Ask A Nurse
Pregnancy Photos
Pregnancy Calendar
Birth Plans
Birth Stories
Bookstore
Boy or Girl
Cesareans
Chat Room
Complications
Doulas
Educators
Episiotomy
FAQs
Feeding Baby
Fertility
Finding a Class
Health
Interactive
Labor
Message Board
Monitoring
Newborns
Postcards
Postpartum
Pregnancy
Reviews/Awards
Search
VBAC
Week by Week

Birth Story

My first pregnancy was near-perfect. I had every reason to expect a good delivery experience. I had read a nurse's obstetrical text book so I had a lot more knowledge than the average first time Mom. I was a good historian (kept up with dates like last menstrual period, dates of 'exposure', etc) and knew when I had conceived, without a doubt. Fetal heart tones were heard loud and clear at 8 weeks. I had an ultrasound at 12 weeks that confirmed the due date. Three measures of gestation all came up with the same due date.

When I reached 40 weeks gestation a vaginal exam was done and my cervix was thick and closed. Non-stress tests were done over the next 2 1/2 weeks with all assurances that all was well with the baby. The doctor checked my cervix at my last appointment and stated my cervix was like that of someone only 7 or 8 months pregnant and wondered aloud if my dates could be wrong. I reminded him of the 8 week fetal heart tones and he immediately scheduled me for induction the following Monday am. Monday the pitocin was started via IV promptly at 8am after the doctor checked me again and declared I was a fingertip dialated. I was in the bed the entire time with an external monitor on and my husband and I watched TV all morning. Although the nurses increased the pitocin often, it was noon before I felt anything strong enough to detract me from talking, TV, etc. Around 1:00pm the doctor came by and found my cervix was dilated 2 cm and decided to break my water. The nurse said "pea soup?" and the doctor nodded. He explained that the baby had been in distress and that is why the amniotic fluid was heavily stained with meconium. He put an internal scalp probe on the baby and I was then truly bed-bound. At 3:30pm my contractions were one on top of the other without a rest in between, something I remembered reading about in the text book. I specifically asked for the pitocin to be turned down because I was getting to where I could barely catch my breath. The nurse (new graduate on 3rd week of orientation) told me the pitocin could not be turned down and she could not call the doctor because he was busy seeing patients at his office. She added that I should relax and he would be here as soon as he finished at his office.

I endured the back-to-back contractions (without any resting phase between) until the doctor showed up around 6pm. He took one look at the contractions and turned the pitocin down telling the nurse "it's too high," checked me and I was now 3cm. Within an hour I was relaxed and 'napping' between contractions using the focus and breathing techniques we had learned in childbirth classes. At 8pm I was completely dialated and instructed to start pushing.

I pushed until the night shift arrived (11pm) and the nurse moved me to a delivery room and put me up in stirrups stating "a lot of women push more effectively in here." She wouldn't let me sit up so I was lying flat so my pushing would be more effective.

The doctor arrived at 11:50pm and after watching me push a few times declared me too exhausted to deliver and decided to use forceps. A puedundal block was done, then an episiotomy, then the forceps were inserted. My son was delivered shortly after midnight and with the exception of a facial bruise in the shape of the forcep paddle he was fine. I felt robbed of a 'normal' delivery because of all the interventions and deviations from my natural birth plan. What I wanted didn't seem important to the staff, in fact they acted like I was something other than a paying customer.

My subsequent deliveries were totally different. I had gone to nursing school, knew how to turn off the IV pumps if necessary, and knew what my rights were. I had one more pitocin induced delivery that was very short (less than 3 hours) and a natural delivery, both of which I felt the satisfaction of birthing my babies. I felt the descent into the pelvis, the pressure change, the uncontrollable urge to push, the pleasure of pushing (it feels better to push during a contraction, really!), and the birth. I felt like a woman who had birthed a baby and it was great. Having a birth plan is one thing, you have to be assertive and insist on your rights as a patient. Think of yourself as a customer at the service desk and it will help you be more assertive.