Kelly"s Birth
Updated June 10, 2015.
This story begins with pre-pregnancy. Kelly was a much planned for baby for a few years before she was even a sparkle in her Mother and Father's eye. I have four children one of which I had Insulin Dependent Gestational Diabetes with. I wanted to have more children and knew that I would have to deal with this again. We got pregnant on our first try with In Vitro. Our previous son, Cameron was conceived through In Vitro also.
I found out I was pregnant and was very overjoyed. I was prepared for the pregnancy and hoped to make it better than my last. Even with Insulin Dependent Gestational Diabetes. Only thing I wasn't prepared for was the onset was much earlier than my previous pregnancy. I began insulin at 12 weeks.
My previous baby was born via C-Section due to Macrosomia. He weighed 11 lbs and 3 oz. I knew that if I kept with the diet and insulin that I would not have a huge baby. So on with the diet and insulin. My goal was to keep the baby's size down and hopefully go into labor on my own. I wanted to know what it was like to go into labor and not have pitocin.
My three previous babies were either induced or augmented with Pitocin. As we were approaching the due date, all tests were showing that she was fine and of normal size. I had twice weekly NST's (Non Stress Tests) and AFI's (Amniotic Fluid Index) tests. All were great. One nurse did however say that I had a decrease of fluid and was concerned. More on that later.
My due date approached and I asked if I could go another week in hopes that I would go into labor on my own. OB agreed. I thought for sure that I would have contractions and so forth, but by the next week nothing was going on. I had JUST gotten to 1 cm. Insulin Dependent GDM has many risks. One was the function of the placenta could stop resulting in placenta failure and stillborn. That was why all the NST's. When it came time to decide if I would consent to an induction I reluctantly agreed feeling that this was what was best for my baby. Afterall, I did make it an entire week overdue which is NOT bad for a diabetic.
So Induction day (6/7/99) rolls around. I'm instructed to report to L&D with my orders in my hand at 7:30am Monday morning. I'm really apprehensive since my last induction was during a span of four days and I had a c/s anyway.
We get settled into my room. We meaning my husband, Bill. My Doula Sue , and myself. They are very nice to be sensitive to my needs with the monitors. The L&D nurse made sure I wasn't on them any longer than I had to be. She found out that I'm a clock watcher!!! I had my first application of P-Gel and asked her about my status. I'm 1 cm, 0% effaced, my cervix isn't too soft, baby is head down, and cervix is almost in an Anterior position. At the 2nd application I continued to have contractions on my own for several hours. This brought me to 1+ cm, -2 station, 30% effaced. An hour later the 2nd dose of P-Gel is given. With this exam I am 2cm, -2 station, 30% effaced. We are encouraged to walk the halls. We do so leisurely and this results in some contractions.
So after all that walking I progress another centimeter. Monday night at 10:20pm I get another dose of P-Gel and we all get some much needed sleep for the next day. The contractions just about stop. I am impressed with my nurses sensitivity to my needs. I had drawn up a birth plan, but did not give it to them. They seem to be just as committed to me having a VBAC as I am. They all have studied my previous birth and remind me often that this is so much more different. After she got past -2 station, I relax. Cameron never made it past -5. Things certainly do seem different. (6/8/99) At 4:15am it's rise and shine. I get back on the monitors for a test strip and the endocrinologists orders hourly Blood Glucose Tests. I think this was the most annoying part. He also orders an IV push of insulin as needed. At 5:00am the IV is started and pitocin is started at the lowest dose. 5:35am my water breaks. Remember one of the nurses say I had such low levels of fluid. I change positions and noticed my water had broken. There is water coming out that is clear.
This story begins with pre-pregnancy. Kelly was a much planned for baby for a few years before she was even a sparkle in her Mother and Father's eye. I have four children one of which I had Insulin Dependent Gestational Diabetes with. I wanted to have more children and knew that I would have to deal with this again. We got pregnant on our first try with In Vitro. Our previous son, Cameron was conceived through In Vitro also.
I found out I was pregnant and was very overjoyed. I was prepared for the pregnancy and hoped to make it better than my last. Even with Insulin Dependent Gestational Diabetes. Only thing I wasn't prepared for was the onset was much earlier than my previous pregnancy. I began insulin at 12 weeks.
My previous baby was born via C-Section due to Macrosomia. He weighed 11 lbs and 3 oz. I knew that if I kept with the diet and insulin that I would not have a huge baby. So on with the diet and insulin. My goal was to keep the baby's size down and hopefully go into labor on my own. I wanted to know what it was like to go into labor and not have pitocin.
My three previous babies were either induced or augmented with Pitocin. As we were approaching the due date, all tests were showing that she was fine and of normal size. I had twice weekly NST's (Non Stress Tests) and AFI's (Amniotic Fluid Index) tests. All were great. One nurse did however say that I had a decrease of fluid and was concerned. More on that later.
My due date approached and I asked if I could go another week in hopes that I would go into labor on my own. OB agreed. I thought for sure that I would have contractions and so forth, but by the next week nothing was going on. I had JUST gotten to 1 cm. Insulin Dependent GDM has many risks. One was the function of the placenta could stop resulting in placenta failure and stillborn. That was why all the NST's. When it came time to decide if I would consent to an induction I reluctantly agreed feeling that this was what was best for my baby. Afterall, I did make it an entire week overdue which is NOT bad for a diabetic.
So Induction day (6/7/99) rolls around. I'm instructed to report to L&D with my orders in my hand at 7:30am Monday morning. I'm really apprehensive since my last induction was during a span of four days and I had a c/s anyway.
We get settled into my room. We meaning my husband, Bill. My Doula Sue , and myself. They are very nice to be sensitive to my needs with the monitors. The L&D nurse made sure I wasn't on them any longer than I had to be. She found out that I'm a clock watcher!!! I had my first application of P-Gel and asked her about my status. I'm 1 cm, 0% effaced, my cervix isn't too soft, baby is head down, and cervix is almost in an Anterior position. At the 2nd application I continued to have contractions on my own for several hours. This brought me to 1+ cm, -2 station, 30% effaced. An hour later the 2nd dose of P-Gel is given. With this exam I am 2cm, -2 station, 30% effaced. We are encouraged to walk the halls. We do so leisurely and this results in some contractions.
So after all that walking I progress another centimeter. Monday night at 10:20pm I get another dose of P-Gel and we all get some much needed sleep for the next day. The contractions just about stop. I am impressed with my nurses sensitivity to my needs. I had drawn up a birth plan, but did not give it to them. They seem to be just as committed to me having a VBAC as I am. They all have studied my previous birth and remind me often that this is so much more different. After she got past -2 station, I relax. Cameron never made it past -5. Things certainly do seem different. (6/8/99) At 4:15am it's rise and shine. I get back on the monitors for a test strip and the endocrinologists orders hourly Blood Glucose Tests. I think this was the most annoying part. He also orders an IV push of insulin as needed. At 5:00am the IV is started and pitocin is started at the lowest dose. 5:35am my water breaks. Remember one of the nurses say I had such low levels of fluid. I change positions and noticed my water had broken. There is water coming out that is clear.
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