Seton Baby Talk

On the morning of my 36-week appointment I wrote out a list of things I needed to do. The holidays were right around the corner, and I was just starting out on my two-week holiday break from work. Plenty of time to finish the things that I needed to do before my baby arrived!

As my husband and I sat in the exam room, I started getting nervous. I was being monitored because of preeclampsia, and my doctor had already explained that induction would be likely. “Well,” my doctor said. “Do you have your bag packed?” Yikes! My blood pressure was high, I had more protein in my urine and I had gained five pounds over the weekend (in water weight!). Time to induce!

My husband and I made a quick list of things that we needed to do before checking in to the hospital. We went home, picked up my bag and then drove our dogs to the kennel. On the way to the hospital, we both became uncharacteristically quiet. Our baby was going to be here soon! We were excited, but also incredibly nervous.

Since I had pre-registered at Seton Northwest, the check-in process was easy. Within 20 minutes of our arrival, we were set up in our room. Our nurse assisted us in filling out some paperwork and got us settled. He also hooked me up to a fetal monitor and a monitor for my blood pressure. At this point, I was still in shock that my baby was coming. I was convinced that I would go over my estimated due date (like by a month!), so I had my doubts that I would have my baby in my arms within 24 hours.

At 8 p.m., I was administered a cervix ripening drug. I tried to relax, but I was anxious! My doctor had checked for dilation earlier in the day, so I knew that I was not yet dilating. I tried to watch t.v. but as I was still pregnant, I had to urinate...frequently! Not only was it uncomfortable to walk (due to all of my swelling), but my husband, Juan, had to help me unhook the nodes for the monitors and then reattach them each time I got up. I also had to lie on my left-hand side to help keep my blood pressure down.

My nurse came in at midnight and 4 a.m. to administer more cervix ripening meds. The nurse told me that the cervix ripening drugs could make me go into labor. Sure enough, I awoke a little after 2 a.m. feeling crampy. My doctor had prescribed a sleep aid so that I could get some rest before the big day, so I was a bit groggy. “What’s going on?” I kept thinking. “Do I have to go to the bathroom?” Uh, no, you’re in labor, dummy!

By 5 a.m., I was in pain! And, I hadn’t even been induced! My nurse came in to prep me for the induction. She suggested that I take a shower. I’ve heard that many women find relief in showering and bathing during labor, but the last thing I wanted to do was shower! I just wanted to get the show on the road! After a half-hearted attempt at a shower, I put my gown back on and went back to bed. “Why don’t you go ahead and brush your teeth?” the nurse suggested. Ah! Let’s just get started!

The nurse finally started the pitocin drip. My contractions immediately started getting stronger. I had just watched a video on relaxation techniques during labor, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what to do! The instructor on the video kept talking about the start, middle and ending of contractions, but my contractions just felt like one big cramp. The nurse asked me if I wanted some pain medication, but I knew that at this point in labor I would probably be given an opiate, such as Stadol. I had heard from other mothers that this drug made them feel loopy, almost drunk. I certainly did not want to feel like this! I wanted to feel at least a little in control.

Four hours later, I felt delirious! It was so hard to distinguish one contraction from the other. My husband kept checking my monitor, which was recording the length and strength of my contractions. “Wow,” he said. “You don’t have a lot of peaks. Just one long contraction!” Thanks for the report. I know what’s happening with my contractions!

The nurse continued to come in to monitor me and to increase the levels of pitocin. I couldn’t believe that the pain could get any worse. When it was time to check my cervix, I was convinced that I would be ready to push! “Hmm, no dilation yet,” said the nurse. WHAT!

At this point, I laid my head down and drifted off to sleep. I was in so much pain that my body just decided to knock me out for awhile. I drifted in and out of a pain-induced sleep for the next hour, until I woke up to find my doctor standing over me. “You still haven’t dilated,” he reported. “I think we should give you a break and then try again this afternoon.” This was going to be a long day...