birth stories | Two Rivers Childbirth

Community Birth Story: Oliver Garnet

By Two Rivers Childbirth
January 2, 2016
Birth Stories Project

As told by Amii:
New Year’s Day is inventory day. All day, on my feet. 25 weeks 5 days into a very complicated pregnancy due to a sub-chorionic hemorrhage with multiple bleeds. I thought we lost this baby more than once, and had so many bleeding episodes that I stopped going to the ER, and instead had my midwife check for a heartbeat the on the days following a large bleed. This birth was to be my 2nd HBAC, and at my 21 week ultrasound my SCH was showing to be continually shrinking (which is good). Studies have shown correlation but not causation between SCH and premature birth.

At 25 weeks I was already well familiar with gastrointestinal disturbances during this pregnancy, so when intense gas and indigestion hit after I ate a hummus wrap around 3 pm, I thought nothing of if. This intense gas continued throughout the evening, even dampening my hunger at dinner time. While putting away laundry around 8 my every present braxton hicks kicked in. I was already having some good ones this early on, but being baby #3 I knew they got more intense with each pregnancy. The first sign that something wasn’t right was when I crouched down to pick up some laundry during a contraction, it felt…good. As in the contraction discomfort was replaced by pressure, and suddenly squatting was all I wanted to do. Not your typical BH reaction, but I shrugged it off, with all the craziness we had already been through, this was not a big deal.

I settled into bed to put my co-sleeping 2 year old to sleep. I noticed the contractions picking up in quantity and quality, and decided to be silly and time them. What I found was they were 3-5 minutes apart, and while mild I was having to pause and concentrate to get through them. This had me a bit concerned and I messaged my midwife. She thought perhaps I overdid things with inventory, or even was coming down with a stomach bug that had been circulating. She recommended I either drink a glass of wine, take some benadryl, or drink some coconut water ( in case I was dehydrated) and see if i could get them to stop. I had used the first two methods before, and didn’t really care to be groggy, or have wine in m system; just in case I were to need further intervention ( sometimes being an over-thinker pays off). With the children asleep I sent my husband to the store to get coconut water around 9:30 pm.

While trying to relax on my side I felt the sudden and familiar sensation of fluid rushing down my legs. Having passed clots before I knew I must get to the bathroom as to not ruin my sheets (and wake the sleeping toddler within them to change them). As I stepped quickly in the dark I was able to glance at the floor as I reached the light of our master bathroom. It was odd, I didn’t see the splatters of red blood on the floor that I had become accustomed to with this pregnancy, the splatter was, clear. Wait, what? No, that’s not right. I passed an apricot sized clot ( which was later realized to be a piece of placenta) and some more clear fluid with brown flecks. Well crap, I thought, I think my water broke.
I contacted my midwife again and she agreed to come over and examine me. I texted my husband who rushed back home without my coconut water.

Everyone was pretty calm considering, and my midwife found me to be approx 1cm dilated. Litmus paper showed that it was amniotic fluid, but my midwife assured me it was most likely a small tear. We were able to call ahead to Winchester Medical Center, the closest local hospital with a level 3 NICU. No one really thought we would have a baby in less than 6 hours, we were just being overly cautious. My midwife drove me to Winchester while my husband waited for my parents to come stay with the kids. He would join me there as soon as he could. I remember my midwife saying something about not having the baby in the car on the way. I wasn’t sure how to take it. I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not, I’m not sure if she knew either. I was still in a bit of shock that I was on the way to the hospital at 25 weeks, breathing through contractions that were coming 4 minutes apart.

Check in was quick and seamless and I was immediately taken to triage. I was terrified to be in a hospital filled with nurses and OBs I had never even met. The on-call OB I met first was stern but surprisingly accommodating in ways I wasn’t expecting. I was still 1-2cm, and they were unclear if I was leaking fluid or not. The nurse made a comment about meconium (due to the brown flecks) but we then realized I was too early for that to be true. They did a swab for group B strep and recommend I start IV antibiotics, and while I initially balked at that idea, I am now so grateful she talked me into it. I was send to L & D and hooked up to a magnesium drip. I’m pretty sure everyone thought my labor would subside, the tear in my amniotic sac would close, and I would be on strict bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy. I was given my first steroid shot. My husband arrived and my midwife headed home. She said to call her if anything changed and she would come back down. This was around 12am.

As labor progressed I had a chance to speak to the OB about my options “just in case”. I was allowed to birth vaginally as long as the baby was not in distress, which was a pleasant surprise to say the least. She touted the beneficial bacteria newborns get in the birth canal, and said vaginal delivery is usually less stressful – even for preemies. The magnesium was awful, I was burning up and needed cold towels all over. I was hooked to IVs, and surprisingly lethargic. This wasn’t a labor I could own, it wasn’t a labor I wanted to own. I wanted off this ride, and all I could do was turn and grab the bars through each contraction. There wasn’t a lot of traffic in the room, my nurse was amazingly sweet, and no one pressured me to get extra drugs or an epidural. At one point I did request one, but my nurse explained it would be too much for such a tiny preemie. I didn’t feel like a labor warrior, I just wanted to forget it was even happening. By 1am I was telling nurses the contractions were stronger and I thought I was in active labor. I was checked at a 3 and left alone. I texted my midwife, and she said if I progressed further she would come back, as she had just gotten back home to Shepherdstown. Sometime between 1 and 2 I remarked that the contractions were double and triple peaking. I wanted an update and felt no one was taking me seriously. I was at a 5, and my midwife agreed to head back in the middle of the night. I asked the OB tearfully if this meant I was really having a baby, and she said it looked that way. She said someone from the NICU team would be in to talk to me about my options. At that point labor was in full force and I was nearing transition. Dr.Lee (who is the most wonderful neonatologist, by the way) came in to talk to me about the NICU. I have no idea what he said, as the entire time I was just wishing he would shut up because I was having back to back contractions. All at once I felt the baby drop – like a literal thunk and I knew he was in my birth canal. I called for the nurses and said I was feeling pressure and I thought the baby was coming. I was checked at a 7 and they began to round up delivery personnel. The OB I met in triage was in another delivery so I had a new OB I had never met. I started pushing, not on purpose, my body was expelling the baby all on its own. I’m expressing this to the staff and they still don’t seem to believe me. A quick check and “oh yes, the head’s right there”. Well yes, I did say that. One and a half gentle pushes later and they barely got the tarp under me in time. No coaching, no stirrups, just me laying on my side – still white knuckling those bedrails. I saw him for a brief moment before they scooped him up and took him away. He was tiny and blue, and had dark brown hair. He made the tiniest little squawk while he laid there. And then it was over. He was intubated and stabilized by the NICU team. My midwife came in right after the action was over, she was able to see him in person and take a few photos for me before they took him away.

The started a bag of pitocin because I’ve had a history of bleeds with prior deliveries. The midwife offered to call my doula Bergen (I didn’t even think of it to be honest) and I agreed (although I wasn’t sure why I would need one). My placenta was delivered and we got some good insight into what had happened. My side of the placenta was falling apart. That’s what those flecks were in my amniotic fluid. I also came back positive for group B strep. The theory is that group B was able to infiltrate the placenta due to the SCH which was partially over my cervix. I was not in labor long enough for my second steroid shot.

Oliver Garnet Fritz was born at 3:31am. As the pitocin induced afterpains started to feel like second labor, my doula arrived. A nurse offered pain medication for the contractions she quickly answered yes for me, LOL. I think I needed to be numb for a little while, and she knew it. They transferred me to my room, where I ate honey sticks and waited to be able to go see my baby. All 1lb 9oz. of him. Bergen helped me get acquainted with my meddle pump, and kept me company while I was still in a bit of shock from the evening’s events. I’m so happy to say that his on his first birthday, he is still here with us, at at “massive” 13lbs 2oz.

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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: Clara

By Two Rivers Childbirth
March 26, 2015
Birth Stories Project

As told by Mary:

I conceived Clara between a LEEP procedure to remove pre-cancerous cells, and the follow up from the procedure. I had been told to not get pregnant for 3 months so my cervix could heal properly. God had other plans! The Monday before Mother’s Day 2014, is when I took a home test. I hadn’t felt ill or anything, just had a feeling to take a test. Lo and behold, positive. I took another one when I got home from work to be sure. It was positive again. A wave of emotions came over me. I walked down the stairs to tell my husband but I just couldn’t find the words. When he asked why I was being so weird, I threw the test at him. So romantic.

We went to the midwife to confirm the pregnancy 6 weeks later. It felt like forever. Hearing her little heart beat for the first time was the most magical experience of my life. Pregnancy was wonderful and terrifying. I had morning sickness, a car accident at 30 weeks, was high risk for miscarriage because of my LEEP, insane heartburn, and hospitalized with chest pains at 38 weeks. I was so anxious something was going to go wrong and overly cautious about everything I did. However, the LEEP was a blessing in disguise. Because I needed my cervix checked more regularly than a “normal” pregnancy, I had many more sonograms than a “normal” woman would. I got to see her grow and develop on the black and white screen every few weeks. It was amazing.

My Friday due date came and went. The most eventful thing that happened that day was a pedicure. My midwife had swept my membranes the day before and beside a little cramping, nothing. I was planning to work up until baby decided to come and was working 10 hour days at 40 weeks. My blood pressure had risen (I had normal BP throughout pregnancy), and my midwife said my body was telling me to slow down and I needed to stop working. We set a plan to induce at 41 weeks and 3 days. I was bummed, I really didn’t want to be induced medically. I had planned a natural birth; and while I know things always don’t go to plan, I was disappointed in my body. This is my first pregnancy so I didn’t know what my body would do. The next week I spent nesting thinking, today could be the day! The Thursday after my due date (40 + 6), I went for another appointment. She swept my membranes again and I expressed my desire to not be induced. She suggested to drink some red raspberry leaf tea. I had two cups that evening.

Kissed my husband goodnight that night and went to bed. I had cramping since I left the midwife’s office but I didn’t think much of it because I had false labor the weekend before. I didn’t sleep well as the cramping got stronger and more consistent. My husband woke at 4:30am to go to work. He kissed me goodbye and left by 5am. I didn’t mention the cramps because I didn’t want him to stay home for a false alarm. I stayed in bed, and by 6am, decided they were strong and consistent enough that I should start timing them. I timed for an hour and called my midwife at 7am. She suggested to keep timing (they weren’t close enough yet) and through our conversation she realized I was home alone. She said it sounds like labor and I shouldn’t be alone. I called my husband to come back home (he works an hour and a half away) and called my mom to come up. We live almost an hour from close family and friends. While we know our neighbors a little, I didn’t feel comfortable asking any of them to come over. Usually, we just pass a friendly wave, nothing more. I knew if I had an emergency they would help but I decided to labor alone until my mom and husband came. Laboring alone was wonderful and scary. Our dog lay with me on the bed and stayed calm (which is surprising, he is usually a spaz). We have a yoga ball, so I changed positions on that and the bed every 30 minutes or so. I had my phone and kept relaxation music and YouTube birthing videos running as I took each wave of contraction with breathing I learned from a doula. I focused totally on the labor remembering that each contraction brought me closer to finally meeting my baby. My mom arrived to the house around 9:00 am and my husband around 9:30 am. I was proud of myself for laboring alone and was ready to meet this baby. I had trouble timing my contractions alone as they got stronger because I had to focus on riding the pain out instead of the distracting timer on my phone. I had given up timing them until my mom arrived. She helped me time them and we called my midwife as they were about 3-4 minutes apart. She said to head to the hospital.

I wanted to shower and my husband had to pack his bag. The shower felt so wonderful with the contractions. I was in a little of a daze but I just had to blow dry my bangs. Both my mom and my husband said I was nuts. Whatever, we all have our thing right? My water broke as I was getting dressed out of the shower. No gush that you see in the movies, just all the sudden I was leaking everywhere. We got to the hospital and checked in around 11am. I could not relax at the hospital. While everyone was great, it just wasn’t home. All the noise, people coming in and out of the room, machines, were all very distracting. I couldn’t focus and the pain was rising. I couldn’t figure out my breathing. I decided to ask for an epidural. My midwife encouraged me to labor longer without it until I was 3cm dilated. She kept up the encouragement, soothing and calming me. She was so wonderful. My mom and husband stayed in the room and continued to help me through my labor too. I continued to remind myself that every contraction brought me closer to Clara and my body knew what to do. At 1:00 pm they said I was ready for the epidural. The epidural didn’t take until 2:30pm. We had to wait for the doctor, then had trouble getting it done because I had such good posture, she couldn’t find the right spot in my spine. Also, it was so hard to sit curled over while the contractions came. It felt like the whole thing took all day. Once the epidural took, I laid down and was finally able to relax. Music continued to play and I was able to close my eyes. My epidural was one where you can control the medicine, so I was able to still feel the contractions, which is what I wanted. I continued to dilate quickly now that I was able to relax.

Soon, I felt the need to push. My mom gave me oxygen, while my husband and the nurse helped to hold my legs. Clara had dropped and was ready. I pushed for 45 minutes, it felt like it was only 10 or 15 minutes. My midwife offered me a mirror but I denied it. I regret that now. But, I did feel Clara’s head as she started to come through. 2 hard pushes and she was out at 4:30pm! I never felt so powerful or full of love in my life. My midwife gave her to me immediately. She was perfect. I couldn’t believe I just pushed this little human out of me. She looked up at me with her beautiful eyes and it was love. She did pass meconium on me but I didn’t even care. We did skin to skin for a bit and let the cord pulse. Once it was done, my mom cut the cord. They took her and cleaned her and me. She was 8lbs 13oz and 20 inches of perfection. My husband held her as they continued to clean me up after I passed the placenta. I only tore a 2 degree. I was amazed how quickly she came and how my body knew exactly what to do. I later found out the cord was around her neck once and her body once. Thankfully, my skilled midwife knew exactly what to do and it was a non-issue. Clara’s APGAR scores were 8 then 9. I also had a tear in the upper part of my placenta, which if she hadn’t come out when she did would have meant more problems and probably medical intervention. I was again amazed how beautifully and non-dramatic everything went. My husband said it was so much calmer than he expected (you know all that screaming you hear on TV). She latched right on to feed and nursing has gone wonderfully for us. We spent the next hour alone with her as a family to bond. She is now 6 weeks old and we are so enchanted with her. My birth was powerful, awesome and beautiful.

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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: Aryadne Clover

By Two Rivers Childbirth
April 11, 2014
Birth Stories Project

Aryadne’s Accidentally Unassisted Home Birth

As told by Julia:

I must start by saying that Ian and I dreamed of a natural, home birth. I was terrified of the prospect that it could possibly be unassisted, meaning no midwife or doctor present. Although I didn’t think it could possibly happen to me because I had previously had a long labor, I read up on accidental unassisted birth stories so I would know what to AVOID. I really, really didn’t want an unassisted birth, but that is the beautiful and perfect way my daughter entered the world.

I had been very ill the prior weekend and was grateful to have had a couple of health and good sleep before labor began. When we woke up at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, I began having light cramping that had a beginning, peak, and end, and occurred at intervals. I was excited to think that my body was practicing but didn’t think much of it and was pretty sure it would go away. A few hours later, I took my two year old Leo downtown for toddler yoga and the whole time we were gone, felt nothing. When we returned home. the contractions returned the same as before, very mild. I could continue doing any activity through them. I was surprised that the two or three contractions I had while I napped with my son did wake me up. I told my husband what was going on when he got home from work and he, too, did not think it would amount to anything. I knew, though he did not, that my due date was two days away. While I was on the birth ball watching YouTube before bed, I decided to time two contractions just for fun. 55 seconds each and six minutes apart, but still very mild. I told my husband Ian that the true test would be if I slept through them or they stopped overnight and I assumed that they would.

Contractions got more intense during the night and felt worse lying down, but I was absolutely determined to get any wink of sleep I possibly could. My son’s labor was 60+ hours and ended with exhaustion and an epidural, and the first night of it I had spent awake because I was so excited. I knew from experience how much I needed sleep if I was indeed in early labor. The contractions woke me up and I knew I would be more comfortable in an up right position, but I did not let myself get out of bed except to pee. I was able to sleep between them and at some point in the night they slowed down so I at least felt like I got a few hours of sleep and was very grateful. I had to breathe through many contractions and visualize going over a wave as it got closer to morning. Then, I breastfed my son for what I knew would be the last time as my only nursling.

Contractions while we made breakfast required some of my attention, and I hurried Ian through making waffles so we could time some contractions and use that to decide if we should call anyone. Timing from 8:00- 8:30 a.m., they were one minute long and four minutes apart. I got Nannette the midwife on the phone, followed by my parents who would care for Leo, and Jen the doula to inform them but not to ask them to come yet. Nannette said the contractions were positioning baby and effacing my cervix and to call her when I felt like they switched jobs and I had to really turn inward.

Contractions became more intense and required more focus and physicality, so I think this may be where active labor definitely had begun. I rocked on the birth ball, leaned on the wall, vocalized using Mmmm and Ohhh, but was perfectly content in between waves. Ian did some cleaning and I wrote thank you notes to my birth team. Leo acknowledged my “hard work noises” each time I had to make sound, but told me not to do them on his learning tower or toddler bed. Sorry, buddy. The only time I cried the whole day is when Ian was showering and Leo told me during a contraction to “wake up,” hit me on the head with a top, then tried to climb on my back. I knew I could not have Leo nearby without someone watching, but luckily my parents arrived around 11:00 a.m.

Soon after, I stopped talking in between contractions and required Ian for every contraction. I mostly clung to him with my arms over his shoulders, giving him my weight and going “ohh.” He always said the most perfect, helpful things (he posted ideas around the house in case he ever came up short!) In between contractions, I lay on the couch. I figured that whenever a doula or midwife arrived, they would probably tell me to get upright and walk around, but right then I really wanted rest. It was a pain to get up off the couch for waves, so I eventually sat on the birth ball between them instead. My mom diffused wild orange essential oil, the only E.O. that got any use. I was good at staying hydrated (pat on the back.)

Ian was actually sick on the birth day and I couldn’t bear to have him leave me, so I decided to ask Jen to come both to give him some relief and to help us decide if and when to call Nannette. After speaking with Jen, I peed and wiped away my mucus plug. I took this of a sign that I was dilated at least a couple of centimeters and had some renewed motivation. Contractions were getting harder, but I knew they were still not very intense. I tried to conserve my energy and barely spoke at all, and then, only a whisper. Ian started playing the labor music.

I started feeling rectal pressure during contractions and considered calling Nannette, but I wanted to wait and get Jen’s opinion. Doulas are great at sensing what stage of labor you are in. I also was so hesitant to mention the rectal pressure because I did not think I was far enough in labor to truly feel that. Jen arrived and did her amazing doula thing, also being there for me physically and saying the best things. Rather than Ian get a break, he did some birth related tasks. Plus, I was my most comfortable when one was rubbing my back while I was draped over the other.

I started feeling stronger rectal pressure and vaginal pressure during but not between contractions and told Jen. When I went to pee, there was a fair amount of bright red, fresh blood. I informed Jen of the blood and that I wanted to call Nannette, who agreed to come right over. The next few contractions, the rectal and vaginal pressure got stronger and remained in between contractions, which seemed to get much much closer together. I told Jen that I felt like I needed to poop, but I knew from reading so many birth stories that I really didn’t have to poop. We went to the bathroom anyway, thinking I would labor on the toilet. I also felt a little gushing and it was not blood so I thought it might be amniotic fluid.

My body started to spontaneously bear down. I won’t bother trying to describe the sensation except to say I had no control and it completely took over. It made me stand up very tall. There was a big splatter of water on the ground of my membranes rupturing. I told Jen that I was afraid of my body pushing in case I was not dilated enough. Ian called Nannette, who was fifteen minutes away, as he started filling the birth pool (oh yeah, we had planned on a water birth).

Jen, the most amazing calming presence, taught me to do horse lips to prevent pushing and we did them together each time. They felt great for me, but did not stop my body from bearing down on its own. She had us leave the bathroom and go to the birth room. At the time she said it was because the bathroom was so small, but later admitted she didn’t want the baby to drop in the toilet!

I stood by the bed and horse-lipped as my body did its powerful bearing down. It felt like this huge volcanic pressure with little break in between. After a few, I began to feel her body moving. I reached down and felt the top of her head, then felt her whole body suck back up inside me, so I assumed it would be this pushing-retracting thing for a while before Nannette arrived. Contrarily, on the next push, she was crowning. My body did little pushes to gently get her head all the way out and I held the head in my hands. I remember Jen telling Ian he needed to leave the birth pool (which had maybe two inches of water) and come catch his baby.

This at least felt like the longest break in between pushing contractions. Jen said that my baby would be here and I smiled in elation. I felt very calm and confident. Ian was under me on the ground as I stood above him, describing her face to us. I decided to push her body out, the only push that I consciously and willingly took part in, so at the slightest hint of the next contraction, I made an effort and her whole body slid out into Ian’s arms. Jen helped me turn over and I saw my baby.

Her face was wet but she spit out water and was breathing and crying seconds later. Jen helped me sit on the bed and I asked for a towel for Ary. Her cord was draped over her neck but not looped around. She was crying and wailing and rooting but too upset to be able to latch. Nannette arrived maybe ten minutes after Ary’s birth. After that my mom came in, and later, our photographer, who we intended to get here before the midwife but timing was not in our favor. The look on those three faces, who didn’t know they would come to find a baby, was joyfully funny and unforgettable.

Aryadne Clover and I were perfectly healthy and doing great. She was born 31 hours after my first contraction and an hour after our doula arrived, 7 lbs, 7 oz, 21.5 inches long. I did require pitocin for bleeding after the placenta was birthed and had a very small first degree tear. The placenta had a lobe, which may explain the bleeding during labor. She was so happy to be breastfed and was very alert. I had a post-birth high and felt better than ever before. I experienced no ring of fire or any pain at all with Ary’s crowning and emerging. There are a few factors, including my amazing support team who kept me present and grounded, that I never truly needed to enter ‘my own world,’ or maybe the midwife would have been called sooner. I feel no need to question or doubt her arrival and feel completely fortunate for and proud of this healing final birth.

I love my midwife and photographer, but I have to give extra praise to my doula, Jen. She remained so calm and direct when any one of us could have been panicking. She gently but efficiently gave us direction when needed and allowed Ian and I to handle this “emergency” delivery with only minimal but needed guidance. For her doula tasks, she was incomparable, but she went above and beyond assisting in Ary’s arrival with no medical personnel present. And another quick shout out to Ian for unexpectedly catching his daughter as she fell to this world.

(Photo credits to Lindsey Welch Photography and the Becker Family)

(Read Ary’s big brother’s birth story here)

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