Hello, mamas... I am finally sharing about the birth of our sweet Ian Jospeh, who came into this world on July 25, weighing 8 lbs., 7 oz, and was 21 inches long. He is beautiful and strong and healthy, and we are so privileged to have him as part of our family. It was a long ordeal, beginning with a routine check-up for fluid levels, as we had reached 41 wks. The levels were low enough that I had to be admitted to the hospital, and have some nonchemical interventions (I'd had a C-section with DS1 after 76 hours of labor-- DS1 ended up being transverse in my hips, posterior, and asynclitic)) to try to get things going in the hopes of preventing another C-section. So, we had to have my membranes "opened" every 2 hours and then my "waters liberated" (decided no one wanted to be "stripped" or have anything "broken"!) to get the progression going. I had been having promodal labor for the past 2 weeks, with contractions as close as every 3-5 minutes apart, but of course, nothing in this pattern on this given day! Anyway, by 6p, when my waters were released, we had gotten to 4 cm, and were happy (was 1 cm that morning). We labored hard all night long, with awesome doulas who applied counterpressure every ctx., due to intense rectal pain. Ian was posterior, as was my uterus, and we could not get him to come down past zero station, despite many positions, homeopathy, hypnobirthing, etc (and massage, chiro, moxa sticks, optimal fetal positioning t/o the entire pregnancy). We knew that by 6 a.m., if not enough progress was made, that I would be headed for C-section. We were thrilled that I was at 6 cm by morning, and the OB let us go for 7 more hours. I had to be checked every hour, and had a fab team of 2 nurses who cared a great deal about helping be get a VBAC, and we tried everything under the sun to progress, and did get to 8 cm, but still not past zero station. I agreed to an epidural at noon, in last attempt to get him to come down, but was incredibly sad to get a repeat reading of 8 cm, and zero... I cried for about 3 minutes to take the edge off the intense disapointment (understatement) of getting so far only to have to have another C. We were in the OR in no time, and had to have Ian helped out by a hand-held vacuum and then 2 surgeons hands to pull the rest of him out. I was so sad to not be able to get him directly on my chest after birth, as that was my main wish if C needed, but the neonatologist would not consent to that, despite my OB being fine with it. The separation then and those that followed were the most emotionally painful part of the whole thing, especially as I had already experienced that
with DS1, and expected this hospital to be at least as liberal as the one DS1 was born in, which did not end up being the case. I was sooo happy to be able to go home 2 days following the C, and have been feeling much relief to be back with my 3 yo and hubby and Ian in our own abode. My 3 yo has been having a rough time, and also got a virus and has been sick for the past week, which does not help anything! He is beginning to relax a bit more, and we all feel like we have rounded the corner. I did find out from my OB that the reason Ian would not come down past zero is that my pelvis did not have enough room. I have broken my tailbone 3x, and also am fused in my last 5 vertebrae (since birth), and he said he did not think I could birth vaginally past 31 weeks, or a 4 pound baby, saying my tailbone just could not lift to get out of the way to let the babe through. I wish I would have known that after DS1, although I still would have labored some, as it is so growthful, as well as good for baby and mama, but I would not have had my heart set on a VBAC. Grief is a hard thing, and it just takes its own time to move through. I will always be grateful for the technology which ultimately saved my life and that of the boys (knowing I would have been one of the sad stats 100 yrs ago that died during childbirth), and I will always feel sadness that I did not get to bring them into this world in the most natural and connected way. I am so thankful to be able to share my story here, and thank you all for your support and for reading this long story. It feels good to have finally written it and shared it with you mamas.
Hugs to all of you, mamas! love, Michelle
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with DS1, and expected this hospital to be at least as liberal as the one DS1 was born in, which did not end up being the case. I was sooo happy to be able to go home 2 days following the C, and have been feeling much relief to be back with my 3 yo and hubby and Ian in our own abode. My 3 yo has been having a rough time, and also got a virus and has been sick for the past week, which does not help anything! He is beginning to relax a bit more, and we all feel like we have rounded the corner. I did find out from my OB that the reason Ian would not come down past zero is that my pelvis did not have enough room. I have broken my tailbone 3x, and also am fused in my last 5 vertebrae (since birth), and he said he did not think I could birth vaginally past 31 weeks, or a 4 pound baby, saying my tailbone just could not lift to get out of the way to let the babe through. I wish I would have known that after DS1, although I still would have labored some, as it is so growthful, as well as good for baby and mama, but I would not have had my heart set on a VBAC. Grief is a hard thing, and it just takes its own time to move through. I will always be grateful for the technology which ultimately saved my life and that of the boys (knowing I would have been one of the sad stats 100 yrs ago that died during childbirth), and I will always feel sadness that I did not get to bring them into this world in the most natural and connected way. I am so thankful to be able to share my story here, and thank you all for your support and for reading this long story. It feels good to have finally written it and shared it with you mamas.
Hugs to all of you, mamas! love, Michelle
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to you mama - thanks for sharing!
). Same birthdate, too! How is your 3 year old? My 2.5 year old is still asking "mommy, you home with me?"-- he had a really hard time with the 4 nights I was in the hospital. I had a really hard time with it, too. 
I hope you and your family are getting into a nice new routine together and that you are healing from your experience-- though I certainly wouldn't wish it on anyone else, it's nice to know that others have gone through the same thing. 
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