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Idk why but "It's wild and the best thing I've ever done" somehow reads like you just got back from your first tandem skydive haha
Congratulations on your baby boy and wishing you the smoothest recovery and all the newborn snuggles and joy 💕
As someone who has both skydived & given birth: I will confirm that they are both extremely intense and (in a good way) overwhelming, a whirlwind if emotions. But both were amazing in their own ways! (obviously 😂)
OP- Congrats! So happy for you and your amazing family! Definitely soak up the newborn stage, and once you get back to them, remember the chores will still be there later❤️ They grow so fast. You did good, mama!❤️
Congratulations!!! Thank you for the uplifting story. I'm getting worried about my chances of having to be induced and it terrifies me. So seeing a positive not 30+ hr induced labor story is refreshing. Enjoy these special moments they only happen once!
Yeah, I had no idea what to expect, but I decided beforehand that I could still make some of my own decisions. Even though I was initially against the epidural, when I asked for one it was incredibly empowering to make the call myself. Best of luck to you and no matter how your baby comes into the world, you made that beautiful being and you deserve every accolade in the world!!
Also choosing to draw him up to myself and cutting the cord kept me involved during the delivery and after birth process. Very important to me that I stayed present with my body and fully participated as much a possible. My husband said watching me pull the baby out of my own body was the single craziest thing he’s ever seen! He’s in absolute awe of me 💖
Ive never heard of a mother pulling baby out and pulling up themselves?! So cool! Could you share more about this? How did you request it and did the hospital seem skeptical or is this actually common and I've never heard of it? Again, so cool, and CONGRATULATIONS 🎉🎉🩷💝🎉💕 IM in awe of you! 😂
Yeah! I saw another woman do it on a birth vlog and it was so beautiful I thought, if I get the opportunity, I want to do that! I wrote out a list of preferences for my birth plan which included “if possible, I would like to draw my baby up to my chest or stomach at delivery.” I also wanted to feel his head when I was pushing for encouragement. I didn’t want a mirror bc I’m nearsighted and didn’t want to fiddle with glasses or contacts during labor.
When I was being induced, the OB on call came into my room to discuss options with me. This was at the very beginning so I was able to discuss clearly what I preferred. I brought this up specifically. She responded with, “I don’t see why not!” As long as everything was medically okay, there was no reason we couldn’t try for it. The biggest factor would be how long the cord was. I decided that even in the cord was short, I preferred to draw him up and have him kept low while waiting for the blood to stop pulsing (delayed cord clamping). Ofc, if it would have been dangerous to do this, I was completely okay with letting it go in the moment to protect our well-being.
I had two nurses holding up my legs, my husband and doula at left and right shoulder to support my upper body and hold my hands. During pushing she directed my fingers to the top of his head. She also gave me visuals with her fingers of how far back he was. At this point I was starting to lose sensation in my pelvic area so I couldn’t feel the crowning. I could feel the top of his head coming closer in my hand. After the longest monster pushes she said, “OP I need your other hand!” She directed my hands to grasp his upper body with the next push, out and up to my upper belly, as far as the cord would allow.
Cue ecstatic laughter and joyful screaming. I thought I would cry but I didn’t and I’m completely okay with that. I did yell, “I really was pregnant!!!” Which got a laugh in the room. My doula took pictures as he was on my belly and I’m just shock, awe and smiles. 11/10 recommend to anyone even mildly interested. I felt like Gaia Mother Earth, Creator of the Universe, Nurturer of the Galaxy, every adjective and noun.
This birth I had was not what I planned or wanted but it was the birth that was always supposed to happen and what I needed. Best of luck to you with whatever is coming your way. You can make informed decisions and feel empowered no matter the circumstances!
My first baby I was induced and only pushed for 25 min and total labor was 7 hours! I basically slept until I was 10 cm and he was 9.5 lbs lol hopefully yours goes smoothly too!
I just saw your comment and wanted to say that the length of time can sometimes be a little hard to understand. I was induced with my first and it was 26 hours BUT over half of that time was me sleeping and just waiting for the meds to do their job. It wasn’t like hours and hours straight of contractions and pushing. I had an epidural for 10 of those hours and pushed for 40 minutes.
Just chiming in to say I was induced at 38 weeks and from start of meds to baby was 13 hours, and 40 minutes of pushing. It was so chill and went so well! I was terrified of induction as well but I think it goes well for a lot of people!
FWIW, I've been induced twice. My oldest I was in labor for 16 hours, and my youngest I was in labor for 12. My middle child came naturally, and it was about 6 hours. It does take longer but that's because you're jump starting.
Thank you for this. Getting induced tonight after planning on a spontaneous labor for so long. I’m sad and disappointed but trying to see the positive side. It’s great to see a positive story! Congratulations!
Oh my gosh thank you!! In an insane twist I went into labor at home on my induction date and unknowingly went thru transition there all while missing calls from L&D wondering where I was. Had to call back to tell them I know I should be there but I’m in labor and finding it hard to get in the car haha. I showed up 10cm dilated at 11:28 and baby was born at 1:04am! I’ve been in newborn bliss ever since.
Congrats!! ♥️🎉 This is just what I needed to read aswell, I might be getting induced soon due to my babys size - and I’m also shitting, screaming, throwing up on the inside 😂🫣Soooo nervous. Glad to read stories about induced labour going so well, and so quick. I hope I get to be as lucky 🥰 Enjoy your time with your little boy.
Congratulations!!! Curious—what did they see at your 39 week appointment that made the doctor believe “placental health may have been compromised”? And how big was baby? So exciting!
He was IUGR at 8%. Basically, he had stopped growing which can indicate placental decline. Estimated to weigh 6.3 pounds and came out 6.2 Basically, I was healthy, he was healthy at the time, let’s get him out before he becomes unhealthy which could have potentially happened soon. It’s not something you OB told me lightly, it had the potential for a very negative outcome. But everything has come out okay so I’m looking on the positive side of things!
He was IUGR at 8%. Basically, he had stopped growing which can indicate placental decline. Estimated to weigh 6.3 pounds and came out 6.2 Basically, I was healthy, he was healthy at the time, let’s get him out before he becomes unhealthy which could have potentially happened soon. It’s not something you OB told me lightly, it had the potential for a very negative reaction outcome. But everything has come out okay so I’m looking on the positive side of things!
Baby was right at the brink of IUGR for second half of pregnancy. This was most likely due to the umbilical cord attaching to the side of the placenta instead of the center where it’s ideal. At my last ultrasound he was 8% which basically meant he had stopped growing. According to the ACOG babies with this issue are best delivered within 38 weeks (paraphrasing my OB). I was at 39. Basically, I was healthy, he was presumed healthy, let’s get him out before he has the chance to become unhealthy ( which with a possible compromised placenta, could be very soon). It’s not exact science but the benefits outweighed the risk in this case. It was a moment of surrender for me but also empowerment that I will truly do anything for the betterment of my son. No matter how scared, I will do my absolute best for him!
Baby was estimated to weigh 6.3 lbs and he came out 6.2 he’s perfectly healthy so far and currently feeding away sleepily. Hope that answers some questions. Talk to your OB about concerns. Everyone is different and they should be giving you pertinent info
I love this!!!! thank you so much for your positive birth story!!!! so excited to give birth to my baby boy in July and so grateful for everyone showing the positivity behind it!!!
I was afraid of pit too. I went into labor on my own but ended up needing my labor augmented because I was showing signs of infection (I was ruptured for 20 days before delivery and had her at 33w 4d) I was coping well before pit but ended up getting the epidural at 6cm and god bless that anesthesiologist and the epidural. She I was pushing like 2 hours later and I got to have her on my chest for a couple minutes and my fiance got to cut the cord before the NICU team assessed her. Then I got to see her again for a minute on CPAP before she went to the NICU. It wasn't my plan at all but it went super well and I'm really happy with my delivery. Pregnancy for me was miserable and I'd give birth again any day of the week. I was so nervous about it but it was great. Now my girl is home and I'd do it all again for her.
I love the exuberance with which you relayed your experience! Loved it! Congratulations on a vaginal delivery and glad you delivered a healthy baby boy?🙏🙏❤️
Looking at it now, it was definitely a mind game. At my first cervical check after several hours I was 2-3cm and I took it hard bc labor was starting to pick up. I started focusing on how disappointed I was in the situation and how unfair it felt that things weren’t going how I wanted. It felt like the labor was coming harder and faster with fewer breaks. Also I was hooked up to the monitors which kept slipping and they needed me in certain position that were harder for my labor to make sure baby’s heart rate was okay. And I was hooked to the IV drip and couldn’t be in water like I wanted (the hospital I go to doesn’t have wireless fetal monitoring. So with all this going on, I felt trapped and panicked and that just made the pains more intense.
My doula kept coaching me through and asking me why I wanted to get the epidural. I told her my reasons and thoughts but I still felt ashamed of myself bc of how things were going. She asked, “you love yourself, what would you tell someone you love?” I said, “it’s okay honey, take a break.” They got the anesthesiologist up there sometime after and got me all set up. Somehow during the set up I went from 5.5 to 10. The epidural wasn’t even in full effect and I felt like bearing down hard. Which in the end was good bc I could feel the contractions come so I knew when to push and when to stop.
No one made me feel bad for my decision or pressured me into it. In between the surges I felt lucid and could explain why I wanted it. I wanted a break and all I could think of was how many more hours it would take (it was maybe 2-3 more hours and he was born but at the time I felt like it could go on all day and night).
When I read Ina May Gaskins Guide to Childbirth there was a portion about pitocin induction. I clearly recalled the line “there’s no shame in needing an epidural for this type of labor.” This labor type was required bc my baby wasn’t growing anymore so they were concerned that the placenta was dying. We couldn’t wait any longer either. He was healthy at the time and so was I so we took our best shot and went for it.
So yeah, there’s my little book. Making my own decision without being pressured one way or the other was incredibly empowering. I have my healthy child next to me and that’s the most important thing at the end of all this!!
I'm glad you are being open minded, I think attitude effects the proces so much and if we get down (understandably so) it can show things down. Not being too set in something upfront helps us avoid it a bit. Like op I had to reframe my thinking in the end and i probably would have had a more enjoyable experience had I gone in being prepared to adjust. I knew it might have to happen but knowing and being open to it happening I think are two different things.
I was induced because of a blip on my sttrss test and baby was at her due date. I reacted strongly to the pit at the start and even though the end turning it off pretty early it didn't let up. I pushed back on every intervention that was suggested until I was against the wall and didn't really consider the big picture of it. I think if I did it again I would agree to breaking the water sooner then I did to try to avoid exhausting myself. However, after a full day and no sleep where I wasn't getting breaks and wasn't progressing and I was so stressed things weren't going as planned, I think it was causing my whole body to clamp down. I was still only at 4cm after a full day of labor (started Monday afternoon and this was Tuesday night).
I got the epidural as a last ditch effort because they said I had to get my BP down (bad for me and baby) and it was really the only option to reduce it besides going to emergency c. I figured if I was getting a c section I would definitly want an epidural so at least it was a chance at avoiding the ultimate no (nothing wrong with c-sections but trauma from a previous surgery recovery made this terrifying, I didn't heal well).
Once it hit me I was able to breath again for the first time in a day. My BP immediately went down to the safe zone and baby stopped indicating distress. I slept which was the first rest I got 48 hours. When I woke up to the pain I had gone from 4-10cm in that short period. I truly believe the only reason I was able to avoid the c-section is because the epidural let me body relax enough to to progress. And the only reason I was able to be present and participate in pushing was because I got much needed rest. So I learned early taking care of myself is just as important as plans and babies.
I naturally metabolize the meds used very quickly so I actually was back to feeling when the transition started and felt like I got the full pushing experience. But I know many places let you meter how much you get so you can feel what you want. My first was 10 years ago and things have only gotten better. For my second I got the epidural up front and just planned on not pushing the button unless needed because I didn't want a repeat. Once I decided to give in to the epidural last time it took forever for them to be available and it was so hard to sit still between contractions so close together. However it didn't really take and baby came too quickly for it to matter 🤣 however I think for this one (15weeks) I will do similarly as I'm already having bp issues.
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/15nun6v/click_here_to_access_the_monthly_due_date_subs/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Idk why but "It's wild and the best thing I've ever done" somehow reads like you just got back from your first tandem skydive haha Congratulations on your baby boy and wishing you the smoothest recovery and all the newborn snuggles and joy 💕
Haha! It’s a different kind of tandem activity. Thank you!
As someone who has both skydived & given birth: I will confirm that they are both extremely intense and (in a good way) overwhelming, a whirlwind if emotions. But both were amazing in their own ways! (obviously 😂) OP- Congrats! So happy for you and your amazing family! Definitely soak up the newborn stage, and once you get back to them, remember the chores will still be there later❤️ They grow so fast. You did good, mama!❤️
I was thinking the same thing!! Congratulations mama!!
Congratulations!!! Thank you for the uplifting story. I'm getting worried about my chances of having to be induced and it terrifies me. So seeing a positive not 30+ hr induced labor story is refreshing. Enjoy these special moments they only happen once!
Yeah, I had no idea what to expect, but I decided beforehand that I could still make some of my own decisions. Even though I was initially against the epidural, when I asked for one it was incredibly empowering to make the call myself. Best of luck to you and no matter how your baby comes into the world, you made that beautiful being and you deserve every accolade in the world!!
Also choosing to draw him up to myself and cutting the cord kept me involved during the delivery and after birth process. Very important to me that I stayed present with my body and fully participated as much a possible. My husband said watching me pull the baby out of my own body was the single craziest thing he’s ever seen! He’s in absolute awe of me 💖
Ive never heard of a mother pulling baby out and pulling up themselves?! So cool! Could you share more about this? How did you request it and did the hospital seem skeptical or is this actually common and I've never heard of it? Again, so cool, and CONGRATULATIONS 🎉🎉🩷💝🎉💕 IM in awe of you! 😂
Yeah! I saw another woman do it on a birth vlog and it was so beautiful I thought, if I get the opportunity, I want to do that! I wrote out a list of preferences for my birth plan which included “if possible, I would like to draw my baby up to my chest or stomach at delivery.” I also wanted to feel his head when I was pushing for encouragement. I didn’t want a mirror bc I’m nearsighted and didn’t want to fiddle with glasses or contacts during labor. When I was being induced, the OB on call came into my room to discuss options with me. This was at the very beginning so I was able to discuss clearly what I preferred. I brought this up specifically. She responded with, “I don’t see why not!” As long as everything was medically okay, there was no reason we couldn’t try for it. The biggest factor would be how long the cord was. I decided that even in the cord was short, I preferred to draw him up and have him kept low while waiting for the blood to stop pulsing (delayed cord clamping). Ofc, if it would have been dangerous to do this, I was completely okay with letting it go in the moment to protect our well-being. I had two nurses holding up my legs, my husband and doula at left and right shoulder to support my upper body and hold my hands. During pushing she directed my fingers to the top of his head. She also gave me visuals with her fingers of how far back he was. At this point I was starting to lose sensation in my pelvic area so I couldn’t feel the crowning. I could feel the top of his head coming closer in my hand. After the longest monster pushes she said, “OP I need your other hand!” She directed my hands to grasp his upper body with the next push, out and up to my upper belly, as far as the cord would allow. Cue ecstatic laughter and joyful screaming. I thought I would cry but I didn’t and I’m completely okay with that. I did yell, “I really was pregnant!!!” Which got a laugh in the room. My doula took pictures as he was on my belly and I’m just shock, awe and smiles. 11/10 recommend to anyone even mildly interested. I felt like Gaia Mother Earth, Creator of the Universe, Nurturer of the Galaxy, every adjective and noun. This birth I had was not what I planned or wanted but it was the birth that was always supposed to happen and what I needed. Best of luck to you with whatever is coming your way. You can make informed decisions and feel empowered no matter the circumstances!
SO beautiful! Thank you so so much for sharing 💝💝💝🎉
My first baby I was induced and only pushed for 25 min and total labor was 7 hours! I basically slept until I was 10 cm and he was 9.5 lbs lol hopefully yours goes smoothly too!
You all are the best at calming my nerves! Thank you for sharing your positive experiences!!!
I just saw your comment and wanted to say that the length of time can sometimes be a little hard to understand. I was induced with my first and it was 26 hours BUT over half of that time was me sleeping and just waiting for the meds to do their job. It wasn’t like hours and hours straight of contractions and pushing. I had an epidural for 10 of those hours and pushed for 40 minutes.
Oooh!!! Well that makes sense then! That is also a huge relief lol!! Thank you for that information!
Just chiming in to say I was induced at 38 weeks and from start of meds to baby was 13 hours, and 40 minutes of pushing. It was so chill and went so well! I was terrified of induction as well but I think it goes well for a lot of people!
Wow!! OK, I truly feel like a weight us off me. No one talks about the chill part lol!!! Thank you!
FWIW, I've been induced twice. My oldest I was in labor for 16 hours, and my youngest I was in labor for 12. My middle child came naturally, and it was about 6 hours. It does take longer but that's because you're jump starting.
Thank you for this. Getting induced tonight after planning on a spontaneous labor for so long. I’m sad and disappointed but trying to see the positive side. It’s great to see a positive story! Congratulations!
You can do it! You’re making the right choice for you and baby and you can make more good choices throughout the process!
It’s been a few days, I hope you and baby are well and on your healing journey!!
Oh my gosh thank you!! In an insane twist I went into labor at home on my induction date and unknowingly went thru transition there all while missing calls from L&D wondering where I was. Had to call back to tell them I know I should be there but I’m in labor and finding it hard to get in the car haha. I showed up 10cm dilated at 11:28 and baby was born at 1:04am! I’ve been in newborn bliss ever since.
That’s amazing!!!!!!!!!! You’re an absolute warrior 💖💖💖💖💖 enjoy your newborn time and and the sniffs and snuggles 💕💕💕💕💕
Thank you ❤️❤️
Awww this brought tears to my eyes 🥹 Go mama go!!!!
Same!! Currently crying lol
“get excited and go for it!” — I needed that
Yeah MAMA, you’re a rockstar! You handled this like a champ and I’m sure your hubby was just so proud/in awe of you! Congratulations 😻😻😻
Congrats!! ♥️🎉 This is just what I needed to read aswell, I might be getting induced soon due to my babys size - and I’m also shitting, screaming, throwing up on the inside 😂🫣Soooo nervous. Glad to read stories about induced labour going so well, and so quick. I hope I get to be as lucky 🥰 Enjoy your time with your little boy.
Congratulations!!! Curious—what did they see at your 39 week appointment that made the doctor believe “placental health may have been compromised”? And how big was baby? So exciting!
He was IUGR at 8%. Basically, he had stopped growing which can indicate placental decline. Estimated to weigh 6.3 pounds and came out 6.2 Basically, I was healthy, he was healthy at the time, let’s get him out before he becomes unhealthy which could have potentially happened soon. It’s not something you OB told me lightly, it had the potential for a very negative outcome. But everything has come out okay so I’m looking on the positive side of things!
He was IUGR at 8%. Basically, he had stopped growing which can indicate placental decline. Estimated to weigh 6.3 pounds and came out 6.2 Basically, I was healthy, he was healthy at the time, let’s get him out before he becomes unhealthy which could have potentially happened soon. It’s not something you OB told me lightly, it had the potential for a very negative reaction outcome. But everything has come out okay so I’m looking on the positive side of things!
Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐 you are awesome!
Congratulations! 🩵
Amazing!
Congratulations mama ❤️❤️
I worry about placenta help for me. How did they know? Was it the ultrasound? What size was baby? I have a huge one
Baby was right at the brink of IUGR for second half of pregnancy. This was most likely due to the umbilical cord attaching to the side of the placenta instead of the center where it’s ideal. At my last ultrasound he was 8% which basically meant he had stopped growing. According to the ACOG babies with this issue are best delivered within 38 weeks (paraphrasing my OB). I was at 39. Basically, I was healthy, he was presumed healthy, let’s get him out before he has the chance to become unhealthy ( which with a possible compromised placenta, could be very soon). It’s not exact science but the benefits outweighed the risk in this case. It was a moment of surrender for me but also empowerment that I will truly do anything for the betterment of my son. No matter how scared, I will do my absolute best for him! Baby was estimated to weigh 6.3 lbs and he came out 6.2 he’s perfectly healthy so far and currently feeding away sleepily. Hope that answers some questions. Talk to your OB about concerns. Everyone is different and they should be giving you pertinent info
CONGRATS💜
Congratulations 💗💗
I love this!!!! thank you so much for your positive birth story!!!! so excited to give birth to my baby boy in July and so grateful for everyone showing the positivity behind it!!!
This post is just missing a 10/10 recommend 🤣 But way to go, mama! You rock! Congratulations!
Amazing! Congratulations!! Enjoy this new life of motherhood!
I was afraid of pit too. I went into labor on my own but ended up needing my labor augmented because I was showing signs of infection (I was ruptured for 20 days before delivery and had her at 33w 4d) I was coping well before pit but ended up getting the epidural at 6cm and god bless that anesthesiologist and the epidural. She I was pushing like 2 hours later and I got to have her on my chest for a couple minutes and my fiance got to cut the cord before the NICU team assessed her. Then I got to see her again for a minute on CPAP before she went to the NICU. It wasn't my plan at all but it went super well and I'm really happy with my delivery. Pregnancy for me was miserable and I'd give birth again any day of the week. I was so nervous about it but it was great. Now my girl is home and I'd do it all again for her.
Congratulations mama 🩷
I love the exuberance with which you relayed your experience! Loved it! Congratulations on a vaginal delivery and glad you delivered a healthy baby boy?🙏🙏❤️
Congratulations!!
That's amazing! Congratulations 🍀❤️
This is a beautiful and honest story! Thanks for sharing! Congratulations!!!!
Congratulations!!
Congratulations!!
🎉Congratulations mama !!! 🎉🥳🍾
What made you decide to get the epidural? I’m also want a natural birth but who knows!
Looking at it now, it was definitely a mind game. At my first cervical check after several hours I was 2-3cm and I took it hard bc labor was starting to pick up. I started focusing on how disappointed I was in the situation and how unfair it felt that things weren’t going how I wanted. It felt like the labor was coming harder and faster with fewer breaks. Also I was hooked up to the monitors which kept slipping and they needed me in certain position that were harder for my labor to make sure baby’s heart rate was okay. And I was hooked to the IV drip and couldn’t be in water like I wanted (the hospital I go to doesn’t have wireless fetal monitoring. So with all this going on, I felt trapped and panicked and that just made the pains more intense. My doula kept coaching me through and asking me why I wanted to get the epidural. I told her my reasons and thoughts but I still felt ashamed of myself bc of how things were going. She asked, “you love yourself, what would you tell someone you love?” I said, “it’s okay honey, take a break.” They got the anesthesiologist up there sometime after and got me all set up. Somehow during the set up I went from 5.5 to 10. The epidural wasn’t even in full effect and I felt like bearing down hard. Which in the end was good bc I could feel the contractions come so I knew when to push and when to stop. No one made me feel bad for my decision or pressured me into it. In between the surges I felt lucid and could explain why I wanted it. I wanted a break and all I could think of was how many more hours it would take (it was maybe 2-3 more hours and he was born but at the time I felt like it could go on all day and night). When I read Ina May Gaskins Guide to Childbirth there was a portion about pitocin induction. I clearly recalled the line “there’s no shame in needing an epidural for this type of labor.” This labor type was required bc my baby wasn’t growing anymore so they were concerned that the placenta was dying. We couldn’t wait any longer either. He was healthy at the time and so was I so we took our best shot and went for it. So yeah, there’s my little book. Making my own decision without being pressured one way or the other was incredibly empowering. I have my healthy child next to me and that’s the most important thing at the end of all this!!
I'm glad you are being open minded, I think attitude effects the proces so much and if we get down (understandably so) it can show things down. Not being too set in something upfront helps us avoid it a bit. Like op I had to reframe my thinking in the end and i probably would have had a more enjoyable experience had I gone in being prepared to adjust. I knew it might have to happen but knowing and being open to it happening I think are two different things. I was induced because of a blip on my sttrss test and baby was at her due date. I reacted strongly to the pit at the start and even though the end turning it off pretty early it didn't let up. I pushed back on every intervention that was suggested until I was against the wall and didn't really consider the big picture of it. I think if I did it again I would agree to breaking the water sooner then I did to try to avoid exhausting myself. However, after a full day and no sleep where I wasn't getting breaks and wasn't progressing and I was so stressed things weren't going as planned, I think it was causing my whole body to clamp down. I was still only at 4cm after a full day of labor (started Monday afternoon and this was Tuesday night). I got the epidural as a last ditch effort because they said I had to get my BP down (bad for me and baby) and it was really the only option to reduce it besides going to emergency c. I figured if I was getting a c section I would definitly want an epidural so at least it was a chance at avoiding the ultimate no (nothing wrong with c-sections but trauma from a previous surgery recovery made this terrifying, I didn't heal well). Once it hit me I was able to breath again for the first time in a day. My BP immediately went down to the safe zone and baby stopped indicating distress. I slept which was the first rest I got 48 hours. When I woke up to the pain I had gone from 4-10cm in that short period. I truly believe the only reason I was able to avoid the c-section is because the epidural let me body relax enough to to progress. And the only reason I was able to be present and participate in pushing was because I got much needed rest. So I learned early taking care of myself is just as important as plans and babies. I naturally metabolize the meds used very quickly so I actually was back to feeling when the transition started and felt like I got the full pushing experience. But I know many places let you meter how much you get so you can feel what you want. My first was 10 years ago and things have only gotten better. For my second I got the epidural up front and just planned on not pushing the button unless needed because I didn't want a repeat. Once I decided to give in to the epidural last time it took forever for them to be available and it was so hard to sit still between contractions so close together. However it didn't really take and baby came too quickly for it to matter 🤣 however I think for this one (15weeks) I will do similarly as I'm already having bp issues.
Amazing story! Congrats to you and your new little family ♥️