I don't blog much anymore....because hello I have zero extra time and zero extra brain space to commit to it...haha! But I want to write down Taya's birth story so I remember it.
This baby girl threw everyone for a loop this pregnancy. I was on progesterone shots weekly starting at 17 weeks and ending at 36 weeks. I had lots of cramping and braxton hicks from 30 weeks on and so we all started to prepare for her to come early. At my 33 week appointment I asked to be checked and I was 1cm and 60% effaced. So all that cramping I had been having was starting things. And I know that women can walk around at 1 cm for a long time (6 more weeks in my case!) But with my history I didn't believe I could go that much longer. Thankfully I didn't progress anymore for the next month. At 38 weeks I was 3cm and 80% effaced and my midwife swept my membranes and I walked and bounced and tried everything I could to get labor started to no avail. The very next day Caedmon had a terrible cough that sounded like croup and Dietrich woke up with pink eye so I took them both to the dr. Turns out Caedmon was positive for strep. Monday morning we took everyone else in to get a strep test done and Dietrich also was positive. So I was thankful that baby girl hadn't made her appearance quite yet! At my next appointment I was 5cm and 80% effaced. She swept me again and again it didn't do anything. I had a previously scheduled appointment that I kept for the very next day (18th) and they told me to keep it and come in again. So I did and I was now between 5-6cm and 90% effaced. The midwife consulted with the OB and they both agreed that I needed to be induced because of advanced dilation. If I went into labor at home it was gonna go fast and I definitely didn't want to have a baby at home or in the car on the way to the hospital! So the soonest they could get me in was the next day (19th).
So the next day we headed to the hospital at 10am. My awesome doula met us there and we started getting all checked in and ready. This was such a different experience for me since I had never had to be induced before. My water has always broken between 5am-6am (seriously...happened same time of the morning with each boy) sending us to the hospital. I knew paperwork etc would take quite awhile but 2 hours later and we were still getting all situated. We discussed options and eventually decided to start with pitocin in order to get some contractions going before breaking my water. I decided on this route because it was explained to me that if they broke my water and contractions didn't start on their own, and then we started pitocin, the contractions would hurt worse because the water wouldn't be there as a cushion anymore. So of course you never know what could've happened but I had pitocin with Caedmon and my water was already broken and those contractions were terrible. So I opted to have pitocin first. The contractions were very manageable and didn't hurt much at all. We got some good contractions working and I was ready for them to come break my water at 3pm. The midwife was in with another delivery for the next 2 hours so we just waited and waited some more. I walked the halls for awhile and got lots of compliments on my robe :) Did you know that you can labor in whatever you want? It's not a requirement to wear the gowns they provide. As long as they have easy access to you, it's fine. So I was comfortable in my own robe the whole time.
While I was out walking the halls, my midwife walked out of another delivery room and said, "let's go break your water!" I was so ready by then. She broke my water at 5:14pm and I got up and walked the halls again. Contractions started getting more intense right away. Back in my room I labored leaning over the end of the bed. (they raised it up so I could lean on it) The first few contractions were very doable and I had a nice break in between. My doula, Kathy, coached Tyler how to squeeze my hips together during contractions and that felt good. It was during this time that Taya's heart rate started to dip during the contractions. They had me try to flatten my back out during contractions and try that position to see if it would help or not. But she kept dipping during each contraction and thankfully she would come right back up afterward. Now since I had a midwife, if there are any concerns with baby or me the OB steps in and will take over. The OB that was there came into the room at this point because she was concerned. When the heart rate drops like that during contractions it can either be completely normal or it can be the first sign of uterine rupture. And since I'm a vbac of course she was worried that it could be uterine rupture. She told us her concerns and then asked if I had any pain where my scar is or in my upper abdomen. I told her I didn't have any of that pain and that all my pain was down low. The OB then wanted to check me to see how close I was to delivering. She had me move onto the bed on my back and I wanted to punch her in the face. That was the worst position to be in during contractions in my opinion. She checked me and I was dilated to an 8 and baby's head was super low. I was very close to delivering and that gave her enough information to decide that uterine rupture wasn't the cause of the drop in her heart rate but most likely the cord being compressed during contractions since she was so low in the birth canal (after she was born we learned the cord was around her neck so that was in fact the reason). Had I only been 3 cm and baby's head still way up high they probably would've whisked me back for a c-section. So I've very thankful I was so far along at that point. I'm also told that the OB left after that and had she still been concerned she would've stayed for the delivery.
So after the OB left I got up and continued to labor at the end of the bed like I had been. It wasn't long after that that I felt the urge to push. I crawled up onto the bed and kind of stayed in the same position by leaning over the back of the bed on my arms and knees. As I started pushing I surprised myself and everyone else (ha!) by yelling/screaming my way through each push. The first time I did it I immediately thought to myself "goodness Marie don't do that again, that's so embarrassing!" But I couldn't help it. I was the stereotypical lady in labor screaming her way through it. Tyler told me later that when I started yelling, he was like, "uh I'm not sure how to help her anymore so I'll just stand here and rub her back." lol Him rubbing my back did help so he did a good job :)
I don't remember how long I pushed (seemed like an eternity) but I'm pretty sure it was only like a couple minutes. They broke my water at 5:14pm and she was born at 6:23pm. It was fast and furious and I'm very thankful it didn't take long!
As soon as she was out I remember that immediate sense of relief and the feeling of, "wow! I can't believe I just did that!" It felt so empowering.
My mom captured the first time I saw my baby girl.
Look at that big gorgeous baby!
Best feeling in the world
Holding his baby girl for the first time
Kathy was an amazing doula! Hiring a doula was the best decision ever. She knew exactly how to coach me and exactly what to do to help ease my pain. Highly recommend hiring a doula to anyone wanting a med free birth!
She's here, she's absolutely perfect and I'm so thankful.
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