My first child was born via emergency cesarean in February 2011 after a cascade of routine hospital interventions. The experience was very traumatic. I did not get to see my baby until three hours after he was born. I had nightmares for weeks. I had postpartum depression. I felt like I was in a fog and have very little memory of the first weeks of my son’s life.
I immediately knew there was no way I could go through that again. Once the fog lifted, a friend told me about VBAC. I found ICAN, and my planning and research began. Around 10.5 months postpartum, I was pregnant again. Around halfway into my pregnancy, I decided my current provider (though VBAC tolerant) was not the right fit for the birth I wanted. On recommendation from my chiropractor, I met with Dr. George Kovacevic. During my initial consultation, I sat with him talking about my first birth experience and cried telling him I just couldn’t go through that again. He was kind and caring and warm that day and through my pregnancy, birth, and beyond. His attitudes towards birth and interventions were more in line with mine, and I felt like I had the support I needed.
My due date, Friday September 21, 2012, came and went but I wasn’t worried and neither was my doctor. On Monday September 24, I went for a long walk with my mom in the evening. At 1 a.m. I started having contractions that were somewhat painful and 6-7 minutes apart. It was great that I was in labor but also unfortunate that I had not yet fallen asleep for the night and had been awake since 8 a.m! As much as it seemed like I was very suddenly in labor, I was not 100% convinced that contractions would continue. I tried my best to get some sleep, but the contractions were very painful when I was laying down on my side. I tried to take a bath to just rest and that was painful too. The contractions stayed steady so I sat on my yoga ball in the dark. Once I got tired of sitting in the dark, I put the tv on quietly and alternated leaning over the yoga ball and sitting on the yoga ball. I took a shower and just tried to stay mellow with my labor secret. My contractions grew closer together so I called my mom and she came to take me to the hospital. My husband James woke up. My step-dad Jeff came and stayed with my son who was still asleep.
I arrived at the hospital around 7 a.m. and was 4cm dilated. Since things seemed to be progressing swiftly, I was admitted. In hindsight I should have gone home because I still had hours and hours to go. I got settled into my room and declined IV fluid, the hospital gown, and informed them not to offer me any drugs. The nurses were very supportive and I labored kneeling over a yoga ball. I walked the halls. I took several showers. Sipped my coconut water. I was mainly just left alone by the hospital staff. The nurses and Dr. George checked on me and encouraged me periodically. Thankfully I had my mom and James to walk the halls with me and apply counter-pressure to my lower back.
I was fully dilated sometime around 4 p.m. but did not have any urge to push so I told the nurses I just wanted to rest and wait to push. It was actually the first time I laid on the bed. After resting for a bit, they encouraged me to push periodically and to try different things to get baby to move down such as pulling on a sheet tied to the squat bar and laboring on the toilet. Dr. George believed in me during labor when no other doctor would have. After a couple hours at full dilation and trying to labor the baby down and push, most other doctors would have pressed me to consent to a cesarean. Dr. George did a cervical check and could tell my baby had plenty of room and was in no way stuck, so he gave me more time. The anesthesiologist came by my room several times because he wanted Dr. George to section me so he could go home. Dr. George told him I was going to have a vaginal birth and sent him away. He also made sure I didn’t know about that. (My husband told me later.)
A few more hours later and I was totally exhausted. My hope was waning. Dr. George offered me IV fluids to help me past the hump of exhaustion since I had been awake for over 36 hours and hadn’t eaten much in about 24 hours. Dr. George was surely tired too. He had been at the hospital late the night before and all day since the early morning with me, but he put me first. He sent me to labor in the bathroom thinking some privacy would do me good. After a while I felt so unsure. My mom came in briefly to give me a pep talk. I still felt unsure and needed some sort of additional support. I asked out loud, “Where’s the doctor?” He leaned forward so I could see his face and said, “I’m right here.” He had just been sitting patiently right outside the bathroom in case I needed him. That support was a turning point. Soon after I had the grunty, pushy, “this baby is coming feeling”. I pushed for a while on the toilet before being asked to move to the bed. Despite not having any drugs, I was having a difficult time getting the hang of pushing. Dr. George helped me get the hang of pushing. Once baby came a bit lower, I was able to get a better feel for pushing. I felt so much pressure but never felt the tearing as it happened or the ring of fire so many women describe. Suddenly there was my baby handed up between my legs with the cord still attached.
At 40w4d after 20+ hours of labor (and 37 hours of me being awake), my vbac baby was born! I did it! She was born 
into a dimly lit and quiet room. Everyone was so proud of me. She came straight to my arms. She promptly pooped all over me which I didn’t even notice because I was just so ecstatic and exhausted. I delivered the placenta on my own. My baby was not ready latch. Dr. George asked consent to administer a shot of pitocin to slow the excessive bleeding I was having from some tearing. My baby stayed with me for a while until they decided she needed a bit of suctioning. My two third-degree tears were repaired at this point and that was somewhat painful despite local anesthetic where the doctor would be stitching. Once my baby girl was suctioned, she was returned back to me. She did not want to nurse at all and we were soon both asleep. She was as exhausted as I was!
Despite being there all day and into the night with me, Dr. George came to check on me early the next morning. He was so happy and proud. I felt like super woman in the days after my VBAC. My body was sore like I had done a grueling workout session, but aside from that, I felt amazing. I was not wheeled out the hospital broken. I walked (albeit slowly since my bottom was sore) out of the hospital on cloud nine. I didn’t have nightmares and I didn’t have PPD. The first days at home with my baby were a joy instead of a blur. I was well physically and emotionally to take care of my newborn and my toddler. And the elation lasted for weeks.
In my first birth I wasn’t really given a true opportunity at either a vaginal birth or even an empowered birth. Having a VBAC was transformative. When given an opportunity and having the right support team, I had both a vaginal birth and an empowered birth. I am forever grateful for the fantastic support from Dr. George Kovacevic, the nurses of Cape Coral Hospital, my mom, my husband and ICAN.
