36 week induction of baby Z - ADDED PICS!

[Minniebees]

I had a really difficult pregnancy because I had ICP. At the time, I knew I was sick, but looking back on it now that I'm getting back to normal, I was even more sick than I thought I was. Just to give you an idea, in the week before my induction, I spent 6 of those in bed asleep and unable to eat or drink anything, and when I did I was vomiting repeatedly. I completely missed Thanksgiving. It was horrible.

I find it interesting how things changed for me from when I was pregnant with my oldest to my pregnancy with my fourth. When we were TTC my oldest, I had no idea that I would have anything but an easy pregnancy. I was young, healthy, worked out every day, etc. And then I found out I had a genetic blood clotting disorder, my oldest was growth restricted with very low fluid, and then I started having miscarriages, and then I found out I had an antibody to dh's blood type, and then the ICP, and my status went from presumably low risk to kind of a train wreck. As a result, we will not have any more bio kids. I feel a bit sad about this, I think because I didn't make the decision because I feel done with 4 kids, but because of my health issues. That's a lot of because's in one sentence.

Anyhoo, with ICP the risk of sudden stillbirth starts to go up at 36 weeks, and really jumps at 37 weeks. We consulted with a ton of specialists in 3 different hospitals (dh happened to be working at 2 other civilian NICU's at the time), and the consensus from the neo's and MFM's was a 36 week induction. However, the OB residents had some serious issues with this. They were quite nasty about it, and some of them even told me that they were going to make sure that I was not induced at 36 weeks. Whatever. It's not their decision, no matter how much they think it is.

And they really tried. My induction was set for Nov 23, and I was told to call at 5:30 am to find out when I should come in. I always checked to make sure I was on the schedule when I was in for my NST's, and I was. Until the morning I called in. As I mentioned, I had a rough Thanksgiving, and dragging myself out of bed on Friday was really hard. I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since Wednesday at lunch time, and was only awake long enough to vomit since then. I was in terrible pain, weak, and just not in the best shape for labor at all. I was really worried about how I was going to handle labor. So, I called in, and they told me that they took me off the schedule, and were not going to induce me at all. Not just that they were going to wait another week, but not at all. I was devastated. I told them to call my MFM, gave dh my phone, and collapsed back in bed.

They called at 7 am and told me to come in, that my MFM cleared it. Shocker.


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Here's where the induction/labor starts. Sorry for the lengthy background!
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We got there about 8 am, and I got checked in and in my room pretty quickly. From there it took forever to get started. First, the residents had to come in and hassle me about the 36 week induction. They threatened to have me sign some form absolving them of responsibility. I called their bluff and told them to bring it in. There's no form. I'm not stupid. Then they had to have the neo come in to talk to me. Please. We know all of them personally. Dh requested the staff come in, instead of the fellow who was on, so we basically just talked for a while. Nothing against the other fellows, I just preferred that the female staff, or later that night, the female fellow attend my birth instead of one of the new male fellows I had never met before. Then I had to have a consult with anesthesia because of the blood clotting thing and I have low blood pressure and scoliosis. They had to sort out my dehydration. I had to have a consult from nutrition because I had been losing weight.

Finally at about noon the intern showed up to see if I was dilating. I was contracting every 3 mins. She had some issues finding my cervix (short fingers, why are OB's all tiny little women with small hands? ) and she said I was maybe one cm, and she ordered a foley bulb. They come back about 30 mins later with the bulb and I was suddenly 3-4 cm's when a different OB checked me. Somehow I doubt it. I think tiny intern couldn't really check dilation correctly. Foley was in for less than an hour, and they started pit. I sent dh home to hang out with the kids a bit, and told him I'd text him when things seemed to be moving. I know from experience that my labors don't progress at all until they suddenly just KA-POW on me.

So I just hung out. They gave me lots of juice and offered broth and jello, but I was still puking, so I stuck with grape juice. Anesthesia promised to place the epidural to try to help with the upper abdomen pain I was having (gallbladder? liver? who knows? ) and told me that it would probably mean that I would have no pain control below the top of my pelvis, especially since I needed a very low dose because of problems with a nerve itch I had previously, and the fact that my blood pressure has dropped crazy low in labor before. I was 60/20 and lost consciousness. I told them that was fine. I also have a morphine allergy, and ICP can cause you to develop drug allergies. I was mostly just wanting to keep anesthesia on their toes. J/K

They kept upping the pit. I kept not dilating. I told them that was typical for me, but they seemed annoyed. Finally the upper stomach pain I had went away, and I felt so much better! The contractions didnt hurt at all, and I felt great. This was about 4 pm. I told dh to come back.

I'm not sure what time it was, but I started feeling "weird" which is how I feel when it's go-time. I told the OB. I was 5 cm's. I asked for my epidural, and the contractions started getting intense. They didn't hurt, I could just feel a lot of pressure. I've never really had my contraction pain, but I remember how things went when I didn't have pain control with the delivery with my other son, and it is not an experience I wanted to repeat, so I chose an epidural for my next 2 deliveries.

Stupid me, I waited too long to ask for the epidural. They had to give me an extra liter of fluid. They had a shift change, so I had to talk to a new epidural guy. Suddenly I had to push. I had the OB check me, I was 6 cm and they said don't push. Ha! I told them it's like trying to tell someone not to vomit. I had them place the epidural in hopes it would help the urge to push. No such luck. The epidural was so light I could still move my legs and was walking less than an hour after delivery. And like they said, I could feel absolutely everything right at the line at the top of my pelvis on down. The urge to push was awful. I really didn't want to blow my cervix, but it was so difficult not to push. Part of my water broke, but there was a pocket that was trapped right by the baby's head, so I let the OB break it. Finally I went from 6 to complete almost instantly and was able to really push.

So, I'm annoying about the pushing phase. There's no talking when I'm pushing. At all. If anyone comes at me with scissors, dh was instructed to make sure there was no episiotomy. I've never torn, and don't need to be cut. He announced it to the room. I wanted to pull the baby out myself and cut the cord like I did with #3, but it all happened too fast this time. And dh was supposed to tell me if it was a boy or a girl. We joked that he was reasonably qualified to tell.

Pushing was over in a blink, or so it seemed. He just came right out. I'm lucky I have easy deliveries. I didn't have my glasses on, so I couldn't see. I don't remember why I took them off. so dh leans over to tell me the sex, and I suddenly felt something warm squirting over my girl stuff. Dh says "It's a boy. And he's peeing on you." I looked over and squinted, and sure enough, he was peeing all over everything. There was a beat, probably a second or two, and then he started crying. Babies born to moms with ICP have double the risk of RDS, so at 36 weeks he had a 4% risk of respiratory distress syndrome. He was breathing great. NICU took him, and he peed all over my favorite fellow. LOL He was 6 lbs, 6 oz, and 19 inches long. And perfect.

We had been living under this shadow of stillbirth since I started getting itchy at 14 weeks, and I can't describe the relief we all felt that he was big, and healthy, and alive and perfect. ICP babies have what is considered an acute event, so there would be no warning at all. One minute the baby would be moving and look perfectly healthy on NST and ultrasound, and the next minute it could be dead. We just never knew. Everytime the baby was asleep and I didn't feel it moving, I was terrified it would never move again. This is serious stuff, and the relief in the room was palpable.

He never needed a NICU stay. Even though my antibody titers were going up (we will never know how high, long story ) he was never readmitted for jaundice, although it was a near thing. We spent 48 hours in the hospital to make sure he was fine, which he was, and he's been doing great. He nurses like a champ, much better than my previous 36 weeker. He sleeps great. He's just such a little love.

I wish I hadn't had ICP. I wish I didn't need an early induction. This is not how I would have wanted my last pregnancy to go. However, this is the hand I was dealt, and all of it was absolutely worth it to have such a perfect little fellow. Pregnancy and birth are such a short time that in the end it doesn't matter. What matters is the lifetime I get to spend with him, watching him grow and become the person he is going to be. We all feel very blessed.

[GooseBella]

Congratulations on your new arrival and sorry that you pregnancy and delivery were not what you wanted. I love your positive attitude about it all though.

[kissum]

Wow, that's quite the story! Congratulations on your new sweetie! All babies are a gift, but I'm sure you're feeling extra blessed that everything came out perfect in the end.

[weesej]

Dh says "It's a boy. And he's peeing on you."

Oh, ROFL!!! That's great. I'm so glad he's here and healthy. I totally understand the huge relief at having a live baby after a complicated pregnancy!! No doubt you are thankful to be dome itching....from another itchy mom!

[mommycass]

What a journey! Good job mama and enjoy your babymoon

[pieceofjess]

Such a great story. So glad he is here and healthy. Congrats!

[Almacham]

Congratulations!

[songbird516]

Congrats! Such a great size, also. I'm always amazed by 6 pound babies at 36 weeks because my babies are small at 40 and 41! And having such a complicated pregnancy that's even more impressive. The whole "don't push" thing irritates the heck out of me, though, because it's so NOT evidence-based! You felt pressure because of your water bag, probably, and pushing probably would have broken it. Like you said, telling someone to "not push" is almost impossible and very stressful. Generally, the body knows what it's doing! Good job

[momof3boys1girl]

congrats!!!

[Minniebees]

Thanks for the congrats, everyone! Z is 5 weeks now and doing so well. I'm stunned how well he is nursing given how early he was. He's becoming quite the chub monkey! And he's decided he likes to be held and wrapped, and he's finally settling in to cosleeping. Up until a few days ago he was sleeping in his bassinet. He's with mommy and daddy now.

He was a good size! I think a make big boys, to tell the truth. My 38 week dd weighed the same he did, and my other dd was a pound less at 36 and a few days. Dh's side of the family all give birth to enormous boys, who stay big, too. They're all over 6 feet tall, even some of the women.

Anyway, I finally uploaded a few pics!!





1 day old: