A Labor And Delivery Story

Late last month, our baby girl finally arrived! If you’ve been following my pregnancy story you know that she was a full week late… so I was anxious to get the ball rolling. I was also feeling extra huge. lol. If you’ve been following my blog, you also know that I was hoping for a natural birth. Here’s how it all turned out…

Baby’s Big Day!

My water broke on a Monday afternoon and I was thrilled. I called my husband right away to say, “It’s happening!” The original plan was to labor at home before going into the hospital, even with my water broken. I wanted to see if contractions would establish on their own. Turns out that was not going to be so easy (as you’ll read later…)

I’ll spare the details but after several hours at home, I was still having only mild, inconsistent contractions – not really even painful. I did however have some “alarming” signs that made me think we should head to the hospital. After talking with my doula we agreed to head in to Huntsville Hospital.

We checked in, distributed birth plans, etc. and luckily had an amazing labor and delivery nurse with a “natural” mindset. I was feeling pretty good at this point. The alarming signals I had been afraid of turned out to be nothing to worry about… and contractions were finally picking up in intensity and frequency.

I spent the time walking the halls, breathing through the pain and leaning on my husband for support. Brittany, my doula, offered encouragement and relaxation techniques.  Hours and hours and hours passed. lol. Every so often I was checked for dilation, which as it turned out, was happening at a snail’s pace. More hours passed… and by Tuesday midday I was exhausted. I was also only dilated to 5 cm.

We’d switched shifts by now, to another wonderful nurse who was supportive of my “original plan” – except now we were getting to 24 hours from the initial water breaking. The risk of infection was going up. I was starting to feel a little desperate. I opted for a mild drug via IV to help me get some rest. I thought, if I can sleep a little, maybe I can keep going.

Fast forward several more hours. I was up and laboring again. My contractions just did not want to establish a consistent pattern. Dilation was stalled. I was starting to fear a C-section, since my waters had broken so long ago and things were moving so slowly. I was also, to be totally honest, doubting I’d have the energy to push her out! After talking with my OB (who happened to be on-call that day) I decided to labor with Pitocin – gradually increasing the dosage to see how I’d handle it.

They are NOT kidding when they say Pitocin contractions are harder to get through than natural contractions. I only made it a few hours (with dilation not progressing despite increased Pitocin) before opting for the epidural. I just knew, in my heart, if I didn’t get something to cut the pain, I wouldn’t be able to manage the rest of the labor. It was almost Wednesday.

Once I got the epi, they cranked the Pitocin up slowly – eventually getting to almost the max allowed (not joking) before my contractions established enough of a pattern to finish dilation. It was only a few hours from the time I got the epidural (which I was terrified of but turned out to be blissful) to the time I was ready to push. Pushing was fast and honestly, the easiest part after such a long slow labor. She came out with no trouble and minimal discomfort for me at 9 lbs. 0 oz. even. It was the happiest moment of my life.

Looking back, I feel very happy with the choices I made. I had a wonderful labor and delivery experience – in large part thanks to the nurses at Huntsville Hospital who let me set my own pace until it became apparent that a change in plans might really be needed. I also had a great OB and my doula Brittany Berghammer made me feel secure and supported through the entire rollercoaster.

I do also think that I probably avoided a C-section by trying so hard to stay natural until I was at least past the half-way point – until I was in active labor. In my research on labor and delivery I often read or heard people describe how epidurals and Pitocin can stall a labor or even stop it. I really think, if I had opted for drugs early on, due to my body’s slow pace of establishing labor, I probably would have ended up with surgery.

In the end, I didn’t… and was up and feeling pretty good within 24 hours. That was a blessing, since my daughter ended up in the NICU for several days with a bad case of reflux. Once discharged we were back-and-forth to the hospital every few hours to feed her and help with her cares until she was finally keeping food down and ready to come home.

Moms, how did your “birth plans” change once your labor began? Did you not have a plan at all? If so, how do you feel about your birth experience? Share your comments below! I’d love to hear them!

Also, a quick note. I want to thank all of our WHNT News 19 friends and fans, especially those who have followed my pregnancy and reporting on Birth Options in the Tennessee Valley, for the support and well wishes these last few m

onths. I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading this blog as well, which I plan to continue updating as my transition to mommyhood continues!

Waiting On Baby: When A Due Date Comes & Goes…

Depending on how you calculate the due date, I am 40.2 weeks pregnant or exactly 40 weeks today.

Truth be told, I never expected to make it to my due date. I know that for many first-time moms, going over a due date is common. I’ve measured several weeks ahead in tummy height though for most of the 3rd trimester. Baby is also measuring on the larger end – estimated to be about 8.5 pounds!

Waiting On Baby…

So now here we are… waiting on baby girl. I’m so incredibly anxious. Every day that creeps by I worry about not being able to have a natural birth the way I’d hoped. I worry that we’ll have to induce if she stays in there much longer and that it could fail and I’ll end up with a c-section because my body just isn’t ready.

From what I’ve read, there are some real increased risks of letting a baby go to 42 weeks or longer – like increased risk of meconium aspiration. Bigger babies also have an increased risk of shoulder dystocia (a very serious obstetrical complication). Oh, and we have family coming in around the 41.5 week mark, so I feel a little bit of self-imposed pressure there to have a baby in arms by the time they arrive.

On the other hand, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) does not recommend induction for suspected macrosomia (also known as “big” baby) in large part because fetal size is very hard to predict:

“In cases of term patients with suspected fetal macrosomia, current evidence does not support early induction of labor. Results from recent reports indicate that induction of labor at least doubles the risk of cesarean delivery without reducing the risk of shoulder dystocia or newborn morbidity…” – ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 22, November 2000 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In the hope of avoiding an induction or other interventions, I’m doing everything I can think of to encourage baby to join us on her own – walking, shoveling down whole pineapples, etc. Braxton Hicks-like contractions and low back pain have really picked up recently, so I’m hopeful that means labor isn’t far off. It’s just so hard waiting.

We’re supposed to get snow tomorrow (Friday morning) and I’m hopeful that will be the boost baby needs to come out and meet her family! lol. It sounds crazy to buy into an old wives tale about stormy weather sparking labor but at this point, I’m a little desperate.

Ladies, if your baby was overdue, how long did you have to wait? How did you manage to relax? Was there any one technique you think finally kicked off labor? Share your comments here! I could use some advice! :o)

Michelle

 

Birth Options Recap: How Should Your Baby Be Born?

Last week on WHNT News 19 This Morning, we aired a special series of reports called “Birth Options” with the goal of helping moms-to-be and families across the Tennessee Valley learn about various methods of labor and birth available to them.

Birth Options: A Recap

I began researching for this series a few months after I learned I was pregnant. Like any first time mom, I was overjoyed. I also had a LOT of questions. What should I eat? What exercises are appropriate? What should we register for? How do pregnancy and labor develop? What can go wrong during both?

As I read and talked with people, I found myself facing a very fundamental question: How should a baby be born? The obvious, easy answer, is safely. That’s what all parents hope for. How families achieve a “safe” birth though is actually more varied than you might realize. There are several different ways of birthing a child in the United States – including at a hospital, with a Certified Professional Midwife at home, or in a specialized birth center. You can go without drugs, opt for a C-Section, or experience a mix of natural labor and interventions.

Deciding which of the above experiences are right for you is a big deal. So if you missed any of our special Birth Options reports, you can click on the links below to watch each one and learn more:

The Farm Midwifery Center – Nestled to the southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, in a rural community dedicated to sustainable living, The Farm Midwifery Center is run by highly-trained midwives. These women care for pregnant moms who come from around the world for a natural, drug free labor and to birth in cabins among the trees.

Home birth with a CPM – A certified professional midwife – or CPM – is trained to attend out-of-hospital home births and provide care to pregnant women. Many women desire a home birth to avoid medical interventions in a hospital, as well as to feel comfortable in familiar surroundings. Home births with a CPM are an option in Tennessee but illegal in Alabama and some women would like to see the law changed.

A modern hospital experience – The modern hospital experience offers epidurals and other pain-relief medications, as well as instant access to the latest technologies and physicians. For many women, this is a great comfort and in rare cases when an unexpected emergency arises, can be life-saving.

Having a baby is a miraculous and complicated experience and this series of reports was in no way intended to be a comprehensive guide to birthing. Instead, it should serve as a springboard for moms hoping to learn more and motivate them to research medical and natural options in consultation with a care provider.

Feel free to share your Birth Options experiences with us below! Only 5 weeks left until my own little one’s due!

Yep, I’m Trying For A Natural Birth

Early in my pregnancy, I decided I would like to try for a natural birth in the hospital.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons

I know what most of you are thinking… WHY in the world would I want a drug-free labor? lol. So, in this post, I’ll try break down the “why” and share with you how I’m preparing mentally and physically.

When I first got the notion that a natural birth might be for me, I was doing a lot of research on labor and delivery. The more I read, the more I felt drawn to attempting a birth with minimal medical interventions and without drugs.

I also realize though, that there are very important reasons for having trained medical experts on-hand during birth. Any number of complications could be life-threatening, come up suddenly and require skilled attention to resolve! That’s why I, personally, still feel most comfortable giving birth in the hospital.

On the other hand, I’ve seen research to suggest many of the medical interventions so common in hospitals – inductions, augmented labors (through the use of Pitocin or other drugs) and C-Sections – are sometimes overused and perhaps not always best for mom and/or baby.

I’m also generally terrified of surgery and hate the feeling of not being able to control my body. So, when I read in several different books (which I will be outlining in an upcoming blog post) and various news reports that induction and/or augmented labor increases your risk for C-Section… I became determined to at least try to avoid all of the above.

Of course, I realize this may not be possible. It’s my first baby. My mom had some unexpected complications during birth after very normal pregnancies. I also don’t really have any idea how my body will respond to labor.

I still want to try though… and from what I’ve heard and read, trying to achieve a natural birth experience in the clinical setting of a hospital is not usually easy. There are lots of forces at play – what a doctor thinks is best, hospital policies including constraints on time allowed for labor or pushing, plus a general skepticism about really attempting a drug-free birth.

So here are the steps I’m taking to achieve my goal (ideally.) I hope they’ll be beneficial to other mommies-to-be who are considering going natural:

• Talking w/ my OBGYN – My doctor has been supportive of my goal so-far but still stresses that I will most likely “end up wanting the epidural.” lol. I can’t blame her for saying that… and who knows, maybe I will!
• Hiring a doula – A doula is essentially a personal labor coach. Ours is wonderful! She has been teaching my husband and I about all the stages of labor, as well as providing us with a wide range of reading materials and DVDs about pregnancy and birth. She will be there with us in the hospital as well, guiding us through different breathing and labor positions to help the birth progress – hopefully with minimal interventions. She can also serve as a lactation consultant in the postpartum period!
• Reading like crazy – I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on about pregnancy, birth, labor, breastfeeding, etc. Books with specific focus on the benefits of natural birth and/or midwifery as well as books written from a strictly medical approach. Knowing as much as possible (even about the obscure complications that could arise) makes me feel better… since if something goes wrong I won’t be totally in the dark as to what’s happening with my body.
• Talking with pals – I have a couple of wonderful friends who have achieved a natural birth in a hospital setting already. Hearing about their expectations and how those contrasted with experiences during labor has been invaluable. Those stories have shown me a natural birth in the hospital IS possible… and yet reinforced  that you should always “expect the unexpected!”

Moms, I’d love to hear about your birth experiences – natural or not! Please feel free to comment below!

I also want to stress before wrapping this up that I think every woman should be able to make her own birth choices (in consultation with her medical provider) without being judged. Hopefully this will be an enlightening discussion for everyone! Can’t wait to hear from all of our wonderful friends and viewers…

Michelle