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Birth Stories
cynnnabun
member
My Sucessful VBAC and NICU stay. Long. PIP.
cynnnabun
member
Short version: I went into labor at 3am 4/9. My contractions were strong and steady. And I progressed great. By 1:55 I was complete and pushing. My baby was born vaginally (YAY VBAC!) at 2:32pm and is currently in the NICU. But doing awesome. 
LONG:
Background: I had my DD1 via c-section. It was emotionally and physically draining and I was put under general anesthesia because it was an emergency. So I missed out on the first 12 hours or so of her life, because I simply couldn?t wake up from the medicine. It was heart breaking and I left feeling like I was missing a piece that I wasn?t going to be able to get back. I wanted that time back.
When we found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted a VBAC. We set ourselves up with a good support team, and picked a hospital further away that has good VBAC rates. My main reason for picking a VBAC, besides that it?s not major surgery, was for the time. I wanted my baby to go right up on my chest. I wanted to feed and love her and get that time with her.
I can say the best lesson I?ve learned from my birth, is plans change. Anything can happen at any point and that vision of what it?s going to be like can be changed in an instant.
I had an appointment with my MW on Friday 4/8 at 36w3d. I was 3cm, 80% and my MW wanted to strip my membranes in hopes of going into labor over the weekend because my BP was on the rise and so was the protein in my urine. I got home from my MW appointment and I was crampy but by 5pm I was having regular contractions, or at least that's what I thought. They were consistently 5 minutes apart, lasting about 40 seconds but never got longer, stronger, or closer. Around 10pm they ended totally. I went to bed frustrated that it was just false labor.
I woke up at 3am in some serious pain. I knew this was different than the contractions I thought I had been feeling. I timed them for an hour and called my MW at 4. She said to head in. By the time we got all ready, and drove to the hospital, it was about 6am when we got settled. I was having contractions every 3 minutes and they were getting stronger.
MW checked me and I was at 5cm. My plan was to go med-free but after she broke my water at 7am, I just couldn't deal. I got nubain in my IV around 8, which made me SO SO groggy and took the edge off, but not enough. So at around 10, MW checked me and I was 7cm, I decided to go for the epidural. I got the epi, and took a nap. I was exhausted and still VERY groggy from the IV meds. I remember vaguely hearing people's conversations but not being able to keep my eyes open or answer well. Those IV meds are no joke, lol.
I slept until about 12:30. When I woke up, I was having pain on my right side. They checked me and I was at 8.5cm and they flipped me over to my right but the pain didn't go away, so they gave me more epidural medication. That helped for a minute, but then around 1:30, I was just in BAD, CONSTANT, pain. I remember just being really frustrated because they just gave me more epi but the pain was bad. And it didn't come and go with contractions. Finally, after squirming in bed and telling everyone who would listen that I was in pain and shouldn't be, I got checked. I was complete and her head was visible. No wonder it hurt!
I was given the go ahead to push at 1:55. Pushing did not come natural to me at all. I didn't know when to push, I never had an urge to push. I waited for my pain to get bad, and just pushed. I felt like I wasn't doing it right because I couldn't really feel much change. But, it also wasn't painful for me at all. Pushing was relief and hard hard work all at once. I was sure she wasn't going to come out, lol. FINALLY, They told me not to stop pushing. (I had been doing 3 pushes every contraction.) They said to just keep pushing through as long as I could. I felt her head out. And then it took me a few more pushes to get her shoulders out. (I couldn't breathe so pushing was extra hard, lol.) Finally she slipped out and they threw her up on my chest. -- With NO tears, might I add.
She was born at 2:32pm. She was 7lbs6oz and 18.5 inches long.
The NICU team had been called in while I was pushing because she wasn't 37 weeks yet. I heard the call when it was made, but assumed it was just a precaution.
They left her on my chest for about 30 seconds while they dried and suctioned her, but I could see myself that she wasn't breathing right. She was breathing, but I could just see she was straining. They took her over to a warmer and worked on her and sucked her clean while I delivered the placenta. She let out a few little yelps but around about 5 minutes, I knew they were going to take her. They let me hold her for a minute and explained that she was breathing, but not like she should be and they were going to take her to be evaluated and I could see her in an hour.
That hour turned into longer. They finally let me back to see her at 5pm. We weren?t allowed to hold her, and we were barely allowed to touch her. She was hooked up to a CPAP machine, breathing room air but needing help. And she had an IV because they weren?t doing feedings. We took my DD1 back to see her for a minute, then our parents got to go see her. After that H?s parents left and my parents hung out for a little while.
At 9, we were alone. We went back to visit her again, and they told us we could come back at midnight to feed and hold her. She was also taken off the CPAP and IV at that point. It was amazing the difference 7 hours made. She looked a million times better already.
Since then, it?s been a bit of a rollercoaster. Which is to be expected with the NICU. They were going to release her to our room Sunday night, but her tests weren?t where they wanted them to be, so they kept her. Monday morning we found out she couldn?t come home with us when we were discharged. She?s currently under the lights for jaundice and we?re waiting on the results of an echo because she has a soft murmur. I?m praying she?s home by the end of the week. She?s doing absolutely awesome and it?s really just a day to day waiting game for her to kick her jaundice.
I have to say, it?s been so hard to leave without her. And to feel like I don?t know her yet. But I?m so happy. She?s strong and healthy and I know she?s going to be just fine. My birth may not have been what I planned or what I expected but it was beautiful and the result is the same. A beautiful baby girl. And some of my favorite pictures:
Her daddy LOVES her mohawk! 
And her gorgeous face. Love this little girl. 
LONG:
Background: I had my DD1 via c-section. It was emotionally and physically draining and I was put under general anesthesia because it was an emergency. So I missed out on the first 12 hours or so of her life, because I simply couldn?t wake up from the medicine. It was heart breaking and I left feeling like I was missing a piece that I wasn?t going to be able to get back. I wanted that time back.
When we found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted a VBAC. We set ourselves up with a good support team, and picked a hospital further away that has good VBAC rates. My main reason for picking a VBAC, besides that it?s not major surgery, was for the time. I wanted my baby to go right up on my chest. I wanted to feed and love her and get that time with her.
I can say the best lesson I?ve learned from my birth, is plans change. Anything can happen at any point and that vision of what it?s going to be like can be changed in an instant.
I had an appointment with my MW on Friday 4/8 at 36w3d. I was 3cm, 80% and my MW wanted to strip my membranes in hopes of going into labor over the weekend because my BP was on the rise and so was the protein in my urine. I got home from my MW appointment and I was crampy but by 5pm I was having regular contractions, or at least that's what I thought. They were consistently 5 minutes apart, lasting about 40 seconds but never got longer, stronger, or closer. Around 10pm they ended totally. I went to bed frustrated that it was just false labor.
I woke up at 3am in some serious pain. I knew this was different than the contractions I thought I had been feeling. I timed them for an hour and called my MW at 4. She said to head in. By the time we got all ready, and drove to the hospital, it was about 6am when we got settled. I was having contractions every 3 minutes and they were getting stronger.
MW checked me and I was at 5cm. My plan was to go med-free but after she broke my water at 7am, I just couldn't deal. I got nubain in my IV around 8, which made me SO SO groggy and took the edge off, but not enough. So at around 10, MW checked me and I was 7cm, I decided to go for the epidural. I got the epi, and took a nap. I was exhausted and still VERY groggy from the IV meds. I remember vaguely hearing people's conversations but not being able to keep my eyes open or answer well. Those IV meds are no joke, lol.
I slept until about 12:30. When I woke up, I was having pain on my right side. They checked me and I was at 8.5cm and they flipped me over to my right but the pain didn't go away, so they gave me more epidural medication. That helped for a minute, but then around 1:30, I was just in BAD, CONSTANT, pain. I remember just being really frustrated because they just gave me more epi but the pain was bad. And it didn't come and go with contractions. Finally, after squirming in bed and telling everyone who would listen that I was in pain and shouldn't be, I got checked. I was complete and her head was visible. No wonder it hurt!
I was given the go ahead to push at 1:55. Pushing did not come natural to me at all. I didn't know when to push, I never had an urge to push. I waited for my pain to get bad, and just pushed. I felt like I wasn't doing it right because I couldn't really feel much change. But, it also wasn't painful for me at all. Pushing was relief and hard hard work all at once. I was sure she wasn't going to come out, lol. FINALLY, They told me not to stop pushing. (I had been doing 3 pushes every contraction.) They said to just keep pushing through as long as I could. I felt her head out. And then it took me a few more pushes to get her shoulders out. (I couldn't breathe so pushing was extra hard, lol.) Finally she slipped out and they threw her up on my chest. -- With NO tears, might I add.
She was born at 2:32pm. She was 7lbs6oz and 18.5 inches long.
The NICU team had been called in while I was pushing because she wasn't 37 weeks yet. I heard the call when it was made, but assumed it was just a precaution.
They left her on my chest for about 30 seconds while they dried and suctioned her, but I could see myself that she wasn't breathing right. She was breathing, but I could just see she was straining. They took her over to a warmer and worked on her and sucked her clean while I delivered the placenta. She let out a few little yelps but around about 5 minutes, I knew they were going to take her. They let me hold her for a minute and explained that she was breathing, but not like she should be and they were going to take her to be evaluated and I could see her in an hour.
That hour turned into longer. They finally let me back to see her at 5pm. We weren?t allowed to hold her, and we were barely allowed to touch her. She was hooked up to a CPAP machine, breathing room air but needing help. And she had an IV because they weren?t doing feedings. We took my DD1 back to see her for a minute, then our parents got to go see her. After that H?s parents left and my parents hung out for a little while.
At 9, we were alone. We went back to visit her again, and they told us we could come back at midnight to feed and hold her. She was also taken off the CPAP and IV at that point. It was amazing the difference 7 hours made. She looked a million times better already.
Since then, it?s been a bit of a rollercoaster. Which is to be expected with the NICU. They were going to release her to our room Sunday night, but her tests weren?t where they wanted them to be, so they kept her. Monday morning we found out she couldn?t come home with us when we were discharged. She?s currently under the lights for jaundice and we?re waiting on the results of an echo because she has a soft murmur. I?m praying she?s home by the end of the week. She?s doing absolutely awesome and it?s really just a day to day waiting game for her to kick her jaundice.
I have to say, it?s been so hard to leave without her. And to feel like I don?t know her yet. But I?m so happy. She?s strong and healthy and I know she?s going to be just fine. My birth may not have been what I planned or what I expected but it was beautiful and the result is the same. A beautiful baby girl. And some of my favorite pictures:
Her daddy LOVES her mohawk!
And her gorgeous face. Love this little girl. Chelsea; 7/22/2005 Carissa; 4/9/2011 Cassidy; 9/6/2012
Baby #4; 7/7/2018
Baby #4; 7/7/2018
This discussion has been closed.
Re: My Sucessful VBAC and NICU stay. Long. PIP.
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First off, Glad about your VBAC
Second I hope you get to take your baby home soon, I'm sure you will be able to bond more once you are out of "crisis" mode and have some quiet time together