Successful VBAC birth story

kbeeb · October 2013

So i posted this on my month board but forgot to post here...i have been mia for the past month. MY VBAC was awesome, the hospital was fantastic. turns out my hospital (MERCY is Portland, ME) has a 92% VBAC success rate, and my DRs (All about Women) had a 100% success rate last year! Good luck to all you other mammas, it is so worth it- you can do it, just find a supportive team!

Short version: Wheeler Orion is here! Wheeler made his grand entrance 4 days overdue at 2:39 am Monday, 9/2, weighing 7 lbs 1 oz, 19 inches long, and absolutely perfect! I was able to have my med free VBAC, though i did get a 2nd degree tear, and we are recovering well.

Long version: After having contractions all day on Saturday (40 weeks, 2 days) that were not painful but were steadily getting closer together (40 min, then 20 min, then 10 min) the Dr advised that we make the 2 hour drive to the hospital (since i was a VBAC candidate and GB+, they wanted us there sooner rather than later). I ended up driving most of the way as my husband was running on empty and could hardly keep his eyes open (and for those of you who followed to premonitions post, it was pouring! so we were right!). We were checked in just after midnight, and learned that while contractions were now steadily 6 min apart, i was only 1 centimeter and 50%, and my cervix was very posterior. If it wasn't such a long drive they would have sent us home. By 3:30 the contractions were finally painful, but i was only 1.5 and 75% (though my cervix was coming forward as well), so while i was making progress, it was slow...They are counting 10 am as when i officially started active labor, and hit 3 centimeters and 80%. (I was only checked so often because i requested it). By 5 i had hit 5-6 centimeters...around 9 or 10 i hit transition and it started getting really bad...i labored walking up and down the hall, on the ball, in the tub, in chairs and pushing against the wall. After an hour or so of agonizing contractions where i started to doubt whether or not i could do it med free, i learned i had only progressed from 7 to 8 and had several hours left...at this point i had them break my water to try and speed things up. This was my only intervention! The contractions immediately got more intense, and i felt like i had to push. It almost felt like my bladder was going to burst with each contraction, yet i could never pee more than a trickle. They finally inserted a catheter, and the release was so wonderful, it felt like an orgasm! Unfortunately the bursting feeling never went away, as LO was pushing on my bladder and blocking release. When they finally let me start pushing they discovered that part of my cervix had slipped forward and was caught on LO's head. I had to stop pushing even though my body was telling me to so thy could try and slip it over LO's head. I think it took almost an hour with the DR's hand up my who-ha during the contractions, and it was the most painful, horrible thing to try and not push. FINALLY they slipped it back and i could continue pushing. They brought in a mirror, which i wasn't sure i wanted, but it ended up really helping when i started to loose hope that things were progressing. I even felt LO's head when i finally saw it and it recharged me. I was pushing for over 3 hours, and crowning for about half an hour...ouch. I ended up with a 2nd degree tear, but when LO finally popped out and DH shouted it's a boy! He's here! i was soooo relieved. They placed DS on my chest, where he promptly pooped - a lot! He latched on within the hour, and has been a nursing and pooping champ ever since! I really wasn't sure i could do it, and i wouldn't have been able to without DH, who was amazing, and the nurse who literally had to brace against the wall for counter pressure. LOL, afterwards DH informed me that not only did he think i was going to rip the handle off the bed, yes i did poop, and not only that, i peed, and apparently shot the DR head on with a huge stream and she had to go change...thankfully i have no memory of that! We named our son Wheeler after the place my husband & I met and fell in love and Orion after my safety constellation, always seen from my bedroom window, wherever I was. He finally arrived at 2:39 am Monday, 9/2, weighing 7 lbs 1 oz, 19 inches long, and absolutely perfect! He has dark brown hair, blue eyes and a set of lungs! He scored 9s on his APGAR, and is nursing really well! LOVE LOVE LOVE HIM!!!