37w3d – Failed induction

I’ll try to keep this short, as I’m pretty tired right now.

Friday, I went in for my second visit of the week – the agreement with my Dr., since I’ve passed 37 weeks now – and got weighed and peed, and was waiting to take the BP. Normally the nurse takes BP, then the “exam” happens. Well, this time the doctor got to me first, before taking BP. He lies me down, and again the membranes are stripped. Oh, I should mention I lost my plug during the “pee in a cup” portion of the visit. That’s just a gross thing to see when wiping.

Anyhow, he stripped my membranes again, and I find out I’m still at 2cm, high and thick. Ivy is at -3 or -4 or so — way up there. This is an uncomfortable experience, and was borderline painful. I sit back up for the BP, and it’s 140/100 — off to triage, and eventually into L&D.

While in triage, my BP readings are all fine, actually. A few 110s/50s, mostly 120s/70s. However, given the PIH, the doctor admits me for a pitocin drip to get induction rolling. I’m mostly OK with this, as there’s been progress on dilation this week (fingertip to 2cm during the week), and the plug is coming out.

So, over to L&D. Found out that today my veins didn’t want to cooperate, so I got stuck a LOT for blood and a drip. Got one in eventually, but not until after blowing one out on the back of my left hand. Still hurts. This is now around 4pm Friday. Appointment with doctor was 11:15. I’m hungry (breakfast at 8am was the last food) and I didn’t sleep well at all Thursday night.

They get the pitocin drip started. I am reminded how much I dislike those monitors which are strapped to my belly, under a big elastic band. The bed is about 3″ too short, it seems (I’m 5’10”). I now know what contractions feel like — they feel like a balloon being inflated inside me. Not painful per se, but varying degrees of uncomfortable.

Anyhow, here’s what happens over the course of time from 5pm until 8am:

1. Contractions every 1-2 minutes. Some “off the chart” most between 7 and 10 in intensity for early labor.
2. Internal exam every 2 hours (went from 2 to “it’s trying to be a 4”)
3. BP cuff from hell goes off every half hour.
4. No sleep.
5. Increasing tiredness.
6. Pain tolerance gradually sinking.
7. Someone asks “you haven’t slept yet? Try to get some sleep.” (uhhh, not with this freaking BP cuff crushing my arm to $^#&% every half hour)
8. Rinse and repeat.

Joey was there until 10pm, and I called him again to come back and help/support me around 4am. My BP (WITHOUT meds for a full day now) was awesome — 114/43 the lowest where I felt pukey, most in the 120/80 range, a couple 130s, and one 150/98 after one ROUGH internal at 3am where three people tried to reach my cervix (ARGH).

No cervical ripening was administered, because at the end of the appointment on Friday, my cervix was deemed receptive enough to pitocin alone. Twice, in L&D, I was at 40ML/hr on pitocin for more than a couple hours (that’s the max rate). I was >< that close to asking for an epidural just to get through the internals, which were all the same "3-4cm, station -4 or so (she's 'floating'), 50%, high and thick." There wasn't enough progress from 1am to 8am to break the waters, because her head was so far away from the birth canal, and I didn't make it to 4cm. So, long and short of it, my doc came in around 9:30, discussed the options: 1. Stay in L&D for monitoring after going off pitocin to give my uterus a rest) and see how things are on Sunday after taking something to ripen the cervix 2. Go home, and try again next week I chose option 2. This has been labelled a "failed induction." So, now I'm on STRICT bedrest, very tired and not looking forward to repeating the last 24 hours all over again 🙁 Good news, Ivy tolerated contractions very well, with no issues. She just didn't want to come out yet, apparently. Ugh. This sucked.