Disclaimer: If you have something against home birth or natural birth, do yourself a favor and stop reading right now. Also, I get a little bit graphic, so if your easily grossed out by all things birth stop reading now too! THANKS!
Scarlett's birth story begins like all babies...at conception! I won't go there, hahaha, all I can say about it is that she was a HUGE surprise. I was shocked and not that she was unwanted, just unplanned. Nonetheless, her presence in my life was a blessing since Day 1! Being that Caden was my second c-section, my thoughts immediately went to dreading another surgery and recovery, especially with 3 young children 3 and under. Although, recovery from natural birth was no joke either, it was significantly easier.
So, as most you you already know, I began my quest to "avoid" a repeat c-section. It became apparent that laboring and birthing in hospital with a doctor was NOT going to happen. I researched what a successful VBAC or VBA2C entailed. I found that the most successful VBACs were natural births, usually at home with a midwife. My original thoughts were: 1.NO way is Jesse going to agree to a home birth and 2. Although I know my body has healed from my c-sections with both Caden and Ruby, and I know the possibility of a rupture is small...but, can I handle a drug free labor. Then I researched epidurals, I was under the impression that an epidural meant a pain free labor. I came across Hypnobirthing, which I was skeptical about and that is why I didn't buy the CD's and books. I did however read into it as much as I could to learn what I could use. I started to actually believe labor and birth was not painful at all. I kept that mindset, and this is really what helped me, I think. :-)
I found my midwife, Margarett, and basically ignored both OBs that I had seen at the army hospital. The first had told me I would birth a dead baby or cause her to have cerebral palsy, he referred me to the head OB of the hospital who insisted that if he did allow it, he would induce the day after my due date with Pitocin and make me get an epidural, along with laying down the entire labor. I knew from experience in my own previous labors and doing research that inductions don't turn out well for me and inductions of VBAC's are NEVER good.
I knew I would go way overdue. I knew the due date the hospital gave me was wrong. I knew that since my Mom was overdue 2 weeks with me (by the way thanks again Mom), that I would go overdue. There I was 2 weeks overdue and kinda stressed out about everything. Haterz gonna hate! LOL! And so the story of my labor begins:
Two weeks and one day past my due date, my midwife had me schedule a biophysical profile to see what was going on in that womb. Mostly to see if Scarlett had enough amniotic fluid and checkout other things. This day I was sure I was going into labor, I was having strong contractions 7 minutes apart but they'd go to about 14 minutes apart. As the day progressed we had to drive up to OK City about 1.5 hours away for my biophysical. the contractions were still strong and downright painful (yet bearable) the whole day, only thing is, they were not consistent they'd come whenever.
At the biophysical, the ultrasound tech laid me on a bed and started the exam. I got several more contractions while in her waiting room and during the exam. I have to say, laying down like that was uncomfortable and the contractions made me almost cry. She said her assumption of the due date was February 18th but calculations were off due to her head being squeezed in my pelvis. February 18th was the next day, how right she was even though the calculations were off! We scored a 6 out of 10, which turned out to be 6 out of 8 because my placenta was calcified but this didn't prove that life in the womb was going downhill at this point. Calcified placenta is caused by many things, including activity level during pregnancy, and with a 2 and 3 year old you can imagine how active I am. Even though yes, a placenta eventually goes bad, it does not mean mine had gone bad already. By the way they have done research on what triggers labor, and it's a hormone the baby releases when their lungs have finished developing, go figure...mother nature has a good plan for things doesn't she!
Right after my biophysical, I met Margarett at the birth center to talk about it. While I was there, I had several more contractions...and she felt my stomach and said that what I was having was prodromal labor, or "false" labor or can be considered practice labor. I was bummed. She asked if I would like to be checked, I declined on account of I couldn't promise her that I would not be bummed if my cervix was not doing anything. So we headed home. It was a rough night. I got in bed and the contractions picked up yet again...all night long.
I tried to sleep, no postion was comfortable. I tried sleeping sitting up, tried sleeping on each side, even moved onto the floor and tried to sleep on all fours and hunched over a pillow. Nothing helped, the contractions actually got a little more closer together but were still not consistent. Sometimes 3 sometimes 5, sometimes 7. Sometimes lasting only 30 secs, some lasting over a minute. I thought i was still in prodromal labor. Little did I know it was true labor! It is odd, now I feel like one of those ladies on the show "I didn't know I was pregnant", only in my case "I didnt know I was in labor" Hahaha!!
To be continued :-)
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