Hello there!!! Happy BIRTH STORY WEDNESDAY! This is something we are going to start doing weekly. We feel its just as important to share as it is to listen to each other, learn, support, comfort, and lift each other up.
So without further adieu, here is a mom who despite not have the ideal birth’s she’s planned for herself, was able to find peace with her second birth needing to be a CBAC.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
“I have never written a birth story, despite the fact that I have two children. Why you might ask? It is because I have never felt like it was something to share. Not a “real” birth story, I didn’t push my baby out and that means it doesn’t qualify right? It comes from a place of embarrassment, regret and subconscious distance so it doesn’t feel so raw and open wounded in my heart.
My first child, I had big plans for an all-natural childbirth, carefully planned everything to a “t” so to speak. So being induced at 37 wks and 4 days due to my ever increasing blood pressure was a kick to the gut and foiled all my plans for my Ina-May-esque birth. Several hours into the induction, during a routine “progress” check we learned our baby had turned breech. Maybe he was that way before the induction started but we will never know. Memphis Drake was born at 12:10pm on December 22, 2009 a small but healthy 5’1 pounds and 17 inches long. It was a long hard recovery but we made it through 13 months of breastfeeding and all was well, except for my heart…
15 months later and right after our 3rd wedding anniversary date night we found out we were pregnant again. Despite being on the mini-pill we were overjoyed at this news! My VBAC wishes came out in full force. I changed OB’s to a very natural birth friendly practice. I live in Alabama where CPM’s are not allowed to attend out of hospital births or they are subject to prosecution. So I was very excited when my wishes and wants were carefully listened to and considered. I even got the green light to try for a hospital water birth! Even though the hospital would provide the tub, I could bring my own and sign a release waiver in case of any water damage. My pregnancy went great until my blood pressure slowly crept up and up in my last trimester. I have a long history of hypertension and have never shown signs of Pre-Eclampsia symptoms or protein issues which I am very thankful for. But at my 36 week visit my 160/110 blood pressure reading and a not so great Non-Stress-Test the doctor thought it was best to do a repeat C-Section the next day! I asked for the weekend and we decided on November 21, 2011 a Monday and also my Husbands dearly departed Grandfather’s birthday.
This time we were prepared. My Husband and I had already decided on a repeat C-Section. We had carefully weighed the pro’s and con’s of a VBAC versus the repeat C-Section. I had kept in close contact with a friend and doula-in-training and had talked out all the ins and outs of a repeat c-section. The best thing she said to me was “VBAC is not for everyone…different cases and circumstances dictate what is best”
With peace in my heart we arrived at the hospital the morning of the week of the Thanksgiving holiday. The nurses quickly took care of all the necessary details including the IV’s and paperwork. It was so different. I was so calm and knew that this was how my baby would get here on earth safely and that what mattered! I walked into the OR with the nurse and my husband. They did the spinal and it all went great. Our very tiny baby boy Otis Christopher was born healthy on his Great-Grandfathers birthday and is his namesake, 4’6 oz and 17 inches long skinny but very healthy. My husband took the baby along with the nurse to the nursery to have him all checked out and they both joined me in the recovery room after they had me all stitched up.
I was told he was a little too small to nurse and against my better judgment I refrained from nursing him even though he was doing the “breast crawl” dance on my chest. We struggled through 7 weeks of round the clock pumping and syringe/bottle feeding before getting a tongue-tie clipped and we nursed for 10 months after that!
Recovery was so much better the second time around. I truly believe that having made the choice for a repeat C-Section instead of the choice being made for me made all the difference both physically and emotionally. Having a very supportive and understanding husband and doctor helped tremendously too. They say it “takes a village to raise a child” but I believe it takes an army of believers to bring a child into the world. Believers in the awesome power of the female body to deliver a baby and an even greater power of knowing when to say “when” and take whatever means necessary to have an outcome with two or more healthy persons.”
~Flora Luna
July 29, 2013
Thanks for reading…