My first birth story: A 41 week induction and everything that surprised me

I have noticed that when it comes to birth stories, women tend to fall into one of two camps. There are moms who genuinely love hearing them and want every detail. And then there are moms who really do not care at all.

This post is for the first group.

The question that always surprises my husband

Not long after I had my first baby, I met up with a friend. Almost immediately she said, very enthusiastically, “Can you tell me your birth story?”

My husband was there too, and he laughed. It was such a foreign concept to him. Men just do not talk about birth this way. They never discuss what actually happens during labor and delivery in detail. But among women, especially moms, birth stories are intense and personal and somehow comforting to share.

So here is mine.

A mostly smooth pregnancy with one big unknown

Overall, my pregnancy was pretty smooth. I had some spotting and cramping in the first trimester, which was scary at the time, but it never turned into anything serious.

The only real complication came in the third trimester. My baby was breech for most of it. For weeks, we were watching and waiting, knowing that if he did not flip, my OB would attempt to turn him near the very end of pregnancy.

Week after week, I did every Spinning Babies exercise I could find, which meant I spent more time upside down than I ever expected to while pregnant.

Thankfully, at the final ultrasound before that step, he flipped on his own. It was a huge relief.

Dilated early and waiting anyway

I started dilating earlier than I expected. Around 37 weeks, I was already one centimeter dilated. At my 39 week appointment, they checked again and told me I was three centimeters.

My OB looked at me and said, very confidently, “You are probably going to go into labor tonight.”

I immediately panicked. On the drive home, every sensation in my body felt suspicious. I called my husband, who was about 45 minutes away at the grocery store, and told him he needed to come home immediately because I could go into labor at any minute.

He rushed home.

And then nothing happened.

Days passed. Then another week. At my 40 week appointment, I was four centimeters dilated. At that point, they scheduled my induction for 41 weeks.

That final week felt endless. I tried everything. Walking constantly. Yoga. Spicy food. Anything that might encourage labor to start on its own. None of it worked.

Heading into the induction

At 41 weeks, it was time for my induction.

The original plan was for just my husband to be in the delivery room. But my mom had flown in a few days after my due date to help once the baby arrived. We all assumed the baby would already be here by then. He was not.

It became clear my mom wanted to come to the hospital too. I love my mom, but I was not comfortable with her being there for the actual delivery. So we agreed she would come with us, and once things got intense, especially before pushing, she would step out so my husband and I could have that moment together.

Checking in and getting started

We arrived at the hospital around 9 p.m. My mom, my husband, and me.

I was about four and a half centimeters dilated. The nurse seemed optimistic and said it would likely be a straightforward induction using Pitocin.

They started the Pitocin around 10:30 p.m., increasing it gradually. At first, I did not feel much. By around 11 p.m., we decided to try to sleep while we could.

When labor became very real

Around 2 a.m., I woke up and knew immediately that this was it. These were real contractions.

When you are pregnant for the first time, especially in the final weeks, you spend so much time wondering if what you are feeling is labor. But once true contractions start, there is no mistaking it.

At first, the pain was stronger than period cramps but still manageable. Over the next few hours, things intensified quickly. The contractions started coming every one to three minutes. My husband kneaded my back through each one, which was surprisingly helpful. I sat on a yoga ball, rocking through the pain.

Then the pain became overwhelming. Unlike anything I had ever experienced, full body and all consuming.

Deciding on the epidural

I had gone back and forth during pregnancy about whether I wanted an epidural. I told myself that if I was under eight centimeters, I would get it. If I was eight or more, I would try to go without.

I do not really know why I picked eight. It was just a number I had in my head.

When they checked me, I was six and a half centimeters dilated. I immediately said yes to the epidural.

What I did not fully understand was how long that process takes. I assumed once I asked for it, an anesthesiologist would appear and I would be pain free ten minutes later. Instead, the nurse said, “Good news, the anesthesiologist is awake,” which somehow implied that was not always guaranteed.

It still took about 30 minutes for them to arrive and another 30 minutes to set everything up and administer the epidural. That hour was easily the hardest part of my labor. I was nauseous, delirious, and in debilitating pain.

During that time, my water broke. And unlike what people often say, it was not a small trickle. I heard an actual popping sound and felt a huge gush. It was exactly like the movies.

Relief and a brief rest

Once the epidural kicked in, relief washed over me. The pain disappeared almost entirely. It was 5 a.m., and I finally felt calm enough to try to sleep.

I slept for about two hours and woke up around 7 a.m. feeling contractions again. The epidural had worked perfectly on my right side, but it was wearing off on my left. I was back in pain, this time unevenly numb.

Waiting to push

By around 9 a.m., I felt an overwhelming urge to push. I was tensing up and telling the nurses I could not wait much longer. They checked me and confirmed I was close, but they were still waiting for my OB to arrive.

So I lay there in pain, contractions rolling in, epidural half working, being told not to push yet. I started telling the nurses that I was going to push whether they wanted me to or not. They begged me to hold off.

Finally, my OB arrived. She took one look and said it was time.

Meeting my baby

Pushing was quick. About five minutes and three strong pushes later, my baby was born.

I was exhausted, half numb, half in pain, and completely overwhelmed.

Nothing can prepare you for the moment when you see your baby fully out of your body and the medical team places him on your chest. It is completely surreal.

Side note: My mom ended up staying through the delivery. Labor is so all consuming that I truly did not care who was in the room. The pope himself could have been there. All modesty went out the window.

Do not forget about the placenta

After delivery, the placenta did not come out on its own. This was something I had never even heard of before. My OB had to manually remove it, which was a very intense and uncomfortable sensation. In hindsight, I am almost glad I did not know that was a possibility beforehand.

Then came stitching. I asked about tearing and was told it was normal for a first time mom. I believe I had a second degree tear, but I never got exact details.

And then suddenly, all of that was behind me. I had a baby.

Looking back on the experience

From start to finish, my labor was pretty textbook for a first baby. I went past 40 weeks. I was induced, labor progressed steadily, and pushing was quick. I started Pitocin around 10:30 p.m., and my baby was born just after 9 a.m. the next morning.

Overall, it was a positive experience. You really do black out after giving birth. In many ways, I struggle to remember the pain and the final pushing. It is all a blur. Women joke that this is why you are willing to do it again.

My second birth story was very different, and I will save that one for another post.