10 hours into labor

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey and perhaps the last solitary adventure before life's responsibilities profoundly change a woman. Although she will emerge safe, her body will inevitably be transformed. 

After spending nine months awaiting my baby's arrival, it was finally time to welcome him into the world. My 36th week ultrasound indicated that all was well & my pregnancy was proceeding as per plan. The radiologist suggested we opt for delivering the baby sooner instead of waiting for entire 40 weeks to complete citing if baby's weight increases chances of normal delivery goes down. However, my obstetrician suggested to wait. 

Unexpectedly, events took a different turn. On January 21st, I craved Aloo Tikki (an Indian street food) and asked my mother to prepare at home. After eating seven of them, my blood pressure spiked. I informed my doctor & she asked that I visit her the next day. Both my mother & mother-in-law, in slight worry, accompanied me to the clinic & the doctor consulted them to determine whether to pursue normal delivery or opt for the surgical route and both were confident about proceeding with a normal delivery since my health was stable and conditions were favourable. 

I was admitted at midnight and induced with the first pill to cause contractions & signal my body for a vaginal delivery. Second pill was administered 2 hours later & contractions began soon later, amniotic water broke at around 4 am. By 6 am I was 5 cm dilated but unable to endure pain any longer, I opted for an epidural. My dilation increased to 6cm but did not progress any further. Although, I entered into active labor, my baby stationed at -3 and did not descend. Despite the epidural, I felt intense pressure and could not tolerate it any longer (yes, you read it right, epidural failed on my body)- 10 hours had already passed. By noon, I requested surgery; the doctor consulted my family and at 12.55 pm my baby was born. I finally met my baby. The doctor brought him to me & announced that it was a baby boy. 

I was overwhelmed with exhaustion and tears. 

Citing a few observations:

• During labor, the nurses and doctors in the room were occupied with their cell phones, seemingly indifferent to my distress, as dealing with labouring women is a daily routine for them 
• When I inquired why I was still experiencing severe pressure despite having an epidural, staff had no explanation and only suggested, unconvincingly, that the baby might be descending, even though he remained at Station -3
• They kept permuting with contraction degrees but the baby didn't descend- no biological answer to this 
• Every doctor performed an internal examination though change seemed unlikely in such short intervals 
• There was no medical emergency necessitating surgery- only a failed epidural and my own exhaustion. Ultimately, I could not endure, and no doctor was willing to take responsibility for the decision, as surgery was always an available & safe recourse

Some questions still hound me: was an induced labor really needed? could we have waited for the baby to naturally signal the body for his arrival? why did the epidural did not work & what was the pressure actually? 

But the beauty is, I met my life, I met my love, I met my destiny