Dominick Michael is finally here at 41 weeks!

I loved reading other birth stories while pregnant so I figured I would add mine.

My baby boy was born on July 14th at 9:29pm at 41 weeks exactly via c-section. He weighed 8lb 12ozs and was 20.5 inches.

I tried every old wives tale out there to go into labor naturally. I ate eggplant, pineapple, spicy food, bounced on the ball, walked, and the doctor even stripped my membranes. Every week I went to the doctor and I progressed a little more. 37 week I was 1cm and 70%; 38 weeks 2cm and 70%; 39 weeks 2cm and 90%; 40 weeks 3cm and 90% and finally 41 weeks 3cm and 90%. The baby was always at -2 station. Each week the doctor told me she thought I would go before my next appointment and each week I was back for my next appointment. It was frustrating and towards the end I was so uncomfortable that my easy enjoyable pregnancy was starting to become torturous. The baby was doing ok and I went for 2 NST doing my 40th week. I use Women for Women and they induce at 41 weeks. They said the longest they wait is 10 days past due but at that point I was ready to have this baby. Plus I was having anxiety the more I waited because I was afraid something negative was going to happen to him since he was overdue.

I went in to Katz Women Center at 6:45am for a scheduled induction. Dr. Ostroff was the one on call. During my pregnancy, she was one of my least favorite doctors in the practice. I actually really preferred Dr. Bell however I love Dr. Ostroff after my labor experience and feel she did everything she could and I couldn't have asked for a better doctor. They finally brought me in the back around 7:30am and gave me an IV, toke my medical history, and got me set up. I didn't need cervadil and was started on pitocin. The labor and delivery nurses were amazing. My am nurse thought I would progress great because I was already 3cm and 90%. The contractions started but were tolerable. They continued to up the pitocin. At one point, it was almost like a constant pain and then my water broke on its own. Again, the nurse thought that was a great sign. After my water broke I had 2 contractions and knew I needed/wanted the epidural. Maybe if I was home and able to move around and without the pitocin I would have lasted longer but laying there the pain was so intense so fast. I was terrified of having the epidural but honestly it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. You feel a pinch from the lidocaine and after that nothing really else. I had breakthrough pain every 2 hours and they gave me a bolus which fixed the pain. So many people I spoke with told me there epidural didn't work for them. My advice is to speak up. After 3 bolus doses they ended up giving me a stronger concentration of medication which worked better. After the epidural they inserted a catheter and continued to increase the pitocin.

I progressed very slow. It toke hours to get to 4cm and 90% and then hours to get to 5cm and 100%. Around 3pm when they checked me and I was still 5cm and 100% I knew this was not going very well. I came in at 3cm and only progressed 2cm in 6 hours. Previously, the nurse said that usually people dilate 1cm an hour. The nurse and doctor assured me that with inductions labor is a little different and it takes longer to get to 5cm than the last 5cm. However, something inside me knew that the outcome was not going to be what my husband and I wanted - a vaginal delivery and I started to prep myself for the possibility of a c-section. At this point, I shed a couple of tears and mentally prepared myself.

At some point they came in to insert an internal device that measured how strong my contractions were to make sure they were accurately seeing the strength and to dose the pitocin correctly. Again, I knew that this was all signs that it was not going well. My contractions ended up being fine but the baby was still at a -1 to -2 station with me being 5cm and 100%. The doctor said that at some point we will reevaluate the plan but didn't give me a time frame. Around 8pm a resident came in to check me and then another doctor to confirm her assessment. I was still 5cm and 100% and I knew that this was going to be my final check. They called Dr. Ostroff who stepped out to grab dinner and she made the decision that it was time to prep for a c-section. Even though I was mentally preparing for hours at this point. The news was still upsetting and I cried a little. My husband who I know was scared to death was amazing and told me not to be scared and that I was so strong. That in a little while we would have our baby and this would all be over. Of course I was scared and I always automatically think to the future and was upset that I would have to deal with a possible VBAC or rerpeat section in the future but I knew I didn't want to wait if the doctor felt that it was time. I didn't want to object and then end up needing an emergency c-section.

They wheeled me into the OR and prepped me. I was so afraid I was going to feel something. My left leg went numb first and I kept saying I could still move my right leg thinking that the medicine wasn't working. They put the curtain up and I nervously asked if they were going to do a test poke first to make sure I couldn't feel anything and they told me it was already done. At some point my right arm went numb which scared me but I honestly think that the blood pressure cuff was too tight which was the reason for it because I had bruise marks where the cuff was. Then I started to shake or shiver which they told me was because of the surge of hormones but I read that it was because of the epidural medication. That was one of the most annoying parts. I heard the doctor ask for someone to get another doctor to help delivery his head. I asked if everything was ok and Dr. Ostroff assured me it was. Later in recovery I found out the cord was wrapped around his neck and she called in the on-call pediatrician to help unwrap the cord. He really was stuck in there and there was a lot of pressure and pushing but out he came crying. They said he cried and screamed most of the fluid out and needed very little suction. His apgar was 9/9. They wrapped him up and gave him to my husband to hold. He was absolutely perfect and adorable. They both sat by me for a while and then they both when to recovery where I would meet them. The stitching felt like it toke forever as I laid there waiting for it to be over. They gave me dermabond (I think that is what it is called) which is basically like crazy glue so I don't have any external stitches or staples.

They wheeled me into recovery where I met with my husband and son. I stayed there for 2 hours. I needed to be able to lift my butt up with my legs before I could go to my room. It was late but our parents and siblings came to meet our baby boy. The staff was all so nice and didn't say a thing about having 8 people in recovery with me. Finally, they got my room and I was brought up there. My husband stayed the first night and the next morning I got up and walked. Honestly, walking is so important and use the belly band to help support everything. Supposedly by law after a c-section you are allowed to stay 3-4 nights depending on how you feel. After 3 nights I wanted to go home. I couldn't sleep in the hospital and just wanted to leave. Unfortunately, Dominick had other plans for us. He became jaundice and needed to go under the phototherapy lights for 24 hours. At that point, I started to pump and give formula so we knew how much he was taking in. I knew I wanted to breastfeed but I was never opposed to supplementing especially since I knew he needed to eat well to pass the bilirubin.

The rooms are great and the staff for the most part are amazing. Only a couple nurses weren't the best but I really didn't need them for much. I toke percocet only twice and besides that toke motrin because everyone warned me about becoming constipated with the percocet. The nurses recommended colace which is a stool softener and I needed something for gas pains on my 3rd day the nurse also recommended drinking hot tea which helped get rid of the gas. Overall, recovery as been ok. There is some pain and stretching feeling in the beginning but the more you move the better it is. Walk, sit in the chair, lay in bed, walk some more, change positions - the more you move and not stay in one position for too long the better you will feel.

In the end, I don't know if I would have ever been able to deliver him vaginally regardless if we waited longer without major complications. He was sunny side up, the cord was wrapped around his neck, and he was kinda big. Not saying that you can't vaginally deliver a baby his size but with the combination of all 3 it just was not happening for us. Overall, it was not the experience I hoped for but none the less I got the most precious outcome regardless. My friend kept reminding me that you can't plan labor and you just need to roll with the punches everytime I texted her explaining my lack of progress or my fears which is really my advice for anyone now that I went through labor and delivery of a child. You can't plan anything and your goal should just be to delivery a healthy baby.

Re: Dominick Michael is finally here at 41 weeks!

Thank you for posting this. I use Women for Women also. Dr Ostroff is also not my absolute favorite, I as well am a Bell fan especially since she delivered my first.