zombiemommie
02-19-2003, 08:02 PM
Just want to share my VBAC story - and if anybody has ?? or wants to talk about it you can email me at traynor342@comcast.net
ANyway, my first ds was a failed induction with every conceivable medical intervention, never dialted or had contraction, had c/s and then was sick sick sick for about 5 days after wtih fevers 104 etc. I was induced for pre-eclampsia and went to an OB group.
This time, I changed to a CNM practice with a good reputation for being kinda "crunchy" but for hospital delivery as I was not comfortable in homebirth situation nor is DH. I followed the Brewer diet to help with preventing pre-eclampsia, and took Bradley classes, planned on having a doula at the birth as well. I also developed a borderline gestational diabetes at 7 months and had to follow a very strict diet to control my blood sugar but still didn't get labeled high risk. At the end of my pregnancy the last week I was put on bedrest for high BP (borderline high) and even then my m/w was still very positive for VBAC. I was getting some pressure fromthem because baby was measuring quite large and a u/s at 38 weeks said baby was 9 lbs and they were thinking 10 lbs and starting to whisper about induction but I told them flat out I refused.
Anyway, about 4 days before my due date I went into labor. I labored for 23 hours at home, with my doula, before we went to the hospital wtih contrax 3-5 min apart lasting THREE minutes long. We thought I was in transition. I was only a 4 with bulging membranes and almost completely effaced, however when I got to the hospital my labor stalled and contrax went to maybe every 10 minutes and lost intensity. I took a shot of morphine, took a long nap (4 hours) and went home in an irregular pattern still every 10 minuets or so. All day the next day, I labored still with very intense contractions but stillm aybe every 6-8 minutes but still VERY LONG lasting about 2-3 minutes. Labored all day and all night at home still, not sleeping more than 8minutes because the contrax would wake me up. Didn't want to go to the hospital even tho m/w wanted me there and so did DH. The night was very hard, I wsa an emotional wreck because of the pain and it was hard to stay in control. I just wanted to rest, but my doula kept telling me I needed to walk, m/w kept saying if I was gonna get into a regular pattern it would sustain itself without movement (meaning rest, don't worry about walking myself into labor, my body would pick up when ready). The NEXT morning (3rd day of labor) I actually went to accupuncturist to try and speed up the labor. My m/w was getting antsy and worrying (her back up OB was also worrying) that my scar would not continue to handle the INTENSITY of my contractions which were 3 mintues long and irregular and going on 50 something hours without a break. She really wanted me to consider a gentle Pitocin induction to get a pattern established. I was so tired and emotionally drained from 3 days of straight labor that I finally consented late afternoon to go in. At that point I switched from wanting a completely non-medicated birth to just getting some relief, and since I was accepting induction I mentally prepared myself to accept the epidural also.
When I got to the hospital I was STILL only 4 !!! ACK !! but a little more effaced with a stretchy -ier cervix. After waiting a few hours for m/w, I finally got the epidural (which altho I didn't want, was truly a relief) and she broke my water. After about 15 minutes of my water being broken, my contractions went to every 2 minutes and textbook pattern, lasting 90 seconds long. WOO-HOO - didn't need the pitocin. I don't know if it was the water breaking or the mental block of the epidural, who knows.
Anyway, when water broken, there was meconium, and that made them all worry because they had seen some deccelartions on the monitor earlier. They were wondering if baby had distress from the long labor. As labor progressed (baby basically FLEW down birth canal) she kept having more heartrate problems and they figured she had a wedged cord (like prolapse but not really) and did an amnio-infusion (which is pumping fluid into the uterus to buffer the cord. Talk abot intervention - I hated every minute of all the monitors (I had uterine internal monitor, baby scalp monitor, urine catheter, amnioinfusion, and IV and epidural - my nightmare labor). Anyway at this point I was just hoping baby was okay. After about 3 hours from my water breaking, baby was ready to come out, had alot of pressure and the "have to poop" feeling even WITH the epidural. Baby did NOT tolerate pushing and I had to keep moving with every 2-3 pushes rotating like a rotisserie chicken is what I felt like, to keep her HR stable. But my m/w perservered and after about 20 minutes of pushing out she came. I did tear and have a small epis. because they were really wanting me to get her out fast. Actually at one point I said "why don't you just vacuum her out" and my midwife said "no, you PUSH her out" LOl We had to have the NICU there for the meconium (and there was a WHOLE lot of it once she came out too) but that was okay for me because I was greatful that baby was okay (which she was, Apgar 9/9). So I got to experience my VBAC,altho it wasn't the way I would have liked it to be, it was the way it was, and I still got to feel her little (BIG) head and body slide out under my power. Awesome. It hurt like a SOB tho from being in labor so long my whole bottom is very sore and lots of pressure still 2 weeks later. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. I know if I didn't have my m/w I would have never left the hospital on the first day (if she was an OB) and been sectioned, and DEFINATELY had a section for fetal distress. No OB would have had the patience for that delivery. Actually she told me after that when she told her backup OB that I was coming in for induction, he asked what time to be there for the c/s becuase of 3 day prodromal labor, untested pelvis, large baby etc and m/w told him "I don't need you" ROFLMAO !! YOU GO GIRL
Anyway, that is my VBAC story. As an aside, the hospital was extremely VBAC friendly and when I went in the first day when I was still on the natural labor thing, they didn't even make me get an IV at all and I only had to get a 20 minute baby strip and then could take the belt off and do as I pleased as long as they could doppler the baby every hour. HOW WONDERFUL.
Just thought I'd share. Baby girl, Reilly Mairead, 8 lbs 15 ounces 20 inches long. Her head wsa round as could be she came down/out so fast. cute too !
ANyway, my first ds was a failed induction with every conceivable medical intervention, never dialted or had contraction, had c/s and then was sick sick sick for about 5 days after wtih fevers 104 etc. I was induced for pre-eclampsia and went to an OB group.
This time, I changed to a CNM practice with a good reputation for being kinda "crunchy" but for hospital delivery as I was not comfortable in homebirth situation nor is DH. I followed the Brewer diet to help with preventing pre-eclampsia, and took Bradley classes, planned on having a doula at the birth as well. I also developed a borderline gestational diabetes at 7 months and had to follow a very strict diet to control my blood sugar but still didn't get labeled high risk. At the end of my pregnancy the last week I was put on bedrest for high BP (borderline high) and even then my m/w was still very positive for VBAC. I was getting some pressure fromthem because baby was measuring quite large and a u/s at 38 weeks said baby was 9 lbs and they were thinking 10 lbs and starting to whisper about induction but I told them flat out I refused.
Anyway, about 4 days before my due date I went into labor. I labored for 23 hours at home, with my doula, before we went to the hospital wtih contrax 3-5 min apart lasting THREE minutes long. We thought I was in transition. I was only a 4 with bulging membranes and almost completely effaced, however when I got to the hospital my labor stalled and contrax went to maybe every 10 minutes and lost intensity. I took a shot of morphine, took a long nap (4 hours) and went home in an irregular pattern still every 10 minuets or so. All day the next day, I labored still with very intense contractions but stillm aybe every 6-8 minutes but still VERY LONG lasting about 2-3 minutes. Labored all day and all night at home still, not sleeping more than 8minutes because the contrax would wake me up. Didn't want to go to the hospital even tho m/w wanted me there and so did DH. The night was very hard, I wsa an emotional wreck because of the pain and it was hard to stay in control. I just wanted to rest, but my doula kept telling me I needed to walk, m/w kept saying if I was gonna get into a regular pattern it would sustain itself without movement (meaning rest, don't worry about walking myself into labor, my body would pick up when ready). The NEXT morning (3rd day of labor) I actually went to accupuncturist to try and speed up the labor. My m/w was getting antsy and worrying (her back up OB was also worrying) that my scar would not continue to handle the INTENSITY of my contractions which were 3 mintues long and irregular and going on 50 something hours without a break. She really wanted me to consider a gentle Pitocin induction to get a pattern established. I was so tired and emotionally drained from 3 days of straight labor that I finally consented late afternoon to go in. At that point I switched from wanting a completely non-medicated birth to just getting some relief, and since I was accepting induction I mentally prepared myself to accept the epidural also.
When I got to the hospital I was STILL only 4 !!! ACK !! but a little more effaced with a stretchy -ier cervix. After waiting a few hours for m/w, I finally got the epidural (which altho I didn't want, was truly a relief) and she broke my water. After about 15 minutes of my water being broken, my contractions went to every 2 minutes and textbook pattern, lasting 90 seconds long. WOO-HOO - didn't need the pitocin. I don't know if it was the water breaking or the mental block of the epidural, who knows.
Anyway, when water broken, there was meconium, and that made them all worry because they had seen some deccelartions on the monitor earlier. They were wondering if baby had distress from the long labor. As labor progressed (baby basically FLEW down birth canal) she kept having more heartrate problems and they figured she had a wedged cord (like prolapse but not really) and did an amnio-infusion (which is pumping fluid into the uterus to buffer the cord. Talk abot intervention - I hated every minute of all the monitors (I had uterine internal monitor, baby scalp monitor, urine catheter, amnioinfusion, and IV and epidural - my nightmare labor). Anyway at this point I was just hoping baby was okay. After about 3 hours from my water breaking, baby was ready to come out, had alot of pressure and the "have to poop" feeling even WITH the epidural. Baby did NOT tolerate pushing and I had to keep moving with every 2-3 pushes rotating like a rotisserie chicken is what I felt like, to keep her HR stable. But my m/w perservered and after about 20 minutes of pushing out she came. I did tear and have a small epis. because they were really wanting me to get her out fast. Actually at one point I said "why don't you just vacuum her out" and my midwife said "no, you PUSH her out" LOl We had to have the NICU there for the meconium (and there was a WHOLE lot of it once she came out too) but that was okay for me because I was greatful that baby was okay (which she was, Apgar 9/9). So I got to experience my VBAC,altho it wasn't the way I would have liked it to be, it was the way it was, and I still got to feel her little (BIG) head and body slide out under my power. Awesome. It hurt like a SOB tho from being in labor so long my whole bottom is very sore and lots of pressure still 2 weeks later. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. I know if I didn't have my m/w I would have never left the hospital on the first day (if she was an OB) and been sectioned, and DEFINATELY had a section for fetal distress. No OB would have had the patience for that delivery. Actually she told me after that when she told her backup OB that I was coming in for induction, he asked what time to be there for the c/s becuase of 3 day prodromal labor, untested pelvis, large baby etc and m/w told him "I don't need you" ROFLMAO !! YOU GO GIRL
Anyway, that is my VBAC story. As an aside, the hospital was extremely VBAC friendly and when I went in the first day when I was still on the natural labor thing, they didn't even make me get an IV at all and I only had to get a 20 minute baby strip and then could take the belt off and do as I pleased as long as they could doppler the baby every hour. HOW WONDERFUL.
Just thought I'd share. Baby girl, Reilly Mairead, 8 lbs 15 ounces 20 inches long. Her head wsa round as could be she came down/out so fast. cute too !