Let's do this already! (or Who knew induction could be so easy?)

I mean it.  Who know induction could be so easy?  Well, the doctors do.  BUT, you have to keep in mind that you must be favorable for an induction and its still not a guarantee that things will go smoothly.  I was one of the fortunate moms who had a successful induction.  Between my dilation and effacement and the fact that I have had a successful vaginal birth in the past, I was a great candidate for induction.  I knew I wouldn't have wanted it if the situation had been different.  My sister had just gone through a failed induction and a very traumatic delivery.  Granted, there were other underlying issues that made the delivery more frightening than it would have been, it still started with a failed induction.  She had no dilation and I don't believe that Audrey was even engaged at the time.  Knowing all of that, I knew that I wouldn't be OK with an induction unless my body was close to going into labor on its own anyway.

Well, that wasn't an issue for me.  By 35 weeks, I was past all of the prelabor work.  All that had to happen was a few real contractions and I would be in active labor.  So, at 36 weeks, Dr. Potter and I decided that if I made it to 38 weeks we would induce.  Jude was looking rather large and he measured around 2-4 weeks ahead at each sonogram after 20 weeks.  As for me, I was almost always measuring 3 weeks ahead in the last 3 months.  I was pretty big!  Although ultrasounds can be very inaccurate and your uterus measuring large doesn't automatically imply that you're carrying a large child, its worth considering your options.  Boy, am I glad we did!

On January 20th, we arrived at the hospital at around 6:30 in the morning.  Steve's parents picked Bella up to watch her for the day and then Steve went to grab some breakfast.  I sat in our room watching TV while the nurses came in and out of the room helping to set up my IV and take my stats.  The nurse who started to place my IV was very sweet.  She failed twice to get a vein to take.  After the second IV attempt, she said it was someone elses turn to torture me.  I felt bad that she felt so bad for not getting the IV in.  The second nurse finally found a spot that worked and, by 7:30, my delivery nurse (the 3rd nurse to help me out) started my pitocin.  The first nurse who attempted to place an IV told me to ask for my epidural whenever I started to feel some strong contractions, even if there wasn't much pain.  You better believe I listened to that! 

The anesthesiologist showed up sometime around 9 and it took him maybe 2 minutes to place my epidural.  That was the part I was most concerned about, and while it wasn't free of discomfort, it was a whole lot easier than I ever anticipated.  Shortly after that, Dr. Potter showed up to check on me and I was dilated to about a 6 and she broke my water.  It was really blissful just laying back and letting my body do its job.  With Bella, I had a hard time progressing due to her position and my body's reaction to the pain.  Neither of these factors were an issue this time.  After a while, my nurse sat my bed almost straight up so that Jude would put more pressure on my cervix and move further into the birth canal.  Well, around 12:30 or so, Dr. Potter came back to check on my after the nurse did and they both said it was time to start pushing.  I was kind of shocked it happened so fast.  I had felt the contractions in the top of my belly because the epidural was only numbing below my belly button while I sat straight up.  I just didn't imagine that they were doing that much work! 

Pushing was funny.  I figured I wasn't doing a very good job because I was so terrible at it when I had Bella.  It's true, I am not naturally good at pushing.  I would put pressure in other places than where I was supposed to.  Like my first couple of pushes had everyone laughing at me and the doctor and nurse told me to stop pushing in my cheeks.  I looked like a blow fish, I'm guessing.  After about 30 minutes of pushing, however, I finally mustered up enough of the right power in the right spot to push Jude out.  He just had to get past a protruding tailbone :).  I think the first thing that anyone said was about how large he was.  Steve cut his cord and I got to hold him on my stomach for a moment, then they went to clean him up on the warmer next to us.  Finally, the pediatric nurse weighed him.  8lbs and 15 oz.  Even my doctor was shocked.  We thought he was going to be big, but not THAT big!  Either way, I'm very glad we decided it was time for him to come out.  I am glad that it turned out to be so easy.  I am one very lucky mama!

Since then, it's felt like the same old routine.  I think we had a second child so quickly that it has been easy to slip into the newborn routine.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm excited to get the first two months out of the way and start seeing him become active (and hopefully wanting to sleep through the night!).  But until then, I'm going to enjoy all the worrying, excitement, and joy that comes with having a new baby!