"Thank you for everything. I advocated for myself and it was the most empowering moment."
I delivered a healthy beautiful baby girl May 17 @ 3:32pm. She weighed 8 lbs, 13 ounces.
Things unfortunately did not go as ‘planned’ but of course all our work together made for a pretty great birth story.
Sooo my water broke at home 7:30pm Saturday. The contractions were coming on quite fast and even though I really hoped to sleep (even took gravol) it was not gonna happen! I called my midwife and she asked about the fluid and then confirmed (with a photo) there was meconium. She asked how soon we could get to the hospital, and we rushed over. They checked her heart rate and I guess it kept decelerating during contractions, they recommended induction to get things moving faster. It was so painful with the induction, and it turned out her rate was only stabilized when I lay on my right side. I couldn’t do any of the birth postures, couldn’t use the tub, had to stay one side and be hooked up to all these monitors. It was already not at all how I imagined it. After a couple hours of extreme pain the OB suggested an epidural as her heart rate kept decelerating and I was only 1cm dilated .
They kept worrying about her heart rate and at one point strongly suggested an emergency c section! I was devastated but trying to be open and do what was best for my baby. Here’s the best part and why I am eternally grateful for you and the hypnobirthing course, I asked if we could WAIT at all on the c section. The OB was hesitant but said we could wait 10-15 min and see. Even my midwife was prepping me for a c section, it seemed like the only option.
But then she stabilized (!!!) and I could only lay in one position that her heart rate seemed okay in. I stayed that way all night and all day and a new midwife came in the morning and I was 8 cm dilated! I was so happy!! The new OB on the morning shift was really kind and after a couple hours he said, you’re going to have a vaginal birth today!! I could have cried. I pushed for an hour and had no tearing. Woo!
I was SO happy to have avoided surgery and to have given birth to her. She is very beautiful, and my heart is so full.
~ Ashley and Seamus