It's been just over two weeks since my little girl was born and I think I may be finally able to write up something for her "birth". Now the reason I put birth in quotations is because I personally right now don't feel as *I* birthed her. Keep in mind these are my feelings and anyone who has had a child a similar way may not feel the same or should feel the same. And maybe one day I will feel differently, but we will see.
Back story for those that don't know. When I was about 28 weeks pregnant with her my one midwife started to check for baby's position and she mentioned to me baby was breech. I did freak out a little, because I know how breech baby's end up, especially where I live. You know the dreaded surgical birth that most woman rather not have, or at least I didn't. So I started to do some reading on how to encourage baby to flip. Found a lot of stuff and ended up doing as much as I could possibly do.
There was so many different aversions, that didn't cost anything than other suggestions that did like chiropractic treatments like the Webster technique, and a bunch if other things. I new chiro was probably the best one for us since I new how it could help me and I was having some really bad pelvic pain from SPD so I gave that a try. 3 Webster techniques we did and I just couldn't afford any more sadly or else I would have;was saddened by this of course). I did as much walking as I could no matter how sore and exhausted I was, hands and knees, meditating, talking to baby(I keep referring to Avalon as baby since we didn't know the sex), ice on the top if my tummy, some other aversions that actually made me sore.
Need less to say I tried and by about 36 weeks I decided after some very strong mom instincts and feelings I was getting from baby that the flipping into the head down position just wasn't going to happen so I didn't want to keep obsessing, worrying over it when I new in my heart it would be effort that was going to result in nothing. So I stopped and tried to enjoy the end if the pregnancy, which was hard since I ended up battling a month of a really bad chest infection and trying to pack for moving.
I had excepted that baby wasn't going to flip and tried my hardest to except that there was most likely going to be a c-section in my future for the both if us. I cried a lot and still do.
I felt like there was no other options for our situation and I was in a sense being forced into having one. I couldn't actually have a vaginally birth to a baby with care providers that didn't know what they were doing and had no training, those were risks I couldn't take.
Anyways, we scheduled the c-section for her estimated due date, but still tried to hold onto hope that she would flip of course.
On December 5th in the morning I started to have consistent contractions that would come every 10-15 minutes. Something I was familiar with and figured it would go away by the afternoon like they always did. They didn't so I was in very early labour, which made me happy because baby would get the good hormones to help prepare the lungs for breathing when welcomed Earthside, but it reminded me how strong I was and how able I was to ride through natural drug free labour, but I couldn't this time. So on the 5th in the evening we took Dagney to my good friend's home so she could take care of him while we had the scheduled c-section. That was something that broke my heart too, my first time leaving my first born for longer than a few hours and over night no less. He did awesome though!! So that night I didn't sleep as we can imagine why. My husband and I woke up at 5am and left for the hospital to get there and sign in for 6:30am.
It was so chilly that morning and we had frost on the car. Brrrr! We got to the hospital, signed in and headed to the Birthing Unit to sign in there too. They put us into a semi private room, I got changed into the lovely hospital gowns and I got hooked up to the non stress test machine. Heart rate was good, showing I was contracting every 8-10 minutes again I new this. ;) But she was sleepy and comfy in me and wasn't moving so I had to lay on my left side and of course she started to move great and we passed the NST with flying colours. But while I was hooked up to the NST machine a nurse was setting up my IV and fluids(I needed one bag before surgery) and I will say getting the IV was way worse than contractions. It hurt bad! And funny thing is a few different nurses mentioned how bad the IV job was. Made me feel better, not!
After all of this my husband called our doula and updated her and we decided to tell her she didn't have to attend since she was suffering from a really bad chest infection. I was very disappointed about this, but it was the best for everyone.
Than shortly there after the OB that was going to be doing the c-section came into the room with a portable ultrasound to check if she was still breech. I really should of declined the ultrasound because I new she hasn't flipped, but of course it confirmed she still was breech. Not a surprise at all!
She left and shortly after that my one midwife came in to check on me and let us know she was here too. I did tell her I had been contracting(by this time they were about every 6 minutes) and she was happy to hear, because I had wanted that. She left and it was just myself and my husband again. We chatted a bit and I checked/updated Facebook a bit to keep my mind occupied.
At the time I was just focusing in finding out finally what our baby was. I new deep down ever since I had a positive pregnancy test that baby was a girl. Mama knows best! Two pregnancies I was able to predict correctly the sex of my children.
Soon one of the nurses who would be in the operating room came in to introduce herself which was nice. She left and I went to the bathroom for the last time while being pregnant to discover part of my mucus plug had started to come out. Another thing I wasn't surprised with. Just have to love the process of child birth. Hehe
When I came out our c-section nurse came back to make sure I was ready to go and my husband was suited up in his scrub gear. Gotta love how attractive those outfits are! Ha!
We walked down the birthing unit hall and I mentioned I forgot to take off my socks(a pair of miss matched socks, one blue the other pink) and she said that was fine. That made me happy.
We got to the operating room, I went in and my husband sat out in the hall waiting. I felt so bad for him, because I could imagine he was very nervous too.
I sat on the operating bed with one of those heated blankets around me which was lovely. A bunch of nurses started to prep the surgical tools and I sat and watched. Some had small talk with me, but the rest of the time I just nervously moved my feet around and focused on each contraction.
Finally the anesthesiologist came into the room and I want to mention that he was the most up beat and positive person in the room and it helped some what take my mind off of a lot if things. More small talk occurred, he asked about my past birth and was sort if surprised it was my first time having a spinal (I guess most woman have them now a days) and than he moved into getting the spinal in. This part I was beyond scared of. It sort of hurt, but not horrible like the IV. I had to get into position very fast, because it started working instantly.
At this point everyone started to really get things ready. The drape went up, more things were put on me and I could feel them touching me which I didn't think I could feel but I did and that apparently is normal, but I was really freaked out.
I'm the type of person that doesn't like anything that makes me feel like I have lost control over myself and this situation sure made made me feel this way! I even made the statement "this is why I don't like drugs or why I had a drug free birth". Everyone must if rolled their eyes at me haha.
My husband came in and was seated next to me and his presence made me feel more calm.
The OB all nurses and my lovely midwife were all there. They announced just as they started the surgery that it was a "surprise" baby and Dad wanted to announce the sex.
My husband and I chatted for a bit and minutes later they told my husband to look up to see what the sex was! My husband announced "it's a girl, sweetheart!". And my initial reaction was "I new it, I told you!". She was brought over to the warming table wear they were assessing her. At that time I was crying, why I am not sure, but I think I was just so overwhelmed and anxious to make sure her lungs cleared good and she didn't need to be in the nicu(Dagney was there for a week).
I kept watching her and everyone checking her, still years coming out and waiting to hear if she was fine. My midwife took over and told me her lungs drained great and it was such a relief! She was weighed-another curiosity of mine and weighed in at 8lbs 15 oz and 20.5" long. She was a "big" baby compared to the norm, but not big for me considering Dagney was 9lbs 13oz at birth.
They all respected our requests for her and they didn't administer the eye ointment and did give her the routine vitamin k shot like we requested. She was then wrapped up in blankets with a knitted pink and purple tiny hat and placed in her Fathers arms.
I was in disbelief, but also as soon as I saw her and her mouth rooting like crazy my guilt came over me. I wanted her to so badly give her what she wanted, that being latched onto my breast to feed. I new I would soon be able to, but not soon enough for my liking. I wanted to do it instantly like nature intended, but I needed to be patient.
My husband and I just talked to her and to each other. I kept trying to reassuring her that her Mom wanted so badly to give her what she wanted, but we had to wait just a little and she could be in my arms forever.
They were finished with stitching me up and asked my husband to make his way over to the recovery room with the nurse and I would soon be in there with him. He still had Avalon thank goodness!
Everyone in the operating room helped move me to another bed and I was wheeled down to recovery.
As soon as I got into recovery, my husband asked if I wanted to lbreastfeed. Of course I said yes!
