My First Birth Experience: A Wild Ride I'll Never Forget

I'm still trying to process my first birth experience as I prepare for my second. It was a crazy rollercoaster ride, and I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong and what I could've done differently. I was induced and had to go through all sorts of labor stimulation, including an amniotomy.

Before the amniotomy, I had a Foley catheter inserted to prep my cervix, which I wrote about in a separate review here.

I also wrote more about the reasons behind the need for labor stimulation here. To cut to the chase, I had high blood pressure (around 130-140) and swelling throughout my pregnancy, which led my doctors to convince me that it wasn't safe to go past 39 weeks. I trusted their expertise, and we had a plan in place: they'd prep my cervix with the Foley catheter, move me to the labor ward, perform the amniotomy, and then wait for labor to start. If it didn't, they'd administer oxytocin to stimulate contractions. After all that, I'd give birth. But, as you can guess, things didn't go according to plan.

The Foley catheter, which I had for nearly a day, didn't work as intended and caused me a lot of discomfort and pain. It was a major setback, and I was exhausted from lack of sleep. Despite all this, they moved me to the labor ward, removed the catheter, and had me sign the consent for the amniotomy. What's an amniotomy, you ask?

The fetus is surrounded by an amniotic sac, a membrane filled with amniotic fluid. During labor, this sac helps to dilate the cervix, which is necessary for the baby's birth.

An amniotomy is the artificial rupture of the amniotic sac.

How is an amniotomy performed?

It's a simple procedure that takes place in an outpatient setting. A doctor performs the amniotomy using a specialized instrument called an amniotome. The woman doesn't feel any pain during or after the procedure, as the membrane is devoid of pain receptors.

The doctor breaks the sac with the amniotome, and the amniotic fluid flows out.

That's exactly what happened to me. The doctor had me sit in a birthing chair and put my legs on a stirrup. I'm not sure what it's called, but it's a mix of a hospital bed and a gynecological chair. Below are some screenshots from the video I took in the delivery room.

The doctor then inserted the amniotome, which looks like a long spica with a hook on the end. She broke the amniotic sac a few times, and the fluid started flowing. It was a lot of warm, clear water, which was a relief for both the doctor and me, as it meant the baby was healthy and there were no signs of infection or meconium.

I have to say, the actual breaking of the water bag and the subsequent release of the amniotic fluid were painless, as the water bag doesn't have any nerve endings. However, since my cervix wasn't fully dilated, the process of accessing the bag was painful and uncomfortable. I remember clenching my teeth and digging my nails into the bed. It's worth noting that an undilated cervix raises questions about the efficacy of amniotomy, but the hospital I was in followed a strict protocol.

After that, I was given a short break, during which I had to put on those ridiculous adult diapers, aka partogram pants, because only a portion of the amniotic fluid comes out during the procedure, and the rest keeps flowing, especially when you move around. Then I waited for labor to start, but I never got the natural onset, and they ended up giving me oxytocin. Fast forward, and I'll say that after 12 hours of labor without any cervical dilation, I was rushed into an emergency C-section.

So, why did they give me 12 hours to deliver? Apparently, that's the amount of time it's considered safe for the baby to stay in the womb without amniotic fluid. After that, the risk of infection skyrockets. I later looked into it and found out that you can wait up to 48 hours, but after 18 hours, antibiotics are mandatory. No one told me any of this, and to be honest, it felt like they were just trying to get rid of me as quickly as possible and weren't interested in waiting for a natural delivery, which, by the way, was going smoothly (CTG scans were always fine). But, as it turned out, and I was relieved that it was all over (even if it was a C-section), I finally got to meet my son. The thing is, my baby had some scratches on his head from the amniotomy procedure, which is a common occurrence since the baby's head is already low when the water bag is broken, and the doctor might touch the baby's head. Luckily, they were minor and healed quickly.

Red marks on the baby's head - a common side effect of amniotomyIn my case, amniotomy turned out to be a harmless but completely useless procedure. In fact, it's generally easier to just let the waters break naturally during labor. I know that many women have found amniotomy helpful in inducing labor or speeding up the process, but the doctor should first ensure that the woman's body is at least somewhat ready for it. In my case, amniotomy didn't help induce labor, and all the other interventions just led me to a C-section, which wasn't indicated in the first place.