Being induced was not on my radar with baby number two. My first baby was a whirlwind, basically every miserable side effect of being pregnant, I had. Not to mention, I swore I was in labor four times before I actually was {oops}. So when pregnancy number two came around and I felt fine, it was weird. Since this second pregnancy was so smooth, I expected labor and delivery to go a little faster and be about the same. I had no idea I’d be induced.
My first baby was a week early and was a fast delivery for being my first. I should have known better. We attended our weekly appointments starting at 36 weeks with no progress. Then the due date came and went, and I was completely out of my element.
Next, my doctor suggested induction, not only because I hadn’t progressed at all, but also due to the fact that I would be delivering an hour away from where I lived. They asked what bothered me more: being induced or having a baby on the expressway. I figured expressway baby was more my fear. So, on the list, I went at 40+ weeks for an elective induction.
I was told I could be called in as early as the next day, so I went home and did what any expectant mother would do – I Googled induction.
BIG MISTAKE. I swear the only people who post on boards online are the ones with horror stories. An hour later, I was convinced I was going to be in labor with back-to-back contractions for 40+ hours that would ultimately end in a c-section. Sounds insane, right? Plus, what made it even better was the thousands of other comments saying why you should not be induced, how the baby will come naturally, that it’s just a scam for doctors… and on and on and on. So, not only was I now horrified, but I began to second guess everything my VERY trusted OB and I had discussed. Yay for the internet.
A few days came and went and still no call from the doctor. Three days later, as I was floating in the middle of our lake, they called. Instantly, my heart starting beating out of my chest and I began to sweat. It’s one thing to be like, “oh, hey my water broke… it’s show time,” but it’s a whole different ballgame when they call you. You are literally scheduling pain. My stomach was in knots the entire hour drive there.
When we finally arrived at the hospital, it was all I could do to keep from walking out the doors and let this baby just play out on its own. I met my nurse who took me back to the room and asked if I was ready? Instantly, it was like verbal diarrhea – I told her all about my Googling, my nervousness, and that I felt like I was going to puke. She gave me the look of, “now why did you go and do that?” After she walked me through the entire process and explained Pitocin to me {which I had with my first, but only to balance the epidural}, breaking my waters if-needed, and getting an epidural if I wanted, I felt a little better.
After a few hours of laboring, {which was not anywhere near as bad at those damn community boards make it out to be}, my favorite OB came walking in the room. She asked how things were going… and then came verbal diarrhea round two. Luckily, she too gave me verbatim what my nurse told me. We then proceeded to discuss our manicures, our email inbox, and one hundred other things. By the time she left, I was all smiles and we kicked the Pitocin up a notch.
An epidural, a minor freak out, six hours, and literally three pushes later, we delivered our sweet baby girl. Looking back, I couldn’t believe how smooth the entire evening went. Given we had to do an internal monitor on her head due to our inability to keep her on the monitor, I puked everywhere {oops, thanks sister for being the best doula}, and I ended up needing oxygen because my body was progressing faster than both the baby and I could handle – in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that bad. I had awesome nurses, a great labor and delivery team of my husband and sister, and my trusted OB. It was overall, a great birth experience.
Needless to say, I think I learned my lesson that it’s best to trust your gut and your doctor {be that a midwife, an OB, or whatever you so choose} over the crazies on the Internet community boards. Everyone is different and just because this happened to this person, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen to you. Ultimately, I am thankful we went with my doctor’s suggestion. I have a healthy baby, I feel great, and I didn’t give birth on the side of the expressway.
Did you birth experience go as expected? Have you been induced? I’d love to hear!
