue and had gestational diabetes. We went over the pros and cons and decided that it was best to induce. I did almost wind up with a c-section, because I went in on a sat night and they tried everything up until wed afternoon, but I just would progress past a tight 2. Long story short my doctor tried everything and at 11:50p wednesday night our son was born. I had an epidural and had no pain besides the 20 min of contractions induced by potosin. But, I think the real reason my experience was so memorable and good was because I had an excellent doc and nurse with me every step of the way

Hi. I'd like to encourage you to be a little more encouraging to moms who have had to go the induction/c-section route. I had a strong feeling beforehand that I would need a c-section (my mom was 4 weeks late with both me and my brother and went through 36-48 hours of labor with both of us). Even in the 70s, she was minutes from C-Section before we were born (I was 10 lbs., 2 oz.). Also, my baby was measuring 4 weeks ahead of schedule and I have a small pelvis. I had to have multiple u/s and stress tests toward the end because of her size and the difficulty of finding a good heart beat. Anyway, at our birth class there was NO mention of what things would be like for a C-section. It terrified me. I stayed after and asked questions, but she just told me to "be strong" and don't let them give one to me.

I cried every night from then until birth day. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but when my baby was a week late and I was not dialated at all, my doctor and I decided to induce. My goal was to make it to a 4 before the epidural. After 8 hours, I had made it to a 1. The doctor broke my water, turned the pitocin all the way up and 20 hours later, I had made it to a 3.

I don't think birth educators would agree, but I sincerely believe I was listening to my body when I agreed to a C-section 36 hours after labor started. I knew that I was not reacting to anything they were doing and my labor mechanism was not kicking in normally.

Long story short, C-section. Daughter was born 8 lbs., 11 oz. I was SO scared, but it was an amazing experience. I'll debunk some myths I believed about a c-section: 1. My arms weren't tied down. 2. I didn't throw up. 3. We was able to watch her come out, but I saw no blood and guts. 4. I was able to hold her right away. 5. She and I were COMPLETELY alert for 2 hours after she was born. They were amazing moments for us. 6. I was able to hold her immediately and breastfeed right away and am still breastfeeding at a year. 7. My daughter needed no oxygen and was a 7/9 on the newborn chart (we were in Denver and the dr. said no baby gets above a 9 due to O2 levels). 8. My recovery was quick and easy. I used only OTC tylenol after the epidural wore off. The only complication was an infection I received from having my water broken for so long.

Anyway, I was surprised in a good way by my birth experience. I plan on scheduling the next one. Whenever I tell another mom about my birth story I hear an underlying judgement. One expecting mom even told me that C-sections only happen for women who don't try hard and are out of shape (I ran a triathalon the year before my baby was born). Sometimes I wonder what I missed out on since I will never "push", but I think for me the positives definitely outweight the negatives. Sorry if it sounds like I have a chip on my shoulder, I just wanted to put a story with the c-section statistics.

1. What was your understanding about your due date, your babies size and role in birth. Baby A: due date +/- 10days. about 8lbs +/-; had doula and birth plan pretty much in charge as possible. Baby B: due date +/- 10days. had doula. had doctor that was typical. 8lbs+/-; birth plan/felt like lost control once at hospital. Baby C: due date changed several times. 8lb baby; had midwife w/ hospital priveledges. had birth plan went pretty well once midwife got there. Baby D: due date on target. birth plan but did not need much of one. worked with midwives at birth center/ 9/10lb baby guess.felt in control. got the tub. once time to push they got me out of the tub and dont know why and still kinda upset about that part of losing control. 2. Were you given the option of induction or encouraged to induce and give the reason.=
Baby A: Encouraged to induce sometime after due date but declined - last possible date to have baby was 2wks from due date and baby was born natural that day. should be my decision and baby will come when it comes. Baby B: Encouraged to induce on due date before the following w/e b/c doctor had golf outing & nurse had made appt but declined againist his wishes. baby born natural. Baby C: worked with doctor/doula/midwife baby born on own accord. Baby D: worked with midwives...natural induction of rosemary pill; baby came that afternoon naturally. 3. How did your labor go? Baby A: long first labor but it was worth it. Baby B: heartrate issues, in tub quite a bit, little stressed baby birth, but born naturally. labor cut in 1/2. Baby C: labor fast, missed the tub, born w/in 4.5hrs. Baby D: labor fast & in tub; baby born w/in 2hrs. 4. Are you happy with your decision? all Baby A, B, C, D YES, just wanted to be in the tub the whole time on ALL OF THEM!last one was the best!