July 2013 Babies
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Baby Eric Bennett Stroh was born at 5:57 a.m. on July 25. Water broke at 1 a.m., was 3 cm dilated. At nearly 4 a.m., I was almost 7 cm dilated, but his heart rate kept dropping with every contraction. It had done this all along, but at around 4 it stopped bouncing back up. The obstetrician on call came in to do a c-section, though he was awesome and I'm confident he did everything he could to avoid the section. He put it off for as long as possible. Everything went well, and baby is healthy and chill. We're pretty smitten with him.
Aww, I'm so happy for you freckledLeann! I'm so glad your baby arrived safely with you. I'm sorry to hear you had to have a c-section though, I hope you heal well and quickly from it. Our babies have the same birthday!!
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How are you doing heather? I hope you are feeling well and that your baby decides to come soon too!! 0
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She is here! Here is the story for anyone who has like an hour to read it (sorry it's long!) Rebekah was born Saturday July 27, 2013 at 9:30am. She weighed 7lbs 6oz and was 20 1/4in long. This is her home birth/VBAC story.
I guess I should start by saying something about why we chose a home birth. I could/should write an entire post on it, but for now I will just say that after our experience with Elizabeth (who was born via a c-section, after many hospital interventions) we were desperate for another option. For God to deliver me from my fear of trying a natural birth is truly a miracle. Rebekah means "secured" and I know it is only The Lord that could have completely changed my heart to feel secure in going through labor again. He took me from being so scared of labor that I had scheduled a repeat c-section to being so confident that if the fear and restrictions of the hospital were removed, Rebekah could be born gently and easily. Complete 180. Amazing.
So on with the story!
Around 3:30am Saturday morning I started to have a few contractions. I went back to sleep and was able to sleep on and off for about an hour. Around 4:45 I texted Laura, my doula, to give her a heads up I was pretty sure today was the day. But I hadn't even woken Jameson up yet, I figured I still had a long way to go. I told Laura to hang tight, and I would keep her posted. I was just listening to my Hypnobirthing tapes and trying to rest. Around 5:30am the surges were happening about 5-6 minutes apart so I decided to wake up Jameson and I called Laura back. Again I told her "no rush, but if you could get here by the time Elizabeth needs to wake up, that would be great." Jamie got up and made coffee. We were excited. Today was the day.
I was doing well just relaxing and breathing through the surges, but I quickly began to feel like I needed support. I wanted Jamie to hold my hand. He did, and that was good. By the time Elizabeth woke up though, around 6:30 I was pretty intense into things. I hadn't expected that at all! I tried to get up to say good morning and do our usual morning routine; ya, no way. I puked in the sink and had one of the worst contractions. Um, back to laying down please! I was being kind of vocal during surges and was worried it would scare Elizabeth (my friend Melissa was on her way to pick her up, I knew it wouldn't be a problem for long) so I was trying to make "happy sounds" like "ah!" with a smile so she didn't think I was dying or something. I was very glad when Melissa came and scooped her up because I couldn't keep it together for long!
Now I am thinking "where the heck is Laura, I need her here NOW!" Of course I had told her to take her time, and she got there soon after but I started to panic. I tried to lean over the birthing ball, nope. Tried getting in the bath. Helped for minute then I felt like I was drowning. Laura arrived at that point and I just said "help!" I felt like I didn't know how to stay calm. She immediately started giving me directions like, "melt into the ground" or "release that last contraction with a big breath" and it really helped. I told her and Jamie i wanted to go back to the bed.
At some point before this Jamie realized my contractions were less than three minutes apart and over minute long. He called Tiffany, our midwife back and she said she would be right there. I think Laura also touched base with her when they realized I had gone from early to active labor to basically transition super fast!
When I got back to the bed, I felt like I was ready to push. Tiffany wasn't even there yet! I had zero idea how dialated I was, I had the thought "am I allowed to push?" I didn't know or care I just felt like it was the only thing to get me through those surges. Tiffany arrived and checked me. I asked "how dialated am I?" And she says "oh sweetie, we are way past the cervix, there is your baby's head!" What?? I was floored. Compared to Elizabeth's 30+ hour labor, I could not believe we were already at this point.
"This point" though, happened to be where I got stuck with Elizabeth. I tried to push her out for 4 hours but then couldn't and had to have the c-section. I had heard from some other VBAC moms it can be a very mentally scary part, because you don't know if you will get through it this time and that was true for me.
Jameson, Laura and Tiffany were great. I told them "I'm scared" and they were just like "you totally have this". My water broke naturally and I was able to reach down and feel Rebekah's squishy molded head. I still didn't believe I was going to be able to do it, but they had faith in me.
Pushing took a while, about an hour, but I did it. I pushed a baby out! I know that is something many women do all the time, but I hadn't been able to do it before and now I could. I couldn't believe it. Rebekah even had the cord wrapped all around her (I had to stop pushing for a moment so Tiffany could slip the cord around her body, worried it could otherwise yank the placenta out too) but it was fine. In fact, once her head was out, but they were trying to get the cord unwrapped she let out a cry! The rest of her body wasn't even delivered yet! That was amazing. Once she was on my abdomen (cord was too short to get her all the way to my chest) I was in total shock. I keep saying it, but i couldn't believe I had been able to do it.
Everything after that was great. Placenta delivered fine, nothing at all wrong with my c-section scar or anything. I did need stitches for a tear which was a bummer but I guess it happens.
Tiffany did the newborn check, Laura made us scrambled eggs for breakfast and I just couldn't believe I was laying in my own bed, in my own house with a perfect new baby.
Elizabeth came back around 11:30am. She had gotten to go to Avila Valley Barn and ride a pony. Not sure which event, the pony or baby sister tops her day in her mind, lol! Her reaction to Rebekah was of course priceless
So that was it. From when I woke my husband up to say I was in labor to Rebekah being born was only 4 hours. It was crazy fast and intense and amazing.0 -
Leann: I love his name, especially Bennett! Sounds like you had a great team looking after you and that you are happy with the care you received, which is wonderful. Enjoy your gorgeous little boy .0
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Wow Heather, I'm so glad you had your baby! I'm glad your due date wasn't all wrong like they though.. I knew the early ultrasound date was the most accurate I'm so happy for you that the labor didn't last that long and that you were able to push your baby out with no problems! Hopefully you will heal soon from that rip and I hope you don't have much pain. God bless you guys! 0
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Yeah, I was glad that things went as I planned up to that point generally though. I was able to get through contractions without epidural -- they had to rush to get the spinal put in before the c-section because they couldn't believe I had been handling them that well sans drugs. A bit of laughing gas for the tougher ones, but not bad.
I'm confident that the c-section was necessary and that the OB who happened to be on call was the best thing that could have happened -- he was very adamant about it being an absolute last resort and gave me all the options and information about every possible choice along the way.
So exciting that our babies have the same birthday, igottaworkout!
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I had my little boy on July 24. His name is Parley and he is a doll! And such a good baby! Love him!0
