So, morning of April 11th we had an ultrasound at 7:15am. Everything looked fine except the anmiotic fluid level was low (it rated a 6, normal being something like 10-11 or so we are told). It wasn't REALLY low (some have a 1 or 2 score) but low enough that we had to go to the Doctor's office when she opened at 8:30am. There, Dr. Harvey said that "scotter" (we'll call him that until he's named) needed to come out based on the low fluid level.
Nothing was happening on the labor front so we checked in to Swedish First Hill and were set to get a Cervidal supository (it's got proglastigens) to help ripen the cervix. Proglastigen is the hormone thought to help with this ripening. This was going to happen in the Triage area but that area (where all check-ins for births go first) was full so we went to an antipartum room (before labor). While there Scotter had a deceleration ("decel") where his heart rate goes down at the end of a contraction (these contractions were really minor - Yvonne only felt mild discomfort). That immediately got us into a "labor and delivery" room, which is much nicer.
In the L&D room Yvonne got the Cerividal, which is supposed to take 12 hours to work. So we waited 12 hours, which put us at 1am. When done, nothing much - still at 1cm but ripening. During those 12 hours we had a couple more decels, which prompted the doctor on call to suggest Pitocin (an artificial form of oxytocin - the hormone that causes contractions and other stuff like "love") to start contractions and see if Scotter could tolerate them. If not, C-section. Well, contractons started and he was fine during them. It just seemed to be certain positions that caused the decels so Yvonne avoided those positions.
Fast forward to 12 noon on April 12th. Contractions were 60-90 seconds long and 2-3 minutes apart - and they hurt like hell (contractions, and especially ones from Pitocin, are known for that). After a few barfs from the pain (REALLY not pleasant) and Yvonne's water breaking after a Doctor check of her dilation (disappointingly still at 1 cm) we ordered an epidural, which was adminstered at about 1pm by a nice English anesthesiologist. Worked great. Yvonne's feeling better. Currently, we've got something in to spit back some clean saline solution into her uterus to provide Scooter with a bit of a cushion as well as all the usual monitors.
So here we sit, waiting out contractions and dilations. Where do we go from here? Tune in soon. So far the only part of our birth plan that we followed is that we want to have a birth. I guess that's the important part. We are, however, realists so we're doing fine right now.
steved
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