Sweet Pea: The Intro

Overall, my pregnancy had been going very well. I had the usual nausea, heartburn, aches and pains that everyone experiences but nothing to really complain about. My belly did look enormous compared to how far along I was – I looked like I was having a kindergartener. Also, in my third trimester, I began having trouble with high blood pressure. At 37 weeks, my doctor said that inducing at 39 weeks would probably be a good option if my blood pressure remained high. I was completely against/afraid of being induced based on what I’ve heard and read from other people. I didn’t want a prolonged labor with a lot of pain and I read that inductions resulted in a high rate of c-sections and I was definitely not a fan of anything that might slice my stomach open. Plus, my husband was only able to get a couple of days off from work for the birth and I knew a c-section would require more help than that.

However, if there is one thing I learned in the years it took to get pregnant, it was that certain things are just not in my control. It is a hard lesson for a control freak like me! I prayed and talked with God through weeks 37-39, asking for the ability to let go and the guidance to make the right decisions for my baby and myself. By 39 weeks, I was physically ready to get that baby out of me: I hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in 8 months (though that wouldn’t matter once the baby came anyway) and I was worn out from carrying the baby around. At that point I thought I was ready for whatever my doctor suggested.

Flash forward to early in the morning of 10/7/13 at my doctor’s appointment. My blood pressure turned out to be at an all-time high and despite not even being dilated a centimeter, my doctor wanted to induce…that day! This threw me for a big loop since I thought an induction, if needed, would be scheduled for later in the week. I called Jess in a panic and told him that we had to go to the hospital that morning. He was still driving into work! By the time he got back home and I got packed, we didn’t arrive at the hospital until 11 am. Then the wait began…

12:40 pm:  I started on medicine to soften my cervix.

4:15 pm:  I was 50% effaced and barely 2 cm dilated.

4:40 pm:  Pitocin started

8 pm:  Contractions had been intensifying for the last hour; the nurse checked and there was no change in dilation. I was so frustrated and disheartened by that news. I thought inducing with no dilation was a bad idea in the first place. My idea of a good labor would have been having the option to be at home for the first part of it, being able to walk around a bit and not tied to the hospital bed. This was not what was happening and I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Again, I just wanted that baby out and to get the whole thing over with!

9:30 pm:  Told Dr. I wanted a c-section now rather than go through another 12 hours or more of labor and potentially end up having a c-section anyway. Jess' parents and sister had arrived in the afternoon for the delivery and really supported me in my decision. I know my own parents would have liked to have been there but the Dr.'s decision to induce threw everything off.

10:40 pm:  Sweet Pea is here!  7lbs 10 oz and 21 inches long. He was born with brown hair and stormy blue eyes that we wouldn’t see until a few days later.

My doctor told me during the c-section that I had made a good choice because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice. Though I felt like a major weenie opting for the c-section instead of going through with the labor, after hearing that I probably would have had to have a c-section anyway, I felt that God was answering my prayers and protecting Luke during the delivery.

The recovery from surgery was actually a lot better than I could have hoped for. Plus, Nana Emerson, Jamie and my parents came to help out during the first 3 ½ weeks. That helped out tremendously especially since they, amazingly, all took the night shift so Jess and I could sleep. Ah, memories!