Induction Day (That Wasn't)

Well, guess we have a new insight into this litle one's personality. Today was my scheduled induction - that wasn't. After 13 hours in the hospital, 6 hours of max dose pitocin and lots of intense but completely ineffective contractions we came home to wait some more. Hard stuff.

We went into the hospital last night, the 16th, as my doctor thought we would be okay to induce even though I was only 38w 5d (the same exact time I delivered Meyer, by the way). Honestly, I felt a little weird about it. #1 - a big baby is not a true medical reason to induce early (unlike high BP or failure to grow. #2 - besides being dialted to 1 cm the Wednesday previously, I haven't progressed at all. Yeah, I've had some contractions but nothing BIG so I wasn't sure that conditions were favorable anyway. But, despite thse misgivings, I thought - yeah - what the heck! If she's offering I'll take it. I'm so tired of feeling like a beached whale and my SPD is getting so bad it is just terribly painful to get out of bed at night and to walk much.

Anyway, hind sight is, of course, 20/20. So, we get the call about 10:00 last night to come on in. We arrive, get checked in, get hooked up to the monitors and I get my cervadil. I'm also checked for the first time - still 1 cm, high and thick. I think this is when I have my first real "uh oh" feeling. I thought I should have progessed some from last Wednesday! Thankfully I also get an Ambien so I manage to sleep from about 1:00 to 6:00 a.m. At 6:00 a.m. my doctor arrives and she checks me again - still 1 cm, high and now "soft" but, come one, you'd hope 5 hours of a medicien designed to thin the cervix out would have done a bit more!

They start the pitocin at 6:00 - 2 units, 4 units, 6 units. The contractions start but they don't form a pattern. Plus, they are really having trouble monitoring the contractions so it's hard for them to tell how regular they are being. At one point the nurse says the highest she likes to go on pitocin is 20 units - by 11:15 I'm at 24 units by doctor's orders. The contractions, when they come, are incredibly intense but still not developing into a pattern. Also, they seem to be "pit contractions" rather than contractions my body would be delivering by itself if the pit was turned off. My doctor comes over on her lunch hour and checks me around noon - still 1 cm, high and soft. No change. She gives us three options: 1) keep going as we are going on max pitocin (no thanks!), 2) stop the pitocin and give me lunch (I haven't eaten since the night before) and then put in a different cervical suppository after which they would star the pitocin again (oy! sounds like a long process!), or 3) turn everything off and go home and wait for her to come by herself.

I almost immediately know what to do. #3. Obviously we are fighting mother nature here and there is really no reason for it. If we HAD to induce me for a true medical reason I would be okay with it but I have delivered a 9lb baby before and I'm sure I can do it again (or even bigger)! So, it was an interesting dry run but we ended up coming home with her still comfy inside and happy as can be. Okay kid! I'm listening, do as you please! Drew took me out to a nice lunch at New York Deli which, as always, cheered me up and it was great to see Meyer this afternoon. I was so emotional saying goodbye to him the night before, I really can't believe he won't be my baby anymore! He is so grown up and smart and handsome and funny - hard to believe two and a half years ago we were at this start-point wtih him!

It was a real dissapointment though. For some reason I felt (and still feel) like I failed or something. I don't know why. Guess I just was ready to come home with her. You feel like modern medicince can do anything - and if they say "induction time" you think, okay, it's going to happen! Well, I guess modern medicine is not as all powerful as we think/belive. Instead, we will just have to wait for nature and this baby to take their course on their own sweet time!