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VBAC
XP: Birth story (Warning, very long!!)
So flashing back to last week, I was (obviously) not feeling well. I haven't really complained about anything the entire pregnancy, except my sciatic pain. I suddenly developed horrible congestion & insomnia at the exact same time, so I was miserable.
We did just about anything to jump start labor....except castor oil (no WAY!). I even went up to work after the 4th to have my membranes stripped, and by the Wed night, I was resigned to think that nothing had worked & induction was still set for Thursday morning. My mom was in town, and we were finalizing plans for the next day. I spoke w/MIL about 7:15pm to update her, and let her know what to expect for the next day too (she's 8hours away).
I ate fajitas, but I only felt like eating one fajita b/c eating small amts made me feel full pretty fast. I had a few ctxs after eating, but I didn't think anything of them b/c I'd had false labor that lasted for hours at least three times in the last two weeks. I was standing around, helping to clear the table and it felt like I had a "glob" of discharge, but it felt more liquidy. **TMI** I really thought it was some of the after effects from that morning's sexual encounter. I excused myself & ran up to the MBR, sat down on the toilet, and liquid streamed out like I was peeing, but I hadn't had the urge to go. I peed a very small amt, and I checked out the toilet to find a hazy clear yellow color. So, yup, my water broke @ 7:45pm.
I got super excited, and called for my DH to bring me a beach towel. I hadn't felt any real ctxs, and since I planned an unmedicated VBAC, my plan was to wait until I started really getting uncomfortable before I went in. I had been 1-2cm/thick (effacement), so I wasn't in a huge hurry. My labor w/DS did go pretty quick once I started hurting after my water broke. DH came upstairs to find me standing cross-legged in front of our sink. I told him my water broke, and he was looking all over the floor for a puddle! LOL! I then explained that he needed to finish getting his stuff together while I showered b/c you never know when I would start hurting, so I wanted everything packed and ready.
I took a shower & noted a few cramps, so I pulled out the ctx timer...they were 2-3.5 min apart! I decided that sitting on the ball would be best to help the baby come down. I sa ton it until 11:30, and I really noticed I began hurting more, so I changed clothes, loaded up & headed to the hospital. The ctxs were every 4 mins, but pretty painful. The car ride sucked! I checked-in at midnight, answered all of my admission assessment questions while being upright, and moved to the bed to be monitored & examined before I could be up some more. 3cm/90%/-2, and the most excruciating 30 mins of my life in that hard bed!
At
the end of the tracing time period, my coworker/labor nurse asked me if I
wanted to use the ball, and I rolled from my right side to get out of
the bed, and the heartrate fell down to the 70s from 130s. We thought it
was me, but quickly discovered that it wasn't. I went to each side in
the bed, and finally to all fours. I instructed DH to plug in the oxygen
mask while everyone else scurried around, trying to do something to get
the heartrate back. By the time it had been down for five mins, my
nurse went out to call my OB, and she was on her way. I knew what that
meant:emergency c/s. Unfortunately, anesthesia needed more labs before
placing my epidural/spinal, so I would have been put under general. 
The HR was down for 7mins total before it made the slow climb to the
90-100s. I was still on hands & knee, fully prepped for the OR, and
awaiting my OB (there was a stand-by OB, if we really needed her).
I kept telling them that the baby's HR at the office had been in the low 100s at the office since third tri, and even when I came in for monitoring after my fender bender. I was cussing myself & my baby (not my proudest moment) for showing out, etc, trying to take slow breaths to bring back up the HR. The charge nurse finally calmed us ALL down, and the HR was back to 115 by the time my OB got there, and it was tracing beautifully to show us it was still okay in there. This really put the fear in me though, and I really didn't want to be put to sleep. We didn't know if it was b/c of the incision/possible rupture that the HR fell, or just the baby getting tangled in the cord & losing all if the fluid cusion that made the HR do that. I opted for an epidural b/c I knew I wouldn't be able to NOT be monitored & I'd be most likely confined to the bed.
After the epidural was placed, I had
no cervical change, but my OB didn't let the dropped HR deter her from
my plans to VBAC. We decided to see what my body would do, and she
waited until 6am to check me: 4-5/90%/0station. She placed the pressure
catheter to monitor my ctxs closely, and started pitocin at a low dose
b/c my baby was still having HR dips to 70-90s from a changed baseline
of 140-150s & I had a fever starting (the increased HR is normal for
a fevered person). Some dips were w/ctxs (which are ok, b/c they
returned to the regular HR pretty quickly), but I'd also have random
dips throughout monitoring. They were becoming more frequent. All signs
pointing to get the show on the road, so we started the pitocin,
antibiotics, and got a Tylenol suppository.
0715: 6/100%/0 vaginal exam by the dayshift RN. I had recently
also started to have some high BPs due the anxiety of the whole labor
process, VBAC, possible failure due to the HR issues, and b/c I'd never
gotten past 8cm w/DS. I still had the SCDs (leg pumps to prevent blood
clots that c/s patients wear) on since the big HR fallout, and I told my
next shift nurse that I was leaving them on until I started pushing.
0800: Asked for an exam b/c of pressure :8cm/+1 station.
0900: 8-9/+1. I'm getting really nervous again b/c I feel like I'm failing. The dips are more pronounced, lasting longer, and more often falling to the 70s. I feel like I'm running out of time. I praying, and asking everyone to pray hard for me. My labor nurse told me that my coworkers had prayed for me & were rooting for me.
10:00: Anterior lip that I can't push away yet, so I sit-up. Plan is to push in 30 mins.
11:00 My nurse returns to find me blowing more through ctxs (the earlier pressure never went away, it just became more intense). She thinks the lip is lessened & I tried pushing. My OB really wants me to push since the HR is now consistently dropping w/each ctx. I test pushb well, so we set-up the room.
11:10 Start pushing. After 5 ctxs of pushes, we figure out that while I'm moving her great, she's OP (face-up). OA (facing your tailbone) is the best/fastest way to push. We aren't sure baby will tolerate the pushing for very long, so she goes & calls my OB, who is famous for rotating babies while moms are pushing....one of the reasons I chose her.
11:25 OB arrives, comments on how well I've progressed w/a few pushes, and rotated the baby w/2 pushes. Then she says since I'm close, but still need to push a bit more, she was going down the hall, etc. Two ctxs later, my nurse is calling for all staff to assist in my baby's birthday party.....we are amazed at my pushing!!
11:34 I push the baby out as the OB dons her second glove & gets into position! Emerson Claire "Emmie" is born! The OB flips her over & does a double take and a stutter because she's a GIRL! All along, I'd envisioned I was carrying a boy, and almost everyone I knew thought I was having a boy!
DH & I looked at each other & cried! We were in shock! Our OB even guessed boy! LOL! I had a small 2nd degree from pushing her out so fast, and it hasn't bothered me as much as the hemmies have! They've been super painful (I sooooo feel ya Wee. I can't sit, let alone walk much without tearing-up). My milk is in & breastfeeding is going pretty well. I feed every 2-4 hours, and I'm having to wake her some at night. I'm just praying I don't get engorged. I've already pumped 2 oz after this afternoon's feed b/c I was so miserable!
Sorry this was so long, but with my background, I knew I'd have more details.
Thanks for all the well wishes, support & love! I'm in total heaven!!High-risk L&D nurse...If in doubt, go to triage!
Trevor Calvin 12.10.07 7:26pm 7lbs2.5oz 19.75in
Emerson Claire 07.07.11 11:34am 7lbs7oz 20.5 in
This discussion has been closed.
Re: XP: Birth story (Warning, very long!!)
Awesome, awesome story!! I am so amazed that they let you keep going with the decels, but obviously everything was fine. I was just watching (that stupid show) Baby's First day today and after 2 decels they did an "emergency" c-section. I was screaming at the TV it was so frustrating.
I'm so proud of you and of your OB. We need more like him/her!
My Wedding Bio!
DC#2 born silent at 22 weeks 1.11.11
Dc#3 born vbac 1/2012 <bra DC#4 born VBAC 3/2014
I know I sound like a broken record, but I know my OB & my nurses--they are my coworkers. They knew how important it was to me & gave me every chance to recover. It honestly depends on who is caring for you & how they handle emergencies. It sucks, but it's true. If they tend to jump/panic, you chances go waaaay down. My main nurse was like this. Fortunately, my charge nurse & OB were level-headed, and, as I mentioned, I was anxious the whole time. Knowing everything definitely has its disadvantages.
Also, the HR dropping is a scary & emotional thing. We're talking about the only "window" we have to see how baby is doing. I was very emotional the whole labor from all the dips.& progression. I'd be lying if I said I never thought CS. With the decel, I honestly thought I was having a UR, and I was scared & thinking RCS. Please don't beat yourself up!
It's a scary time! The only reason we waited that long was b/c my OB was on her way (they were going to call her when I moved to the ball.
Trevor Calvin 12.10.07 7:26pm 7lbs2.5oz 19.75in
Emerson Claire 07.07.11 11:34am 7lbs7oz 20.5 in
Congrats! Thank you for sharing your beautiful VBAC story, it give us all a little more faith that we can do it, too.