Induced At 38 Weeks- The Birth Story
What an absolute journey its been from the moment I found out we were having another babe.
Hand on heart, both my pregnancies were really happy. It was hella positive and everything I wanted my pregnancy to be.
The best reason to be exhausted for in my opinion!
I know I suck and I wish sometimes I complained about the whole thing and hated my husband for putting me through it but guys that just isn't me at all.
And also being a full time mom & creative, you just do not have the time to moan about ish. Am I right or AM I RIGHT?
So let me take you through the last few weeks of pregnancy before the birth story itself.
If you have been following me on Instagram, you would have known that I was induced at 38 weeks. Which by the way was both nerve wrecking & exciting all at once. I was beyond overwhelmed.
So here is my breakdown of it all
Where it all began at 36 Weeks
It was just a normal scan appointment, just like any other & I was so excited to see my little bean. Look at her move and see what part of her body she was using to punch me really hard at night! You know the ones that make you wee a little?!
The OB went through all the usual, with me prompting her about the blood flow, the baby's heartbeat etc etc which was all beautiful.But she kept going back and forth from the scan monitor to her notes, looking unsure but constantly trying to get a measure for the baby's head circumference. So once the scan was done, we asked if everything was okay and she said well actually no. The baby's head wasn't growing well according to my gestation stage. And then she also added, but that doesn't mean there is something alarming happening in there. Ummm Okay?!
SO WHAT NEXT?
We went home and that night of course I just felt upset and worried about the scan results but was afraid to look it up on the internet. So I bravely let it go and decided I would call my midwife the day after and have a chat about this situation .
At 37 Weeks +
By this point I have started feeling heavier than usual, uncomfortable with every thing I do especially sleeping at night. It was taking a toll on me physically and mentally & I just knew in my gut that the baby is coming soon. Don't get me wrong I really really wanted and thought I would carry her full term and was longing to be just that much bigger too.
It was a Thursday when I got the call from my Hospital asking me to come in asap for another scan with a Doctor. Both my husband and I aren't the panicking kind, so we took it with a pinch of "it's all good" and went in to make sure the baby is safe inside.
I get to the X-Ray room which is slightly bigger than the usual room they put me in and there are about 6 people in there. 2 Doctors, 2 Trainees & 2 midwives which is when I thought "Shit the bed Aj, something is going down". I am so lucky I had Juno with me to hold my hand and he even asked the doctors "Is my sister Okay?" Ahh my heart.
After looking through everything, my doctor told me straight up that they are worried about the baby being in there because she isn't growing as she should be. And that I will be induced at 38 weeks and not a day over which was one day away!
There were so many questions and doubts running through my mind but my doctor and team of midwives at Epsom General were so incredible and made me feel so at ease with the whole thing. And ready.
I was ready to do whatever it takes to make sure the baby was safe, healthy and ready. This was when I really wanted my cervix to start cooperating with me ha ha.
The Day of Induction- The Waiting Game Begins
It was a Saturday and we got to the hospital for around 9am, checked in and and they went through my vitals etc. Around 10.30am I got moved to one of the delivery rooms to have a sweep which was super uncomfortable and the Propess put in to kick start the labour. Now, we wait.
Both the baby & my vitals were begin monitored every so often after this. I was told that they would check my cervix 24 hours later and if nothing happened before then I would have to have another dosage of Propess which was something I really did not want. Believe me I prayed hard that something happen within the next few hours but of course that wasn't the case because both baby & cervix have a mind of their own and will only show when they are ready.
Patience was the name of game.
A few things that help way was to make sure I was constantly moving which helped incredibly with this weird discomfort I was having which was borderline annoying than anything else. I was lucky enough to have a nice shower room where I was, so took complete advantage of this and had about 2 showers in the span of 6-7 hours during the wait.
10pm, I started having mild contractions and made the decision to just keep moving throughout it. Lots of walking and bouncing gently on the exercise ball was done. After an hour or so, the pain got really uncomfortable where I was not able to move anymore. I decided to get a few painkillers and knock out.
Sunday, 7am; woke up not remembering how I knocked out so hard but completely grateful for the painkillers. Feeling slightly energetic, I hopped into the shower and had the biggest contraction and cried like a baby in because I just couldn't handle it anymore. Kept saying to myself "look only a few more hours before you get checked over and if it comes to it we always have a CS we can opt for".
Fast forward to 10am, I had another sweep to check if things had started moving & THEY HAD INNIT!! 3cm dilated and no need for another propess. Happy Dance!
So the next step was to break my water and get it really going this time.
Delivery
Sunday ,1pm. Once my waters were broken, I was asked to chill and maybe go for a walk and keep moving to start the contractions.
I got all ready to go on my walk about and as I got to the door, I mentioned to my hubby that my legs feel like jelly and I immediately started having contractions really close together. The pain obviously was excruciating and I asked if I could go to the toilet before everything kicked off and that is when my Doctor said " You do not need the toilet, that is your baby coming out" And literally carried me to the bed and bless her she wasn't even ready for it.
When I tell you I was determined, I was really determined. Because baby girl was out within a minute of pushing. I had the option of Gas & Air but by this point I just wanted it over and done with.
Because I had pushed so fast , it caused the baby to go into shock. Agni came out blue + still and that is when my heart sank. A few doctors came in, whisked the baby away and started pumping her with oxygen. A few seconds passed and we did not hear a cry or anything. And I just held my breathe for those moments which felt like a lifetime! And then that sweet sound of my baby weeping.
My baby girl was in my arms, safe & as healthy as can be weighing at 5.5pounds.
A Few Things
Being induced does not necessarily need to be scary, because in my case it was much safer for the baby to be out with me nursing and growing
After being induced, the wait can be anything from 6 hours to 24 hours depending from mother to mother. It took me 20-21 hours to get dilated so do not panic!
TAKE TONNES OF BOOKS, WORK AND APPS THAT KEEP YOU CALM
Keep breathing, moving and making conversation
ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS
DO NOT WORRY- YOU GOT THIS!
I hope this post made sense and helps anyone being induced or thinking about it!
I may have left some points out but if you have any questions about anything, leave them in the comments below and I will defo address them.
Thank you for taking time to read this babes
Namaskaaram
Aj