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From: Jenn
Email: taylorluv3@aol.com
Category: Induction/Pitocin
Date: 08 Jun 2001
Hello, I also had an induced labor. I was 42 weeks pregnant when they finally decided to induce my labor. At 42 weeks, I was only about a fingertip dilated they said, and I had problems with my urine (sugar levels were high) and they thought the whole time that I was on the verge of having toxemia. I had to quit work when i was about 6 months pregnant, but anyway, they still let me go way past my due date. I guess this is as much as a complaint about my doctors as it is about a post about pitocin. Anyway, they gave me a pill ( I have no idea what it is) in my cervix on a Thursday about noon. At 5pm, I had small contractions and had gotten nowhere. My midwife told me that my cervix was just like I had just gotten pregnant. They sent me home, believe it or not. With being overdue, and I had problems the whole time that I was pregnant, I didn't feel that this was right, but you know, you trust your doctor. I also felt like my water was leaking from about 30 weeks..my doctor told me that it was urine, that the baby was on my bladder, and that they didn't need to do a test. again, I trusted the doctor. Anyway, when i left the hospital on that Thursday, they told me that they thought labor would speed up and Id be back the weekend. If not, to call the hospital Monday morning and see if they could fit me in for another induction. Well, I had to call them Monday because by Sunday I stopped having contractions. At 8am they gave me another pill in my cervix. About 12 they gave me another. This brought me to all of about 2 cm. They told me to walk. I did. They told me to take a hot shower. I did. And got nowhere. Finally, about 3pm they broke my water. And nothing came out. No water, just some mucus. All I heard was the midwife say, "this baby has no water!" I felt like screaming..Yeah, I told you that 12 weeks ago! They decided that it must be back behind the baby, that when she came out, so would her water. Well, breaking my water got me to about 5 cm, and I had contractions so hard, I felt like I couldn't stand them. So I opted to have an epidural. I felt so much better..for awhile. The medicine in the epidural made me sleep. I fell asleep and woke up and heard the doctor say something about the babies heart rate just dropped to 30 something..my blood pressure was about 90/30..i could hear them, but it was like...I felt so out of it, like this wasn't really me that they were talking about...I heard the doctor say, lets wait and see what happens...my mom was crying and then my b/p picked up and so did her heart rate...I fell back asleep for awhile, with an iv in my arm. I asked my mom what it was, and she said that they had started me on pitocin. I started to cry because I hadn't wanted that. My mom had that with my brother, and told me how rough it was on her, and him (He does have some disorders) and I just cried. She said that she had told the nurse that I hadn't wanted that, but she said by the time that she told her that the nurse replied, "well, that's what the dr wants, and its in now". So, pretty much saying you know, we don't care. Lets just get this job done. I must say that pitocin was the only thing that made me dilate. I jumped from 6cm to 10 in an hour. I pushed for another hour, and my daughter was finally born. But I feel that I should've had the choice to deny that (they could've asked my mom how I felt about it) and that if I couldn't dilate with the meds they already gave me, then I would've chosen a c-section over the pitocin. When my epidural wore off, I felt like a truck had hit me. I had to deliver my daughter with an oxygen mask on, blood pressure cuff on my arm, and a monitor attached to her head( I have no memory of them attaching this monitor). I don't know if the reasons were because of a reaction to the pitocin or the epidural. By the way, when Taylor was born, NO water followed her. She was completely dry. Her placenta was old, and non functional (they don't know for how long) and it was grey and old, not red with veins like it should be. Her cord was tied in 3 complete knots, like a piece of string (my little gymnast!) and I just don't feel like my birth experience was anything that I wanted. She is a beautiful 18 month little girl now, and so far I don't see any problems. But you never know. If I ever have more children, I will make sure pitocin is not part of the birth story.
Just for the record, all information posted here are personal experiences/stories. There are no Doctors/Nurses answering questions on the board. This board is for sharing stories so we can learn from each other! If you have any problems with the board, please email me at Angela4KP1@comcast.net