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| I was the last person you would have expected to get gestational diabetes. I was not overweight, under 25, did not gain excess weight so far in my pregnancy, and I was eating well. My mother had gestational diabetes but she had all of the risk factors mentioned above, and my only risk factor was heredity. So I was shocked to find out that I had gestational diabetes when I got my one hour glucose test. Out the window went my dreams of a natural non-ivasive pregnancy and delivery. I had to poke myself four times a day, and do extra excercise to keep my blood sugar normal. Because babies of diabetics are much more likly to die than the the normal baby, if they go past their due date, my doctor scheduled an induction a couple of days before my due date.
I tried unsucessfully to do various things that are supposed to put you in labor about a week before my due date, but the baby wouldn't budge. I went to the hospital at midnight on October first, and they started the long tiring process. First they put a cervical sofener by my cervix. Their machine said that I was having contractions, but I could not feel them. They put me on an IV medication called pitocin, which is a synthetic form or your bodys natural hormone that causes contractions. They gave me more and more medication, but the baby still refused to come. The doctor was going to break my water, but I was not dialted far enough, and then when I was, the medicine was so high that they could not give me more. If he broke my water and the labor did not take within 24 hours, I would have to have a C-section. The doctor was talking about trying again in a few days. I was disappointed, so he said we would try for a few more hours. He was due back to check on me at 3:30 pm. It was approching 3:00, and I went to the bathroom. I was returning when the baby punched me in the bladder, this was a usual occurance, but this time my water broke. When the doctor returned he told me there was no turning back, not a comforting comment. Things quickly picked up pace. I soon had to get an epidural because the pitocin made the contractions so intense that there was no break in between them, and I was vomiting with every contraction for an hour. I could not feel much after the epidural, and was able to take a small nap. At 7:30 I was 7 centimeters dialated. At 8:45 I told the nurse that something felt different, and I thought it was time. She said, "I checked you only an hour ago, this is your first time you couldn't be totally dialated already."
I told her, "Believe me that I do not enjoy being checked, but I think I am ready."
So she checked me, and had to hurry to get the room ready, because I was right that it was time. When the doctor came in a little later, the baby was already in the birth canal. It took about a half an hour for him to crown, and he decided to stick his hand out making his shoulders wider. He was caught for a little bit, but finally emerged all 8 pounds 10 ounces of him at 9:43pm. I thought before I had him that I would never go through that again, but after seeing my beautiful baby boy, I changed my mind.
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