Had my VBAC baby! (long)
Had my 40w appt Tuesday and had little progress from the week before, and had no luck in rescheduling my RCS for the next week. I was bummed all day, because they wouldn't even talk induction.
Woke up around 1am Wednesday feeling gassy and having some contractions. Contractions had been waking me up for more than a week, so I didn't think anything of it. I walked around my house, because i couldn't sleep, and then I tried to sleep on the couch a bit. Around 4:30 I heard a little pop and felt a small trickle, and spent the next hour trying to determine if my water had broken. When I finally figured out it did, I woke DH, ate some breakfast and called the on call doctor. My contractions were coming every 3 minutes and lasting 30 seconds. She told me to come to the hospital. I was psyched, because it was the my favorite doctor (and the most VBAC friendly) in the practice. We got DD up, our stuff packed, and dropped DD off at my friend's house on the way to the hospital.
We got to the hospital around 8am. I was 5 cm and at -2 station. Then the oncall OBs changed, and out of the 9 doctors in the practice I go to, the one who I did not want the most, the one who flat out told me he recommended against me having a VBAC was the one coming on shift. I thought my chances of a VBAC were over right then and there just by that fact alone. But I was determined to try.
I was checked again around 10am and was told I had made maybe half to 1 cm progress, if that. The doctor again was not very encouraging, and told me that he would not use pitocin, even though the consent form I had signed said it may be used. So I made up my mind to hold out as long as possible on the epi.
Even though I was monitored the entire time, I was able to labor on the birthing ball and standing by the bed. My contractions started getting much more intense, more frequent, and in my lower back and I decided I wanted the epidural. But by the time the I rang the nurse to tell her, I felt like I had to push. They got me in to the bed, started the IV just incase, and paged the doctor, because I was 10 cm, completely effaced, and the head was right there.
The doctor came into the room started to say something about the baby is there and I wouldn't be able to get the epi. At that point I just wanted to push. And I did, for 27 minutes, and then my baby was born.
Madeleine is perfect and healthy, and it was so awesome that they put her on my stomach and that DH I were able to look at her as soon as she was born. I was able to nurse her shortly after she was born, and DH and I got to hang out with her in the delivery room.
My L&D nurse was awesome and supportive and said a lot of reassuring things to me, almost to counteract some of the doubt the the OB had put in my head. To have had such a positive outcome, I'm almost glad that doctor delivered my daughter. Maybe I changed his mind in some way and he'll be a little more open to VBAC other than women who have never had a TOL before.
Sorry this is so long, but I still can't believe I did it.
BOOKWORMS and BUTTERFLIES
Re: Had my VBAC baby! (long)
Congrats on your daughter and your VBAC! Very encouraging!
Btw, as usual I am always curious what lead to the first c/s?
Sarah - 12/23/2008
Alex - 9/30/2011
"I say embrace the total geek in yourself and just enjoy it. Life is too short to be cool." - Shirley Manson, Garbage
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
~Sweet Girl *8/18/08* c-section ~ Sweet Boy *12/2/10* VBAC ~ Sweet Boy *8/14/12* VBAC~
VBAC Birth Story 2VBAC Birth Story