Labor Induction…

Hey Y’all! It’s been a while, but I have got some exciting (& kinda scary) news! I am officially “term” in this pregnancy, meaning I am 38 weeks. I know, everyone considers term differently, but by my OB’S word, I am at term and I’m sticking with it. Thank God for this, that I made it this far and that we are so close to meeting our baby girl!

I believe I’ve said this before, but I have had a fairly easy pregnancy this go-’round. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I really had no discomfort (that wasn’t to be expected/manageable) and my morning sickness was kept at bay very well with the help of my meds! That being said, about a week and a half ago, I started noticing some very uncomfortable, uncontrollable itchiness that would wake me from my sleep or keep me up all night. This was the second time I had experienced this; the first time it subsided within a couple of days.

At my 36/37 week appointment last week, I brought up this issue to my OB. After getting the details, she was concerned I might have a liver condition that some women develop during pregnancy, called cholestasis. I was sent to get labs the same day (Wednesday) and was told the results would take about a week to come back. If the results came back positive, we would need to schedule an induction for the safety of baby.

Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from my OB, who had to leave a voice mail because I was outside and I’d left my phone inside. She stated she had my results and to give them a call first thing in the morning on Wednesday, which I did. I spoke with my nurse, and she informed me that my bile acid levels (what the labs tested for) had come back high, which meant I do indeed have choleostasis of pregnancy and we will need to induce labor.

I had an appointment later that morning, so I talked more about it with my OB then. We decided on an induction date of Monday, 4/24/17. I’ve never been induced before, so I had lots of questions for her, which she answered all honestly. She also did a membrane sweep on me, which I’d never had done before. She said that it should help with the entire process, so here’s hoping!

Scheduling this labor induction was definitely not in my “plan”, but it’s medically necessary, so I have no problem with it. However, I am terrified. I have no idea what to expect. Will I progress quickly or will I be in labor all night/day?! Will the pitocin induced contractions be more intense than if I go into labor on my own? Will I progress and then stop? I read too much on the internet not to have all these questions. I know no one can answer them for me and I’ll just have to wait and see…but still!

I am excited, having a definite date to plan around/for. I’m also relieved that I will finally have some relief from this itching (the most annoying/intense itch of my life!!!). Most of all, I’m ready to meet our baby girl and excited to have a day to actually look forward to, fully aware I *may* go sooner, but no later than.

My emotions are all over the place right now, yet somehow I’m quite calm. We have most everything done and we’re all packed and ready to go. I’ve been cleaning like crazy and I’m ready to start our family of 5. I’m anxious and, excited, scared, ready, not ready and everything in between.

I know we’re doing what’s best and necessary for our tiny baby girl, so I’m fully on board with this. While I would have loved to labor at home as long as I could have, I’m excited for this new experience. I’m mentally prepared and open to the changes that may occur. I know that I’m strong, both mentally and physically and can get through anything.

Ladies, share your induction stories with me! I’d love to hear good and bad experiences. I enjoy reading birth stories, so link me to some good reads! Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for baby Kelynn’s birth story next month!
Xo,

K❤