Tuesday December 23rd, 2014 I was 40.6 and was scheduled for an appointment with my midwife. I really couldn't believe that I was still pregnant because I went into labor at 38.5 weeks with our first so I thought the same would happen this time around...wrong. So on this day I had a NST, an ultrasound, and regular checkup. She wanted to sweep my membranes on Friday bc the following Monday (41.5) they were planning on inducing me. I REALLY did not want to be induced, I was planning an all natural birth with no interventions, so all I could do was hope and pray our daughter came on her own before Monday.
So that Tuesday night after the appointment I started having mild contractions. They were around 10-12 minutes apart and were accompanied with a tightening of my stomach so I wasn't sure if they were real or Braxton Hicks. This lasted most of the night and I woke up Wednesday (Christmas Eve) morning, officially a week past my "due date." I got something to eat while I had an appetite in case I would be going into labor soon. The contractions stayed pretty much where they were most of the day and I went about my regular day. Around 4 o'clock I laid down for a nap, more out of frustration than actually being tired, and while in the bed I heard a kind of loud "pop" and was like what in the world was that? I later realized the "pop" sound was my water breaking but no water leaked out then because she quickly dropped down much lower into my pelvis and "plugged up the hole." I then went to the bathroom and my plug had dislodged, and it was a lot.
After that I had my first "real" contraction, and thought to myself, "whoaaa that was different from the rest of the contractions." I texted my husband and told him to please come home ASAP. Then called my doula and told her about the latest happenings, she wanted me to labor a bit longer and let her know how things were progressing. Labored at home with hubby for 30 minutes and I started to feel like it was time to leave to go to the hospital even though the plan was to labor at home much longer. My husband called the midwife and she wanted to listen to me labor, I could tell by her voice she didn't think it was the real thing...but because I was GBS positive she had me come in just to be on the safe side.
So I head downstairs slowly, my little brother puts my shoes and coat on and as soon as I hit the front door I get this huge rush of water gushing down my leg....and I'm thinking wow all of this is new lol. On the road to the hospital I'm sitting on the floor of the passenger seat and hugging the back of the seat while going through contractions and then all of a sudden I get the urge to push. I never got to the pushing stage with our first so honestly I thought I just had to have a bowel movement, I didn't know it was actually the baby ready to come out lol. Luckily we weren't too far from the hospital at this point.
We make it to the hospital and I get out of the car and drop down on all fours on the sidewalk...in the rain...and grunt through another contraction. I get up, brush myself off, and walk into the hospital doors, while my husband is saying, "MY WIFE IS IN LABOR." I guess to them because looked so calm they figured I wasn't far along so they were taking their sweet time, making jokes and chatting. Then another contraction comes around at the check in table and I got the urge to push again and they were like oh my gosh she's pushing get her upstairs lol!
So we get in the labor and delivery room, they didn't have time to hook me up to any machines, I'm checked and at a 9.5 and she says, "honey if you have the urge...push." By the way my labor stalled with our first at about a 6 so upon hearing the news I was at a 9.5 I was doing the happy dance on the inside. Meanwhile, they're giving me instructions on how to push (bear down, put your chin to chest, hand behind knees, etc.) and I feel like it was going in one ear and out the other lol. I kept asking, "Am I making any progress?" And the look on the midwife's face, told me, "Nope". After about 15 minutes of not so effective pushing, she says we may need to use the vacuum because the baby's heart rate has been low for a little while. As soon as I heard that I said, "No, no vacuum" and she said, "well push this baby out!" And push I did, I pushed with everything I had and my husband says, "I can see the head!" and then her body came out with the next push. So our daughter was born about 25 minutes after we arrived at the hospital, which was totally different from our first where we were at the hospital 20 hours prior to a c section being called. This time around they didn't have time to ask me a million questions or hook me up to any machines, or pump me full of Iv fluids, and I signed the consent form to perform a c-section if need be, after she was already born. I was on cloud 9 and I didn't even look at her immediately I just started crying bc I couldn't believe I had achieved exactly the birth I wanted. An unmedicated, fast, problem free, intervention free, VBAC!
So that Tuesday night after the appointment I started having mild contractions. They were around 10-12 minutes apart and were accompanied with a tightening of my stomach so I wasn't sure if they were real or Braxton Hicks. This lasted most of the night and I woke up Wednesday (Christmas Eve) morning, officially a week past my "due date." I got something to eat while I had an appetite in case I would be going into labor soon. The contractions stayed pretty much where they were most of the day and I went about my regular day. Around 4 o'clock I laid down for a nap, more out of frustration than actually being tired, and while in the bed I heard a kind of loud "pop" and was like what in the world was that? I later realized the "pop" sound was my water breaking but no water leaked out then because she quickly dropped down much lower into my pelvis and "plugged up the hole." I then went to the bathroom and my plug had dislodged, and it was a lot.
After that I had my first "real" contraction, and thought to myself, "whoaaa that was different from the rest of the contractions." I texted my husband and told him to please come home ASAP. Then called my doula and told her about the latest happenings, she wanted me to labor a bit longer and let her know how things were progressing. Labored at home with hubby for 30 minutes and I started to feel like it was time to leave to go to the hospital even though the plan was to labor at home much longer. My husband called the midwife and she wanted to listen to me labor, I could tell by her voice she didn't think it was the real thing...but because I was GBS positive she had me come in just to be on the safe side.
So I head downstairs slowly, my little brother puts my shoes and coat on and as soon as I hit the front door I get this huge rush of water gushing down my leg....and I'm thinking wow all of this is new lol. On the road to the hospital I'm sitting on the floor of the passenger seat and hugging the back of the seat while going through contractions and then all of a sudden I get the urge to push. I never got to the pushing stage with our first so honestly I thought I just had to have a bowel movement, I didn't know it was actually the baby ready to come out lol. Luckily we weren't too far from the hospital at this point.
We make it to the hospital and I get out of the car and drop down on all fours on the sidewalk...in the rain...and grunt through another contraction. I get up, brush myself off, and walk into the hospital doors, while my husband is saying, "MY WIFE IS IN LABOR." I guess to them because looked so calm they figured I wasn't far along so they were taking their sweet time, making jokes and chatting. Then another contraction comes around at the check in table and I got the urge to push again and they were like oh my gosh she's pushing get her upstairs lol!
So we get in the labor and delivery room, they didn't have time to hook me up to any machines, I'm checked and at a 9.5 and she says, "honey if you have the urge...push." By the way my labor stalled with our first at about a 6 so upon hearing the news I was at a 9.5 I was doing the happy dance on the inside. Meanwhile, they're giving me instructions on how to push (bear down, put your chin to chest, hand behind knees, etc.) and I feel like it was going in one ear and out the other lol. I kept asking, "Am I making any progress?" And the look on the midwife's face, told me, "Nope". After about 15 minutes of not so effective pushing, she says we may need to use the vacuum because the baby's heart rate has been low for a little while. As soon as I heard that I said, "No, no vacuum" and she said, "well push this baby out!" And push I did, I pushed with everything I had and my husband says, "I can see the head!" and then her body came out with the next push. So our daughter was born about 25 minutes after we arrived at the hospital, which was totally different from our first where we were at the hospital 20 hours prior to a c section being called. This time around they didn't have time to ask me a million questions or hook me up to any machines, or pump me full of Iv fluids, and I signed the consent form to perform a c-section if need be, after she was already born. I was on cloud 9 and I didn't even look at her immediately I just started crying bc I couldn't believe I had achieved exactly the birth I wanted. An unmedicated, fast, problem free, intervention free, VBAC!
Things were so different this time around, with her birth my husband and I were both actively involved in the birthing process (the first time I was confined to my hospital bed watching monitors), we had immediate skin to skin, I was coherent and not foggy from all the drugs, and I was able to get up and move around freely soon after giving birth. My recovery also has been SIGNIFICANTLY easier than the first go round and for that I'm happy.
The initial cesarean section was for "failure to progress" and the OB told me afterwards that I would have never been able to push him out because of "the way my pelvis was shaped" and I was "lucky" to have had a c-section. Also I was a little lady (5'2 110lbs) so that was supposedly working against me as well. Our daughter, born at 6.9lbs 20 inches, was not a large baby, but still larger than our c section baby. I was told I need not waste my time trying to attempt a vaginal birth because it would be another long birth that would ultimately end in another section. Again, I felt my first "real" contraction around 4pm and she was born at 5:51pm, I don't think anyone would classify that as a long birth.
As soon as I came to the conclusion that I wanted a VBAC I did as much research as I could, I changed my doctor and the hospital I would be birthing at, hired a doula because I was planning on going unmedicated, and built up my faith that I would have exactly the birth i wanted. My husband prayed with me and over me throughout the whole process and believed with me that I would not have another surgical birth. I stayed positive throughout a gestational diabetes diagnosis and kept confessing that all would work out in our favor in the end, and that's exactly what happened. I couldn't have asked for a better birthing experience. I've read so many birth stories over the course of my pregnancy that further encouraged me and kept me focused on my goal, I pray this little story does the same for you all. Given the right circumstances your body CAN and will do exactly what God created it to do! VBAC on ladies!
The initial cesarean section was for "failure to progress" and the OB told me afterwards that I would have never been able to push him out because of "the way my pelvis was shaped" and I was "lucky" to have had a c-section. Also I was a little lady (5'2 110lbs) so that was supposedly working against me as well. Our daughter, born at 6.9lbs 20 inches, was not a large baby, but still larger than our c section baby. I was told I need not waste my time trying to attempt a vaginal birth because it would be another long birth that would ultimately end in another section. Again, I felt my first "real" contraction around 4pm and she was born at 5:51pm, I don't think anyone would classify that as a long birth.
As soon as I came to the conclusion that I wanted a VBAC I did as much research as I could, I changed my doctor and the hospital I would be birthing at, hired a doula because I was planning on going unmedicated, and built up my faith that I would have exactly the birth i wanted. My husband prayed with me and over me throughout the whole process and believed with me that I would not have another surgical birth. I stayed positive throughout a gestational diabetes diagnosis and kept confessing that all would work out in our favor in the end, and that's exactly what happened. I couldn't have asked for a better birthing experience. I've read so many birth stories over the course of my pregnancy that further encouraged me and kept me focused on my goal, I pray this little story does the same for you all. Given the right circumstances your body CAN and will do exactly what God created it to do! VBAC on ladies!
RSS Feed