18/07/18 we chose to be induced as Lane was looking to be on the bigger side and I’m definitely on the smaller side! It was exciting. I had no idea what I was getting myself into and had no apprehensions or worries about going into labour. If anything, I was intrigued and would read labour stories (good & bad) and welcomed anyone’s personal stories. At 6:30 we checked into the hospital and by 7 am I had my waters broken which was uncomfortable but not painful. Contractions started naturally and I was 2cm dilated prior to being induced. Fifteen minutes later the induction drip began and my contractions just went from 0 to 100. Lane was posterior so I just had the most intense back pain to go with it. I kept having to unplug all the cords and go to the toilet every 15 minutes and it was excruciating having a contraction on the toilet but I just felt so busting constantly. I had a goal in mind to wait until 11 to ask for the epidural as I thought it would delay my dilation. By 9am my contractions were ‘on top of each other’ however they were considered no progress contractions as I hadn’t dilated any further. The midwife suggested an epidural to relax me so my contractions would be more effective and help me dilate but of course I had to wait until 11. The contractions remained on top of each other the entire time and I didn’t dilate any further in that time. I stayed on a ball while Jordon held heat packs on my back and at 11 I moved to the bed because I was in too much pain to do anything and asked for the epidural. The anesthetist was caught up in surgeries and was going to be a while so at 11:30 I tried the gas which had no beneficial effect on me but I think I was almost biting through the mouth piece. At 12:30 the anaesthetist arrived and administered the epidural which took effect after 15 minutes and I could finally relax. It was great because I could still feel the contractions but not in a painful way...
At 2pm the epidural had worn off on the right side of my body So I could feel everything on one side. I was rolled over to my right side and the epidural began to numb that side of my body again. At 3pm I felt immense pressure and the OB checked and I was fully dilated. I started to push straight away and I knew when to as well because I could feel my contractions. I held my own legs up the entire time I was pushing and the midwife held a mirror there for me to see my progress. At 4:20 a signal on the machine sounded and my epidural had run out. The midwife told me there was no time to get the anesthetist back and I had a good 20 minutes before it would wear off so I had better do some efficient pushing. Soon after my obstetrician came in and said lane was in distress and my levels weren’t good either so he needed to vacuum him out and I would need an episiotomy. At 4:52pm after 2 hours of pushing, lane Ketter was born: 8 pound 6 ounces at 38 weeks. I’m glad I didn’t wait until possibly 40 weeks!
As all new mums know, it’s challenging those first weeks (months even). Sleep deprivation, navigating breastfeeding and working out how to be a mum! Lane had a terrible tongue tie which he had cut at 7 weeks, we were in hospital as he has bronchiolitis at 4 weeks and were told he would need an operation when he’s 7 months old to remove a dermoid cyst from his skull. All these things can be so overwhelming. For me, baby blues began the day I left hospital and were super intense but didn’t leave until the 6 weeks postpartum mark. I guess the days just began to get easier and I would cry less, have a good day here and there until one day I felt ‘me’ again. The new version of me that was a mother.
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