I’m so excited to be sharing Turner’s birth story today! It was such a positive experience overall. I have loved reading other people’s birth stories throughout my pregnancy. I hope by me sharing my own it will help put other moms to be at ease and get them excited for the birth of their own baby!
I decided with my doctor after my due date be induced electively because I had been 1 cm dilated with a rock hard cervix for weeks. I’d been having contractions for days but nothing consistent. The induction was scheduled for when I was 40 weeks and 4 days. We checked into the hospital on July 22 at 5:00 pm. By 6:30 pm I was in a bed, with IV fluids and given one dose of Cytotec orally. I was checked and was 1 cm, 50% effaced and baby’s head was low. Around 8 pm contractions picked up slightly becoming more painful and I got a little nauseous. They gave me popsicles and ice chips and I felt better. Around 9:30 pm I began having back labor. Contractions and back labor progressively begin getting worse around 11 pm and I was given pain medication through the IV. It did nothing for my pain. They checked me and I was only at a 2. It continued to get worse to the point I felt like I was going to pass out and get sick at the same time. Called the nurse and said we had to do something. She called the anesthesiologist even though they don’t like to do the epidural before a 4 cm. I was given another bag of fluid before he could come and place the epidural. At 12:45 am he came and gave me my epidural. My husband had to leave and the poor nurse that had to help me be still was an angel. I was in the worst pain of my life because of back labor. I kept apologizing to everyone because I was SO embarrassed I was getting an epidural at only 2 cm dilated. I didn’t feel the numbing shot or epidural go in at all. It took the first try. She checked me before inserting the catheter and I was 8 cm dilated and almost completely effaced. The nurse was shocked and went to get my doctor. That means all the pain I felt was my body transitioning from 2-8 cm in a very short period of time. In the mean time I had to lay on my left side to get it numb. It took a little while but it worked. My husband came back and couldn’t believe it! My doctor comes in and says we will be pushing soon! He in complete shock as well. I’m feeling amazing with the epidural and so glad I trusted my gut! If I hadn’t gotten it when I did I probably wouldn’t have been able to at all! We started pushing at 3:00 am. Pushing is no joke. It doesn’t hurt but it’s just hard mentally and physically. It was just my husband, nurse and I pushing for an hour. My doctor checked on me and said I just needed to keep working! Baby had turned sunny side up at some point which explained my back labor. It almost meant after every contraction and set of pushes he would slip back in some. At 4:30 my doctor came in and checked on us again. He called in the nursery and other nurses needed for delivery then got gowned up and said it was go time.
I pushed out Turner David Griffin sunny side up at 4:47 am and had to stop when he was almost all the way out because my water was behind baby boy and never broke all the way. He swallowed some amniotic fluid and had to be cleared of that and have a little oxygen. His head was also a little cone shaped because he was stuck for so long. He was fine in a few minutes though! I had a 2nd degree tear and received stitches. Overall, my actual labor process was only 10 hours long which is great for an induction plus first time mom delivering. I was so upset about having to be induced and not going into labor on my own but it was truly the best experience ever. I am so happy with it and feeling so thankful God guided us to the decision and allowed us to have a positive induction and healthy baby boy! We are so grateful Turner is here with us and we are loving being parents so far.