Day 2 Induction: The next morning at 5:30am, I was hopping in the shower, getting ready to go to my induction at 6am. There was one other woman there who was going for induction also that day and we were pretty excited. Unfortunately, we couldn't eat all day until things were over but one of the nurses told me if I wanted, I could have one of the granola bars I brought and drink some water before going to the labor and delivery ward so I did. I was surpised with the IV fluids that I really wasn't THAT hungry when the time came that I could eat. I was, but not starving like I thought I would've been. So, what happens here in induction is that they start an IV with the Pitocin drip in there and within about an hour I was feeling contractions coming on. This is supposed to start the softening, thinning and opening of the cervix.....if the baby and body are ready, that is. So, after a couple of hours, I mentioned to one of the OB nurses (this one happened to be male) that these contractions weren't getting much stronger and didn't seem THAT strong to me and if they ever increased the drip or was that not normal practice. He said, sure, we can increase it so they increased it from 60-100. Soon enough, I started feeling some pretty good contractions that I actually had to concentrate on my breathing sometimes for and I felt like that way I'd be making more progress. Well, the drip lasts about 8 hours (I finished a bit early since they had increased the frequency) and I was only 1 cm dialated :( Once the Pitocin stopped, my contractions basically stopped and that wasn't what I was hoping for. I found out that they will do this same routine 3 days in a row and if it doesn't work, they will usually send the patient for a c-section. I had not known this at the time of being hospitalized or I wouldn't have agreed to it in the first place seeing as how I still had time left before it was "urgent" to get this baby out. I was a little freaked out at that news that could happen after 3 days of this, but I decided not to worry too much and I was sure it would happen the next day.
Day 3 Induction: It didn't happpen. In fact, I had them put the Pitocin up to 100 fairly early on and the contractions weren't even all that strong.....I was pretty bummed. In the room I was in, there were 3 beds. The first day, the other lady and I were in there and there was one other one in there for the first few hours. Then, the other one went and had her baby and it was just the two of us the rest of the day. The second day was already the third day for my friend and they decided to try a gel called Progestin (not totally sure that's what it is in English, I think it has another name too) that they put on the cervix to try to "ripen" it and get things started that way. She didn't have to be in the labor and delivery ward for that and there was no IV involved. She had stayed in her bed in the maternity ward so I went in on my own the second day and found someone I knew from outside the hospital that was already in there in labor and just about to have her baby. After she left, I was alone for a little bit and another lady came in and after a while chatting with her, her labor started moving so fast that the OB nurse asked if she could make it out of the bed to go to the actual delivery room and she said NO. So, all of the sudden, I realized that this lady was going to have her baby right there in the bed next to me, just about 5 feet away! Wow, that was kinda exciting in a weird kinda way. I mean, I didn't want to stare but a life was coming into the world right there next to me. Luckily it was next to me and not some other angle that I was looking at so I couldn't see anything that I didn't want to. It's not like this woman was struggling with this delivery or anything, I mean, that baby was coming and coming fast. All of the sudden the OB nurse started prepping the bed with steril sheets, getting her tools out and calling for assistance. It all happened so fast but calmly and controlled. Pretty exciting, I thought. When I left the hospital (with no baby) I said bye to her and thanked her for sharing her delivery with me. Of course I was making a joke but it was also true. Good thing it was her 5th child and she was 44 years old (she's ready to get the tubes tied) so I don't think she cared that much that I was there. I must say, it helped pass the time that day that not much was going on with my induction, since my friend wasn't there. After she left, I was alone the rest of the day. I walked out with my IV stand and ended up hanging out in the nurses station area since obviously, this induction thing just wasn't working for me. Lucky for me, everyone (in admissions, maternity and labor and delivery) knew I was a doctor's wife and so I got some special treatments, that's for sure. They were all so nice as they were to other patients but did tend to go above and beyond for me. I really appreciated it and I felt like I was there amongst friends. We were talking at the OB nurses desk about how the induction obviously wasn't working (I had been there for about 6 hours and nothing but mild contractions were happening) and they decided to let me go back to the maternity ward (just in time for afternoon coffee hour) about 45 minutes early since if nothing had progressed all day, it sure wasn't going to happen in the last 45 minutes. After that I was pretty worried that the next and last induction day wasn't going to work and that they were going to try and pressure me into a c-section. The only cases Dani knew about this was the standard that they try 3 days and if that doesn't work they do a c-section. I was trying to tell him my case was different though and I still had a week or two left before they should try and force that on me. I really want to (and like to) give birth naturally just like I did last time and only want a C if necessary. OF COURSE if it's an emergency and it's NECESSARY, I'm all for it, no problem, no one has to twist my arm.
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