Joshua's Birth: An Induction After Two Cesareans

Well, I finally finished Jessica's birth story, so I suppose I can write the next child's birth story now that he's over 17 months old... I don't remember as much as with my first stories since I was able to write them sooner, but I'll share what I do remember!

Just to set the scene of this birth, this was probably the hardest pregnancy I've had emotionally, and maybe even physically. (Yes, harder emotionally than even Danielle's pregnancy.) We found out we were expecting a baby two weeks before the pandemic shut down the entire country. (We managed to purchase a 12-passenger van the following week.) One of my friends was about a month ahead of me with twin girls and planning a c-section for their delivery. She had her c-section several weeks early, and something went wrong that still has the doctors a little puzzled. It nearly killed her. I was delivering with that same group of doctors (the same health system that did Danielle's c-section), and because I had placenta previa, for most of my pregnancy, they were telling me I would also need a c-section. To say I was terrified between my past experience of a c-section with them, and watching my friend go through all that she went through, would be an understatement. Because of the pandemic, I couldn't get together with my other mom friends and process the whole thing with them. My doctor, Dr. Amy Fisher, told me I needed to see a therapist when she realized that she knew who my friend was that was lying in her hospital and knew her whole health story. I believe it was around 36 weeks that I had my final ultrasound to see if my placenta had moved enough to make a vaginal birth safe. Thank the Lord God, it had! But, there were a few concerns about some rather large blood vessels left behind as it moved that were very close to my cervix. 

And with that, I will begin the story of Josh's birth... As pretty much any pregnant woman will tell you, we get up often throughout the night to pee. And, as usual on the night of October 28th, I did. In the wee hours of the morning from the little bit of light that came through the window, I thought I had seen something in the toilet other than just pee. I was tired though, and went back to bed. I thought it might be a small blood clot, but as it was very small and not the size that concerned doctors when you're postpartum. Closer to morning, I again got up to pee. This time I realized I was bleeding lightly and figured that we should probably go into the hospital now that I was awake enough to actually process what was going on. I was having absolutely no contractions though. 

My mom came over to watch the rest of the kids and off we went around 8am. They originally put in me triage and the doctor on call, Dr. Kim Fischer, was great! I was concerned about being induced, since I was a VBA2C, but she assured me that my Bishop score of 9 meant I would be just fine. She also knew that I did not do well with needles and wanted to negotiate (they wanted to do a blood draw and place two IV ports, I was only willing to do one IV port with a blood draw from that port (which they told me that they can't do, but in reality they can). She wanted one IV port placed, then a blood draw, then the second IV port placed. I said she could have the first, and if it went well, she could have the second, and if they both went well, she could have the third. With the bleeding, even though it was very light, she said that I "would be having this baby today," so I was admitted.

This picture doesn't even show the entire room.

I was told that I had the biggest room in the Mother Baby Center, and if it wasn't, then the size of the other rooms is even more ridiculous than the size of my room! Once I got settled in, we figured out a plan for how to get IVs placed and blood drawn. They had a specialist from the NICU come with an ultrasound to find my veins to place an IV in each arm. She marked the spot and put numbing cream on, and said that she used to work in the ER where they would draw blood from IVs that they had just placed. So, I had gotten the right lady for the job! She got the first IV placed without too much problem, and drew blood from it, so I let her do the second one as well. We did decide though that on top of the numbing cream, giving it a shot of lidocaine might be a good idea for next time as well. I think not being in labor helped a lot with getting the IVs placed so well too. 

With the IVs placed they were able to start me on Pitocin to try to start labor. They increased the dose every so often to get bigger contractions that were closer together. I remember in the early stages we asked the nurse if there was a deck of cards that we could play to pass some time. She managed to find some for us and we played a couple games of cribbage using the bed as a table while I sat on the birth ball. Eventually the contractions got to the point where I couldn't focus enough to play cards. I remember standing and swaying with my arms wrapped around Adam for support, but I found that my legs were really feeling crampy and I wanted to just sit or lay down. I don't remember this from naturally induced labor, so in hind sight, I'm blaming the Pitocin, but I don't think I had the mental capacity at the time to realize that that was probably what was causing it. 

The nurses would come in to check my cervix periodically. And at one point, a nurse came in and unwrapped all the things in the baby warmer. When I saw that happening, I knew we were getting close to meeting our little man! I could keep up with the contractions and crampy legs for a little while longer. It would be over soon and I would be holding my baby! Whenever I needed encouraging thoughts between contractions, I would look over at that warmer just waiting for him. 

Then a nurse came in to check my cervix. I was at 5 cm. Not much farther along than the last time I was checked. I felt utterly defeated. Not only was I not laboring on my own, but I wasn't progressing as fast as I was hoping. Dr. Fischer had promised that I would have my baby today! I told Adam that I wanted the epidural. The contractions weren't any worse than they had been with Jessica when I only used the nitrous oxide, but emotionally, I was done. 

At this point I had had three other epidurals. With Nora, I could feel absolutely nothing and needed to be coached by a nurse watching the monitors as to when to push. With Sam I could feel pressure on my cervix, so I knew that I needed to start pushing and I could feel the contractions enough to know when to push. With Lily, I could feel the contractions, but didn't know when I was ready to start pushing. This time, however, I felt like I needed to push, but when the nurse checked me, she told me I was only at 9cm, and she had me adjust how I was laying to try to thin out the last of my cervix. Not more than 10 minutes later, I pushed the nurse call button again, and told her that I really thought I needed to push. So, she checked me again, but told me I was still 9cm and adjusted how I was laying again. Again, not more than 5 minutes later, I really, really felt that I needed to push. By the time she got there and asked if she could check me, I was feeling enough pressure and need to push and I almost yelled at her, "No!" but, I managed to say it at least without completely yelling. She called the doctor on call to let her know I was ready to deliver. She took me seriously and helped me roll to my back, and I started pushing. With the first push, my water broke. Nope, sorry, let me explain that again. My water exploded all over the poor nurse. I've never wanted to laugh in labor before, but I sure did then. My brain was laughing while my body was dealing with labor. With that first push, once she saw what was happening, she quickly went to the phone again and called the doctor to get there now. With the second push, she stood at the end of the bed, waiting to catch the baby, but, I think to her relief, the baby wasn't out yet. Between that push and the next, the doctor walked in the room and was suiting up on the way to my bed. The doctor made it to my bed for the third and final push at 10:42pm, when Joshua Michael entered the world. 

Now, let me give you a little background again. With Jessica's birth, the doctor that was on-call, was actually the back up to the on-call doctor. His name was Dr. Chang, not that he introduced himself. He walked in the room, starred at the contraction/heart rate monitor and told me my baby was going to die if we didn't do a c-section. No one else in the room was panicky, so I tried to ignore him until he left. When my nurse came back later, she asked how we liked this doctor that we had never met. We both said we hated him. She said we could switch doctors, and so we did, and had a beautiful birth with her. 

Now back to Josh's birth. The doctor that showed up at the very last minute to catch him was his wife, Mrs. Dr. Chang, as we've come to refer to her as. My doctor had given me a heads up after I told her that we had kicked the last doctor out, that his wife worked with them. I would love to be able to tell you that she was the complete opposite and was absolutely wonderful. But, she was there for such a brief period of time that I really don't have an opinion of her one way or the other. She caught my baby just fine and didn't threaten a c-section or death like her husband, so she has a one-up on him there. Though, she didn't introduce herself, like her husband either, but, at least for her, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that if she actually had time for niceties, she probably would have. 

Once Josh entered the world, he was placed right on my chest. I wasn't super focused on what was going on with birthing the placenta and whatnot, but it seemed that the doctor was getting annoyed or something (since she was wearing a mask, it was hard to get an actual read on facial expressions & emotions) with what was going on. Because this was my seventh kid and because there were a few pesky larger veins that were still hanging out around my cervix from when the placenta had moved out of the way, my doctor had told me that they were more worried about hemorrhaging this time. That must have been what she was annoyed with, because they ended up giving me two other drugs, on top of the Pitocin, to stop the bleeding. The first went into the second IV port in my other arm. But the third needed to be stabbed into my leg. When the nurse told me that she was going to give me a shot, this time I did yell at her, "WHAT!?!" She took a step back and kind of looked a little stunned that that would be my reaction. (She wasn't around for the negotiations with the IVs and whatnot, so maybe she missed the part of my record that says I don't do well with needles.) I did consent and she stabbed me in the leg. Lucky for her I had an epidural, and while I could still  feel and move my legs a little, I didn't end up screaming at her again. It didn't take them too long to get the bleeding to stop. Then I just got to enjoy the cuddles and let Adam have some time meeting his new son. 

We were eventually ready to call it a night around 2am and Adam was looking to get settled in on the couch. But, the nurse stopped him from looking for sheets. It was time to move down the hall out of the poorly named "Mother Baby Center" (it should really be called a birth center, since the kick the mothers and their babies out when they're most exhausted). We went from this over-sized gigantic birthing suite to a literal closet where Adam was shoved in a little jut-out on a chair-bed that barely fit in the space. We were all exhausted though, and settled in for the night. 

With Nora's birth story, I was able to tell you about all the visitors we had the next day that came to meet her, and with the others after her I was able to show you pictures of the older siblings all meeting their newest sibling in the hospital all gathered around me (still looking tired, of course) sitting on the hospital bed with me. But instead, no one came to see us, since there were visitor restrictions due to the pandemic. Since he was born before a little more than an hour before midnight, I only had one whole day to stay at the hospital. The next day was all the paperwork to get me out of there as fast as they could. But, what I do have is a picture of us leaving the hospital with only one of our children while wearing our masks. 

Afterward: Adam tells me that at some point I did use the nitrous oxide with this delivery. I didn't believe him, because during those early months of the pandemic, they wouldn't allow you to use it. But, he showed me a picture on his phone as proof. I think I vaguely remember being told that they had just started allowing its use again. 

The Birth of Jessica Rose

Do you know how to make sure you go into labor? Plan a last date before baby comes with your husband. Adam had bought tickets to see our friend's play on Sunday, April 29th. In hindsight, I started early labor the day before when I was at our church's Spring Salad Luncheon with my mom. I remember having a couple contractions that were definitely more than Braxton-Hicks, but didn't really pay much attention, because I was still 4 days from my due date, and I expected to go a day or two past. But, by 1am on Sunday morning, I was awake with contractions and timed a couple of them. I don't remember waking Adam to tell him that I was in labor, but he says that he remembers being woken up.

Around 6am, I texted my mom to come over and pick up the kids. The plan was for me to labor at home for as long as possible. I've had either an epidural or a spinal with all of the other kids, and this time, I wanted to do it without. I wanted to be able to offer up my pain and unite it to Christ's suffering in His Passion for an intention near to my heart. We figured if I were at home as long as possible, I was away from the epidural as long as possible!

I hadn't really packed up the kids yet, so between the older kids, Adam, and my mom, they got everyone packed and ready to go. Lily came in and kept me company. I don't think she really knew what was going on, but she enjoyed pointing to the mole on my tummy and telling me "mole." (Oddly enough, Jessica at 18 months or so started poking that same mole while she nurses.)

I don't remember all that we did to keep ourselves occupied during the waiting game. I believe Adam dished me up some peaches (the only thing that sounded good) for lunch. Once the afternoon rolled around, I texted my neighbor to see if she had a birth/ exercise ball that I could use. I remember Adam working on one of Nate's many puzzles while I pretty much just watched him and sat on the birth ball.

Once it started getting late, we decided that we wanted to settle in somewhere for the night, so we headed to the hospital around 10pm. I wanted a wheelchair at this point. No more walking around. A nurse came down from the L&D floor to the emergency room entrance to wheel me on up while Adam parked the car. It always seems that when we head to the hospital, my contractions slow down quite a bit. This time was no different. So the nurse brought me over to a triage room, thinking I was not actually in labor. I remember asking why we were there. My L&D nurse, CaraLin, who would end up being a saving grace for me, was kneeling in front of my wheelchair, and the other nurse was asking me to get up and move to the triage bed for examination. CaraLin started asking me questions, like how many kids I had and their ages and such. I wasn't super great at answering, but managed to tell her I had six kids, their ages, and that our oldest died. I wasn't having contractions, even though I felt like I was still in between close contractions. CaraLin told the other nurse that I knew what I was talking about since I was on my 6th child, but I think she was waiting for the proof once a contraction hit. I could tell the others around CaraLin and I were getting a little impatient, and I remember praying for a contraction to hit! And, thank the Lord, it did. They all were then in agreement to admit me and brought me straight to my room.

When you're a VBAC (and definitely when you're a VBA2C!), they want to get a 20-minute "strip" on your contractions and baby's heart rate. I hate being hooked up to them. You can't move to get comfortable during a contraction, because you need to make sure that the monitors don't slip out of place and not read baby's heart rate. I sat on the edge of the bed, somewhat comfortably while we tried to get a 20-minute strip. CaraLin stayed by my side the whole time. My doctor (whom I had never met before), Dr. Chang, stared at the readings on the monitor. He wanted me to lay down on my back (super uncomfortable in labor for me!). The baby's heart rate wasn't variable enough for him. I could feel a calm in the room around me, but an induced panic from him. He started talking, while still staring at the monitor, about how if we couldn't get some variability in the baby's heart rate, that we'd have to do a c-section or the baby could die. Oddly enough, even the mention of our baby dying didn't panic me. Everyone else in the room was calm and unconcerned. I didn't like Dr. Chang. He reminded me of Scary Doctor with no bedside manners.

Eventually, everyone left the room when they had the information they needed, leaving Adam and me alone. After the click of the door shutting, the next thing I heard was Adam's voice, "I don't like him." So I wasn't just an over-dramatic laboring woman. "I don't like him either."

After a few minutes, CaraLin came back in with another nurse, and she knelt down by my side at the edge of the bed I was sitting on. "I understand you haven't met this doctor before, what do you think of him?" I explained that we didn't like him, and she explained our options. There was another doctor, their on-call doctor, Dr. Burroughs, who I could meet, and if I liked him, I could switch. We both agreed that was a great idea.

Dr. Burroughs came in and introduced himself and said that everything looked fine to him, so he let me continue to labor.

(At this point I'm writing the rest of this just before Jessica's 2nd birthday, so it's not as detailed as it could be... But it's my story, nonetheless.)

I know an IV was placed and my cervix was checked. I labored on a birth ball for quite a while, and eventually used the nitrous oxide for some pain relief during contractions. Adam laid on the couch either reading or playing video games or napping. I'm really not sure which. 

(And now I'm continuing when she's almost 4 years old! At this point in time, I don't remember as much as I could have had I written this sooner.)

I remember sitting on the birth ball laboring and trying to rest as best I could in between contractions. At one point, I must have actually dozed off a bit, because I tipped backwards on the birth ball, and lost my balance. Thankfully the IV pole was right next to me, and I grabbed it to keep from completely tipping over! I think after that point I stayed more awake, and I think it actually helped to kick up the contractions a bit. 

I must have moved to the bed at some point, because when I was ready to push, I the nurses asking me how I wanted to position myself. I literally couldn't move and I had no idea what position I should move into. One of the nurses decided to put up the back of the bed so that it was almost straight upright. I used my arms to hang on the edge of the bed and squatted on the part that was still flat. Adam was standing behind the upright head of the bed. One of my top love languages is physical touch, and he was present, but not touching me, so I remember telling him that I needed his hand. As I pushed a nurse, probably CaraLin, held my hips and pulled them down as I pushed each time. I remember that Dr. Burroughs was in the room, but I also thought that he was across the room, and not right by my bedside. I honestly thought that no one caught our baby and that she just landed on the bed. Adam told me later that Dr. Burroughs did indeed caught her!

Once she was born, they helped me lay back on the bed and gave me my newest daughter to hold. I remember thinking in the moment that I would never push a baby out of me again without an epidural, but by the next day, I was convinced I'd try it again. 

4-28 Spring Salad Luncheon @ church - contractions
4-29 Contractions at 1am
head to hospital at 9:30-10pm
11:35pm 7cm
4-30 Jessica born at 3:08am 8# 6oz 21 1/4 inches

Lilianna's Birth Story

It seems like with all our VBAC babies we've had a "false alarm." (Apparently, I still haven't got this birthing thing figured out even by number 5.) The evening of May 20th (the day before my due date), I started having mild contractions.We decided to go for a walk around the curve to try to get things moving along more. Along the way, we saw our neighbor, Kathryn, out, whose due date was 4 days after mine. I told her she should join us for a labor-inducing walk. She declined though, because she had to go into work soon. So we went home and relaxed with the kids. Probably not 20 minutes had passed since Kathryn and I had posed for a picture together, she sent me a text saying that I jinxed her, because her water had just broke! She was heading into the hospital. My contractions were getting pretty "timable" and I told her that we'd probably meet her there later. I let my mom know, so that she could be ready to come over at some point that night. She got there around 11pm and by the time Adam and I were ready to leave around midnight, my contractions were 3 minutes apart, but still pretty mild.

When we got to the hospital, they sent us to triage for monitoring. By the time we got there, the contractions had spaced out more to 6-ish minutes apart, and I was dilated to 2 cm. The nurse talked to Dr. Arnold, who was on call for the weekend, and he said they could admit me. After being admitted, my contractions just about stopped and after two more cervical checks with no changes, we decided to go home after 4 hours and get some rest in our own bed. I texted Kathryn that we were leaving and I was rather jealous that she was going to be having her baby on my due date, even though she still had 4 more days to go! Adam told the nurse we'd be back in 12 hours. I didn't think we would be, I was guessing she'd arrive on Sunday.

While I was super disappointed in not getting to meet our little girl, it was nice that she waited so that we could both go to Hope Walks and Rolls 5K on Lily's due date, May 21st, to celebrate her big sister's life, and raise money for Faith's Lodge. While I was very tempted to walk to try to induce labor again, after a night of very little sleep, I decided to wait at the start/finish line for our family and Adam's co-workers. But my body was feeling pretty great after feeling uncomfortably pregnant for several weeks, so that I was thankful for.

Thankfully, I didn't need to walk to induce labor, because at 3:30am the next day, I woke up with stronger contractions. I let Adam sleep, but I eventually got up and showered so that I'd be ready to go in when the time came. After getting the kids up and fed, I had Adam call mom to head over. By that point my contractions were 7-ish minutes apart, and I figured I'd hang out at home while mom entertained the kids, but shortly after she got there, they were less than 3 minutes apart and they were much stronger. I didn't want to head into the hospital and be told that I was still at 2 cm, or that I wasn't progressing. When I told Adam that they were less than 3 minutes apart, he said he thought we should go, but would leave it up to me. After a couple more painful contractions, I decided that he was probably right. I kissed each of the kids goodbye. Nora was really excited that her baby sister was going to be born, Nate wanted to give the baby (my belly) a hug and kiss, and Sam looked rather concerned (I don't think he had a clue what was going to be happening).

Of course, as we started driving to the hospital my contractions slowed down, and I told Adam that if they checked me and I was still a 2, that I was going to punch someone. Luckily, when my nurse, Lisa, came to check me at 8:55am, I was 3 cm. Not what I was hoping for, but at least I didn't need to punch her. I was also 90% effaced and Lily was sitting low. With each contraction, I was thinking about an epidural more and more, but didn't mention anything to Adam or Lisa for a little while.

We talked about getting the IV started and labs taken since I had such horrible experiences with Nora's and Sam's births, and because I needed a bag of fluids and labs taken before I could get an epidural. We explained that they only had one chance to draw blood, and that was when a member of the SWAT team (their team of people who are really awesome at placing IVs) placed the IV. I also said that I wanted the area numbed, and of course to wait until I was between contractions. The lady was really sweet, but said she wanted to try without numbing because it usually collapsed veins. She tried in my hand without numbing it, and the vein collapsed anyway. So she tried again in my arm and after digging around and me crying because it was worse than the contractions, she finally got it in, BUT she couldn't get blood to come out. That meant that the lab tech that was standing by would have to poke me again. Since it takes a while for the the bag of fluids, we decided to give me a break and have the lab tech come back to get any and all AND extra blood taken, just in case someone decided that they needed more for some other crazy test (that was Dr. Mahan's idea). Once the fluids were started Lisa started the Penicillin and got me a half a dose of fentanyl to help me through the blood draw and to last me until Dr. Kent could come place my epidural.

When the lab tech came back, she pulled out extra vials, and I asked her to use the butterfly needle. She did such an awesome job, that I told her that even though the lab people don't have a "SWAT" team, that I thought she could be part of them anyway.

Lisa wanted to do another cervical check to make sure I was progressing or that I wasn't too far along for the epidural. Two hours after my last check, I had only gained 1 cm. I figured it was going the same route as the last to VBACs, and that I'd be here for several more hours before I got to meet our daughter. The fentanyl was at least helping with my contractions for the 45 minute wait for Dr. Kent and the epidural meds to come. I asked at one point if he would he there soon, because I wanted the second half of the fentanyl, but Lisa urged me to wait. So, I did.

With both Nora and Sam, I was able to lay down for the epidural, but I know they prefer you sitting up, so I tried that. Lisa had a foot stool for me, and wanted me to hug pillows while he placed it. I wanted the foot stool gone and to hold Adam. So she moved it, and I rested my head on Adam's chest. I don't remember either of the other epidurals hurting as much as this one did. Danni's spinal probably hurt more, but there were also a lot of other anxiety-driving factors to consider. He gave me a test push of drugs to make sure it was working, and then had me lie down so Lisa could hook up the drip bags of meds. I could feel the feelings leaving, but I could feel the pressure of her descending lower with each contraction. Lisa had me telling her when I could feel the contractions to make sure the monitor was picking them up correctly. At this point it was lunch time, and since I was comfortable, Adam asked permission to run to get lunch quick. I was fine with it, so he went, and Lisa stayed in the room with me while making sure the epidural was working properly.

This epidural was so much better than the one I had with Nora where I couldn't feel anything at all. This time I could wiggle my toes, move my legs (though my right leg needed a little aide often times), and turn side to side with a little assistance. After my first turn from my right side onto my left side, I had a contraction and suddenly felt a gush of fluids! My water had broken! Lisa checked me again, and I was now at 5 cm. As with Nora and Sam, I started progressing at a quicker rate once the epidural was going. I still expected it to be a while though. Lisa and I chatted for a while until I started feeling like I could use a rest. I shut my eyes and relaxed, but enjoyed each contraction feeling without pain the movement of my youngest daughter lower and lower.

Adam came back from lunch, and shortly after Lisa left the room. Adam was hanging out on the couch, while I continued to relax and enjoy the my body birthing our daughter. I don't know at what point, but eventually decided that since I could feel when the contractions were coming and since it usually takes me a while to get these babies out of me, that maybe when I felt a contraction, I could give a little extra push, just to help things move a little quicker. After a couple contractions like that Lisa came in to check me, and so she could hook up my second dose of penicillin, since it had been 4 hours. But, apparently I was complete! I told her that I how I had thought I would try to move things along by pushing a little with my contractions. She laughed a little and said not to do that! I was supposed to tell her if I felt the urge to push! (Which I never felt the urge to push like I did with Sam, I just wanted to get the show going a little faster.)

A quick 5 minutes later the doctor was in the room and everyone was in place and ready for me to push. Normally they have you grab the back of your knees and pull them towards you to push, but the baby was up in my stomach still (even though she was partway down my birth canal!), and so instead of pulling my knees to my chest, I was pushing her down out of my stomach with my hands just to try to stay comfortable. But, after a few contractions and pushes of doing that, Dr. Arnold said that she wasn't moving anywhere and we needed to try something different. I'd rather meet my daughter than have my stomach be comfortable for those few minutes, so grabbed my knees for the next contraction and pushed with all my might. She enough she started moving outwards into the world. I can't remember how many pushes it took, but it was only 11 minutes of pushing total, according to Adam's notes.

Once her head was out, I had to stop pushing for a moment, as the cord was wrapped around her neck. Dr. Arnold quickly took care of it, and the rest of her body came out quickly. I could see her blue little body, it wasn't turning pink, and she wasn't breathing or crying. Strangely though, I was calm. I knew she would take her first breath, I knew everything would be okay. And after a what seemed like a lot longer time than it actually was, she did start breathing! Dr. Arnold cut the cord, and since she didn't breath right away, the nurses took her over to assess her and put a diaper on her. While they were attending to her, I could feel myself effortlessly birth the placenta. As Dr. Arnold was checking everything out "down there," I asked if I was going to need stitches. He looked, and he looked, and said, "Maybe one," then he looked some more, "Naw, it's just a scratch." I had to laugh, "just a scratch!"

And then my third daughter, my fifth child, Lilianna Quinn was placed on my chest. She was finally here! She started nursing well right away, and was totally happy and content to be on my chest. Adam snapped dozens of pictures on my DSLR and on his phone to send to family and friends. Once he had his pictures all taken and texts and emails all sent, he wanted his time with her. So, he took off his shirt and grabbed her and a blanket to cuddle up on the couch with her.

My neighbor, Kathryn, had her son on Lily's due date at the same hospital and was four doors down from us, so we stopped by with Lily to meet Ethan the next day.

Samuel David's Birth Story: A VBA2C

Since I was having a vaginal birth after two c-sections (VBA2C), and not all doctors and nurses are for that, I wanted to make sure that I had everything set up ahead of time that I could to ensure a successful VBA2C. At one of my appointments a few weeks before I was due, I brought a copy of my birth plan for my doctor to sign, so that if any nurses had questions or problems with it, they could see that my doc was okay with it. (For example, I wanted to be able to eat and drink during labor, but I guess it's against hospital policy for a VBAC momma. My doc was okay with it though.)

We also kept going back and forth as to whether or not we would use a doula to support us during labor and delivery. We were originally going to just use the volunteer doula at the hospital, but my friend convinced me to get a doula outside the hospital in case the volunteer on call was with another momma. We ended up finding Nancy Pone a few days before I went into labor, and she was wonderful, as you will read.

Well, onto the start of birthing our fourth child, Mr. Samuel David. As with Nora's birth, I started having contractions early on, but (luckily) this time it wasn't only at night for a week straight, leaving me near delirious come birth-time. It was on and off, and quite often during the day. On Friday, as per usual, my cousin, Linda, came over to visit. I started having contractions around 2pm before she came and started timing them on and off. At that point they were anywhere from 5-11 minutes apart, and were a little stronger than before, but I could still talk through them just fine. She didn't stay too late so that we could get some rest that night though.

We went to bed, and I started timing them again around 9:30pm, as they were getting more painful, and I couldn't sleep though them, and since they were coming anywhere from 6 to 15 minutes apart, I wasn't really sleeping in between them either. Adam slept most of the night, except for the two times Nora came in at 4am and 5 am to tell us she had to "go potty in the potty." I kept timing them on and off throughout the rest of the night and into the morning. When we got up that that Saturday morning, I told Adam to call my mom to come get the kids. I didn't think it was time to go in yet, but, I knew it would be at some point that day, and I wanted to be able to labor at home without a toddler or two crawling across my aching belly.

We spent the morning watching Doctor Who and relaxing at home. Adam actually ended up re-wiring an outlet in the office and setting up some internet thing in the office while I sat and watched. He kept wanting to retreat to the office to play video games, since there wasn't much for him to do at that point. They were starting to get stronger to the point where I couldn't talk though them, but there wasn't anything I wanted him to do at that point to relieve any pain. I just wanted him near me. Just his presence made me feel more at ease. He brought me peaches to eat and water to drink as I asked, and that was all I really needed. Shortly after noon, I decided to stop timing them, as it was getting annoying and difficult for me to get the timer on my phone started and then try to concentrate and relax my way though a contraction. So at 2pm when I started feeling like I wanted to be at the hospital, I don't really know how far apart they were, or if we were at the "5-1-1 rule" to go in or not. But, I started to get the shakes, and thought that was a good sign to go in. I texted Nancy to let her know that we were heading in, and Adam texted my mom to giver her an update, and then we were off!

I remember having a contraction as I was trying to walk down the couple of steps from our laundry room to the garage, but on the car ride to the hospital (not that it's that far!), I think I only had one. I'd heard that sometimes changes in surroundings slowed labor, but I was hoping it wasn't going to slow it down too much. I also remember walking though the ER doors and a security guard coming up to me asking if I wanted a wheelchair. I held up with "one-minute" finger, and he said something about waiting until the contraction was over. Once it was, I decided to take the wheelchair up to the L&D floor, which I remember deciding against with Nora, but the pain was worse this time around.

Once we got up to our room, the nurse, Barb, hooked me up to the monitors, and said she needed a 20 minute strip on the baby, then she could take me off the monitors. She checked me, and I was at 3cm, which kind of disappointed me, especially since my "purple line" had said I was at 10 cm (ha!) a couple days ago. I thought I would at around a 6 and be closer to active labor instead of still in early labor. So we focused on trying to get a 20 minute strip of the baby's heartbeat so that I could get off the monitors and move around more easily. This we found to be a difficult feat, since the bands that they use to hold the monitors on my belly didn't actually keep them in the right places. However, Adam was a pro at holding them in place through my contractions (and when I wasn't contracting), and getting a solid 20 minute strip in just over 20 minutes.

Once the monitors came off, Nancy had us start some belly dancing to help labor progress. She really wanted me to get my hips into it swinging and swaying them side to side. Adam danced with me and held me through contractions. They were painful,but manageable at this point. We found this really helped me progress, because when Barb came back to check me, less than an hour after she checked me before, I had gone from "thick" and 0% effaced to 80-90% and 4 cm.  Hearing that brought my spirits up after the disappointment I had from the first check.

We kept dancing and moving to help shake the baby down and out of me. We did have to take a break to get an IV placed so that I could get some antibiotics since I was Group B Strep positive. Part of my birth plan stated that they could not do any blood draws, and that if they needed any blood it needed to be taken when the IV was placed. Adam mentioned this to Barb. Nancy mentioned this to Barb. I mentioned this to Barb. Serveal times each. She insisted that she didn't know why they would need to draw any blood. "Are you sure?" was repeated several more times. She doubled checked, and still assured us that the hosptial did not need any blood samples.

Since I wanted it numbed before the IV was placed, Barb had another nurse come in who was more familiar with placing IVs when numbed. Well, the numbing didn't work in the first spot, and the vien didn't cooperate either. So they numbed another spot, and tried there. That vein wouldn't cooperate either. I don't do well with needles and was trembling (on top of the contactions) before this all started, it didn't get any better after having been poked so many times either! They finally decided to call in, I kid you not, the SWAT team. Yep, the SWAT team. I don't know what it stands for. I never asked, but they were pros. One try, and the IV was placed without a problem.

Once that fiasco was all over, and my nerves were calmed a little we continued to dance, but I got tired of that quickly, and Barb suggested I get in the bath once the first round of antibiotics was finished. I liked this idea a lot. I knew I couldn't have a water birth that I dreamed of since I was pregnant with Danielle, but at least I could have some relaxing labor in the tub. It did help me relax through the contractions more, so much so that I had to tell Nancy when they were coming so she could time them, because she couldn't tell by my demeanor. I wasn't in there too terribly long though, because I started feeling too hot and almost suffocating-like.

After I put my lovely gown back on, Nancy would squeeze my hips through contractions while Adam helped me stand, but it was this point that the contractions started getting to be much stronger than I ever remember with Nora. I worked through several on the verge of tears, thinking in between the contractions that I could handle it. But, eventually told Adam I wanted the epidural I couldn't do it anymore. The nurse, now Shelly, of course, wanted to check to see how far I was to make sure I wasn't past the point of being able to get one. I wasn't. I hadn't changed much since the last check. The baby was lower, but I was still at 4 cm and 90% effaced.

The contractions were getting much less manageable, and I knew the epidural would take a while to get with paper work and waiting on the anesthesiologist to make it up, so I asked for phentenol right away in my IV. Plus, I knew it would help me relax through the epidural placement, since each contraction I was trying so hard not to cry and be miserable.

This is the point where all hell broke loose in anger from not only me, but Adam and Nancy as well. Shelly, the nurse that had taken over for Barb, realized that Barb missed in my chart that I was a VBAC mom. That meant that the needed blood. And while, I think they let me go a while without bringing it up, once I asked for the epidural, they said in order to get it, I needed to have blood drawn. I was beyond livid. I don't think there is a word in the English language to describe how furious I was! I cried tears of anger and fear of going through what I went through with the blood draw from Nora. While Shelly tried to apologize, she didn't seem to understand what she was asking of me. She wasn't there when the lab tech butchered my arm at Nora's birth leaving me with a welt for days. She wasn't there when it took two nurses and a SWAT team to finally get an IV placed only hours earlier. But she had the upper hand. She had the epidural. She said the anesthesiologist wouldn't even come up until labs were drawn. So I consented. But, I said they had one shot at this. I said if they didn't get it the first time, there was not second chance. I said I wanted the phentenol first. And I said they better call in the SWAT team the first time. And she did. And it was actually an okay blood draw.

Shortly thereafter, the anesthesiologist came up to place the epidural. He must have been the same one from Nora's birth, as from what I understand, there's only one anesthesiologist there that likes his patients laying on their side instead of sitting up. I was thankful for that, as I think it made it easier on me. Now I could just lay and relax in bed. It was getting late, past our normal bedtime, so I was tired.

Eventually, Shelly came back to do another check, and to give me my second dose of antibiotics. Looking back at my notes from Nancy, I was at 6 cm and 100% effaced. With that I decided to try to take a nap. With Nora, Adam had kept coming in and out of the room, and each time he would, I would kinda wake up and look for him. This time he just laid on the couch and watched House, while Nancy and I took naps. I remember at one point Nancy asking Adam to turn the volume down, which helped me be able to get more rest. 

After about an hour and a half, Shelley came back to check me again. She said I was at 8 cm, and my bags of waters was bulging. She asked if I wanted her to break it. I said no, but then through the epidural, I felt like I was suddenly peeing, and I heard Shelley say, "Oops." I wasn't upset though, as I figured that if it was bulging that much, it would probably have popped soon anyway. But, then she changed her answer on how dialated I was. Apparently, the water breaking pushed me up another cm to a 9. I was definitely okay with that! 

Shelley went to her computer next to my bed to update my file or whatever, and within a few minutes, I told her that I thought I felt the urge to push. It wasn't something I expected to feel at all! With Nora, I was told that it was time to push, and then I was told when I was having a contraction, so that I knew when to push. But this time, I could feel my son actually decending into the birth canal. It was amazing! I could feel lots of pressure, but no pain. By the time Dr. Nelson, the on call doctor from my clinic, arrived, my baby was just about ready to be born. She was amazed that as he was crowning, he was turning his head side to side, and commented on his strong neck muscles. It only took about 10 minutes of pushing before Samuel David entered the world! He cried loudly, as he was placed on my chest, and I tried to nurse him. At first he just wanted to cry, but he soon found my nipple, and started nursing like a champ. 

These are the notes that Nancy took for me during Sam's birth. I had to refer to them a couple times for the order of events since I finally finished his story over a year after his birth, but I still remember those moments very vividly. 

Sarah gibson
Conx occ night
9:27 830, 3-12 min
215 leave hosp, strong shaky
3:50 -tight cm 3cm, "thick" cont monitoring 20min
440 - 80-90% eff, 4cm, baby stn 0 nurse: Barb
545 nurse alicia IV
Trembles starting
Pee
630 - bath!
715 Pee -standing hip squeeze - Shelly on
730 90% 4cm baby low
800 fentinol/IV/labs
830 ep
930 pencill #2, check: 6cm, 100%?
NAP! (Or stay up and watch House for Adam :)
11 - switch to left side...check, cervix soft 7cm
1130 checked 8, water broke during check 9 bleeding
1150 dr nelson in
1212 pushing

1222 born

Nathaniel's Birth Story

We had originally scheduled Nathaniel's c-section birth on December 26th at 2:30 in the afternoon. For several reasons we switched it to December 21st at 7:30 in the morning. I was happier to have it earlier in the morning, since I couldn't eat or drink anything for ten hours before the surgery, that meant I would be sleeping for most of those ten hours. (Try telling a pregnant lady to not eat!)

The night before we dropped Nora off at my parents' house. I missed having her home, but I knew that since we would have to leave the house at 5am, it would be better for her to sleep there so she could stay more on her normal schedule. That night it took me quite a while to fall asleep, Adam and I talked and he helped to calm my nerves, and I eventually fell asleep. Not that sleep lasted for long. I woke up at 3am (as all pregnant women wake up in the middle of the night), and never went back to sleep.

Adam's alarm went off at 4am, and we laid in bed for another 15 minutes cuddling and talking about the big day ahead of us. We were both excited to meet our first son, but I was not ready; I was nervous about everything leading up to his birth. But, alas, it was time to start putting our plan into action. Adam had said that I should shower first, and he could go downstairs and eat breakfast, so that he wasn't eating in front of me. So off we went getting ready for Nathaniel's debut.

We left the house around 5:15am, and entered the hospital through the emergency room doors. The security guard greeted us, and I told him I had a scheduled c-section, so he directed us towards the elevators to the second floor. It was a much different ride up to the second floor than when I was in labor with Eleanor. I wasn't grasping the rail, because of contractions, and there was no nurse escorting us. Just Adam & I. When we went into the labor and delivery unit's entrance, there were several nurses at the station waiting, one of them was Jill, the charge nurse I had talked to on the phone earlier in the week. It put me at ease a little to see her there to greet us.

They let us through the door and Jill greeted us on the other side and brought us to our room with a little bassinet for Nathaniel, a hospital bed for me, and an uncomfortable couch for Adam. It was the end room, with two windows, where it was quieter. She said she was trying to save it for us, and was able to. She handed me my hospital gown, and asked me to put it on.

Shortly after I got dressed up in my lovely gown, Julie, one of Woodwinds' volunteer doulas, came in and introduced herself. We chatted a little, to get to know each other, and I gave her a copy of my birth plan. She said that she wasn't sure that Adam would be allowed into the OR when the spinal was done, but that she would be allowed in. I explained to her that I had already talked to Dr. Dubink, and he had okay-ed it.

I was hooked up to the monitors for about a half hour, hooked up to an IV & given saline, shaved, and visited by several nurses, Dr. Dubink, and Dr. Mahan. Just about every one of them asked if I was ready. And to each one of them, I would respond, "I'm ready for that," pointing to the bassinet, "but not for everything leading up to it." It was the total truth. I was excited to meet Nathaniel, to hold him, to nurse him, to love him, but I was not ready to be "sliced & diced," as I kept putting it. I still wanted a VBAC, I wanted to be able to deliver my baby with my own body, not with drapes, scalpels, and someone pushing down on my stomach.

I'm not someone who really likes to be at the center of everyone's attention, so most of the time with one or two people in the room asking me a couple questions and leaving wasn't a big deal. It was like having a conversation with a couple people. That, I can handle. But, at one point, there were two nurses, both fidgeting with different things that were hooked up to me, then add in Dr. Dubink and Dr. Mahan both trying to ask me questions or tell me something, plus Adam and Julie both watching me and everything that people were doing to me. I don't remember not breathing when they were all in there, but I remember all of a sudden being able to breath when all the medical people left. (I'm certain my next birth plan will have something in it about only having one or two medical staff in the room at a time, whether it's a VBAC or another c-section.)

 If I remember correctly, it was Jill that came in and told Adam and Julie to "suit up" as it was almost time to go to the OR. Adam had a lovely jump suit, but Julie ended up in scrubs just like the medical staff. She also gave me a hair net that looked only slightly nicer than your cafeteria lunch ladies'.

Once Julie came back from getting dressed, we were ready to go! Another nurse came in to help, and they laid my bed back, raised it to their level and pushed me out of the room down the hall to the OR. I don't know why, but I liked getting pushed down the hall on the bed better than having to walk down the hall like I did at Abbott. Though, I still didn't like that Adam wasn't walking next to me holding my hand. He was behind me again. This time it was because there wasn't much room in the hallway for a bed, and for him, but as soon as he could, he was at my side.

Once we were in the OR, they had me slide onto the "chopping block." Dr. Dubink asked me how I would like to be positioned when he did the spinal. I decided I would try it sitting up, since it would be easier for him to get it in there well, and since Adam was there this time to support me. I was trying to situate myself so that my legs were hanging off the edge of the table, because that's how it went at Abbott with Danielle. But, Dr. Dubink wanted me sitting on the table so all I would have to do was lay back once the spinal was placed. This made much more sense to me. So I leaned forward as far as I could, Adam put his hand down on the table so that I could wrap my arms around his and hold on tight. Dr. Dubink did a much better job than the anesthesiologist at Abbott. When he numbed my back, I didn't arch my back, I just gripped Adam's arm tighter. I didn't even cry! Dr. Dubink got the spinal in, without any problems! We were off to a decent start.

They got me laid back on the table, and started getting everything set for the surgery. They put the sticky drape on my belly, and hung it in front of my face, put on the blood pressure cuff, placed the catheter, and checked to make sure I was numb everywhere they would be slicing. While they pulled up a desk chair for Adam to sit on, and he handed the camera over to Julie to photograph the whole event. When they started pulling him out, Julie went on the other side of the drape to take pictures for us (I won't expose you to the gore, but I am glad I have pictures to see our son being born since I wasn't able to see anything but a blue drape, and Adam's hand holding mine.)

Dr. Mahan told us when she was starting to pull him out. I could feel the tugging and pushing on my upper ribs, where the spinal hadn't blocked feeling. During all the tugging, pushing, and pulling, all of a sudden my right shoulder starting hurting, like there was a really big knot or something. I kept trying to roll my shoulder to work the knot out, but when you have limited movement, it's difficult to work out. I stopped looking to my left at Adam, closed my eyes and faced the ceiling where there was a ceiling tile that was an autumn pictures of trees all covered in red leaves. It seemed to help my shoulder just slightly. (I found out later that apparently "air bubbles" can get inside your body when you have surgery and move around to different parts of your body. They had me take Gas-X to ease the pain afterwards, and it actually helped, but it took a couple weeks for it to go away completely.)

We were told his head was out, and I was waiting and waiting to hear him cry. I opened my eyes back up to face that autumn ceiling tile. I kept thinking that Danielle had cried so much sooner, and that something was wrong. The few moments that it took for me to hear his tiny little cry seemed like forever. When I finally did hear him, I started crying. For me, I guess, c-section births are more emotional than vaginal births. (Adam told me later that he was actually starting to breathe though his nose before his mouth was even out, and the docs were impressed! He just wasn't the crying type, I guess!)

Fresh baby!

Dr. Tumaneng and the "baby nurses" took him over to the warmer, gave him an Apgar score of 9, and did whatever else they needed to do to him immediately (we requested that they wait on pretty much all newborn stuff). Adam left my side to go to see our son, Nathaniel Reed, who decided it was time to christen the warmer. One of the nurses put a diaper on him, and Adam picked him up and brought him over to me, after nine minutes of being apart from me. Jill helped Adam place him on my chest, and I met my son!

He was right there where he should be, on his Momma's chest. After holding him for a couple minutes, I was able to get him to latch on and start nursing right in the OR, while they were sewing up the large hole where they had just pulled my son out.

Once Dr. Mahan had stitched me back together, I continued nursing Nathaniel, while they took down the drape and peeled the sticky part off my deflated tummy. I had to hand him back to Adam though while they moved me back to my bed, but as soon as I was there, Adam placed him back on my chest. We got me covered back up, so I wasn't exposed in the hallway, and took the short treck back to our original room.

Back in our room, I held him a while longer, then Jill came in to take his measurements. We all took a guess as to what he weighted, and I was right on: 6 pounds, 8 ounces. He was 19 3/4 inches long, and his head was 13 1/2 inches. Then Adam had a chance to hold him skin-to-skin.

His birth, even though I was completely disappointed that I had to have another c-section, and that my "Danni scar" would no longer just be for Danni, was pretty much exactly what we had planned. While Nora's birth was healing in knowing that my body could do what it was designed to do, I think Nate's birth was healing for me, also, to have a c-section birth go so well after the experience I had at Abbott with Danielle. I still can't believe the only time I cried was the joyous moment I heard him cry for the first time.

Footnote: I think c-section births in the U.S. are starting to go more this way. Jill had taken some notes about how it all went. For example, the heart monitors that they place on my chest could have been placed differently to make holding him and nursing him right away a little easier since they were poking him in the head. I hope that more moms-to-be out there educate & advocate for themselves to have the best birth experience they possibly can, even if they end up needing to have major surgery in order to deliver their baby. I think I posted a link to The Natural Caesarean video in Nate's birth plan, but I want to post it again, because it really is how a c-section birth should be. It might not be that all parts for all people (like I didn't want the drape dropped at all!), but it's a great starting point. I hope anyone out there reading this, knowing that they are going into a c-section, can have as great of an experience as I had. Just remember that advocating for yourself is your best bet for everything going as you hope!

Eleanor's Birth Story

After I wrote the post about what I thought might be the beginning of Eleanor's birth story, and, at the time, I figured it probably wasn't. But, looking back, that's when my early labor started...

************* the continuation *************

Trying to write times in the dark

I can't remember now if it was Sunday night or Monday night, but either way, I woke up feeling some contractions. They weren't that bad, and I was able to fall asleep right away after each one. But after I felt a couple, I thought I better start timing them. So I grabbed a little piece of paper from my dresser and a pencil from Adam's, and set them on the bed next to me with my cell phone. I wasn't really timing how long each one lasted, but I was timing how long between each one. Times varied, but they were between 10 and 15 minutes apart. I was getting excited, as I thought that we might be heading to the hospital later that day. But I knew that I should try to sleep, as I would need the energy later to push her out of me. 

Eventually, we got up for the day and I told Adam I was having contractions throughout the night. As we got up and started the day, my contractions pretty well stopped. Our bags were still in the car (sans a couple things that we needed back in the house), but when we had gone in, we thought of a couple more things to add to it, so we threw them in as well. I told Adam that I didn't think it was going to be today, but I wished it would be.

We went to bed that night, and sure enough, I was woken up by contractions again. They still weren't that bad, and I was able to just breath through them. I decided not to time them this time though, because I found I got less sleep when I was worrying about watching the clock. When we got up for the day again, my contractions slowed and stopped. Again, I knew that it wasn't going to be today. This happened a couple more nights. 

Adam's recording sheet

Thursday morning though, they didn't slow and actually got a little closer together. Some were even lasting more than a minute. My doula, Ashley, had left her birth ball for me to use at home. I made myself comfortable on the birth ball bouncing or rocking/rolling on it and set my laptop on one of our bar stools and messed around on the computer between and often during contractions. At this point I was very excited thinking that today might be the day. I would tell Adam when I felt one starting and he would write down the time and I would watch the second hand on the mantel clock (we got it from my Aunt Carla as a wedding gift) and let him know how long it lasted. They ranged from 5 minutes to 12 minutes apart. 

After an hour of timing, we took a break. I texted Ashley and told her the timing and how I was doing. She told me to start timing again if I felt they were getting "longer, stronger, & closer together." Around 3pm I told Adam that they seemed to be going away again, so he timed a couple, and sure enough they were about 20 minutes apart.

At some point during the day, we were invited over to Joshua & Macey's for dinner and a game of Catan with them, Matt, Dave, & Theresa. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go if I was still having contractions, as they were getting stronger than the ones I was having in the middle of the night. I eventually decided we could go, because I figured it wouldn't be tomorrow either, and that my body would just keep playing mean tricks on me. 

Matt of course wanted to squeeze her out of me, and everyone was hoping I would have her soon. I told them I was having contractions during the day for a change, but they weren't getting "longer, stronger, and closer together." Adam had brought the birth ball with, because it was more comfortable for me to sit on, so we ate dinner (me on the birth ball, rolled up to the table) and played Catan. Every once in a while I would have a contraction. Some were worse than others. I remember at one point, asking Dave a question about some rule of the game or something, and he answered me. I had no idea what he said because a contraction had started, but I looked at him the whole time nodding my head like I understood.

The game went way later than any of us had expected and we ended up leaving at 11pm. We quickly crawled in bed and went to sleep when we got home. Of course, I was woken up with contractions again. This time I would rub my belly and breath through them. They were starting to feel like the really bad period cramps I would get once in a while in middle school and high school (when I would have to get sent home, because they were so bad). 

Just before 1am, my contractions woke Adam up. I hadn't been paying attention to the clock at all still, thinking that they weren't that close together or anything. But, Adam started timing them, and pushing on my lower back when I was having one. After about an hour of timing, Adam told me that we should go in, they were 5 minutes apart, and some were even 3 minutes apart. Having not really slept much yet, I was hesitant to get out of bed, but I knew he was right in saying that it was time to go in. Adam put in his contacts and got dressed. I grabbed my contacts, but wore my glasses and got dressed. 

The car ride there wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, it wasn't comfortable sitting strapped into the seat, but it was manageable. I texted Ashley and told her we were heading in, she said that she would meet us there. We got to the emergency room door and the nurse offered me a wheelchair, and I declined, I felt better standing. We waited for Adam to park the car and she brought us up the elevator, telling me, "Oh hunny, we'll get you that epidural, and you'll be fine!" (I'm glad she didn't work on the maternity floor!) We officially signed into the hospital at 1:45am and were brought to our room. I will say that I had absolutely no concept of time at all until they told me what time she was born. Ashley arrived shortly after we got there, and then Adam went out to get our bags and stuff.

I gave the nurse my birth plan, and was hooked up to the IV (I needed an antibiotic since I tested positive for Group B Strep) and monitors. Originally, I was told they would do an initial hour of monitoring, and then do it periodically throughout labor. Apparently, they needed my doctor to sign off on that, so I was hooked up to the monitors the whole time. 

When the nurse put the IV in, before she started the saline, she drew some blood so that I wouldn't have to get stuck again later. Well, that didn't work out as planned, because later a lab tech came in and said she needed to draw my blood. I told her the nurse did it when she put in the IV, but she said she needed more for  blood typing or something. I told her only my left arm (the veins in my right suck). So she came around to my left side, and tried to grab my arm in the middle of a contraction. I said wait, but she wrapped the rubber band around without waiting. Once the contraction was over I grabbed a pillow to prop up my arm, and she got more impatient, after wiping my arm with the alcohol wipe for the second time. Then another contraction started and she tried to take my blood during it, but I pulled away, and she got kind of pissed. Finally, she took it and wiggled the needle around to find a vein. This is the only time during labor that I started crying. Not only did she leave a bruise on my arm, but there was a welt as well. I wish we remembered her name, as when I told a couple of the nurses about it later, they wanted to know who. They said most lab techs are smart enough to not draw blood during a contraction. 

Later, they did hook me up to the portable monitors, so I was able to move around more. Adam and Ashley helped me labor in different positions. We went for a short walk around the hallways, I sat on the birth ball, leaned over the ball on the bed, and other positions. At every contraction Adam and sometimes Ashley would push on my back (I was having some back labor and it felt amazing!). 

At one point, I decided that I just needed to sit on the bed. So I made myself comfortable, and closed my eyes. I rubbed my belly pretty much the whole time and Adam or Ashley would push on my back. I would point "up/ down/ left/ right" for Adam to move his hand. Eventually, I started rocking front to back, still rubbing my belly with my eyes closed. I was completely aware of what was going on around me. The pain was still manageable using the coping techniques we had learned. But I was exhausted. I would mumble things that Adam would mostly understand, but Ashley and any docs or nurses had no idea what I was saying. 

Side story: For whatever reason, when we are getting ready for bed at night, Adam or I always end up asking each other a question when the other has a toothbrush or mouth wash in his/her mouth. The other always tries to answer with mumbles and hand gestures, while the other usually figures it out pretty quickly. I think this might have helped Adam understand me.

Adam later told me that they all thought I was delirious, and that one of the nurses commented that she "does this 5 days a week, but has never seen anyone this exhausted." 

Ashley and Adam had been trying to get me into another position to help labor progress, but I wasn't having it. They suggested laying down, but the contractions hurt more if I was laying down or even leaning back. So I continued to rock and rub my belly with my eyes still closed. Eventually, a nurse (I believe Jessica, but really have no idea) got me to change positions. She moved the head of the bed so it was almost straight up and had me kneel and lean over it. Adam kneeled behind me and would continue pushing on my back during contractions. I used him as support to keep me from crumpling down, as I could barely muster the energy to hold myself up on the edge of the bed. 

I told Adam after a little bit in this new position (in what I thought was a perfectly clear sentence, but was apparently more mumbles that he managed to understand) that I didn't think I would have the energy to push her out and that I thought I should have an epidural. Adam talked to the nurse for me and told her what I had said. She said that we would try Fentenol (which is one of the drugs in an epidural) in my IV first. It would relieve some of the pain for a little bit and let me get some rest, but they would only give me two doses, because it would loose its effectiveness. We agreed to try that out and try to avoid the epidural. 

Once it went into my IV, I almost immediately felt relaxed. We got the bed almost completely flat and I laid on my side to rest. I could still feel the contractions, but they felt like they did the first night I started early labor, so I was easily able to rest my body. I didn't fall asleep, and could hear everything going on around me, but had no ambition to participate. When Adam would walk in the room, I would open my eyes to find him, so he decided to spend most of his time in the waiting room with my mom, in hopes of letting me get more rest.

She gave me the second dose, and when I could feel that start to wear off, I asked if I could have another dose. She said she had already given me the second. So I asked for the epidural. I don't know how long I had rested for, but I knew I still had so little energy. Apparently, Adam had already filled out all the paperwork (sans my signature) for the epidural while I was still on the first dose of Fentenol. I remember that I was sitting when I signed the papers, but I don't remember sitting up at all. (Maybe this part is a little fuzzy.) But I remember them telling me that they needed me to sign the papers, and I didn't respond the first time, because I knew that Adam would sign them for me. They asked me again, and I was kind of cranky about it and snatched the pen and signed my initials (it was quicker than my whole name). I didn't realize at that time that Adam couldn't actually sign my name for me, but he could fill out all the rest.

Once I had signed the paper, the nurse said she could call down to have an anesthesiologist to come up and give me the epidural. But she said I needed to sit up on the edge of the bed before she called. Well sitting was great before, but now that the Fentenol was in my system, I was relaxed and so tired from my lack of sleep. I said that I would sit up as soon as he/she got there to give me the epidural. But she told me they liked me to be ready before the come up, because they are very busy down there. Well, after a couple minutes, I won that argument. She called down, and said that I lucked out, because the anesthesiologist that was coming up was one of the few that liked his patients laying down when he gave the epidural. So they had me scoot as close to the edge of the bed as I could and curl up in the fetal position as best I could around my pregnant belly.

When he got there I was all set. He gave me two shots to numb the area. I kind of felt one, but it wasn't that bad. I think the Fentenol was still working a little, but I could feel my contractions. (He was smart enough to do it between contractions, unlike that overnight lab tech!) I didn't feel him put the epidural in my back at all, but soon felt almost no contractions at all. The epidural worked on everything but my left hip area. I was laying on my right side at that point, and wondered if it was because the drug just wasn't flowing up far enough.

Getting rest after the epidural

Eventually, I rolled over and slowly started to feel the "nothing" feeling go down through my hip, but then the contractions feeling started to grow in my right hip. Though, it wasn't quite as bad as it had been in my left hip. The nurse did a cervical check in the middle of my roll. I was at 9 cm and my water hadn't broken yet. She said by the time Dr. Mahan got there I should be ready to push, and they would break my water then if it hadn't already broken. When they had me roll over again later I had the "nothing" feeling everywhere from my ribs down. Other than the two times I rolled over and the cervical check, it was pretty uneventful until it was time to push, as I dozed through most of it getting rest, so I could push out our baby.

Eventually, Dr. Mahan arrived and was ready to break my water, but it had already broken on it's own. She also found meconium in the fluid, so they were ready to suction her out if she didn't start breathing right away (meaning her lungs were clear, and none had gotten in there). Somewhere along the lines, my mother found her way into the room, but was in the way near the door, so the "baby nurses" asked her to move to another corner of the room.

They got the bed all set up (more like taken apart, actually) and wanted me to move my legs to the sides. I could move them, but had no control over where they went (it was kind of like how a newborn flails his arms and legs, but really has no control over precise movement). Ashley helped me on the left, and Adam on the right. They held my legs, and I grabbed my "knee pits" to help pull myself to curl around my tummy to push. Then we waited for a contraction. If I hadn't had been hooked up to the monitors, we may still be waiting.

The nurse, Jessica, asked, "Do you feel the urge to push?"

I responded, "No, am I having a contraction? Should I start pushing?"

There was a resounding yes, and both Dr. Mahan and Jessica were impressed that I felt absolutely nothing. So between Dr. Mahan watching the baby's head, and Jessica watching the monitors, I was told when I was having a contraction and started pushing each time. For the first push, I wasn't really sure how I could do it, since I didn't have much control over the lower part of my body, but somehow you just know what to do. I grabbed my knees and curled around my pregnant belly and "pushed like I was pooping" (that's how the nurse that taught our labor class with Danni described it and she was right on!)

I don't remember how many times I pushed, but I remember asking Adam how much of her head he could see. Most of the time the answer was just hair on the top of her head, so I started asking if he could see her ears yet. At one point Dr. Mahan asked if I wanted to reach down and touch her head. I knew that this was an option during birth ahead of time, but I really had no desire to, so it wasn't in my birth plan. But when you've been in labor and you're so anxious to meet your baby, you'll take what you can get! So I reached down and touched her head. I could feel a ridge, which was the plates of her skull, and made a joke about her being a Klingon baby, not Adam's.

I pushed, I don't know how many more times, but at 2:39pm Eleanor Elisabeth was born! With my last push her head came all the way out, and her shoulders and the rest of her body slide out without an extra push. She cried right away, so I took the gown that I had draped over my chest off and they placed her on my bare chest. (Adam and I talked later about how we didn't cry this time when she was born. With Danni, we both teared up when we heard her cry, and Adam stood up to see his first-born daughter over the drape. We both agreed that we were both so worried about her well-being and health that it was such a relief to hear her cry. With Eleanor, we weren't as worried, so it wasn't quite as emotional.)

The nurse came and put a blanket over her and I, and later put a hat on her head. I let her kick/crawl around on my chest, and she found my breast and latched on. It was slightly painful, as she didn't have a proper latch, but such a wonderful feeling to hold my second little baby girl!

Once the cord stopped pulsating, Dr. Mahan asked if Adam wanted to cut the cord. She clamped it on either side of where he was to cut and he cut it.

I kept holding her and adoring her the whole time with not a care in the world. Of course, I still couldn't feel anything, like the contractions that were still coming to expel the placenta. Though, I did feel something kind of strange in my tummy, but I had my healthy daughter on my chest to adore and love, so I didn't care what it was that I was feeling.

I later found out that the weird feeling in my tummy was actually Dr. Mahan's hand inside my uterus. Apparently, my placenta wasn't detaching, and I was loosing more blood than she liked. So Dr. Mahan reached inside and took the placenta out herself. The next day I had a blood draw to check my iron levels, since I had lost a lot of blood. It was low, but not low enough to need a transfusion. So they put me on an iron supplement.

Weighing in at 7 lbs, 5.8 oz

Eventually, Erin (the nurse we met the first time we went into the hospital), took her to do check on her and make sure she was doing okay. Before she weighted her, she asked if there were any guesses as to her weight. I guessed that she weighted less than Danni, because she was skinnier. Danni weighted 6 pounds, 13 ounces, but as you can see, I was wrong. Eleanor kicked me a lot harder, and didn't look to have much body fat on her, so I figured since muscle weights more than fat, that's why she out-weighted her big sister.

Then Adam got a chance to hold his newest daughter. The nurse asked him if he wanted to hold her skin-to-skin and he was a little hesitant, but I encouraged him and told him I wanted to see him without his shirt on! ;)

Soon Ashley left, and let us bond with our daughter, but before she did, we snapped a quick picture of us both looking great after not sleeping much that night! (Alright, so Ashley looks way better than me, but I just gave birth!) :)

Eventually, Adam let my mom hold her. Of course, Grandma Denise was more than thrilled to hold her second little granddaughter for the first time! She just kept talking to her and pointing out little features about her. (Like her wrinkled little hands, that looked like Great-Grandma Eleanor's!)

While she held her, I closed my eyes and tried to get some rest (not that I was able to fall asleep, but I was very relaxed). I enjoyed listening to my mom talking to Eleanor, and couldn't stop smiling that our little girl was finally here and healthy!


My mom didn't hold her for too long, because it was time to give her a bath. Adam and mom stood right next to her watching and taking pictures the whole time, but Adam didn't want to give her a bath (he still hasn't given her a bath, but he does get her dried off and dressed after I take a bath with her!) She did not like her first bath until the nurse swaddled her in a towel. Then she was a much happier newborn.

I don't remember at what point my epidural came out, but it did. And, like with the spinal from the c-section with Danni, it took a little longer than usual to wear off. Two nurses tried to help me to the bathroom, but decided to wait until I had more feeling in my legs. But they helped me move me to a wheel chair, and had us switch rooms to a quieter area, so that I could get some much needed rest.

Later that evening, we had several visitors. The first of which was Auntie Jacque, Uncle Corey, and Cousin Addy. Auntie Jacque and Addy sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to Eleanor.


A little while later, Grandpa Mike and Great-Aunt Melodie came to visit. Eleanor Elisabeth was named after my Grandma Eleanor, and Adam's mom, Elisabeth, who died not quite a month before she was born. Grandpa Mike got teary-eyed when he met his newest little granddaughter.

While Grandpa Mike was still here, Grandma Denise came back and brought Grandpa Jack to meet Eleanor. He was already picking on her, and she wasn't even a day old! But, she didn't seem to mind, she just kept sleeping away.

The Richter cousins & Eleanor

Last, but not least, that day, the Richter clan came to meet Eleanor. Auntie Becky went to pick up Eleanor, and almost threw her up in the air. She wasn't use to holding such a small baby, since Cousin Spencer was two months old and out-weighted her at birth..

It was a long day for all three of us, and we were all very tired. The plan was for Adam to stay both nights in the hospital with us. (After Adam almost went home the night before Danni died, we had decided that with our next child Adam would stay the whole time.) But, he told me that he was very tired, and wanted to go home to get a decent night's sleep, since he wouldn't really be able to now that the baby was here. I told him he could do what he wanted, but expressed my desire for him to stay with us, and reminded him how much less sleep I'd gotten in the past week than he had. He went home for the night promising to get up with the baby every time the next night.

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These are the notes that my doula, Ashley, took for us while we were there. Since I have absolutely no concept of time at all that day, it's nice to look and see the actual timing of everything.

2 am call from Adam stating at hospital
2:10 - I arrived
2:35- cervical check 2.5cm
3:25- IV placed
4:15 monitors moved to telemetry unit
4:30 bathroom
5:25- bathroom
6:30- vomiting
6:40- cervical check 80% more toward front and 3-4cm
7:00- bathroom
7:50- starting to show some signs of exhaustion, nurse change, changed positions to hands and knees over top of bed
8:40- phentenol administered
9:00- dr checked in, epidural discusssion
10:30- cervical check, 6-7cm, epidural requested
10:50- epidural placed
11:00- foley catheder placed
11:50 switched side, 9cm, just a little cervix left
12:45- switched side
2pm- dr arrived, was going to break water but bag had already broken on it's own, complete, +3 station
2:39- baby born
2:59- placenta removed with dr assistance