Birth Story Part 2: A Small (COVID) World

It had been 24 hours, I'd been given four doses of the cervical ripening drug, had 3 different shifts of nurses, but was only 1 cm closer to meeting our baby boy. My nurse finally started the pitocin. I thought to myself It's go time!! She then let me know that while she'd be staying for the next shift, she had to go back to her charge nurse duties. She advocated really well for me to my OBGYN (especially when she pushed him to let me eat my glorious wrap - the only thing I had besides beef broth & apple juice the entire stay), listened to me about wanting to keep moving and prolong utilization of an epidural if possible, and made me feel more comfortable.

Part of the reason I didn't want to do an epidural was because of the catheter, which I shared with my nurse. The other reason was because epidurals can be said to slow things down. She had watched how attentive my husband was and knew I was committed to moving as much as possible, even if I ended up using an epidural as a tool for labor. She said that would be okay, and I wouldn't have to have a catheter (this is important for part 3). At this point we had both come to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to be a part of my delivery. Little did I know, neither my next nurse nor the shift after her would be a part of my delivery.

At 6 PM my OBGYN returned to place my foley balloon. He said it was going to be uncomfortable and explained that once it was placed they would use saline to blow up a balloon on the inside and outside of my cervix. Then there was a long tube that hung down on the outside. Ideally it would fall out once I was 3-6 cm. It was uncomfortable that was for sure, but I knew I could get through the pain. It was going to be over soon. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and just kept telling myself to breathe through it. After a while my husband came over to hold my hand, which made me want to start crying instantly. I kept it together until everyone had left the room then I started crying.

I learned later that a lot of women go ahead and get the epidural before the foley and many times soon after they start on pitocin. The closest thing I can relate it to is if you've ever had the procedure that follows an abnormal pap smear where they "scrape" your cervix and take biopsies, but worse. My doctor and I had discussed earlier that the epidural could slow down progress, so I was bound and determined to hold out on that epidural as long as I could.

We continued to walk the halls with my IV pole and the foley hanging from my vagina down to my knees. I turned to my husband and said, "I now know what it's like to be a man." We laughed at that realization as we did our usual laps. My new nurse was so nice. She came in to tug on the foley and was hopeful that it would fall out soon. After watching me closely, she gave me the look and said, "what is your pain level?" - I quickly responded a 3 or 4. She laughed and asked me again with raised eyebrows, "what is your ACTUAL pain level?" Apparently contractions while on pitocin are said to be far more painful and intense than contractions with “natural” labor. The fact that I said my pain was only a 4 at that point was, indeed, laughable.

We then decided, after 30 hours of contractions, to do some pain meds to take the edge off so I could get some rest. I made it this long without an epidural, and I was hopeful I would be to 6 cm's soon. In my head that meant I'd move into the active labor stage where labor would really start progressing. Only a few more hours I hoped. Maybe we'd have a baby in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning. I'm not sure if it was the pain or the pain meds, but I instantly started projectile vomiting over and over again. That was really fun. Next up: anti-nausea meds - they helped enough for me to get some rest.

I awoke from my slumber to see a text from my mom stating, "{Linda} had a foley. It really helped things to move along for her. Her water broke with it." This was going to work. My heart grew two sizes when I realized my favorite movie was on - the, the, the, the GRINCH. Maybe I’ll deliver my baby to my favorite movie! What a fun story that would be! The movie ended. Later it is. I poked my stomach and said, “any day now, little man.” Throughout the night, each time my nurse came in to check my foley, she said it felt looser. I was hopeful.

We chit-chatted, and I kept thinking that her voice sounded so familiar. It wasn't until she tugged on my foley for probably the 5th time that it all came rushing back to me. I remembered how I knew her voice. I casually worked COVID into the conversation by asking about the double-gloving technique that happened at each. and. every. cervical check and then slid in the fact that I contracted at our health department in Epidemiology. She immediately exclaimed,

"I knew your name sounded familiar!!"

We both smiled from ear to ear - well, until the next contraction hit. Yowch! What a small world - another good sign! We reminisced like old friends, laughing about our shared experiences. The familiarity was comforting to me and helped to pass the time.

6 AM Monday: It had now been 12 hours since we placed the foley. 12 hours of me getting wrapped up in my IV & pitocin tubing trying to find the best way to move the foley balloon and not pee on myself. Still no mucous plug. It was time to remove it - it hadn't fallen out. I knew that meant I probably wasn't even at a 3 and that was infuriating. My husband tried to reassure me (and probably himself) that I was further along than I thought. 36 hours in the hospital, and I was barely dilated. Welp here goes another cervical check - My nurse friend double gloved and said I was 4-5 cm in one direction and a 2 in the other. Wait. What?! She explained that because it was a "mechanical" or forced dilation that it doesn't dilate the same way all around. Good news. I'll take it. The doctor would be in soon, a new shift would be on soon, we'd have an action plan soon, and hopefully a baby soon.

Part 3 up next…

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