So, when I went in Monday night for my induction due to high blood pressure, I was at 2cm at 8pm. I received my first dose of Cytotec at 10pm which made my contractions come more consistently. They were about every 3-5 minutes apart but I could breathe through them and the pain was mild. At 2am I was 3cm and received my second dose of Cytotec. When I got up out of bed at 4am to go to the bathroom my water broke on its own and I was 5cm! The contractions were about every 3-5 minutes at this point and still not very painful.
About 30-45 minutes later, the contractions started coming much closer together and were much more painful. I could barely get out of bed and make it to the the bathroom before another contraction came. I remember sitting in the bathroom thinking "this feels like it could be transition...but it can't be...my water just broke...I can't be in transition already!! This hurts so much!! I can't do this for another 6-8 hours!! I can't do this!" At this point, I requested one dose of Stadol to help with the pain. I remember asking my nurse how long it would take the Stadol to work and telling her that it wasn't helping with the pain. The contractions were very painful and coming about every 45 seconds to a minute apart. At this point I started to get rather nervous thinking that I couldn't possibly endure this amount of pain for multiple hours.
The nurse decided to check me around 5:30am and I was 9cm! I was in transition after all! Hearing that was a huge relief mentally. But then the pain started to get worse, much worse. With each contraction I suddenly began to get very intense back pain. After the doctor arrived they said I could start pushing and they let me get on my hands and knees to push to try to help with the back pain. Wes was able to apply counter pressure with a tennis ball which helped alot. Although I was pushing at this point, I don't think my body was really ready for me to push. After a little while, they told me to turn on my back again (because my feet were turning purple and swelling more while I was on my hands and knees).
After a few minutes of being on my back, I could feel my contractions change into the expulsive contractions and I began to feel the urge to push. I don't know exactly how long I pushed for after that but she was born at 7:19am Tuesday morning! I had a small 1st degree tear and I didn't get any Pitocin at all. I guess my body was ready to deliver her. Neither one of us had any major complications and were able to go home Wednesday afternoon. My blood pressure remained elevated and the doctor had me take Labetolol for about 2 weeks to help bring it down. It is back down to my normal range and I am off the blood pressure medication.
The labor came on so fast and hard and I did not expect that at all! The transition pain was incredibly painful but I think the hardest part was not realizing that I really was in transition and thinking it was just normal first stage contractions and that I still had 6-8 more hours to go. Wes was a tremendous help in reminding me about what we learned in class and to breathe and relax. I am so thankful that we went through your class and that you encouraged me to still pursue a natural birth with the induction. I would not have changed a thing! Nora is doing great at breast feeding and is gaining weight really well! Pumping is going well and I already have a small supply built up for when I go back to work.
Thank you so much for all of your help, encouragement and prayers. It was a huge blessing for our family!