This birth was my healing birth after having suffered a traumatic birth experience with my son Alex in December of 2011.
I had been contracting every 4-6 minutes from probably 6 or 7 p.m. the night before. As morning approached they were becoming much more intense and harder to work through. When my husband woke up at 6:30 I informed him of this and we both made the decision that we would go ahead and pack, drop off our boys and make the 45 minute drive to our midwife. I had an appointment with her at 2 that day but didn't think I could make it that long and didn't want to give birth on the interstate lol.
Before I continue, a little bit of history. This journey started December 29th when I gave birth to Alex and it was a traumatic, intense birth to say the least. I struggled with PPD and PTSD as a result of his birth. I wanted Kayla's birth to be different, and healing. I had hoped/planned for a homebirth but as we all know our babies don't usually follow plans. I suffered HG my entire pregnancy and because of that my hemoglobin was dangerously low, too low in the state of Wyoming to be "allowed" to birth at home. Because my labors/births with Blake and Alex were so fast we still prepared and educated ourselves to UC and to be completely honest, I wanted nothing more than my husband to catch Kayla.
For a week or so before I had her I had an absolutely horrible gut wrenching fear/feeling that something was going to happen to her. BUT I was so confused because there was absolutely NO reason for me to feel this way at all, She was still VERY active and when I checked her heart tones at home on my doppler they were always good. Although, I had had the same fear of having a stillborn with Blake and Alex this time it was MUCH stronger and no matter how hard I tried I just could NOT shake the feeling. Now I know why and I am VERY thankful to have trusted my mommy instincts and went in when I did. I have learned over the years NEVER, EVER go against your instincts and what your gut is telling you, very rarely does that feeling end up not being right.
I don't remember the exact time we arrived at the hospital but I was checked in to triage. I knew that on the drive over my contractions had gotten MUCH worse but was shocked to see on the monitor they were every 2-3 minutes lasting 30 seconds to a minute. I felt as though I was leaking amniotic fluid so made sure to tell the OB but the two tests they did right there were negative and they also sent a third to the lab. I was dilated 3cm which was an improvement from 2 but still only 50% thin and minus one station. I was told to walk the halls for either an hour or two (I can't remember) and come back to be re-checked.
Jimmy and I walked and walked and walked, I was very disappointed but not so much shocked that my contractions were slowing down and becoming much less intense (this ALWAYS seems to happen to me when I arrive at the hospital). We eventually made our way back to triage and just knew there would be know change but I also knew that just because there was no change now doesn't mean that I may not be in full blown labor later that day or night. I was re-checked and sure enough still 3cm and -1 station but I was 60% thinned out.
I was getting ready to be released when Kayla's heartrate jumped to the low 170's. Her normal heart rate is usually late 140's to low 150's and I know this for a fact because I checked it often at home on my doppler and having been in the hospital so much with HG had to be hooked to the monitors every so often. Many of the L and D nurses had commented on how beautiful her heart rate usually was and teased that she was just showing off lol. They opted to keep me in triage for awhile to monitor her and see what would happen. I had texted my doulas earlier that morning to let them know what was going on and kept giving them updates. They were trying to decide at this point if they should make the hour drive to join me. I told them not quite yet, I would let them know if and when I needed them so they were on stand by. As well as my mom and sister who were watching Blake and Alex, Jimmy was updating them as things were happening.
The OB ordered a bio physical profile to be done. The tech didn't give us any clue but she made a comment to the effect of "they will take good care of you here" as she was leaving. After that comment was made I just had that "feeling" she had found something on the BPP. We waited a bit and then my nurse came in and said, "Do you want to have your baby today?"
She walked me to an L and D suite and started an IV. I agreed to this because I knew with my hemoglobin and hermatocrit level being so low I was in danger of bleeding out after birth. The OB came in and informed my that I had no fluid. My heart immediately sank because I knew that I was at risk for the cascade of interventions being started. Sure enough, the OB said that her recommendation would be to start pitocin but I stood my ground and said no, especially with Kayla's heart rate being so high and the fact that I had no fluid (which at this point I was still doubting). She agreed to try and stretch my cervix as much as she could. She was able to get it to 4-5cm and at this point I was 90% effaced. I let my doulas know that I needed them as well as my mom and sister.
I don't really know what time it was I am thinking around noon. My mom and sister arrived with my boys about 15-20 minutes before my doulas did. Once they arrived the OB came back in and asked how much time I felt like I needed to get things moving and we said two hours. I don't think she was happy about it but she agreed and she also agreed to "let" (and I use that term loosely) get out of bed as long as I stayed on the monitor. Which meant I could only go as far as the cords let me.
As soon as they left the room my doulas had me get up and start moving. I was doing squats, figure 8's, lunges, bouncing on the ball and all fours in my bed. I knew as long as I kept moving and upright there was a very good chance that I would get things going on my own without the pit. I had an amazing nurse that day and I do think God was looking out for me. She came in countless times to re-adjust the monitor and never once complained or order me back to bed.
Two hours later the OB came back and I was so scared but almost positive I had made a change. I was approximately 5-6cm at this point and 100% effaced. We (including the OB) were all elated. It was only 1-2cm change BUT change is change no matter how small. I continued to do what I had been doing and my doulas made sure I stayed hydrated and nourished at all times.
The OB continued to come back every two hours to check me and every check there was change. At some point in time I made the very difficult decision to have a fetal scalp monitor placed so I could be a bit more mobile and wouldn't have to worry about the monitor not staying on my tummy. I must say that this OB was amazing and truly she restored my faith that there are still "good" OB's out there. She respected me and my wishes, she would always tell us what her opinion was but NEVER once pushed anything on me, she never violated me and would always ask before doing a cervical check if it was okay and if I was having a contraction would wait until I told her it was over.
I'm not sure of the time now and I know that at some point one of my doulas took the clock down so it would not be a distraction to me. My mom and sister unfortunately had to leave and come back to our home 45 miles away with my kids. It made me sad they wouldn't be there for the arrival.
The atmosphere during my labor was consistently calm and relaxing, the lights were dim and we used candles it was the kind of atmosphere I needed. My husband was putting tons of counter pressure on my back and was using ice cold rags to help with the pain and also cuz I was hot. I found the most comfortable position to be on the ball and I stayed there most of my labor. Things hadn't got intense yet and I was easily breathing/moaning through the contractions. I made sure to stay on top of them and really, really focus. I remember thinking at one point "could it really be this easy all the way to the end?" There was one point and I think it was around the time I hit transition that the journey become emotional, very emotional. It caught me off guard. I was having flashbacks to Alex's birth and realizing that I was facing this fear head on.
It was when I hit 8cm that things got bad and I really started doubting my ability to do this naturally. I had made the move from the ball to the bed for that check and was still doing somewhat okay. The OB let me know she was slightly concerned because although I was dilating and thinned out Kayla's head was still -1. She let me know that if it stayed that high there was nothing she could do to help get her out vaginally and it would have to be a c-section. I remained calm because I trusted my body, I trusted Kayla and I remembered something a different L and D nurse had told me when I was pregnant with Alex and that was, some 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc babies do not drop until moments before birth.
I could feel Kayla's head getting lower and lower and lower. I could feel that I was leaking what little fluid I did have left and I knew I was pooping. I was SO embarrassed but there was nothing I could do, her head was squeezing it all out. I started screaming, "She's coming, she's coming!!" my husband knew from my previous birth that when I start saying that the baby is close very close to being born. He let them know someone needed to get the dr right away.
She came in and sure enough 10cm, her head had dropped and she was about to crown. The OB barely had time to get dressed. I had that incredible urge to push so I did and I roared like a momma lion. I felt the ring of fire but was SO confused why it wouldn't stop (I know now that it is because she FLEW out all in that one push and flew out so fast her body hit the bed). Immediately she was placed on my chest.
I began bawling and couldn't stop, it was so surreal. I could NOT believe I had just given birth un medicated and I survived!! Although this was not the birth I envisioned or planned it was wonderful, it was healing and most of all it was empowering and in that moment my natural birth high began.
I did not want to receive pitocin for the afterbirth and the dr and nurse both agreed I didn't have to. However about 20-30 minutes later I started bleeding heavily, so heavily it soaked my bed. So at that point I told the nurse I wanted the pitocin as well as a fundal massage. My b/p dropped to the low 70's and the nurse was worried but it came back up about 10 minutes later.
