Trip #1 to Labor and Delivery

Lol, what a crazy last couple of days! Now that I have gotten some sleep and am lucid I can write about my first adventure going to Labor and Delivery while in labor.

So on Sunday evening, around 6pm I started having timable contractions that were somewhat steady. They were about 10 mins apart and more annoying/exciting than anything. By midnight I was getting them more frequently but tried to rest since I knew that I was pretty much in it for the long haul. Meanwhile my body had decided to cleanse itself (ugh!) and by 3am I was ready to call the doula and Klint home from work. Once everyone got here Michelle (my awesome Doula) just watched me while I fidgeted around, paced, and bounced on the birth ball.

Fast forward to 9am when the contractions were coming in at about 5 mins apart, steady, and were getting stronger. We hand the girls over to our neighbor who is like a grandmother to them and head over the L&D. They hook me up and I see that now these contractions are coming about 2 1/2 mins apart (YAY!). They weren't toooo bad yet, about a 5 on the pain scale (although I have to remember that my pain tolerance is really high so I try not to diminish what I am feeling). A little while later the nurse decides to check me to see where I am at. Now, mind you that last Weds my OB said I was 1cm and about 50% effaced. This nurse, however can't even find my cervix! WTF?! So she calls the house OB who is not exactly my favorite person and he says I am not dilated at all and 80% effaced. Ummmm..... not possible chief! My OB had warned me that I have a "funky cervix" and that it is going to be hard for the nurses to tell if I am dilated at first. Of course when I try to explain this they both ignore me...grrrr.

But luckily my OB wants me to stay, walk around, and see if there is any change. Contractions turn into really intense contractions and I am handling them awesome (if I do say so myself!), but still by 5pm I am not really doing much. Finally I ask for my own OB to check me and when he does I am only 2cm!! (Take that house OB!) I am given the choice between staying and seeing what happens and coming home.

I choose to come home since I was hungry and working off of 1.5 hours of sleep in over 24 hours. So here I am, a day later, still contracting but going about business as normal. I have an appointment to see a chiropractor tomorrow to see if we can get Miss M to align right, other than that it is still a waiting game!!

 

Oh the Joys of the Unknown!

So this weekend I got to experience my first taste of the whole "Is it time?" issue with labor. Since I have never been in labor on my own, didn't have real contractions before, and never have had any of the "normal" signs that labor is beginning I am pretty clueless about what is going on with my body right now. Fun huh?

On Friday I went out and about, was perfectly fine until about 4-ish when my back really started bothering me. Across my lower back was a band of pain that just refused to subside... it sucked really! As the night got on it got a little bit worse, enough to allow me a lovely 3 hours of sleep the WHOLE NIGHT... ugh. But while I wasn't sleepy, I felt like cleaning or doing something, anything really. (At 3am I was really considering scrubbing the floor in the kitchen....) The pain wasn't terrible, just a nuisance, but I texted my doula to let her know what was going on. I didn't think I was in labor, but like I said, what do I know? I wasn't having contractions that hurt or any other sign of labor so she told me to try to rest in case this was the real deal.

By Saturday the back pain was still there, enough to make me want to permanently adhere my hot pad to my lower backside. But that was it.... nothing else. And I was still fully functioning on 3 hours of sleep. We went for a 2 hr stroll around the mall, I sexually assaulted Klint in the hopes of getting something going, and bounced on the birth ball for awhile. Yet, back pain was there with no other changes.

So here I am, Sunday evening... no changes... and I have absolutely no clue when this little girl is going to decide to come. Lol, but that is ok because she is the one who gets to decide and that is pretty cool to me!

 

The More I Know the More I am Thinking!

The more I find out now the more I am realizing how different the births of AJ and Gabby should have gone. Honestly it pisses me off! Here is the latest realization concerning AJ's "high heart rate" and her emergency delivery.

Incubated AJ since she was taken out so suddenly

I have been having to go to Labor and Delivery every week for non-stress tests. It has been overall a good experience because I get to know the nurses there and have made good connections. It is a little stressful though because I have noticed that Miss M has a pretty high heart rate and when she gets going it easily is in the 210 range- right where AJ was when the old OB demanded that she come out right now. The first time that Miss M was getting all rowdy and I was seeing these really high heart rates, I started to panic. The nurse came in and she said, "Well, I just got off the phone with Dr. Gingo..." and immediately I thought the worst. BUT then she continued. "He said I wasn't doing a good job positioning you." What?!!!

Apparently, when a pregnant woman is either laying in a bad position or a position that the baby doesn't care for, the heart rate will get elevated and she can't settle down. The nurse also gave me some water and what do you know? Miss M settled down and I was on my way!! Amazing! I had thought for sure that I was going to be wheeled in for an emergency c-section, because that is what happened last time.

Going home! 4 days in the NICU

But now I can look at the facts surrounding what happened with AJ. 1. I was probably dehydrated because I was trying to get through the appointment and get to work. 2. I was sitting flat in a reclining chair with the monitors on. 3. I had never had a NST before so there was no way for the OB to know whether this was normal or not for AJ. And finally, 4. She didn't try to adjust me or anything to get the heart rate lower. In fact, I couldn't see the monitor at all so I have no clue whether the elevation was for a short time or whatnot.

So did I really need that emergency c-section? I don't know... but given the old OB's track record with honestly and such, I know that nothing was done to prevent it before the decision was made. Maybe I did really need to get her out asap... but it putting a pillow under my side and giving me a glass of water calmed Miss M down, maybe it would have done the same for AJ?

Just food for thought!

 

Homestretch is in Sight

It is hard to believe that these months have passed by so fast.... From that shocking first moment, holding the pregnancy test in my hand  and yelling "Shit, shit, OH MY GOD SHIT" (lol) to now when I am seeing my OB every week, talking to my Doula, and feeling this little girl gear up for her big debut.

Last night I had a great conversation with my friend Tara, who is a certified Doula in the WNY area. She is a HUGE birth advocate and called to tell me about her latest birth that she attended- a VBAC that almost didn't happen. It was a great story with a lot of important information such as the usefulness of certain interventions like epidurals and Pitocin. What struck me about our conversation though is that Tara pointed out how different my views on birth are now compared to when I first found out I was expecting again.

I used to think that my OB was always looking out for my best interests and the health of the baby. I used to think that c-sections were the only way for me since I had 2 previously. I used to think that c-sections were easier for everyone and that there was NO WAY in heck I was going to birth naturally. (I used to tell people that unless I was getting a free car at the end of my hospital stay, why put myself through all that pain?) I used to think that women who birthed naturally were gluttons for pain, hippies, or trying to prove something. And I used to think that I didn't have the option to say No to an intervention that I didn't want to happen without good reason.

What a difference a movie, some books, a network of devoted women, a web board that offers information, and some cojones can do in a mere 4 months!

 

I Found My Nurse!

So I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but starting at 31 weeks I have had to go for Non Stress Tests as a "precaution", Usually you only hear about high risk preggos having to go for these, but since my OB is really cautious, apparently having 2 previous c-sections puts me in the high risk category in his book. I complied because the tests are non-invasive and I see it as a chance to develop a relationship with the nurses in L&D.

Well, today that plan worked! There is one nurse in particular that is really nice and was actually offered a job as a doula by a mutual contact of ours, so I know that she is very supportive to a laboring woman. This nurse offered today to come attend my birth, even if she is off, and talked to my OB about it to let him know that she is who I wanted with me at delivery time. All in all, I LOVE her! She is really supportive of my VBA2C and knows that I am planning to go all natural. I am relieved because that takes away my worry of having a nurse that is not supportive and will try to push interventions on me that I don't want.

Even though I hate going to these NSTs because I think that my pregnancy does not warrant them, at least now I can visit with Annie!

 

Meeting My Doula!

Last night I got to meet my Doula for the first time and am happier than ever! She is everything I could hope for my labor support and more... she is super personable, has a great laugh, and I think is a great fit for our family. During this first meeting we went over the Birth Plan... a very long plan that is pretty specific since I want to give myself the best chance possible for a natural unmedicated VBA2C. We talked about things that I expected to... what comforts me, how do I want to handle transitioning, and what I plan on doing to handle to pain without medication.

There were a few surprises though such as choosing a "code word" for when I REALLY want some pain meds. This way I can talk crazy and verbalize my pain without actually giving in to the pain.... cool huh?
(Basically she told me that during transition I will probably talk some serious crazy talk and this way I can scream my dear little butt off and no one will take me seriously until I say the code word which is not a normal word I would use!)

She asked Klint how he thinks he is going to handle me laboring and I can honestly say that I am sure he feels relieved that I now have a person who will be there from start to finish and he can do what he needs to do, like take the girls to a friend's house, without fear of having to leave me alone.

There are so many reasons to find a Doula, but here is what a Doula can do according to DONA which is the organization that trains Doulas:

Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth

• tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
• reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience
• reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans
• reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals

Research shows parents who receive support can:

• Feel more secure and cared for
• Are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics
• Have greater success with breastfeeding
• Have greater self-confidence
• Have less postpartum depression
• Have lower incidence of abuse

I really think that having a Doula is one of the best choices I can make for this birth, which is coming up fast! I am sure you will be hearing more about Michelle as time goes on! 

 

What's The Difference?

This is the difference between a "hospital managed" birth and a VBAC where the woman is in control of labor and naturally lets birth happen, rather than be given orders. How inspiring!