Since Micah and I tend to make big girls and I am a girl with a small frame, this time around, my doctor decided that it would be best for me to be induced at 39 weeks in order to try to prevent the need for a c-section or a bad episiotomy. On Monday night (the 19th), we went to the hospital to prepare for induction. To say that I was a nervous wreck would probably be an understatement. I had Braxton Hicks contractions like crazy for about the last 22 weeks of my pregnancy. Toward the end, they got crampy and painful, but they did not produce labor. As I laid in the hospital bed anticipating a long night ahead, I became increasingly nervous. The nurse came in and explained how they would insert this bulb into my body and blow it up like a balloon. They would then do some sort of irrigation type of system at the same time. She said that I would cramp all night long and be in a lot of discomfort and that by the morning, I should be 4-5 cm dilated and ready for pitocin. I kept telling Micah how I didn't want to do this and I just wished that the baby would've come on her own. I became more and more nervous and the cramping and contractions just kept getting worse. I was nauseous with all of my nerves and I just kept praying for comfort. I had just told Micah that I knew that the doctors would see all of my Braxton Hicks contractions on the monitor and would think that I was in labor - just like they thought 9 weeks prior. I told him that we'd have to explain to the doctor that this has been normal for me throughout this pregnancy and that it does not mean that I am in labor. Sure enough, the doctor came in and said, "Do you feel those contractions?" I explained my Braxton Hicks contractions to him, just like Micah and I had discussed. He told me that he was still going to check for dilation before inserting this bulb. The nurse had the bulb and the irrigation system all set up and ready to go. When the doctor checked me, he said, "Well, we won't be needing the bulb. You are dilated 3 1/2 cm and your cervix is 80% effaced. You are already in labor." He explained that the nausea, cramping, and contractions I was experiencing were not just from nerves, but from the onset of labor. I was beyond thrilled to hear this! I believe I actually fist pumped in the air (which I'm sure was a fun sight for the sweet nurse who was watching all of this.) I still spent the night in a lot of discomfort and the contractions became more frequent and intense in pain. By around 3 or 4 AM, I was 4-5 cm. At around 5, I had my epidural. They gave me some pitocin right after that to keep things going and to move things along. At around 8, my doctor came in and broke my water for me. I was surprised that it wasn't a huge gush of water that came flowing. When my water broke on it's own with Adia, I felt like a bucket of water had been dumped everywhere. At about 10 AM, the nurse told me that she was going to check me again and that the monitor was showing that the baby was laying on the cord, so she'd be moving my body around to try to get her off of the cord as well. When she checked me, I was 6 cm and she caused my water to break even more. At this point, a HUGE gush of water came.... They had to change my bed sheets (while I was on the bed), my gown, and they had to mop up the floor. A few minutes later, (not even 10 minutes went by), and I told her that I felt like I was having a bowel movement that I couldn't stop. She checked me and said, "That's not a bowel movement... that's the baby's head! You are 9-10 cm and the baby wants to come out. You are ready to start pushing and I need to call your doctor." Micah had just left when he heard I was only 6 cm to go get a snack. We had to call him and tell him to come back quick! Real quick! My mom and his mom were also in the room and they were shocked at how fast I went from 6 to 10 cm and that little Isla was coming. Dr. Looff wanted me to do a practice push before he made his way to my room, so the nurse got me ready and told me to do a practice push. When I did this, Isla's head started to come out. She said, "Ok, stop pushing!" Dr. Looff got there a couple of minutes later. I believe I did 1 or maybe 2 more pushes and Isla was out! It was so easy and quick! She was born at 10:38 AM. So, at 10 AM, I was 6 cm. At 10:38 AM, I had the baby. So crazy and so amazingly wonderful!
Micah made a little birth video for Isla. :) You have to have the link to view it, meaning it isn't something you can search for on youtube, but you can go to this link and see it if you'd like. :) I'll try to update the blog again some time tomorrow or this weekend to write about how things are going with both of our sweet girls at home and to give some updates. In the meantime, here is Isla's video.
http://youtu.be/x0VErPM_TGE
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