As the pool was filling my midwife checked me to make sure I was progressing good and such before I got in. At that point I was already 6 cm. (And I think I was 100% effaced. I can't remember exactly when she said that happened.) I was amazed I was 6 cm already. So as soon as the pool was filled I was in it. It felt amazing! Contractions still hurt of course but it was much easier to relax through them. My midwife and her assistant would do massages throughout the labor, which helped a lot. It was so nice sitting in my own house in quiet. No beeping and buzzing of machines. No iv keeping me stuck in my bed. The only thing I heard while sitting in my pool was the birds singing outside my window and the sun coming in the window warming me. It was nice not having nurses and drs coming in and bothering me constantly about things like meds or the monitors aren't reading right. I got to hold nice conversation with my husband and midwife and her assistant when I could. I was much more comfortable at home. Unlike the drs at the hospital your midwife is there for you and your baby. Drs just pop in once in awhile to check or you don't see them at all till the end.
Soon contractions really started to pick up. We moved to the bed so I could rest when I could. I was becoming really tired by this point. It was so nice to be in my own comfortable bed with my husband holding my hand and rubbing my head. We tried a few different things to try to get the baby to turn her head the right way so I would stop having back labor and obviously she would come out facing the right direction. Nothing was turning her. I would get up every once and awhile and walk to the bathroom or just stand for a minute. I did notice that contractions were a lot harder when sitting on the toilet. I think this is because the position would open my pelvis and she (the baby) would put a lot more pressure on my cervix. I eventually got up and moved back to the pool. By this point I was having contractions very close together and was not talking in between them.
After a while they wanted me to get up and stand for a little and take a bathroom break. I decided to go back to the bed at this point. Things started moving fast at this point. Next thing I remember is our midwife wanting me to get up and move around to get things moving faster and to take another bathroom break and maybe try to take a shower with the water hitting my back with Nick supporting me. It took me awhile but I got up to walk to the bathroom. By this point I was not all there probably transition. Contractions seemed back to back and lots of pressure. Well I went to sit on the toilet (Nick had to help me at this point) and contractions got worse. We never made it into the shower. I thought my water broke just a little like it started leaking. My midwife wanted to check so I got up. I dont know if it was her checking me or just standing up (also had a major contraction at the same time) but my water defiantly broke then.
Ok now at this point in my story things start getting crazy and I really don't know all the details of what happened. I was having major back to back contractions and my water just broke. We went to get into the bed because the midwife knew we were having this baby real soon. Well I get into bed and the midwife is checking the heart rate of the baby to make sure she is doing fine after the water broke. The only thing I remember at this point is hearing we are going to have to call the squad and my midwife trying to get a heart rate. The babies heart rate dropped to around 80. I was then thrown on my side and then moved to hands and knees with head down and butt in the air. Trying to find a position that the heart rate would come back up. Which it did once I was on hands and knees. I was also on oxygen. The squad was already called by now and on their way. I was told that what they think that happened is when my water broke the baby started to turn to face the right way and wrapped the cord around her neck and then the cord got pinched when she dropped into my pelvis between her and my bone. This is why hands and knees worked with butt in air because it brought her off my pelvis. I do remember at this point that I was freaking out with back to back contractions and praying she was ok and that I didn't want to go to the hospital. The squad showed up and they had me get on all fours like I was, on the gurney. Next thing I know I am in the ambulance and hear sirens. My midwife came with me to monitor the baby and me. I remember asking where Nick was because I couldn't see him. They told me he was up front. I was told later that night that in front of the hospital we almost got into an accident.
Ok the next thing I remember being told is to get onto the delivery bed. Everything is such a blur at this point. I couldn't tell you where I was or who was there. They started to tell me to push with each contraction. So I did. She was out within 10-15 min after arriving at the hospital. The things I am about to tell you are some of the reasons why we wanted a home birth. In that 15 min of being at the hospital a bunch of things where done that we didn't want done and found out later that didn't need to be done for her to be ok. The babies heart rate never dropped again since that first time. Once it was back up it stayed there. (Alot of what I am about to say is what my husband and midwife told me since I was so out of it I didn't know) As I was pushing her out apparently they asked me if it was ok to use an internal monitor on the baby. Well I don't recall this and they put it in anyways as they were asking me. (an internal monitor is screwed into the babies head). Next when I pushed the head out they told me to stop so I did. Well they wanted me to stop because they wanted to cut the babies cord off from around her neck. I do remember Nick yelling at them that they are not suppose to cut the cord yet and them saying they had to. Well they didn't have to. Babies heart rate was fine. She was breathing and getting oxygen through the cord. If they would have let me finish pushing her out they could of just pulled the cord off over her head and left her attached so she could get all that she needed still through the cord.
Now this next part I remember. Once she was out they said put her on moms belly. Well I saw her little black hair covered head coming towards me and then all of a sudden she was gone. This lady took her and said no she needs to be in the warmer! I was like what I can get her warm skin to skin. I was pissed. I didn't even get to touch her or see what she looked like after she was born till almost over 15 min later. I also wanted to nurse right away after she was born and did not get to do that. Nick was mad also and yelling at them. We both felt violated because we know what the hospital did was wrong. A lot of things we were trying to avoid happened. It really upset me. Well, I finally got her and did not let her go. We also had a lot of problems with getting discharged the next day since I never was tested for strep b while pregnant. They wanted to monitor her. But we finally got out the next day.
Our baby girl was perfectly healthy and beautiful. Penelope Lynn was 8 lbs 2 oz and 20 3/4 inches long. She has almost black hair and dark blue eyes.
People ask would I do a home birth again after knowing what happened and I say yes.I know some people who don't want to hear that but it is what I feel is right. It is very rare that things like that go wrong. If we are to ever have another baby I would plan another home birth for so many reasons. Things happen and we are so lucky to have had such a wonderful midwife to keep us safe. We love her so much for everything she did!
The most important thing to us was to have a healthy baby and safe birth. And with all said and done I think we accomplished that.
Well here are a few pictures that I have of Penelope so far. These are all from the hospital after she was born. Thank you for reading our story and enjoy the pictures.
We love you Penelope!
No comments:
Post a Comment