Elizabeth's HBA2C

Today, I’m honored to share with you the story of Elizabeth’s HBA2C.  Her whole pregnancy, she said “I just want to be the first one to hold my baby.”  Just last week, on August 11, 2011, she got her wish when her third daughter was born at home in the water.

To fully tell my story of my home birth after 2 c-sections, I have to start at the beginning.

My story starts with my first pregnancy (which is kind of a “duh” statement, right?). We had finally decided after almost 3 years of trying to get pregnant that if we still hadn’t by Christmas, we’d start the adoption process. We found out, to our disbelief and great joy, the week after we got our first place that we were finally expecting! We called the doctor the first business day we could and started our prenatal care with a local obgyn recommended by our family doctor. We went through the whole pregnancy without any problems…took all the classes and such that were recommended.

A week before my due date, we went in to our 39 week appointment. I told the doctor that I wasn’t sure, but might have been leaking fluids. She sent me over to the birthing center to get an ultrasound done to check my levels. The results came back that they were fine, but she decided we would be induced due to me only have a week left and she was on call the next day (although I don’t think that last one was in the reasons…for obvious reasons). At 9:30 that night, they started me on pitocin. My water broke on its own that next morning at 3 or 3:30. I was so excited I woke up my poor sleeping husband! I ended up getting Nubane to help with pain relief and to try sleep over night, to no avail! I was too excited to sleep! We were going to be meeting our baby soon!!!

The next day, I requested the epidural. It took them about 45 minutes to an hour to get it in to have it slip after one contraction (not cool…especially when your veins or whatnot are that difficult). Around 12, I started throwing up and couldn’t stop. The obgyn came in shortly thereafter and announced that we were going to do a c-section. I didn’t care. I just wanted to meet our baby…and throwing up is kind of my “breaking point”. It took them a while to get the spinal tap in, but once that was in, it went really fast!

I remember just laying there strapped to the table waiting to hear my little girl’s first cry. When she was born I cried. They showed her to me real quick before doing all the preliminary checks then whisking her off to the nursery while I got put back together again. My husband went with her. They wheeled me into the recovery area after and I remember shaking so bad from all the drugs and such going through my system. My parents were finally able to come in and keep me company while my husband stayed with our new daughter. I missed all of her first things except what family was able to capture in pictures. I got to hold our daughter for the first time about 3-4 hours after she was born.

My second pregnancy kind of came as a surprise. My girls’ due dates were less than 18 months apart. I saw a different obgyn as we’d moved. I had been interested in attempting a vbac, but didn’t do my research. She was a scheduled c-section. I was scared into a repeat due to them being so close together. This c-section was totally different from the last in that I kind of knew what to expect. My husband stayed with me this time while they sewed me back up. I have no pictures of her first bath and all that. Thankfully, I was able to hold her within the first couple of hours after she was born.

My third pregnancy was unexpected. I had done a ton of research though between my second daughter’s birth and this one though. I knew that I was going to go for a vbac. Unfortunately, that pregnancy ended after only 5-6 weeks. I was heartbroken.

I ended up pregnant again after about 3 months. I kept the same plans to have a vba2c. I knew my body could birth a baby naturally…I was asked when I was only 16 how many kids I had at home…I never wore that outfit again because of that question, but it always stuck with me! I did even more research with this pregnancy. I studied my butt off! I tried finding an obgyn or doctor or hospital midwife that would work with my insurance and be willing to have me do a vba2c. That was hard. I ended up joining several groups on facebook promoting homebirth, vaginal births after c-sections, natural births and such. I found a great many friends and resources through these sites. I started looking into depth into homebirth midwives. The area I live in doesn’t really have many that I could find. I asked on one of the sites I was a member/follower of if anyone knew of a homebirth midwife that might work with me in my area. I had a few people offer me different people/places that might work with me! I called the couple of people that were recommended. After interviewing at least 2, I found my midwife. Next came paying for it! Unfortunately, my insurance doesn’t cover homebirth…even though it costs way less than a hospital birth. We made it through that though by using taxes.

I was seeing an obgyn and my midwife for the first 24 weeks of my pregnancy. I wanted to find out the sex of my baby, make sure the placenta was in the right place, and make sure I and the baby were ok. The obgyn was a great disappointment to me though as he didn’t spend that much time with me or really even listen when I told him that I wanted a vaginal birth. I quit seeing him after my 24 week appointment. The differences between the obgyn and my midwife were insane. My midwife spent on average an hour at each appointment, took the time to listen to me and my concerns, made suggestions to naturally help with higher blood pressure (which is something I had problems with from time to time), and got to know me. Our relationship was built on trust.

I went through a few scares with this pregnancy. I was scared first that my placenta would be in a “bad” place (over the scar or down really low), then scared when we found out she was breech at 34 weeks, then a tad concerned when we had an ultrasound and my fluid levels came back a tad low. Of course, I was also a tad scared that I would lose this baby like I did my last. Thankfully, everything worked out.

I read a ton of books. I really enjoyed Orgasmic Birth, Good Birth; Safe Birth, Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, and Choosing Waterbirth. I was determined that I could do this. I used all the resources I could find online to get the support I needed. My husband was totally ok with the idea of a homebirth from the very beginning. I had to kind of convince my family that it was safe though. I know they were concerned, but I had researched long and hard to support my arguments for.

I went into labor naturally on my own 3 days before my due date. It kind of sputtered to a slow start. The next day I went into light labor…losing my mucous plug. I had never lost my mucous plug with my first daughter. That whole day, I continued to lose that stupid plug (actually continued to lose it throughout the next day too). I called my mom around 9 that second day (it was a Wednesday). Told her not to rush, but I was in labor. I labored at home (except for a short trip to the store for some last minute items we needed) that whole day with my husband and kids, and mom when she got there. My mom helped me time my contractions, and by that afternoon/night they were about 3-4 minutes apart and lasting about 45 seconds each. I called my midwife several times throughout that day to let her know what was going on. When I told her the times on the contractions, she said she’d like to see them a little further apart and lasting longer…just what I wanted to hear! NOT!!!

That night I called my doula (who was also being kept informed of my progress) around 9 or 9:30 and told her I’d like her to head on over. When she got there, the contractions were pretty intense. My midwife was at another birth, so she had another backup midwife on call. My husband and daughter set up the birthing pool in our living room. We didn’t think it would be too much longer…I’d already been in labor for a whole day! My doula helped me through several contractions and kept my midwife informed of my progress. They called in the backup midwife around 3 am. She checked on the baby and my blood pressure before everyone (but me) settled down to rest for the night. My midwife told me to try to relax and get some sleep. Sleep??? Ha! How was I supposed to sleep through these contractions???

I tried a bath at one point through the night. It helped a little bit, but not really. I tried laying down in my bed with my husband, but he was sleeping and I couldn’t get comfy. I tried walking, I tried bouncing on the birthing ball, I tried anything that was suggested! I just couldn’t stay comfortable (I don’t think I really expected to get fully comfortable, but thought I might be able to sleep between contractions like what I’d read other people had done).

The next morning I actually asked for something to eat. Eggs sounded real good. I managed to eat a few bites, but they just didn’t look that great when faced with them! I ended up trying whatever positions sounded good…laying on my left side with a pillow between my legs seemed to have spaced out my contractions like my midwife had said she wanted the previous day! Eventually, we called my grandma (she was going to be watching the girls so that I could concentrate on getting the baby out) to let her know that whenever she could make it in, that would be awesome. Before my grandma got there, I decided I really wanted to take a walk outside! We walked for almost an hour with the contractions getting stronger throughout the walk. It was just what my body had wanted!

I got my first exam when we got back from the walk about 10 am on Thursday (bet that never would have flown in the hospital…although it’s a really unfair bet as I already know that that would never have happened at a hospital from my own experience!). I was already dilated to a 6, 95% effaced, and baby was in a -3 position! That’s way further than I got in the hospital! I was excited. I continued to try to listen to my body and do whatever it told me. Around 11 or so, I laid down on my left side again and rested as much as possible between contractions. Everyone else went about whatever they were doing.

During the whole labor I kept waiting for everything to get more intense. I had thought that when labor got real serious, I wouldn’t be able to talk between contractions or even interact with people. I never got to that point where I wasn’t social, so to speak, in between contractions. Just breathed and tried to relax through them. Felt like severe cramps. Wasn’t as bad as being induced at the hospital. There was an actual break between contractions! What a difference!

I had my next (and last) exam around about 1. I was stunned to discover that I was dilated to a 9, fully effaced, but baby was only -2. My doula and I decided that I should maybe stand and deal with a few contractions. After dealing with another contraction, during which I felt a little better when pushing (and thought maybe my water was finally leaking/breaking), we headed to the bathroom. The bathroom had the perfect height counter for me to lean on. Only had about 3 contractions, which were pretty much back to back, until I said that I felt like it was time to get to into the tub. I didn’t even make it into the tub before I had yet another contraction.

When I slipped into the tub it was pure heaven! At least for about a minute! I had just enough time to request some ice water, get it handed to me, and ask that it be taken away before another contraction hit hard!

After that, I grabbed my husband’s hand and started pushing. It went that fast. I heard the backup midwife tell me to feel between my legs. I reached down and felt this thing bulging out of me. I thought I was just feeling myself swollen. I was mistaken, as the midwife informed me. It was my baby’s head!!! A couple more pushes and she was out! I remember telling my husband how much it hurt…repeatedly! And even telling the baby that I changed my mind and I wanted her to go back up! Yeah, I’m quite eloquent when under pressure, I guess! I swear I saw her move under the water before I lifted her up and onto my chest. I lifted her up out of the water. She was so purple and covered in vernax. It took everyone a minute or so to get her started. I was so shocked that I had done it. I realized that everyone seemed a tad concerned about the baby about then! I started rubbing her and telling her to come on, baby. She finally started to pink up. I was holding my baby! I was the first one to hold my baby…for once!

My oldest daughter was bummed that she missed the actual birth (it was only 5 minutes from complete, or 9, to the birth of my baby), but was still so excited to get to cut the cord!

The placenta was delivered shortly thereafter. It’s only been about 2 days, but I’m still so excited that I was able to birth my baby naturally…without any pain meds, without any interventions, on my own!