the induction that wasn’t (birth story part 2)

I had a feeling in my gut all weekend that I had kept to myself. I just had that mother’s intuition they talk about. I knew that my baby wasn’t being  born on Monday. We hadn’t talked directly to the doctor after the appointment. A nurse scheduled us for this induction – now she had been a fabulous nurse my entire pregnancy – SO awesome – but for some reason I just had that feeling. All weekend long we were happily telling people who asked “oh wow when are you due?” – “Monday!!!”  But in the back of my mind, I just knew it wouldn’t be happening.

Five am Monday morning came and we were up and jumping in the shower. Running around the house packing things and re-packing things. Happily talking about how our baby would be born this day. We took one last belly shot and a video of Lyle’s bedroom before he officially arrived. Off we went.

We arrived right on time at 7am, checked in with all the paperwork, were directed to our labor room, got changed into the gown and met our nurse. She asked a bazillion questions and I finally started to think to myself, this might actually be happening. Around 8am everything was set and we were told the doctor would be there soon in order to get things started. I had been told I would go straight to pitocin and they explained how it worked. They would slowly increase the amount of pitocin by 2ml every 15 minutes. We texted close family – woohoo here we go!

Then the doctor arrived.  Mind you this was not my doctor but someone else in the practice, I knew that it wouldn’t be my doctor that morning but I wasn’t concerned as my doctor was supposed to be on in the evening and I knew full well this was going to take all day – She asked a few odd questions – “what was the reason for the early induction?” “what exactly did Dr. K say to you?” “who scheduled this with you?” – Long story short because reliving it kinda sucks – we were too early for a non-medically necessary induction. Though there was a chance of shoulder dystocia and he was measuring very big – it still was not medically necessary and the hospital (and the practice) do not do inductions before 39 weeks. The nurse should never have scheduled me.

Yup – the nurse should never have scheduled the induction. Remember that mother’s intuition? No induction. Cue tears. So many tears. I had already told work I wasn’t coming back. I had told everyone I saw/texted/called/breathed next to that I was having a baby on Mondaaaaay! Oh it was the worst to get BACK in the car with all of our things, with our cute-as-can be car seat … empty. Huge let down. Speaking of huge, I was huge and uncomfortable and ready to have a baby. So ready.

The only good thing to come out of Monday was that while the doctor was waiting to hear directly from my doctor (just to be sure she wasn’t missing something medically necessary) she stripped my membranes. This was an experience. Imagine your typical cervical exams, but about 7 times worse. But as you’ll come to find out … the stripping did it’s job to get things started …

(how’s that for a cliffhanger!)

and because I can’t leave on such a sad note …