In the quiet late hours of Monday night, Larisha, a 20-year-old first-time Spanish mom at 37.5 weeks pregnant stepped into the hospital, her anticipation tinged with nervousness. This was the night she would begin her induction because of cholestasis. As she settled into her room, the impending joy of meeting her newborn mingled with the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
Monday night unfolded with the initiation of labor using a cook catheter – two balloons strategically placed within her, one in her vagina and the other in her cervix, a mechanical dance of dilation. The doctor's words echoed in the room, "This will stay in for 12 hours or fall out at 5cm." The pain began to weave its way into the night, prompting an early morning plea for an epidural.
Tuesday dawned with the continuation of labor, fatigue starting to shadow her determination. Despite the early epidural, the pain persisted. The cook catheter exited the stage, making way for Pitocin. After breaking her water in the afternoon, she discovered she had reached 6cm. Yet, a sense of discouragement crept in, and thoughts of a C-section flickered in her mind.
Around 5 pm, the progress climbed to 8cm, but time seemed to freeze thereafter. Comfort remained elusive even with an epidural. The nurse's efforts found success as Larisha finally discovered relief on her left side. By 11 pm, she was at 9.5cm, a surge of excitement pulsating through the room.
The doctor prescribed an unconventional "princess pose" to coax the final 0.5cm dilation. Less than an hour later, increased pressure signaled the moment. At last, Larisha was at 10cm, ready to embrace the pushing stage. But as practice pushes commenced, a sudden turn of events unfolded – bleeding. The doctors maintained composure, attempting to mend what appeared to be a cut or laceration.
Facing the stark reality that repairs had to wait until after delivery, Larisha mustered strength for the final push. Fatigue weighed on her, prompting the doctor to introduce a vacuum to aid the birth. With each tug, a sense of urgency filled the room. The vacuum's reappearance, a brief pause, and then, with a determined push, Larisha's beautiful baby emerged into the world, a testament to resilience in the face of unexpected challenges.
Larisha sustained several lacerations during her childbirth which included a 3rd degree laceration and deep left sulcal laceration. Due to the extent of the tears and the amount of blood loss, Larisha was informed she would need to receive a blood transfusion.
Now this is her birth, your story is unique to you. I’d love to hear your story and share it with those who can relate or who can empathize. Let’s come together and share our stories of birth. Let us learn from one another and prepare the generations to come.
Monday night unfolded with the initiation of labor using a cook catheter – two balloons strategically placed within her, one in her vagina and the other in her cervix, a mechanical dance of dilation. The doctor's words echoed in the room, "This will stay in for 12 hours or fall out at 5cm." The pain began to weave its way into the night, prompting an early morning plea for an epidural.
Tuesday dawned with the continuation of labor, fatigue starting to shadow her determination. Despite the early epidural, the pain persisted. The cook catheter exited the stage, making way for Pitocin. After breaking her water in the afternoon, she discovered she had reached 6cm. Yet, a sense of discouragement crept in, and thoughts of a C-section flickered in her mind.
Around 5 pm, the progress climbed to 8cm, but time seemed to freeze thereafter. Comfort remained elusive even with an epidural. The nurse's efforts found success as Larisha finally discovered relief on her left side. By 11 pm, she was at 9.5cm, a surge of excitement pulsating through the room.
The doctor prescribed an unconventional "princess pose" to coax the final 0.5cm dilation. Less than an hour later, increased pressure signaled the moment. At last, Larisha was at 10cm, ready to embrace the pushing stage. But as practice pushes commenced, a sudden turn of events unfolded – bleeding. The doctors maintained composure, attempting to mend what appeared to be a cut or laceration.
Facing the stark reality that repairs had to wait until after delivery, Larisha mustered strength for the final push. Fatigue weighed on her, prompting the doctor to introduce a vacuum to aid the birth. With each tug, a sense of urgency filled the room. The vacuum's reappearance, a brief pause, and then, with a determined push, Larisha's beautiful baby emerged into the world, a testament to resilience in the face of unexpected challenges.
Larisha sustained several lacerations during her childbirth which included a 3rd degree laceration and deep left sulcal laceration. Due to the extent of the tears and the amount of blood loss, Larisha was informed she would need to receive a blood transfusion.
Now this is her birth, your story is unique to you. I’d love to hear your story and share it with those who can relate or who can empathize. Let’s come together and share our stories of birth. Let us learn from one another and prepare the generations to come.
What’s your birth story? If you have one that is personal to you or one that you think others might need to hear, reach out and share it with me. I would love to partner with you in getting the story out.