For anyone who is interested, here is Autumn's birth story. I LOVE birth stories and birth, so this is for anyone who is like me, and for my own records.
My goal was to have a water birth at the Midwife's Place, (which is a birthing center, not a hospital) for low risk births. I wanted no interventions, no epidural, IV, etc. unless medically necessary. I didn't want my baby to receive any medications via me, and also I am very sensitive to many medications (they make me sick). Epidurals increase the chance of a C-section by about 40% which I did not want, and I wanted to be able to walk immediately afterwards. Plus, those things aren't offered at the Midwife's place anyway. The Midwife's looks like a hotel, a big queen size normal bed, and a large bathroom with very large tub, almost like birthing in the comfort of home or better.
Laboring At Home
On November 16th (3 days before my "due" date) at about 5:45am, my mucous plug came out in the bathroom, I was bleeding, and so I knew it wouldn't be long before I went into labor. I immediately thought I was feeling cramps but wondered if it was all in my head so I went back to bed (where Mike was still sleeping). The cramps got stronger, I couldn't sleep (excited, nervous and a bit uncomfortable). I started making sure I had everything together, putting last minute things in my hospital/birthing center bag. Then I started contacting everyone I needed to. I texted my family who had been calling daily asking if anything was "happening" and told them not to contact me, but I was in early labor and I'd update them later. I texted my doula (a doula is like a second birth coach who helps during labor) and told her what was going on she said to take it easy and keep her updated. (I don't think she thought I was in labor just yet). I also texted my friends who were going to pick up Carolyn, but it was so early I didn't keep pestering. I also woke up Mike to tell him he might want to get ready for the day. Around 7am I could not walk through my contractions and made sure I got a hold of Carolyn's caregivers and updated my doula to make sure she knew I was really in labor. I called Heather (my midwife) and I at that point I couldn't even talk well during the contractions. I think Carolyn was picked up around 8am. My doula arrived about 830am after I told her I needed her. Mike and I were watching a video of Carolyn's first year when she arrived. I love that video, so many adorable photos and videos of our first baby, put to music. My contractions were painful, but not totally unbearable, I definitely could have dealt well if they stayed that same way. My doula was watching me as much as the video, I was standing and rocking during contractions and she was making sure I was breathing through them. I don't remember how long my contractions were or how far apart they were... I was letting my doula keep track of it. Around 9:45am I went upstairs to go to the bathroom and my water broke, and it had meconium in it (ie the water was green). Right away after my water broke my contractions got extremely intense (what I consider unbearable) and I was miserable. I also was concerned about the health of my baby because of the meconium and was dreading another NICU stay like Carolyn had. I started crying, and after hugging me my doula said we should go now, I was progressing just fine. (I wanted to do most of my laboring at home). So she called the Midwife's place and informed them we were on our way, to which she was informed that if I arrive and really do have meconium in my water then I will have to go to the hospital to birth. In the car on the way there we called the Midwife's Place back to tell them we are sure it's meconium, and we are going straight to the hospital. (I was in so much pain, there is no way I was getting out of and in the car twice!).
Change of plans: Laboring at the Hospital
We got to Bellevue Medical Center at 1030am and I was wheeled up to a room (it was soo nice not to have to "check in" or wait or go to a triage room, or have residents bother me). I went right to a room and Mike and Carrie (our doula) started filling up the tub because I still planned to have a water birth. The tub had black floaties in it so they moved me to a different room that the nurse offered. I kept repeating urgently how I wanted to sit in the tub right away. The next tub had some black floaties too but I said I was getting in it! Who cares about black floaties? I'm in sooo much pain. They strained the black stuff out with me in it. My nurse informed me that she had read the birth plan and would try to follow it unless medically necessary. The tub felt really good, but the contractions were still awful, during them I was breathing, waving my hands, moving my feet and at some point started rocking my head too. I'm sure I looked really weird. Mike asked me later if those things helped, and in some way they actually did. I ate some crackers and drank water while in the tub. Heather checked my cervix once, I was 6cm and thought labor was going to last forever. She also monitored the baby with an underwater monitor and soon said she felt it would be best for me to get out of the tub for about 10 minutes and have the baby monitored more officially on the regular monitor because she wasn't looking too good. I was so scared of the pain if I got out and repeatedly said that, along with that I might need an epidural. I also told Carrie I HAD to know how much longer. (As if anyone would really know). She told Heather to tell me how much longer and Heather said the baby would be out in an hour or less. That was at 11:23am. An hour doesn't sound like a long time when I think about it NOW but it sounded like forever the time.
Change of plans part 2, laboring in Bed
I did get out of the tub, and spent some contractions leaning on Heather while they monitored me and took vitals. My first blood pressure was 180/100, not good. I asked what this meant for me and Heather said calmly that it meant I was not going to have the birth I expected, I needed to get into the bed. (I love Heather, she's always calm). Once I was in bed on my side my blood pressure went down to 140s and 160s over something, which was better, but my contractions were much more painful. I told everyone I did not want to push on my back (that increases your work and your tearing) which they agreed. At some point the nurse put an in an IV and hung fluids (no medications though). I spent several contractions with Carrie kneading my lower back with her fist and Mike pushing on my knees to relieve pressure. They were working hard but not as hard as I was. Eventually I felt like pushing and Heather said the baby needed to be out very very soon (Autumn wasn't doing well again) so I needed to make the pushes count. I don't think I was pushing for more than 10 minutes, but I don't really know. Heather began to explain that once she is out, we don't want her to cry right away like normal, she needs suctioned first because of the meconium. When she did come out the cord was wrapped around Autumn like a sash I guess (around her neck and under her opposite arm) and her shoulders were difficult to get out but finally she was out. Thankfully she did not cry until after she was suctioned and they all thought she looked and sounded good. Mike held her first and then then I was able to hold her and soon nurse her. She was born at 1209pm so Heather was right, she was out in less than an hour! She weighed 6lb 15oz and was 19inches long with a head of dark hair, and she looked a lot like Carolyn. She looked like an "overdue" baby, her skin was peeling and her nails were super long (overdue babies also are more likely to have meconium) but she was not past 40 weeks. After Autumn was out we waited for the placenta to come out but it wouldn't come out, and my bladder was so full I couldn't push it out or empty my bladder. It took a long time for it to finally come out, once it was completely detached Heather had to tug it out a little bit. It was almost ripped in half when it came out, I guess it may have implanted on two walls of my uterus. For some reason my tailbone was hurting really bad and I could not wait to get out of that bed but I also had tore and needed stitched up. Once I was stitched I did get out of bed and I was bleeding more than expected, and I felt dizzy. My blood pressure was still pretty high and the nurses were somewhat concerned. I felt a little better after eating something. We were offered to go home that day (we took the "home early class" at the Midwife's place) but I wasn't feeling up to it so we stayed the night. It was not a restful night, Autumn did not sleep at all unless she was being held and she nursed like crazy. I was thankful she was a good little nurser since Carolyn was not. I was also thankful that the staff did not bother us very much during the night. The next morning I told Mike I thought I should have an epidural if we have a 3rd baby, because my body should be used to birthing by now so maybe my risk for a C-section would not be so high. Not long after that conversation Heather came in and told me that if I had gotten an epidural this time I would have had a c-section because the baby needed to pushed out very fast. I suppose that means I'll stick with natural birth from now on. I also realized that morning why my tailbone hurt so bad, it was literally swollen and bruised! And it was from Carrie's "kneading" during contractions, totally worth it, but very unexpected. Besides being extremely tired, I felt normal by the time we left for home the following afternoon.
Skin to skin with daddy. (I love her chubby upper arms)
Look at that hair!
Being Home
Our friends kept Carolyn for the first few days (Autumn was born Friday morning and Carolyn came home Sunday afternoon). Carolyn was so sweet when she first met Autumn, she had a really good understanding of what was going to happen anyway for a 2 year old, and her first meeting was so very cute. We took Autumn to her 3 day pediatrician appointment and she looked great and was already back to birth weight (within a half oz or so) so our pediatrician didn't want to see her again until she was a month old unless there was a problem. For the first week or so I didn't get more than an hour or two of sleep the entire night because Autumn would nurse and not go back to sleep unless held. Mike spent a lot of time holding her/sleeping in the rocker and bringing her to me to bed fed. (Thankfully Mike had 2 weeks off). She is also a very temperamental baby, not laid back at all. At about 2 weeks her breath started smelling acidic and she was very fussy, and screamed after eating. At 3 weeks we went back to the doctor who put her on reflux medicine, saying that having such acidic breath can make her more at risk for respiratory infections. She weighed 8lb 2oz at this appt, so thankfully she was still gaining well. She does not smell so acidic now but she is still a very fussy baby, many of her relatives have not held her yet because once she's asleep no one wants to move her and she's usually crying when awake. We have had some days where she spends a few hours inconsolable no matter what we do (swaddle, rock, shush, feed etc etc). We did manage to get through the busy holiday's visiting family etc but she rarely got passed around, and if she did she was passed right back to me to feed her because that is one thing that typically calms her down. I'm trying to get her on some form of sleep routine because I think part of her problem is getting over tired. Our days are pretty difficult, because when she wakes and eats, she has happy for very very little time and then she is screaming her head off. I need to care for Carolyn, but we are working around a little ticking time bomb. I really want to go out visiting friends, or have friends over, but at this point I am a hermit until I figure this baby out a little better. Carolyn was very fussy too, and I tried special and crazy diets with her (MSPI and total elimination diet) and she didn't change at all, but at about 3 months she was fine, so I'm going to wait on the diets with Autumn.
Video of the first time Carolyn saw Autumn, she was so excited, and cautious.
(don't worry she wants to kiss her all the time now!)
Carolyn's first time holding Autumn
Izzy holding Autumn
Carolyn just can't get enough of Autumn
Pulling up a chair to sit next to Autumn
Autumn's first bath (I wanted to do it myself at home)
6 weeks old, 9.5lbs
All around I am very happy with Autumn's birth. God has blessed us with amazing caregivers, such as Heather Ramsey, Autumn's pediatrician (Dr. Whitcomb), our doula Carrie was also priceless. Carolyn was well cared for by dear friends, and I would definitely go to Bellevue Medical Center again over the hospital I went to with Carolyn, and best of all now we have another beautiful little baby girl to be thankful for!
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