*Warning* Very long :P
On Wednesday the 29th I started having contractions. I knew what they were, but kind of discounted them as I had had several the day before that just kind of stopped. I told my DH every time I had one, but was also reminding him that this may not be going anywhere. Once I realized they were coming about 15 minutes apart I thought I might actually be in labor. My daughter woke up around midnight and she helped me pack my bag for the hospital. We talked about how her sister may be coming home soon. She was excited. We went to bed around 1am. I was hoping to get some rest. But the contractions just got worse in bed and by 3am I could no longer stand to stay in bed thru them. They were about 5 minutes apart and I couldn't stay quiet. I told my DH to stay in bed with DD and I would call my mom. She arrived around 3:30 and we talked and drank chamomile tea while timing ctxs. She wanted me to call the midwife and doula right away, but I felt odd about calling people so early in the morning. :L
By 5am my mother convinced me to call the midwife and let them know I would be coming in soon. The ctx were lasting 60 seconds and coming every couple of minutes. They said to come in when I felt comfortable, which to my mom meant right now. *sigh* So we went to the hospital and got there around 6am. This is where things started to get off. I told the nurse I wanted one of the tub rooms if they were available. She said that as a VBAC I would not have the option. I told her I had discussed that as well as the IV and continuous fetal monitoring with my midwife and would sign whatever they needed. She said to talk to the midwife on duty... they gave me the nice new tub room but said the tub was broken and I couldn't use it. The nurse checked me and I was only at 2cm and 80% effaced. I was sure this meant I would not be admitted. An hour later I was at 3.5cm and admitted. My mom called the doula and she showed up quickly. DH was still at home with our DD and would come in as soon as things started to get serious to switch with my mom.
I began to panic with each ctx as I kept thinking this was going to get bad and be like my first labor. (early hard ctx for a week, very tough labor ending in a c-sec) I had a breathing sound and rythym that had been helping me ride each ctx. Now I was losing the rythym at the top of each ctx. I kept saying I wanted drugs and couldn't do this. Then I literally broke down and was crying hysterically. The doula (bless her) put some essential oil on my wrists and the pillow under my nose. It immediately helped calm me and she talked me down. I was still very close to panic though. Mom left to call in DH and I think I was in transition but didn't know it....The nurses decided I need to lay down to be monitored and the admitting midwife (whom I DO NOT like) came in to lecture me about uterine rupture and I had to have an IV. I finally allowed a hep-lock. The nurse doing the heploc got a bad poke the first time and I roared at her "You have one more chance to get that right and then you are not allowed to give me one at all!!!". hehe She had a second nurse come in to do it.
DH arrived around 11am and I was freaking out again and saying I wanted an epi. The doula knew I didn't really mean it, but the nurses weren't listening to her any more. DH held me as I calmed down and informed the nurses I would NOT be getting an epi. Bless him. I was checked again and was at 5cm. Having DH there helped me keep on top of the ctx, and the doula was awesome, applying just the right pressure to my back, keeping my breathing rythym by patting my leg, and even oming with me thru ctx. An hour later I was checked and at 9 and fully effaced. I really think being able to hold my DH, and look into his eyes as I was having a ctx helped me stay connected and in control of the labor.
The doula and midwife (the new one on duty who is a Goddess) heard my breathing sounds change to more of a pant at the top of the ctx and decided to get me to the bathroom to push a bit on the toilet. I was afraid of pushing (with my first labor the nurses said that "involuntary pushing" on my part may have led to my daughter's head being out of position and pushing on my cervix, swelling it shut). By now its about 12:30 and the nurses want me back on the monitors. The midwife gets out the birthing ball and places it next to the bed. Did I mention she rocks?
I was only there a few minutes and my breathing sounds suddenly all become hard grunting and panting sounds. The midwife gets me up on the bed and asks me if I want to try birthing on my hands and knees. I do and get into bed. My right leg is a bit off the bed but I am too far gone in laborland to be able to move it so DH supports me on that side. Midwife checks me and I am ready to go except for a lip of cervix over the baby's head. She says she can push it off but it will hurt really really bad.... I said do it and with the next ctx she pushes the lip. Not only was the ctx like a freight train pushing thru me but the whole process hurt like nothing I could ever imagine. With the next push DH said he could see hair, the tone of his voice was just filled with awe. No one counted at me or told me when to push, and with the next couple of pushes she came right out. No tears or episiotomies. 
As soon as she was out I flipped over, she was alert but not crying. They laid her right on my chest to do their checks and she only cried a little bit. She started nursing right away. There was abit of concern as it took a while for the placenta to be delivered, but it finally came and all was fine.
Ember Maddison Mae was born in a very healing VBAC at 1:16pm weighing 7lbs 13ozs and measuring 20 1/4" long. She has been a dream from the beginning. Alert, quiet, and happy to nurse and sleep all the time. Even though there were some tough points emotionally for me, this was a fantastic experiance.
On Wednesday the 29th I started having contractions. I knew what they were, but kind of discounted them as I had had several the day before that just kind of stopped. I told my DH every time I had one, but was also reminding him that this may not be going anywhere. Once I realized they were coming about 15 minutes apart I thought I might actually be in labor. My daughter woke up around midnight and she helped me pack my bag for the hospital. We talked about how her sister may be coming home soon. She was excited. We went to bed around 1am. I was hoping to get some rest. But the contractions just got worse in bed and by 3am I could no longer stand to stay in bed thru them. They were about 5 minutes apart and I couldn't stay quiet. I told my DH to stay in bed with DD and I would call my mom. She arrived around 3:30 and we talked and drank chamomile tea while timing ctxs. She wanted me to call the midwife and doula right away, but I felt odd about calling people so early in the morning. :L
By 5am my mother convinced me to call the midwife and let them know I would be coming in soon. The ctx were lasting 60 seconds and coming every couple of minutes. They said to come in when I felt comfortable, which to my mom meant right now. *sigh* So we went to the hospital and got there around 6am. This is where things started to get off. I told the nurse I wanted one of the tub rooms if they were available. She said that as a VBAC I would not have the option. I told her I had discussed that as well as the IV and continuous fetal monitoring with my midwife and would sign whatever they needed. She said to talk to the midwife on duty... they gave me the nice new tub room but said the tub was broken and I couldn't use it. The nurse checked me and I was only at 2cm and 80% effaced. I was sure this meant I would not be admitted. An hour later I was at 3.5cm and admitted. My mom called the doula and she showed up quickly. DH was still at home with our DD and would come in as soon as things started to get serious to switch with my mom.
I began to panic with each ctx as I kept thinking this was going to get bad and be like my first labor. (early hard ctx for a week, very tough labor ending in a c-sec) I had a breathing sound and rythym that had been helping me ride each ctx. Now I was losing the rythym at the top of each ctx. I kept saying I wanted drugs and couldn't do this. Then I literally broke down and was crying hysterically. The doula (bless her) put some essential oil on my wrists and the pillow under my nose. It immediately helped calm me and she talked me down. I was still very close to panic though. Mom left to call in DH and I think I was in transition but didn't know it....The nurses decided I need to lay down to be monitored and the admitting midwife (whom I DO NOT like) came in to lecture me about uterine rupture and I had to have an IV. I finally allowed a hep-lock. The nurse doing the heploc got a bad poke the first time and I roared at her "You have one more chance to get that right and then you are not allowed to give me one at all!!!". hehe She had a second nurse come in to do it.
DH arrived around 11am and I was freaking out again and saying I wanted an epi. The doula knew I didn't really mean it, but the nurses weren't listening to her any more. DH held me as I calmed down and informed the nurses I would NOT be getting an epi. Bless him. I was checked again and was at 5cm. Having DH there helped me keep on top of the ctx, and the doula was awesome, applying just the right pressure to my back, keeping my breathing rythym by patting my leg, and even oming with me thru ctx. An hour later I was checked and at 9 and fully effaced. I really think being able to hold my DH, and look into his eyes as I was having a ctx helped me stay connected and in control of the labor.
The doula and midwife (the new one on duty who is a Goddess) heard my breathing sounds change to more of a pant at the top of the ctx and decided to get me to the bathroom to push a bit on the toilet. I was afraid of pushing (with my first labor the nurses said that "involuntary pushing" on my part may have led to my daughter's head being out of position and pushing on my cervix, swelling it shut). By now its about 12:30 and the nurses want me back on the monitors. The midwife gets out the birthing ball and places it next to the bed. Did I mention she rocks?
I was only there a few minutes and my breathing sounds suddenly all become hard grunting and panting sounds. The midwife gets me up on the bed and asks me if I want to try birthing on my hands and knees. I do and get into bed. My right leg is a bit off the bed but I am too far gone in laborland to be able to move it so DH supports me on that side. Midwife checks me and I am ready to go except for a lip of cervix over the baby's head. She says she can push it off but it will hurt really really bad.... I said do it and with the next ctx she pushes the lip. Not only was the ctx like a freight train pushing thru me but the whole process hurt like nothing I could ever imagine. With the next push DH said he could see hair, the tone of his voice was just filled with awe. No one counted at me or told me when to push, and with the next couple of pushes she came right out. No tears or episiotomies. As soon as she was out I flipped over, she was alert but not crying. They laid her right on my chest to do their checks and she only cried a little bit. She started nursing right away. There was abit of concern as it took a while for the placenta to be delivered, but it finally came and all was fine.Ember Maddison Mae was born in a very healing VBAC at 1:16pm weighing 7lbs 13ozs and measuring 20 1/4" long. She has been a dream from the beginning. Alert, quiet, and happy to nurse and sleep all the time. Even though there were some tough points emotionally for me, this was a fantastic experiance.
