Coralynn is here.
AFTER 4 weeks of prodromal labor and 3 days of Latent Labor (3-5 min apart 1 min long, sessions usually all night) and 18 hours active labor... only 45 min of pushing... here she is!!!
No induction, no pitocin (until after for bleeding), just a membrane sweep after the 2 1/2 days of exhausting "real" labor.
The most amazing VBAC Success. I will post a detailed story soon but in the mean time I want to extend a very special THANK YOU to every single mother out there who has ever written her birth story down, posted pictures and videos or openly shared wishes, regrets, experiences and plans. My head was so full of ideas that I navigated this exhausting time suprisingly well. Bless you all.
August 28th, 3:07 pm
Coralynn Eleanor Micheal
9 lbs 3 oz, 21 inches long
42 wks 4 days gestation
Ok the story: let me splain: no splain would take too long, let me sum up...
Labored Monday night 9p-5am 3-5 min appart...petered out
Tuesday sent ds to relatives expecting that was hold me back - nothing but some good sleep interupted by not as strong 10m apart contrac..
Wenesday night, nursed ds to bed - contrax started...5 then 3 min apart... call doula who arrived at 3am, confirmed labor.... that left before dawn, she went home around 9:30 exhausted.
Thursday afternoon I called Midwife in Disguise to fill her in since she new things had picked up. She met me at her office after hours, around 7:30, did an NST and cervical check - we were so curious, I tried to prepare for "no news" effect but I was 2 cm (instead of 1) 75% and favorable so on a "whim" I let her do a second membrane sweep.
Home by 8:30 ...at 42 weeks and 3 days.... treated myself to two bowls of mint chip ice cream... after the second bowl I knew it was moving again at atleast 5 m apart - when we went to confirm it was more like 2-3 with 1+ contractions.
After all we'd been through dh was looking unmoved, but ds to bed, when I was already thinking call the troops. We tiffed about that later.
By the time he came out of the bedroom I was really rolling so dh started cleaning up the kitchen and taking out the trash sorting things to stay awake a get things in order I imagine. We had both become pretty good at the skepticisim and I was afraid to correct him since the midwife didn't really provide us with a reason to think NOW...
Anyway I went into my zone, he went online... next to me, keeping nearby. Some where along the way we decided the doula would work best at the hospital and when we touched base I didn't really indicate anything special or tell her about the sweep, I told her to get rest.
Somewhere around 10p they became 2 m, at about 1 min long ( I had NO IDEA my body could or would do this to me!)
About midnight I tried to ask them to slow down so I could skip one or two and rest and I laid on the couch and asked dh to rub my feet. that last 30 second, upon which I violently and imediately had to get UP! I was clearly unable to labor this one lying down... Quickly I was on the floor on all fours screaming for a bucket and threw up - I hated and loved that - it something was really going on...though I was sure it wasn't transition yet. I looked at the clock and thought I better tell Mark to get things moving, but I didn't. I was gonna hang in as long as I could.
15 minutes later it was clear I could no longer cope with the imagery and inner talk I had on had and I knew I had a long trip to the hospital to meet everyone and get a frigin epidural. I told DH, now call everyone now we are going to the hospital... he had a moment of irritation cause I was making him wake up 3 different households... but he survived. Family was on the way to meet us at hospital along with Doula and MD.
Car ride was fun - really had to focus not to scream and wake ds, which I managed, about 10 contax on the highway...
(hopefully not too triggering, but will mention molestation...)
When I arrived at hospital I HAD to walk from the door to the elevators and through the halls to L&D at 1am ish. There really was no otherway to handle hand off of son and get me situated. I did it, and mentally turned it in its ear... for all those who weren't allowed to walk in. Amazingly I did it with no actual contrac until I dropped my purse and handed off my medical card.
And met the most worn out nurse. I imediately asked if she had seen my birthplan... NO but we have routines... she tried to hand me a gown...NOPE hadn't read it for sure - specifically mentioned don't ask me to disrobe or wear a gown as it would be triggering of a molestation when I was 3 and boys played doctor on me.
Sooo. I asked for the alternative. Strip. Great!... that felt all wrong... so I got the old "Screw this" thing out of my back pocket and hid in the shower for about 30 minutes till my team was there. everyone there knew my story - knew about all the therapy and work and "rules" I came up with to feel safe.
I put on an old ratty shirt I had worn years ago at reiki retreat...
I was checked and found to be a 5 !!! I just kept saying all by myself! I did it. Five was such hard work, on pit with ds and I I ever managed...
I asked for the epidural upon which my amazing doula said ok but lets just try first to calm you down, lets just try. And for two amazing hours I stared into her eyes as she talked out my focus for each contraction, growing roots... and them I started faling asleep between contractions... her faith and focus helped me SOOOO much. But eventually they started to really wear me down and I couldn't get Epidural out of my head (my thinking based on stories I have read was that sometimes we have to focus on the big goals, not be too stubborn, which I am very guilty of and consider my energy level)
I really wanted to have something to give when it came to pushing and I needed rest all the prodromal labors and latent had stolen so much energy reserve. Doula mentioned getting checked before being sure... and I was at a 7 !!! and so elated I had made it to 7!!! and now give me the epidural... even if it slows things down. Beside Epid take so so sooo looong to get established. (wished I had presigned everything just in case).
The epidural was in by 4am, and I tried to sleep but couldn't. I ate peanutbutter and honey mix. I closed my eyes and I made myself stop using the epidural button because i wanted to feel contrax enough to breath for them and be tuned in. hours and hours went by nurse changed. I was kinda plateaued at 8+ cm .
It took awhile for me to care to get this moving, my energy level was worrysome. I tried making out with DH, which was nice. They broke my water bag and had me sit up to put more baby on the cervix. Still not to much going on.
I called my DS to get some "give some" mommy hormones flowing... just after I hung up, I felt Am Fluid gush and gush... and was told she must be moving down with the contrax. What a wonderful sensation...
My amazing MD mentioned maybe a little pit... I looked in her eyes... nodded and said "anyone get me a breast pump?" In wheeled the double milker (lame lame lame but..) I did it, sat there knowing full well I have milk and not really seeing any flow, but I could feel after a bit the contrax get stronger... My annoyance picked up and I asked DH to go get me a sandwich. CHickfila original and Iced tea. Imagine he was suprised when I ate the whole thing and he had to run off and get another for himself. Turns out I pumped for over an hour... and then put it down and told MD about my sandwich and how I could feel more pain and I needed bolous of Epidural. That got her encouraged apparently.
The bolous arrived and while we were discussing how it wouldn't do much for me I said wow I can really feel this and I feel poopy. I got my bolus... and decided that all that sitting up must have blocked the epidural too much. But I had my legs. And thinking it was an experimental gesture and asked if we could see how I might work out on my knees, so they lowered the bed. I flipped right on over. WOW cool, stronger than and epidural...
Then I felt kinda stuck with these poopy feelings... and really wished I could just stop for a minute and go poop. The MD said if it felt pushy then I could push, and she check my me a contrax and I wasn't "complete" because I was 10 with a lip. I got hung up an not being "there yet" but she let me do my thing... if I felt pushy she was fine with that, and she kept her hand in there to tease back the lip.
I heard calls for mineral oil and heard drapes and things... but I didn't feel official and kept asking if I was at the pushing part yet... My doula told me to get out of my head - What mattered was what I felt .... I felt pushy big POOPY. Anyway my MD coaxed my cervix along and I pushed when I felt the need and really made myself let off that feeling and breath and oxygenate until I couldn't help those pushy feeling any longer. I some point I was calm enought to fix my hair and then...PUSH.
And then itwas hapening and I was that women or that other women I'd seen in home videos doing it really doing it, me and my girl were really gonna have our moment... soooo surreal. Still interagting it. I reached back and felt her come at crowing. I pushed though it all and the funny thing was when she was supposed to slide all the way out and I was suppose to feel the big relief my dd put her stamp on the event and got stuck at the hips, with what they jokingly called later, hip distocia. I had to come up with more to get her out... that was really tough for a moment... and then there she was and I was sooo proud of both of us I could hardly speak, breath or cry.
Lots of Blood, probably standard afterbirth experience, and an overnight pit drip for my fairskinned, redheaded bleeding.
AFTER 4 weeks of prodromal labor and 3 days of Latent Labor (3-5 min apart 1 min long, sessions usually all night) and 18 hours active labor... only 45 min of pushing... here she is!!!
No induction, no pitocin (until after for bleeding), just a membrane sweep after the 2 1/2 days of exhausting "real" labor.
The most amazing VBAC Success. I will post a detailed story soon but in the mean time I want to extend a very special THANK YOU to every single mother out there who has ever written her birth story down, posted pictures and videos or openly shared wishes, regrets, experiences and plans. My head was so full of ideas that I navigated this exhausting time suprisingly well. Bless you all.
August 28th, 3:07 pm
Coralynn Eleanor Micheal
9 lbs 3 oz, 21 inches long
42 wks 4 days gestation
Ok the story: let me splain: no splain would take too long, let me sum up...
Labored Monday night 9p-5am 3-5 min appart...petered out
Tuesday sent ds to relatives expecting that was hold me back - nothing but some good sleep interupted by not as strong 10m apart contrac..
Wenesday night, nursed ds to bed - contrax started...5 then 3 min apart... call doula who arrived at 3am, confirmed labor.... that left before dawn, she went home around 9:30 exhausted.
Thursday afternoon I called Midwife in Disguise to fill her in since she new things had picked up. She met me at her office after hours, around 7:30, did an NST and cervical check - we were so curious, I tried to prepare for "no news" effect but I was 2 cm (instead of 1) 75% and favorable so on a "whim" I let her do a second membrane sweep.
Home by 8:30 ...at 42 weeks and 3 days.... treated myself to two bowls of mint chip ice cream... after the second bowl I knew it was moving again at atleast 5 m apart - when we went to confirm it was more like 2-3 with 1+ contractions.
After all we'd been through dh was looking unmoved, but ds to bed, when I was already thinking call the troops. We tiffed about that later.
By the time he came out of the bedroom I was really rolling so dh started cleaning up the kitchen and taking out the trash sorting things to stay awake a get things in order I imagine. We had both become pretty good at the skepticisim and I was afraid to correct him since the midwife didn't really provide us with a reason to think NOW...
Anyway I went into my zone, he went online... next to me, keeping nearby. Some where along the way we decided the doula would work best at the hospital and when we touched base I didn't really indicate anything special or tell her about the sweep, I told her to get rest.
Somewhere around 10p they became 2 m, at about 1 min long ( I had NO IDEA my body could or would do this to me!)
About midnight I tried to ask them to slow down so I could skip one or two and rest and I laid on the couch and asked dh to rub my feet. that last 30 second, upon which I violently and imediately had to get UP! I was clearly unable to labor this one lying down... Quickly I was on the floor on all fours screaming for a bucket and threw up - I hated and loved that - it something was really going on...though I was sure it wasn't transition yet. I looked at the clock and thought I better tell Mark to get things moving, but I didn't. I was gonna hang in as long as I could.
15 minutes later it was clear I could no longer cope with the imagery and inner talk I had on had and I knew I had a long trip to the hospital to meet everyone and get a frigin epidural. I told DH, now call everyone now we are going to the hospital... he had a moment of irritation cause I was making him wake up 3 different households... but he survived. Family was on the way to meet us at hospital along with Doula and MD.
Car ride was fun - really had to focus not to scream and wake ds, which I managed, about 10 contax on the highway...
(hopefully not too triggering, but will mention molestation...)
When I arrived at hospital I HAD to walk from the door to the elevators and through the halls to L&D at 1am ish. There really was no otherway to handle hand off of son and get me situated. I did it, and mentally turned it in its ear... for all those who weren't allowed to walk in. Amazingly I did it with no actual contrac until I dropped my purse and handed off my medical card.
And met the most worn out nurse. I imediately asked if she had seen my birthplan... NO but we have routines... she tried to hand me a gown...NOPE hadn't read it for sure - specifically mentioned don't ask me to disrobe or wear a gown as it would be triggering of a molestation when I was 3 and boys played doctor on me.
Sooo. I asked for the alternative. Strip. Great!... that felt all wrong... so I got the old "Screw this" thing out of my back pocket and hid in the shower for about 30 minutes till my team was there. everyone there knew my story - knew about all the therapy and work and "rules" I came up with to feel safe.
I put on an old ratty shirt I had worn years ago at reiki retreat...
I was checked and found to be a 5 !!! I just kept saying all by myself! I did it. Five was such hard work, on pit with ds and I I ever managed...
I asked for the epidural upon which my amazing doula said ok but lets just try first to calm you down, lets just try. And for two amazing hours I stared into her eyes as she talked out my focus for each contraction, growing roots... and them I started faling asleep between contractions... her faith and focus helped me SOOOO much. But eventually they started to really wear me down and I couldn't get Epidural out of my head (my thinking based on stories I have read was that sometimes we have to focus on the big goals, not be too stubborn, which I am very guilty of and consider my energy level)
I really wanted to have something to give when it came to pushing and I needed rest all the prodromal labors and latent had stolen so much energy reserve. Doula mentioned getting checked before being sure... and I was at a 7 !!! and so elated I had made it to 7!!! and now give me the epidural... even if it slows things down. Beside Epid take so so sooo looong to get established. (wished I had presigned everything just in case).
The epidural was in by 4am, and I tried to sleep but couldn't. I ate peanutbutter and honey mix. I closed my eyes and I made myself stop using the epidural button because i wanted to feel contrax enough to breath for them and be tuned in. hours and hours went by nurse changed. I was kinda plateaued at 8+ cm .
It took awhile for me to care to get this moving, my energy level was worrysome. I tried making out with DH, which was nice. They broke my water bag and had me sit up to put more baby on the cervix. Still not to much going on.
I called my DS to get some "give some" mommy hormones flowing... just after I hung up, I felt Am Fluid gush and gush... and was told she must be moving down with the contrax. What a wonderful sensation...
My amazing MD mentioned maybe a little pit... I looked in her eyes... nodded and said "anyone get me a breast pump?" In wheeled the double milker (lame lame lame but..) I did it, sat there knowing full well I have milk and not really seeing any flow, but I could feel after a bit the contrax get stronger... My annoyance picked up and I asked DH to go get me a sandwich. CHickfila original and Iced tea. Imagine he was suprised when I ate the whole thing and he had to run off and get another for himself. Turns out I pumped for over an hour... and then put it down and told MD about my sandwich and how I could feel more pain and I needed bolous of Epidural. That got her encouraged apparently.
The bolous arrived and while we were discussing how it wouldn't do much for me I said wow I can really feel this and I feel poopy. I got my bolus... and decided that all that sitting up must have blocked the epidural too much. But I had my legs. And thinking it was an experimental gesture and asked if we could see how I might work out on my knees, so they lowered the bed. I flipped right on over. WOW cool, stronger than and epidural...
Then I felt kinda stuck with these poopy feelings... and really wished I could just stop for a minute and go poop. The MD said if it felt pushy then I could push, and she check my me a contrax and I wasn't "complete" because I was 10 with a lip. I got hung up an not being "there yet" but she let me do my thing... if I felt pushy she was fine with that, and she kept her hand in there to tease back the lip.
I heard calls for mineral oil and heard drapes and things... but I didn't feel official and kept asking if I was at the pushing part yet... My doula told me to get out of my head - What mattered was what I felt .... I felt pushy big POOPY. Anyway my MD coaxed my cervix along and I pushed when I felt the need and really made myself let off that feeling and breath and oxygenate until I couldn't help those pushy feeling any longer. I some point I was calm enought to fix my hair and then...PUSH.
And then itwas hapening and I was that women or that other women I'd seen in home videos doing it really doing it, me and my girl were really gonna have our moment... soooo surreal. Still interagting it. I reached back and felt her come at crowing. I pushed though it all and the funny thing was when she was supposed to slide all the way out and I was suppose to feel the big relief my dd put her stamp on the event and got stuck at the hips, with what they jokingly called later, hip distocia. I had to come up with more to get her out... that was really tough for a moment... and then there she was and I was sooo proud of both of us I could hardly speak, breath or cry.
Lots of Blood, probably standard afterbirth experience, and an overnight pit drip for my fairskinned, redheaded bleeding.
: congrats 
