Update with birth story(long) and picture
First a little back story - After a year and a half of trying to get pregnant and no luck we turned to an R.E. for help getting pregnant. We tried clomid, injections, and finally an IVF cycle. I got pregnant on the first IVF cycle and was overjoyed.
My first couple prenatals were done at Kaiser with an OB. It was awful. I left both times in tears. I found an amazing Midwife and birthing center where, even though we had to pay out of pocket, I was so happy and everything was wonderful. My natural birth meant so much to me because the conception was so medical. It was my way of taking charge, feeling my body did have some power, could do it even if I had help getting there.
I had an uneventful, fairly easy pregnancy. At 36 weeks baby flipped from head down to breech.
: But, my wonderful Midwife was still fine with delivering him. She gave me tips and suggestions for trying to get him to turn, but if he didn't, he didn't, we really weren't that stressed out about it.
I tried chiropractic, acupuncture, moxibustion and all kinds of spinning babies stuff. Nothing worked.
40 weeks came and went and I hadn't went into labor. We tried acupuncture, evening primrose, caulophylum and just about anything else to get things started between 40 - 42 weeks.
At 41 weeks 3 days I had my last Midwife appointment, baby was still head up, I was 3cm dilated and 100 effaced. I had a backup OB appointment for Friday when I would hit 42 weeks.
That Friday, 42 weeks exactly, at the OB (not the first awful one, a very nice one actually) my water broke! My first instinct was to run like H*ll and get myself to the birthing center. My water was green.
I knew then and there that I needed to do something and running off to my birth center wasn't the option. The very nice OB (who had 2 girls one birthing center, and one home birth) dropped everything, canceled her appointments and got me into labor and delivery for a c-section. My Midwife drove almost an hour to be with me before, during and in recovery. She kept me calm and centered, and helped me get breastfeeding start as soon as I got the baby.
It was NOT what I wanted, but, at that point, I felt like it was the best choice for baby. So no, it was not my plan, and it was a sad and depressing thing to have to accept, but I wasn't willing to push things further or to try and make them let me labor. It was time to get baby out.
The c-section itself was really not so bad (well, as not bad as something like that can be). Everyone in L&D was so nice, and supportive. NOBODY lectured me about waiting too long, or wanting a birth center birth or anything like I expected, in fact they were all very consoling and understanding about my disappointment in not getting the birth I wanted.
The hospital stay itself *sucked*. The night nurses were so rude and demanding.
: So much so that my husband has a list of names and is in the process of filing complaints. My day nurse was an angel.
I stayed 2 nights, and escaped on the 31st. We were home by noon.
It's been hard to accept, and there's a lot of elements of it all that will probably bother me for a long time, but my baby is beautiful and healthy and that's what really matters.
Click for a picture of Brenten William
http://www.simplyfiendish.org/baby/BWM/1-2-07.JPG
It wasn't the road I wanted to take, but, I got to the destination all the same.
~heather
I am sorry your hospital stay was so hard on you.
: I know what you mean about those night nurses! With my first I had an encounter with one and I just burst into tears...
