Robin's Story

My midwife had told me she was going to induce me on a Tuesday. So, from then on I was hoping to go into labor on my own. I walked the mall, did tons of laundry, baked lots of casseroles, and even resorted to sex. No action. 

My water finally broke at 4:00 in the morning on Saturday night. I took a shower and got my dad up about 5:30 to go walking with me (he and my mom had come into town the day before).  Darryl said he hadn't slept all night, as usual, so I let him rest. I wasn't having any contractions. We went around the block again an hour later. I finally called the midwife at 7:00 and she said to go to the hospital. 

We got there at 9:00. My mom and Darryl were with me. My dad kept Hope, my almost three year old, at home. They hooked me up to the fetal monitor to see if I was contracting. No action. So, we went walking and stair climbing for an hour. Contractions started. The midwife arrived and they checked me. I was 4 cm. She gave me another hour to walk. She was concerned about labor not being further along since my water had been broken for a while and I had tested positive for group B strep. So, back to the stairs. 

The contractions were pretty strong by then, just not very regular. I would go up two at a time and come down one at a time. I would stop to lean on Darryl when a really strong contraction came.  The midwife had told me to try to remain standing during the contractions because the gravity would help pull the baby down. After another hour of stair climbing, she said I needed pitocin. I agreed finally because she said I could still stand up or be in the rocker, as long as the monitor belt would reach. That was about 1:45 p.m. She said she would be back about 2:30 or 3:00 to check me again. 

I tried standing for a while, but soon I moved to the rocker. The last time I saw the clock it was about 2:15. I was in severe pain and told Darryl I was going to have to have an epidural because I didn't think I could make it. They said I had to get in the bed. Darryl had to hold me up and get me on the bed because the contractions were so strong and close together (I figured out later I was into transition!).  I was barely on the bed when I told them the baby was coming! The nurse checked me and I was 9 1/2!  She paged the midwife just as she was walking in the door. I started pushing and she was out in about 5 minutes. No shoulder distocia at all this time (this had been the reason for planning an induction because they feared a larger baby due to my gestational diabetes and I had shoulder distocia with Hope).  It was a little scary because it all happened so fast. She was blue at first because the cord was around her neck. She pinked up immediately when they gave her some Oxygen. The big surprise was that she was a girl. The OB had told me about a week earlier that she was a boy. She weighed 7 lbs., 5 ounces. Hope was very glad she was a girl! So, overall it went very well. I really had wanted to avoid pitocin, but at least I was only on it for a short while. And, no epidural!  If I had known I was in transition, I never would have asked for one.  Things just changed so fast, 4-9 1/2 cm in about 45 minutes! Looking back, I wish I would have refused the pitocin altogether. I think my body just needed more time. Today Faith is a wonderful 16 month old busy bee. I am completely in love with her. I am so blessed!!!!!!!

Please send your birth story to Lara@ABetterChildbirth.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!

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