Community Birth Story: Cypress Zofia
Two Rivers Childbirth

Community Birth Story: Cypress Zofia

cypress1 As told by Amanda:

For many women contractions start at the onset of early labor and within a day or two a beautiful baby arrives earth-side. For others contractions start weeks away from our child’s birth day, and it can become exhausting and frustrating. I had experience prodromal labor with my first, but wasn’t prepared for how much I would endure with our second.

First I’ll back up and give a bit of history on how we came about our providers. Initially we discussed a home birth, but the house we lived in was dirty with mold and mildew. The thought of being pregnant there worried me, and the thought of birthing a child into that house was revolting. So I talked to many local women and decided on an OB who had the reputation of being quite natural. But a few short weeks after starting care with him we were able to get out of our lease and purchase a beautiful home.

So Eric and I started discussing a home birth and looking into options. The pickings here are slim and I knew right away one provider wasn’t for us. That left one practice about 45 minutes away. I met with the 3 midwives (New Moon Midwifery), who worked seamlessly together, and loved them from the start. However, with the distance and notoriously bad Ohio winters we were hesitant. At around 25 weeks I just didn’t feel comfortable discussing my birth plan with my OB, and he didn’t seem receptive. So I transferred care to a midwife group that would deliver in the hospital. By my second appointment I knew that wasn’t right either. So we hoped for good weather, and that New Moon would take me at such a late time. To our relief they did!

At 30 weeks I started with consistent evening contractions. Every 7 minutes, always 45 seconds apart. At first they lasted only an hour, two at the most. So we (myself and my midwives) weren’t terribly concerned. But around 32 weeks, despite proper hydration and rest I had several hours of contractions. Since I was still early I was advised to go to the hospital. After a few hours there I was released with no reason as to why I was contracting so much, and by about the second hour I was no longer having them. Fast forward to 35 weeks and it was the same. This time I was able to go to a much closer hospital that was a bit more thorough. After some insistence on my part, they tested my electrolytes. My sodium was low, and after some lactated ringers they stopped. Now that sodium was on my radar I was able to avoid anymore hospital visits, but I still had plenty of prodromal labor.

It was becoming worrisome to me at this point that I wouldn’t get a clear line as to when I was actually in labor. With Halley my water never broke – and I was worried I’d be conservative when needing to call. My midwives, however, reassured me that even if it were a false alarm there was no burden on them for the drive. So I paid very close attention to my contractions, noting how they were moving and how my body was responding. At nearly 38 weeks I made the call to have them come down. Jamie and my doula, Martha, headed down. My contractions had been closer than usual and felt slightly different so we felt it was time for them to come. I was also feeling anxious which I hadn’t previously. After about 2 hours there was no change, and by 3 they fizzled out. They left and I was feeling even more upset. I kept asking myself, “How will I ever know when it’s time, and will I make that call in enough time for someone to get here?”

Then, on the morning of February 22nd, I woke up and started having contractions. I had yet to have contractions in the morning, so either my body was gearing up for baby time or I was in for several more days/weeks of all-day prodromal. At around 9am I called Anna, the midwife on call, and explained to her what was going on. They were every

10 minutes, 45 seconds long and felt slightly different than my usual contractions. She was glad I called and told me to keep her updated if anything changed. At this point I had no other big shift. I had been loosing my mucous plug for weeks, and my water hadn’t broken either.

At around 2:30 Eric left with Halley, and around 4:30 my contractions had shifted to 7 minutes apart. I called Anna, and she said she would come down to be with me after she had finished a few things in Ann Arbor. It was around 6:30/7 PM that she arrived. At this point Eric had come home, but we decided to leave Halley at his parent’s house. Anna checked me and I was at 4cm, but we both knew that didn’t really mean anything. I was 3cm with Halley for over a week – so it wasn’t a reliable indicator. She didn’t want to leave yet because the baby was so low, if there was a shift she felt labor would progress quickly.

So Anna got busy with some work, and I sat down and watched “Wildest Africa”. Why I picked this I have NOOOO idea. But the narrators voice was so soothing. I don’t’ really remember any of the actual content. Just his voice. I still find that comical today. My contractions felt stronger, but not strong enough. For several hours we hung out like this. Anna recommended I try lying down, but I couldn’t get comfortable. At one point I got up from lying down and could feel the baby move down. I told her such, and we decided to check again. I had only progressed about ½ a cm, but the baby had moved down even more. Halley was not willing to stay at my in-laws, so Eric went and got her.

At this point she felt I should try to sleep. That could either speed up contractions or stop them. Either way, she was staying the night. She lived 1.5 hours away, and didn’t want to get on the road, only to turn back. So I went to bed, and she chose the couch to lay on. This was around 10:30pm. By 11:00 my contractions had really picked up in intensity, and I had stopped timing them at this point as well. Intense back pain accompanied as well. I came out to the play room and woke Anna. We headed into the bedroom, as she wanted to see me have a contraction. I laid in bed, and she watched. But apparently I have some sort of performance anxiety and several minutes went on without a contraction. She decided to get up and grab something and the moment she left the room I had another. This happened several times, and then finally she was able to witness a contraction. She could see how much pain I was in and offered to rub my back and apply counter pressure. After a few contractions we decided I should call my doula, and she the other midwife (2 attend each birth) since they both lived 30-45 minutes away). I got up and went to the bathroom and she put plastic down on the bed.

(At this point Halley kept waking and crying, so Eric stayed in her room to help keep her calm and asleep. )

As soon as I laid down another contraction came, and this was stronger. Anna applied counter pressure and I felt a POP inside of me. Moments later water gushed from me, and we knew this was the real thing. I started having one contraction after another. Each one getting stronger. Unfortunately it would seem there was no time to set up and fill/cool the birth pool. Anna applied pressure and massage during contractions, and then ran around setting up needed supplies. At this point neither Martha or Amanda had arrived yet. I’m not sure how long it was before either of them got there. I don’t remember Martha coming into our room, all I remember is that the massage felt different. So I knew she had arrived. When Amanda arrived I recall her telling me she was there. And that’s pretty much all I remember. I was deep in my birth space, breathing slowly and purposefully through each contraction. Between contractions I think I slept…because I honestly don’t remember anything other than the contractions themselves.

Then I had a huge, long contraction. I recall asking Anna, “How much longer of this?” To which she replied, “We don’t know, but I don’t think it will be long now.”

The next contraction I felt the head move down and indicated as much. They could now see her head. The next contraction was one I will never forget. It consumed my entire body. My lungs felt squeezed so tightly that I couldn’t breath. At this point I had kept a nice breathing pattern down, and let my body go with the ebb and flow. But this contraction took me by surprise. I recall thinking to myself, “will this ever stop…will I ever breath again?” And when it let up I began gasping for air. Someone reassured me I was OK, and to breath deep again. At which point I found my calm again.

There were a few pushes for her head, and some light burning. But once her head birthed her entire body just slithered out effortlessly.

At 1:36am Cypress Zofia was born and promptly placed on my chest. Eric was able to be by my side for the birth, and we loved on her as we waited for the placenta to deliver. Since her cord was so short she stayed on my belly for about 15 minutes, at which time the placenta was delivered. Once it stopped pulsing they cut the cord and we started to establish breastfeeding. She cried and fussed at the breast for an hour, and Anna said in her experience babies that come quickly have a lot to say at first. But once she settled in she was quite content. Eric and I lay in bed together enjoying the sight of our new baby girl, while the midwives and Martha cleaned up, prepared an herbal bath and food for me. After about three hours, and making sure Cypress and I were healthy, they left and we all drifted off to sleep.

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Emily Anne Photography

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Click HERE to learn more about the Community Birth Stories Project or to submit your own birth story.

Community Birth Story: Henry Philip
Two Rivers Childbirth

Community Birth Story: Henry Philip

As told by Nicole:

This birth story starts before conception. After 5 long years of trying for a successful pregnancy my husband and I decided to try an IVF procedure. We desperately wanted to be parents and this was our last option before proceeding down the path of adoption. After a month of daily injections on 7/30/13 I had my egg retrieval, and 12 eggs were retrieved and inseminated. On 8/4/13 I had 2, 5 day old embryos transferred.

After a grueling 2 week wait I couldn’t wait any longer, and took a pregnancy test. It was positive, but we didn’t celebrate until the doctor confirmed the pregnancy a few days later. No matter how many tests I took I couldn’t believe it! We had 1 strong embryo implant successfully. We were so happy!!

One of the good things about fertility treatments is you get to have lots of early ultrasounds. I probably would have been nervous early in, but we got to see our baby grow weekly. We found out we were having a boy at 15 weeks, and knew his name already. You think a lot about baby names when trying for a baby for 5 years. From that point on our peanut was known as Henry Philip. Henry for my husband’s grandfather, and Philip for my father.

I started planning my ideal natural birth. Since we started with IVF a natural birth was really important to me. We hired a great doula and I put together my birth plan.

Unfortunately, Henry had other plans. We found out he was breech at 35 weeks. I did all the stretches and different techniques I could find online to flip him, but what finally what worked was seeing a chiropractor for a few sessions. We thought we were back on track, but at 37 weeks my blood pressure started to go up. I took a preeclampsia test, and thankfully it was negative, but I went on bed rest to try to keep my blood pressure in check. On 4/11/14 at 38 weeks my blood pressure was still going up, and another preeclampsia test was ordered for me to complete over the weekend. We started talking about inducing at this point which I really didn’t want to do, but Henry was still in the right position so I was told it looked favorable. On 4/14/14 my

Preeclampsia test came back positive. They completed another ultrasound, and over the weekend Henry also decided to flip breech again. He needed to come out for my health and his. We scheduled a C-section for the next day. I was really depressed to miss out on my natural birth experience. I spent most the rest of the day crying.

In the morning on 4/15/14 at exactly 39 weeks we went to the hospital to check in. I had somewhat resigned myself to the C-section overnight, and knew what to expect. I was ready to have my baby and move past the birth. We went back to the OR at 2pm. I sat at the end of the bed while my back was injected with the numbing agent. From that point on my body felt very heavy and cold. A sheet was put up at my chest so I couldn’t see anything. My husband sat next to me and held my hand. Though I couldn’t feel any pain, I felt immense pressure and a pulling sensation. After what seemed like a long time I felt really strong pulling and I heard Henry cry. I couldn’t see him, but my husband stood up and got the first glance. They brought him over to me soon after. He had a thick head of dark hair, and he looked a little angry at being taken out of his nice warm womb. I cried tears of joy. I felt such strong love for him immediately I was completely overwhelmed. He was 7lbs, 2oz and 21.5″ long.

 

I insisted he stay with me through most of recovery even though that wasn’t the norm. Breastfeeding wasn’t natural for him right off probably because of the C-section meds, but he was nursing well within a few hours, and we are still going strong at 1 year now. Although recovery from the C-section was hard, and very painful, I’ve stopped mourning missing out on my natural birth. Sometimes things just don’t go according to plan. I still got my perfect baby that I waited so long for in the end.

 

I am very thankful for modern medicine. It allowed us to have a biological child, and to experience pregnancy which I really wanted. It also brought our baby into the world safely. I am hopeful that if we are lucky enough for a second child that I may still get to experience my natural birth.

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Click HERE to learn more about the Community Birth Stories Project or to submit your own birth story.

Community Birth Story: Charlotte Elise
Two Rivers Childbirth

Community Birth Story: Charlotte Elise

As told by April:
This is the story of my homebirth after two cesareans. The reason for my first cesarean was “suspected big baby” at 39 weeks after my OB told me that he could “induce and you can labor for 24 hours and end up with a cesarean anyway or just have a cesarean.” After my cesarean, he informed me that I had made the right call because “no baby bigger than 6 pounds will ever go through you.” The reason for my second cesarean was reaching 42 weeks with no signs of labor and an unfavorable Bishop score for induction. She ended up in the NICU despite being a 42 week baby and we both said we were never doing that again. In fact, for many months, my husband Stephen wanted to be done having children altogether.

Fast forward to right before my second daughter’s second birthday, I got my big fat positive. Although we had been talking homebirth and planning it, the second I saw that second line, I admit to having second thoughts. I just didn’t believe I could do it. After all, my body just doesn’t work. It doesn’t go into labor.

My pregnancy was mostly uneventful and yet full of one God thing after another. We had a limited ultrasound around 22 weeks to determine the placenta’s location. I was so anxious for this ultrasound as the placenta’s location could very well determine whether or not I could have this baby at home. I went to the ultrasound by myself and just prayed the whole way there for peace and wonderful results. I asked the tech to check the location first as I really didn’t care about anything else. And my placenta was as far away from my scar as it almost possibly could be. What a huge relief and what an answer to prayer. I also managed to remain firm in my resolve not to find out the sex of the baby although I was positively convinced that I was having a boy.

I kind of suspected (although I was really hoping that I was wrong) that I would go post dates. 40 week appointment came and went. 41 week appointment came and went. 42 week appointment came and went. It’s hard to believe how long 2 weeks can be, but those last couple of weeks were longer than the entire pregnancy. I could just feel my baby getting bigger and my doubt growing. My body was meant to do this. Except maybe it wasn’t. Maybe my body is in the 3% of women that actually need a cesarean. The constant questions of “Aren’t you afraid of what might happen to your baby?” and “When are THEY going to induce you?” and “When does this get dangerous?” wore on me and I just wanted to be done. At my 42 week appointment, I asked to be checked. I was so convinced that this was never going to end and that my body wasn’t working and I just needed encouragement. 3-4 cm?! I had never been that dilated before! I asked to do a membrane stretch and sweep. My midwife gave me some castor oil to take home. And then I waited. Nothing still.

I kept feeling like maybe my baby just needed a little kick in the rear to get out of there and I had really really hoped that the membrane sweep would have done it. But no. Stubborn little one remained firm. I decided to take 1/2 ounce of castor oil (which is 1/4 of the recommended dose) and then take a nap. Most lovely nap followed by the most rude awakening.

Labor hit me like a truck (or that’s what it felt like). From the time I woke up to a contraction to when I started pushing, my contractions were 60 seconds long and 60 seconds apart. There was no early labor for me, it was just hard. I texted my mom to come pick up my older two girls (we had initially planned for them to stay with me but my instincts told me that they needed to go) and texted Nannette that I thought I was in labor. She told me that she would come in an hour because “sometimes castor oil can cause false labor.” I remember thinking that there was NO way this was false labor and that she better get there sooner than an hour. Stephen asked if he should fill the tub and I said “no, it’s not time yet.” He, being the man that he is, got right on that and started filling the tub. Nannette checked me soon after she got there and I was already at 7cm. She showed Stephen how to do the hip squeeze and instantly labor got more bearable. I got into the pool on my hands and knees and although slightly better, I still felt so out of control. I started praying for control and asking Nannette and Stephen to pray out loud. The pain didn’t go away, but the peace was there. Grace, our birth assistant, came in sometime during this time and was a rockstar. There’s a reason she’s such a fabulous doula. She got right in my ear and just talked me through it.

And then all of a sudden, I HAD to push. I’ve never ever felt a sensation quite like that. I remember looking at the clock and thinking “It’s only 9pm! It’s only been 5.5 hours There’s no way it’s time for me to push!” and telling Nannette that it was too soon. And that I couldn’t do it. She told me, “but you already are! You are already past the point!” I reached down and felt the baby’s head RIGHT there. Sack still intact. I tried to break it thinking that it would help things be over sooner. No dice. It was strong! But feeling the baby’s hair beneath that strong sac. I will never ever forget that. Nannette moved away to do something and Stephen got behind me to rub my back and then my water broke in the water. Stephen sounding a bit stunned told me, “Um, I think that was your water.”

And then the head was out. We rushed to get out of the pool as it wasn’t done filling (try getting out of a tub with a head between your legs) and I put my hands on the side of the bed and out came the baby. I pulled baby up to me. And then looked to find a penis. Except there was no penis. Holy moly, we have a third girl! She was so slippery and slimy and yet so delicious and amazing and beautiful. I was in so much shock that I had actually done it. She latched on right away and we just laid skin to skin and I stared at this amazing amazing new baby. I couldn’t believe how much I loved her. I couldn’t believe that I had done it. That my body DOES labor. That it DOES birth. This amazing new BIG baby. Grace weighed her and as I saw her strain to pull her into the air in the scale, I knew she was big. And then this: “Ten pounds, fourteen ounces.” My first labor, about 5.5 hours long, and out came an almost eleven pound baby girl: Charlotte Elise.

I did end up transferring to the hospital to be treated for blood loss and a tear caused by Charlotte’s hand being by her head when she came out, a decision that I do not regret one bit. We were home in less than twenty four hours and then Stephen kept me in bed for over a week while he cooked and cleaned and took care of our older two girls. The recovery was an absolute breeze compared to the surgeries with the girls.
It’s weird to me that so much of my labor felt like a blur. I don’t remember how badly it hurt but I do remember Nannette reading a Bible verse out loud to me from the cards I had on the dresser. I don’t remember how much I wanted it to be over, but I do remember Grace telling me “You wouldn’t let your girls say I can’t, so I’m not going to let you say it!” after I kept saying over and over again “I can’t do this.” I cannot thank Nannette enough for giving me a chance when no one else would. I gained an amazing friend in her through my pregnancy and birth. And in her words, “a part of me that I didn’t even know was broken became unbroken when I did this.”

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Click HERE to learn more about the Community Birth Stories Project or to submit your own birth story.