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VBAC
Week by Week

Greta

My first birth was in 1985. I went to an ob/gyn for prenatals. I didn't want him to use a doptone because I was (am) afraid of ultrasound, but he never could hear the heartbeat with a stethoscope (a learned art) so I gave in. He also recommended an ultrasound because I was carrying so high. We went along again. I was healthy during pregnancy,ate well, exercised, etc. I went to Beth-Israel in Boston because it was recommended by a friend. I'd read a couple dozen books on birthing, and had a birth plan signed by my doctor. It didn't do me any good. My water broke at noon on December 16. They wanted me to come in right away because I was still carrying high. Hospital policy required 20 minutes on the fetal monitor. this came as a complete surprise. From then on I was the hospital's "thing". I was having very light contractions but wasn't dilating so they sent me home. We had a normal evening, ate dinner, went to bed. We slept about 5 hours then the contractions kept me awake. So we went on a cleaning and Xmas decorating frenzy. We went to the hospital at 9 am. Painful labor ALL day. I was walking, walking, walking. I think now my innate distrust of doctor's and hospitals and the adrenaline that released kept me from progressing, although I was consciously trying to keep relaxed. The hospital probably thought it was being very progressive to allow me to go so long with broken waters. Finally at 9pm (many shift changes and strange faces and fingers later) a doctor gave me some morphine. (I never did see my doctor.) That was a nice change. They'd checked my urine and I was dehydrated and starved. No duh! after nothing but ice chips and 12 hours of walking and labor. I guess I got some glucose in a drip along with the drug. When I came to, I believe I was 6cm. Much rejoicing, and then no more progress. I was exhausted by now. The next insult- Pitocin. I felt like a wounded deer slowly dying in the forest, despite the constant care and attention of my wonderful but tired, scared husband. At 9.5cm I felt the urge to push. When they said go ahead, to everyone's surprise but my own, I leapt out of bed to squat and push. That felt GREAT. to finally be doing something positive! This was about 11am. Unfortunately they only "let" me push for one hour and decided the baby was too big to fit! I just gave up and said yes to the cesarean. The epidural didn't take the first time so they gave another. I was numb from the neck down and completely paralyzed. I couldn't even feel my breathing and thought I was suffocating during repair. My gorgeous healthy 10lb2oz daughter Greta was born at 2pm. She was nice and strong and nursed like a trooper as soon as I got to recovery. We roomed in for 5 days . A nurse was surprised I was breastfeeding after the tough delivery, But I was determined at least one thing would go right! I joined up with La Leche League When Greta was 3 months old. This began my road to true empowerment as a mother. See Ilse's VBAC birth at home to follow.