William's Birth story
Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 1:53pm
As my son is about to turn one year old, I realized I never typed his birth story. WARNING...it is very detailed so if you don't want to know the details, I suggest not to read.
Here it goes:The week before William's birth was somewhat stressful. Mike had to travel to the annual NAB conference in Las Vegas for work, and I was 38 weeks and 4 days. I was so worried I would go into labor while he was gone, and he would miss our son's birth. With the girls, I was induced, and never went into labor on my own, and Maggie was an emergency c-section. I really wanted to attempt a natural birth with William, so Mike and I took Bradley classes during my pregnancy to help prepare us. His boss assured him if I did go into labor, he would put him on the next flight out and send him home. But being baby #4, we did not now how fast things could go.That week, I tried to not to think about it, and I was thankful for each day that got closer to Mike's arrival home. I went to see Dr C on Wed, 4/16, and no change in previous weeks, 70% effaced, very high, fingertip. I was hopeful I could still VBAC, but worried still about a possible repeat c-section. Thursday, April 17th, I treated myself to a prenatal massage, which I think helped things begin to progress. She focused on the areas of my feet, which can help jump start labor. But when nothing happened, I again got discouraged. Mike was coming home Fri nite, so I was ready for labor to start! Then Fri evening, Mike arrived home and I felt so relieved, a sense of peace that I was ready for William to arrive. I spoke to a friend of mine that was practicing with a midwife in town about some herbal things and "other" suggestions to help prepare me for labor. It felt so nice to have Mike at home, and we had a wonderful evening. The older girls were sleeping at The Thompsons house, so it was just us and Maggie that evening. Mike was tired from his trip, and he said, "We don't have anything to do tomorrow huh?" I replied, "No.", but little did I know what William had planned ;) At around 5:45, something woke me up, different from the usual Braxton Hicks and cramping. I remember thinking, is this labor? I got up and went to the sofa to watch my favorite channel, HGTV, and beginning timing what I thought could be contractions. I begin timing and they were 10-13 min apart, very early start of labor. I continued this for an hour, and they were consistent 10 min apart, but very managable. I woke up Mike, and said I think this could be the day. Of course, he was in complete denial since I never experinced labor spontanously before. I took a bath to help relax me, and as I moved around things would pick up, so I felt this was it. I called Wendy and Rachael, my very good friends and doulas to let them know. He fixed me a wonderful breakfast, as Jennifer instructed him to, an omelette and large glass of OJ. I remembered Jen telling me to stay hydrated, so I begin drinking lots of water. I begin calling/texting my friends and family. My mom wasn't sure when to leave since she was a 7 hr drive away. But, I wasn't sure how long I would be in labor, so I told her to wait til things got closer, still in denial that I would have a baby that day.At around 9am, Maggie woke up and my contactions were 7 min apart lasting about 30 sec, still very early labor. Since she was still nursing, I let her nurse thinking this could help speed up labor, and it helped keep the pattern consistent. It was a beautiful spring day, so Mike and I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood with Maggie. My friend Tracy brought me a large Strawberry slush from Sonic, which I devoured. Since Wendy lived down the street, we walked to her house for a potty break. I told Wendy I would keep her posted, but planned on staying home until the contactions picked up. The girls came home around 1pm, I told Greg I was in labor, but not the girls yet. I was sitting on the birth ball when they arrived, and Gabby says, "What are you doing?" I said, "Getting ready to have a baby?" Of course, Gabby and Lauren begin screaming with excitement, and packing their bags. Meanwhile, Maggie is oblivious, and Mike still in denial, with an occasional you ok? He did find me an awesome website to time the contractions, http://www.contractionmaster.com My friend Rachael and I begin IM each other, as she was helping me along in labor, love the new technology, internet doula...lol Around 2pm, my "friend" training to be a midwife came over and checked me. I was 3-4 cm, very thin, but still high. Yeah...progress!! TMI alert: Shortly after, I lost my mucous plug. I think at that point, Mike finally believed me that we would have a baby soon. I called my parents and told them to hightale it to Huntsville. The girls begin acting as my doulas, massaging my back and such. Around 3pm, the contractions picked up and begin 2-3 min apart lasting 60-90 sec. I told Mike we needed to head to the hospital. Our neighbor, Kathy, took Maggie and we left for the hospital with the older girls. We arrived at the hospital around 4 pm, and shortly after Rachael, Wendy and my friend Katherine arrived. Things begin picking up faster, and getting a little more challenging, but I was still talking through my contractions. Around 4:30 the L&D nurse checked me, and said I was 4 cm so I fgured it would be probably late that night or early am when I would deliver. Baby was still high and she said about 90% effaced. My OB said he had no problem with me being mobile during labor, with occasional monitoring. However, the L&D nurse said no due to me being a VBAC. But, we decided to do what we needed to do during labor, since William's labor strip looked completely normal. Around 5pm, I sat on the birthball, and Wendy and Mike massaged my back during the contractions, things were picking up. I remember going to the bathroom, and then feeling intense contractions, I decided to lay in the bed on my side, because my back was killing me. Katherine was planning on taking Gabby and Lauren to eat dinner, but decided to stay since I was appearing to get very close. Then, all I remember is them sticking me for an IV FOUR TIMES and contrractions were on top of each other. I thought at this point, "What the hell am I doing, get me an epidural!" I begin begging Mike to find an anesthesiologist because I had no clue what the heck was going on, and could not manage the pain. Katherine, Wendy, Rachael and Mike were awesome. They were coaching me the whole way, and telling me how awesome I was doing. Meanwhile, Dr C popped in to say Hi and I was telling him please let me have an epidural. So he thought he should check me, I was complete and William was coming down, I had no clue I was in transition. Dr C explained if I wanted an epidural that was fine, however I would need labs drawn and a liter of IV fluids before I could get it. He said the head was right there, and if he broke my water, I would have a baby. I said, "Let's go!" I asked the older girls to step out because I was scared and did not want to frighten them. I think Dr C came in around 6:15, and with maybe 4-5 pushes, William John Michael was born at 6:28 pm weighing 8#10.5 oz and 21 in long. He was so beautfiul and I remember looking over at Mike, and just crying with joy. We were on cloud nine, our son was born. Rachael quickly got the girls, and they saw him immediately following his birth. Mike was able to cut the cord, and Dr C collected the cord blood to send to ViaCord. It was amazing to see this beautiful little boy and how much he looked like his daddy, and still does. I felt so good after his birth, and was able to get up and around so much easier than the others. It was a day that I will cherish for all of my life.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Beautiful thoughts on birth... Love and Joy
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Photo by Karen B.Today I heard something that reminded me of the sound of a baby's heart beat and the rhythm of that sound calmed me. It brought to life the excitement of having yet another baby. Bringing another beautiful, unique daughter of God to earth and having my heart expand several more inches with love for a creature that was dear to me the minute I knew she was there!I am more excited and ready as ever! I look forward to being the first to kiss her tiny cheeks, to count her fingers and toes, to hold her against me, to shed the first tear of joy as she is laid on my belly.I look forward to going through this again with the man who is and always will be my best friend. I love watching him tear up as his new baby is lifted up to see and as he holds them all bundled up against his chest looking into their precious little faces. He is a GREAT Dad! I have been blessed to have found such a man!So, the fears and nervousness I had experienced earlier have been replaced with the memory of the love and joy I have gained for each of my beautiful children and the hope and knowledge it will be done again! I love being a mother and never thought I could love this job as much as I do. There is nothing else that is more important or fulfilling as being a mother and wife.
Sharon H April 8, 2009
Sharon H April 8, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Hospital Birth
From: A former client of a large OB clinic practice
Using a doctor was not my first choice overall. I had read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, Misconceptions, and several other books that all confirmed what I wanted originally: to use a midwife. We decided against this option for several reasons: (1) Insurance fully covered a doctor and did not cover a midwife because midwifery is unlicensed in Alabama, (2) My first choice of care providers, The Farm midwives in Tennessee, were two hours away and we didn't have any experience of birth to know if that was a reasonable drive, (3) I thought, and was told by my doctors, that my preference of a natural birth was a realistic option in Huntsville Hospital, our birthplace of preference. I thought that I did everything right to prepare for the kind of birth I wanted - to stand up for myself in case anyone wanted to steer me in another direction. I took a Lamaze class in Nashville (a two-hour drive, but I got lots of information), I kept reading about natural pregnancy and childbirth, and I hired a doula to support me and be my advocate during labor and delivery. The only variable left was what kind of care I was going to get from my physician and the hospital. CfW seemed like a really great practice and I liked that they were located in a building attached to the hospital. I switched to them midway through my pregnancy because I didn't like the service I got from another doctor at another practice: my former doctor was rude, kept looking distracted when I asked questions, disregarded concerns of mine when I brought them up, etc. This didn't happen with most doctors at CfW, but I mistook their better listening skills for being interested in giving me what I wanted from birth. When all was said and done, paying attention to patients' wishes and/or giving truly informed consent was just not practical. They were too busy, too overwhelmed with patients, or too used to routine practices to really concern themselves with what I wanted. When I brought up my birth plan and preferences for birth (written down in the Lamaze class), I was told by my doctor at CfW that almost everything I wanted was ok. I requested having only intermittent monitoring, NOT being induced unless absolutely necessary, moving around during labor, and other naturally-motivated items. I was told to type up the list and show it to all the other doctors I'd see in prenatal rotations before my due date. I did that, and all the other doctors also seemed ok with the list. The exceptions were getting a Strep test (required), getting a Hep lock or IV (I was told a Hep lock was required at a minimum), and a couple other things. I was willing to concede these points for the greater good. Everything was fine until I reached 40 weeks. I was then actively encouraged to set a date for induction. When I tried to delay, I was warned that many more problems occur with a long pregnancy and that continuing the pregnancy would increase risk of the placenta degrading. I was not told the actual risk, just that the risk increased. I sometimes wonder if that doctor even knew the actual risk of the placenta degrading at 40 weeks. Because of a small amount (a couple of drops) of amniotic fluid on a test strip, I was sent to the hospital at 40.5 weeks to have labor induced. Once I got to the hospital, I was told I was NOT leaving until the baby was born. There were no other signs of pending labor and no signs of distress of any sort. My cervix was only minimally dilated and hardly effaced. I seriously thought that my birth plan would help my case once I went to the hospital. Having the birth plan did almost nothing except give the nurses an idea of what I wanted so they could talk me out of it. Because there were no signs of imminent labor, I made the choice to use pitocin to speed up labor since I wasn't leaving otherwise. This was supported by the hospital staff, who started encouraging pitocin and epidural use as soon I was checked in. Handily, this required an IV that was finally put in correctly after four painful attempts. I elected to postpone the epidural, but my mind was changed after the one particularly long and horrible contraction, lasting almost an hour without any relief. The disinterested anesthesiologist kept talking with the nurse about a golf trip as he was putting a needle in my spine. After nearly 20 hours of labor, I was finally ready to push but kept falling asleep as the nurses counted - I was so exhausted. That baby was not ready to be born. There was no reason to induce. Yet there I was. Sure, the outcome was ok but I wouldn't call it a good experience. And having the doctors in a building adjoining the hospital? Did nothing to help me when I needed stitches for minor tearing. The doctor who delivered my daughter had to move on to one of the many other deliveries that Clinic was responsible for that day. I was laying on my back with my feet in stirrups for more than an hour. Almost everyone in the room got to hold my daughter before I did because I could not sit up. In the end, I was just not that important. All of my education and preparation went to waste, and the wonderful doula I hired ended up being nearly powerless to do what she could to help me get the birth I wanted. The pressure from the doctors and hospital staff to do the opposite was just too much for me. What's worse is that I should have known what I would get - standard service from a group that prefers doing things in a routine way. I know several women who wanted just that: routine service including pitocin and epidural as a standard practice. They were happy with what they found at the large OB Clinic Practice. After my daughter's birth, I often wished that I would have either changed my expectations or found a good midwife. The disappointment was just too exhausting.
Using a doctor was not my first choice overall. I had read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, Misconceptions, and several other books that all confirmed what I wanted originally: to use a midwife. We decided against this option for several reasons: (1) Insurance fully covered a doctor and did not cover a midwife because midwifery is unlicensed in Alabama, (2) My first choice of care providers, The Farm midwives in Tennessee, were two hours away and we didn't have any experience of birth to know if that was a reasonable drive, (3) I thought, and was told by my doctors, that my preference of a natural birth was a realistic option in Huntsville Hospital, our birthplace of preference. I thought that I did everything right to prepare for the kind of birth I wanted - to stand up for myself in case anyone wanted to steer me in another direction. I took a Lamaze class in Nashville (a two-hour drive, but I got lots of information), I kept reading about natural pregnancy and childbirth, and I hired a doula to support me and be my advocate during labor and delivery. The only variable left was what kind of care I was going to get from my physician and the hospital. CfW seemed like a really great practice and I liked that they were located in a building attached to the hospital. I switched to them midway through my pregnancy because I didn't like the service I got from another doctor at another practice: my former doctor was rude, kept looking distracted when I asked questions, disregarded concerns of mine when I brought them up, etc. This didn't happen with most doctors at CfW, but I mistook their better listening skills for being interested in giving me what I wanted from birth. When all was said and done, paying attention to patients' wishes and/or giving truly informed consent was just not practical. They were too busy, too overwhelmed with patients, or too used to routine practices to really concern themselves with what I wanted. When I brought up my birth plan and preferences for birth (written down in the Lamaze class), I was told by my doctor at CfW that almost everything I wanted was ok. I requested having only intermittent monitoring, NOT being induced unless absolutely necessary, moving around during labor, and other naturally-motivated items. I was told to type up the list and show it to all the other doctors I'd see in prenatal rotations before my due date. I did that, and all the other doctors also seemed ok with the list. The exceptions were getting a Strep test (required), getting a Hep lock or IV (I was told a Hep lock was required at a minimum), and a couple other things. I was willing to concede these points for the greater good. Everything was fine until I reached 40 weeks. I was then actively encouraged to set a date for induction. When I tried to delay, I was warned that many more problems occur with a long pregnancy and that continuing the pregnancy would increase risk of the placenta degrading. I was not told the actual risk, just that the risk increased. I sometimes wonder if that doctor even knew the actual risk of the placenta degrading at 40 weeks. Because of a small amount (a couple of drops) of amniotic fluid on a test strip, I was sent to the hospital at 40.5 weeks to have labor induced. Once I got to the hospital, I was told I was NOT leaving until the baby was born. There were no other signs of pending labor and no signs of distress of any sort. My cervix was only minimally dilated and hardly effaced. I seriously thought that my birth plan would help my case once I went to the hospital. Having the birth plan did almost nothing except give the nurses an idea of what I wanted so they could talk me out of it. Because there were no signs of imminent labor, I made the choice to use pitocin to speed up labor since I wasn't leaving otherwise. This was supported by the hospital staff, who started encouraging pitocin and epidural use as soon I was checked in. Handily, this required an IV that was finally put in correctly after four painful attempts. I elected to postpone the epidural, but my mind was changed after the one particularly long and horrible contraction, lasting almost an hour without any relief. The disinterested anesthesiologist kept talking with the nurse about a golf trip as he was putting a needle in my spine. After nearly 20 hours of labor, I was finally ready to push but kept falling asleep as the nurses counted - I was so exhausted. That baby was not ready to be born. There was no reason to induce. Yet there I was. Sure, the outcome was ok but I wouldn't call it a good experience. And having the doctors in a building adjoining the hospital? Did nothing to help me when I needed stitches for minor tearing. The doctor who delivered my daughter had to move on to one of the many other deliveries that Clinic was responsible for that day. I was laying on my back with my feet in stirrups for more than an hour. Almost everyone in the room got to hold my daughter before I did because I could not sit up. In the end, I was just not that important. All of my education and preparation went to waste, and the wonderful doula I hired ended up being nearly powerless to do what she could to help me get the birth I wanted. The pressure from the doctors and hospital staff to do the opposite was just too much for me. What's worse is that I should have known what I would get - standard service from a group that prefers doing things in a routine way. I know several women who wanted just that: routine service including pitocin and epidural as a standard practice. They were happy with what they found at the large OB Clinic Practice. After my daughter's birth, I often wished that I would have either changed my expectations or found a good midwife. The disappointment was just too exhausting.
A former client of a Tennessee Midwife
From: A former client of a Tennessee midwife
Having a midwife birth was everything I expected and more. I knew a lot about midwifery going into my second pregnancy and I knew that the service was going to be much different that what I could expect at a doctor's office. Not better overall maybe, but definitely better for me and what I wanted. I knew it was going to be a great experience when I did the initial interview and ended up talking with the care providers for more than an hour. Time constraints just didn't seem to be the top priority even though one of the apprentice midwives was in labor herself during the interview - she just calmly sat on a birth ball and breathed deeply, concentrating when she needed to. The midwives asked me as many questions as I asked them. They were really interested in what I expected birth to be like, what I wanted, and what I was doing to help make sure I had a successful pregnancy. They answered my questions like a teacher would and sometimes corrected me when what I thought was not really accurate. I learned a lot just on that initial visit. I knew then that I had picked the right place. My prenatal visits went great. The midwives were always quick to explain technical terms and gave really good descriptions of what they saw. The descriptions became better as the baby grew and they could feel its position. I asked many, many questions and always got thorough answers. When I was worried about things, they gave me reliable information and sources that could verify what they said. They encouraged me to read and study. The included my daughter on the visits and didn't really mind when she interrupted. I always felt like I was going to a friend's house. The highlight was the labor and delivery. I went to 42 weeks without a problem and with a doctor's ok that fluid levels were good and the baby was doing fine. At that point I was looking for relief and the midwives helped me responsibly use some natural induction methods. They watched my progress first-hand and took great care of me while we relaxed and waited for active labor to start in its own good time. It did and it went really smoothly. They watched me closely without interfering, helped me when I needed help, and reassured me by telling me what was happening and what I could do that might help. It was the midwife who told me the most encouraging words I have ever heard: "If you think you can't do it anymore, that means you're almost done." She said I was doing great, and she was right. I will always be grateful that I made the choice to use that midwife practice. I spent more money than I would have if I went to a hospital. I drove longer than I would have if I went to the hospital. But there was no way I would have gotten that high-quality and personal care at a hospital. A hospital would help me get a baby born, but the midwives helped me experience the true miracle that childbirth can be.
Having a midwife birth was everything I expected and more. I knew a lot about midwifery going into my second pregnancy and I knew that the service was going to be much different that what I could expect at a doctor's office. Not better overall maybe, but definitely better for me and what I wanted. I knew it was going to be a great experience when I did the initial interview and ended up talking with the care providers for more than an hour. Time constraints just didn't seem to be the top priority even though one of the apprentice midwives was in labor herself during the interview - she just calmly sat on a birth ball and breathed deeply, concentrating when she needed to. The midwives asked me as many questions as I asked them. They were really interested in what I expected birth to be like, what I wanted, and what I was doing to help make sure I had a successful pregnancy. They answered my questions like a teacher would and sometimes corrected me when what I thought was not really accurate. I learned a lot just on that initial visit. I knew then that I had picked the right place. My prenatal visits went great. The midwives were always quick to explain technical terms and gave really good descriptions of what they saw. The descriptions became better as the baby grew and they could feel its position. I asked many, many questions and always got thorough answers. When I was worried about things, they gave me reliable information and sources that could verify what they said. They encouraged me to read and study. The included my daughter on the visits and didn't really mind when she interrupted. I always felt like I was going to a friend's house. The highlight was the labor and delivery. I went to 42 weeks without a problem and with a doctor's ok that fluid levels were good and the baby was doing fine. At that point I was looking for relief and the midwives helped me responsibly use some natural induction methods. They watched my progress first-hand and took great care of me while we relaxed and waited for active labor to start in its own good time. It did and it went really smoothly. They watched me closely without interfering, helped me when I needed help, and reassured me by telling me what was happening and what I could do that might help. It was the midwife who told me the most encouraging words I have ever heard: "If you think you can't do it anymore, that means you're almost done." She said I was doing great, and she was right. I will always be grateful that I made the choice to use that midwife practice. I spent more money than I would have if I went to a hospital. I drove longer than I would have if I went to the hospital. But there was no way I would have gotten that high-quality and personal care at a hospital. A hospital would help me get a baby born, but the midwives helped me experience the true miracle that childbirth can be.
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