Community› The Bump Message Boards› Natural Birth
Natural Birth
New Discussion

An early, fast, "unattended" hospital water birth, and 2nd VBAC

A37liciaA37licia member
in Natural Birth

Short story -  Adam Silas (going by Silas) was born at 36w1d, on Monday, August 12 at 4:26pm after 40hrs ruptured membranes. Labor took 3.5 hrs once started, and he was born in the water at the university hospital that "does not allow water births", with only my doula and DH in attendance in those few short minutes.  6lb 11oz and spending some time in NICU for some breathing help, unrelated to the birth and likely related to his age.

Birth Story

Midnight August 10, my water broke in bed.  I was about a week too early for my home birth, at 36w0d. My labor didn't start though right away, as it did with my other two. We waited it out, went to hospital, decided not to go in as I wasn't in labor, had no vaginal exams to keep risk of infection low, consulted with my midwife, waited more for labor, kept up with vit C, got baby checked on monitors at hospital at 24hrs, waited for labor, etc. The chief attending OB obviously didn't want us to wait or even leave the hospital and basically played the dead baby card, but left the choice to us. We felt comfortable giving some more time beyond 24 hours because we were not allowing vaginal exams which greatly increases the risk of infection, and he was very happy inside.  We slept at home and I got a good night's rest, and around 36hrs on Monday afternoon, we decided to do castor oil as per my midwife, to avoid pitocin at the hospital. We felt we were approaching our comfort level with ruptured membranes since he was not full term.  We of course were not going to try to have a home birth and knew that my midwife's guidelines were there for a reason - we just wanted time for me to go into labor but were ready and accepting of a hospital birth.

The castor oil worked awesomely and the cocktail tasted fine.  It took about an hour for contractions to set in, around 1pm, and two hours after that I was ready to go in because my last birth, my first VBAC, was quite fast. We arrived at the hospital outside at 4:00p, in the L&D lobby about 10 min later. I got to the room and started vocalizing through contractions. They didn't really take me seriously when I told them almost immediately upon entering the room that "this is transition for me". They managed to get a vaginal exam in which showed I was 8cm, 90%, -1 station. I pleaded to get in the tub which in minutes previous I had urged them to fill.  I got in the tub, started pushing in the same minute. I kept it a secret from everyone, even my DH and doula who were right there, that his head was out and his body would come next, while I was in the tub on my knees leaning against the edge of the tub. No hospital staff were in the bathroom in these few short minutes. DH knew I was pushing but didn't know how close the baby was, and his help in reminding me to just blow and breathe during contractions helped me avoid pushing him out too quickly.  In between his head and body coming, they came and strapped a BP cuff on me LOL. They saw blood in the water and said it was bloody show, but I knew it was from a slight tear that had already occurred from his head coming out.  I knew exactly what to do when his body was born, and when it came, I caught him with one arm (the arm with the BP cuff supported myself on the tub) and I flipped around and brought him up. DH said, "We have a baby!!" and everyone came in, including the stern chief attending Dr. who we saw the night before.  Silas and I threw them all for a loop which was awesome.  No one knew he was coming then but me.

He came out crying, lot of vernix, got delayed cord clamping for 3 min, then they checked him out, and as we were prepared for at 36w, he was having trouble breathing on his own and went to NICU. His cultures are clear of any infection, and they believe he just needs a couple days to get stronger. I'm particularly thankful for the lack of infection because we felt we were in a safe zone with waiting, and I knew the hospital staff felt he landed in NICU because of the membrane rupture. They've been respectful and we've gotten awesome care though.

Silas started out with a tube to help keep his lungs filled, and after less than 24 hrs was able to move to the cpap and then just a high flow nasal cannula with some O2 flow. I've been able to do lots of skin to skin and once his respiration & breathing slows, we can nurse.  We're so thankful for the improvements he's shown so quickly.  I'm pumping and hand expressing. At 48hrs old, he's on a regular nasal cannula (no more high flow) and later today an LC is stopping by to help us get started nursing.  We go home once he's eating well and as long as jaundice doesn't get out of control. The perinatologist isn't wild that we delayed clamped, but I'm honestly not concerned. The research I read showed they CAN get more jaundice, but if they can get under lights, they have no issues. 

He was born Monday, August 12 at 4:26p after labor started around 1pm, weighing 6lb 11oz.  He reminds me so much of my oldest, my first son, Ezra. They both got my dimpled chin and both look sort of like manly babies haha. My daughter looked nothing like these guys!

I feel many times better than my last birth. I tore less as my pushing was more controlled, and I'm thankful because I can't stay in bed this time with visits to the NICU.

His name is Adam Silas, and he will be called Silas. Three of DH's and my grandfathers went by their own middle names instead of their first, and my other grandfather's name was Adam S. (he picked S as a middle initial as he had no middle name). So our Adam Silas is named to honor these four men who blessed our lives.  Silas is from the New Testament in the Bible, and he was a faithful companion of the apostle Paul for the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

image


Report Reply to Post

Re: An early, fast, "unattended" hospital water birth, and 2nd VBAC

This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"