My induced labour pains and delivery story
Friday, June 03, 2016 Jes Familytalk 17 Comments

As time draws nearer to my estimated delivery date, I wondered about many possible scenarios when contraction comes. Would it be a sudden water bag break while I was out shopping, or an excruciating pain that escalated so quickly even before I reach the hospital?

This image definitely popped into my mind

Thankfully it was not so dramatic.

At Week 38, I went for a check up as usual. My gynaecologist actually told me he was going for a holiday the next week. I could feel that the delivery was imminent because I kept having some contractions at night and could not sleep well for the past week. I even had to wake up to pee 3 times, like it was a rehearsal to wake up and feed the baby. I guess you could call it 'lightening' where the baby's head is engaged for delivery, restricting room for my bladder.

Now, I could go with a substitute gynae or choose to induce labour that fateful night. I was 2cm dilated so this option was given to me. If I was not dilated at all, I could not choose it as my baby was not too big nor was there any complications.

The main questions in my mind are, are there any complications for induced labour and should I leave it to happen naturally? After deliberating for a few hours, I decided to do it.

One, I am already comfortable with this gynae.
Two, I have some time to inform my employer and family about it and get ready the things to go to the hospital.
Three, Most importantly, I can get myself mentally prepared.

Prepared = Make (someone) ready or able to do or deal with something.

All in all, it was not so bad.

The gynae informed me it will be the same just that there will be 3 more steps to bring forward my labour:
1) Via chemical induction
Which means a prostaglandins pill will be inserted to give you the hormones needed to dilate the cervix further. My dilation only got up to 3cm.
2) Via breaking the water bag
A painless procedure to accelerate things. Seems like contractions are still manageable and not coming on fast enough. Up till then, I could walk around and joke and eat. Moving on...
3) Via oxytocin IV drip
The most scary part where contractions might come on strongly and therefore, it might be the most painful. After 1.5 hours on the drip, the pain became unbearable. The nurse checked and I am 8cm dilated now!

10cm is needed to start labour and my baby is incoming!

Contractions happen in waves but during this phase, it seems like the painful part is far too long while the non-painful part is just too short. I have been mentally prepared not to take epidural and pethidine but I could take laughing gas. The gynae asked me to keep breathing through even during the non painful part since it is a 'legal high'. Thus, most of the time I was kind of dazed and 'high' until the contractions start.

The painful part only took 1.5hours and although it was shorter than average, it really traumatized me. The pain knocked me out and I honestly drifted off when it was too unbearable. The gynae did not even have to say push because it was so painful, your own body just started contracting and eager to get rid of whatever is causing it.

Being 'high' feels like I am looking at myself in labour from somewhere high up, with the gynae's voice in my ear only, giving me instructions. Kind of surreal. If you have experienced pain that knocked you out, then that is the pain I was talking about, totally an out of body experience. Adding to the fact that my baby was quite big at 3.24kg, I believed I really had a more painful labour. My friends who did not have epidural but have babies smaller than 3kg thought that the labour was quite manageable. Sickening, haha.