Planned Epidural Birth Report 6: Third Time's the Charm

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After two failed attempts where labor was pushed to the next day, the third day finally arrived. Shortly after 9:00 AM, they administered the labor-inducing drug and the epidural, and I waited for labor to progress.

🕒11:00
After the anesthesia took effect, I was dozing off, but before I knew it, my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart!
My cervix was 7cm dilated! They told me things were going smoothly.

At this point, the doctor informed me of the plan to perform an artificial rupture of membranes.
Although I had experienced high amniotic fluid leakage the day before, the baby was still wrapped in the membrane. Since the amniotic fluid was packed tightly on the side where the baby would emerge, the strategy was to artificially rupture the membrane to break the water and speed up the birth all at once.

🕒11:36
Membrane rupture.

After that, the midwife explained and instructed me on how to push. She said, "We'll do this once the baby descends a little further!"

At the midwife's signal,
Exhale once, take a deep breath in, and push!
…It's difficult. I didn't feel like I was making any progress.
I was putting in all my effort, but when they told me to relax for a moment, I started shaking uncontrollably.

The trick is to keep pushing without making a sound and holding your breath. It's the same feeling as passing a hard stool. Instead of pushing hard for just a split second, you have to keep pushing for a long, long time. It's just too exhausting.

On the second try, I pushed with all my might. They told me I was doing well, but the baby wouldn't come out. My muscles and my crotch hurt. I was tired. It hurt.

With my first child, it was a vacuum-assisted delivery, so even if I wasn't doing it very well, the doctor just pulled the baby out. I didn't have much trouble back then.

Around the third try, they performed an episiotomy. Before cutting, they applied an instrument and asked if it hurt; it did. I wonder if the local anesthesia didn't take effect there. They probably cut after administering local anesthesia.

On the third try, I summoned all my strength, but the baby still wouldn't come out. I didn't expect it to be this hard. The midwives were making fine adjustments to the height of the bed and the position of my legs. They said, "I can already see the hair."

On the fourth try, still nothing. "Just a little more," "I can touch the head now."

🕒12:12
Born!!!!!
I don't remember which push it was.
I heard the baby cry as soon as they came out.

On the third delivery, I was finally, finally able to meet my baby.
I'm so glad!!!

While they were stitching up the episiotomy, the midwife took a picture of the baby, so I immediately reported the news to my family.

【The Difficulties of Planned Epidural Birth】
The doctors and midwives involved this time were all wonderful people, and I have nothing but respect and gratitude for them. It seems the midwife in charge of my first delivery and the one in charge of my second delivery both came on shift in the afternoon and made a point to come and say hello to me 😊

On the other hand, I reflected that I need to be a bit more careful about how I choose a hospital.

Especially since it is so difficult to decide on a date in advance.
One midwife said that if the first child was born at 40 weeks, the second and third often follow suit. However, if labor starts before the scheduled date, you can't have an epidural. It's truly a difficult gamble.

I really wish there was a hospital that would look at the state of my body and decide on a good day together with me. Also, one that provides care at night.

By the way, I asked the midwife if the reason it was so hard was because I had experienced pain until the anesthesia was administered today, whereas I had it easy during the first and second days without much pain. She said that wasn't the issue. It was likely because my body wasn't prepared from the start. Her view was that because my cervix had softened and prepared over the course of two days, things went smoothly on the third day.

Good job, me!!