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VBAC
Week by Week

Ilse's VBAC

My name is Daryl and this is the story of my two home vbac's. My first daughter was born in a Boston hospital in 1985. After a long labor and one hour of pushing, the powers that be (the docs) decided she wasn't going to fit and took her by cesarean. I hated the whole hospital experience. When we got pregnant again, I at first thought I would use a lay midwife for labor support for another hospital birth. Soon we decided we could do it ourselves at home safely. We did a lot of research and found out homebirth was SAFER and likely to produce a better outcome than a hospital birth. I was in La Leche League by this time which also empowered me. My prenatal care was wonderful. I got to keep my clothes on and sit in my midwife's office and chat until all my concerns were addressed. Then an exam (exterior only, thank you very much ) on a comfy downy bed. When my waters broke I was 3 weeks shy of the due date. I started mild contractions right away. This was about 9am. Since I wasn't ready I took 2 year old Greta off to the grocery store to buy ingredients for soup for the birth team. We also stopped at the liquor store for champagne. As I stood on line I laughed inwardly at how the guy would freak if he knew he was ringing up a woman in labor! I had to pull over a couple of times to breathe through contractions on the way home. The country roads were bumpy. I was loving how I was going through my day in such a relaxed normal way. I called my husband and the midwife at this point. The assistant midwife came over and asked permission to do an internal. I was only 3cm (this was great progress compared to my first birth), so she suggested our family take a nap. My husband Ray was home by this point. Our first labor was 36 hours so we weren't too excited yet. I slept for about an hour. Then things began to pick up. About 5 PM the midwives arrived. They mostly stayed in the kitchen and ate my food and looked at my portfolio of artwork at this point. Ray and I were having a good time in the living room. I loved laboring on my hands and knees. I believe I have a shallow pelvis (I always carry my babies high) ,so even in between contractions I felt a lot of pressure as the baby's head pressed open my bones. When the midwives heard my breath catch during a contraction they were on the alert. Time to push! I had that urge to move the bowels, but its really the baby feeling. They suggested pushing on the toilet to move things along. This worked great, but ouch! My major disappointment with this birth was the midwife asking if her assistant could be the primary one at the birth. I said yes to avoid hurting feelings but soon wished I hadn't. While I was on the toilet C(the assistant) was yelling like a football coach "Push! Push!'' Maybe she was nervous about my former cesarean. Anyway after 45 mins we moved back to the living room where they'd set up a comfortable chair with pillows and chucks(disposable pads). I sat on the edge of it. They had me stand up supported for the last few pushes as it was a tight fit. But I wish I'd sat down at the very end because the head on the perineum was way too painful and I just rammed the baby out and tore. Not too bad ,like a one inch labial tear, but annoying. I sat down and was handed our baby. Ray and I discovered she was a girl. We named her Ilse. 8 lbs. Not bad for 3 weeks early. (My first had been 10'2".)We soon discovered why she was so early. I was bleeding a bit too much so when a few pushes didn't deliver the placenta C pulled on the cord and it came off the placenta. Then it was hurry to call an ambulance. Meanwhile both the other midwives took a shot at retrieving the placenta. N succeeded and all was well. I didn't feel a thing . I had to ask later did you have your arm up in me? The placenta was all spongy and decayed. Probably because I'd spent my 2nd trimester sick with recurrent bronchitis. Ilse was mucusy, breathing OK but wouldn't nurse for 12 hours. When the sun came up the next morning she woke up and nursed. All in all a 12 hour labor, 1/3 the time of the first. Due I know to being home all relaxed and happy. 3 years later we were at it again with a different midwifery team. It had been a boiling hot July but the 28th dawned cool and dry. A peaceful Sunday morning. Actually it was 4am, not dawn yet. My contractions were strong and close together right away, but manageable. This baby did most of the work for me. I could feel his head and whole body wriggling like a spelunker(cave explorer) looking for the way out. He's still very active and strong. This time we'd told our parents we were having a homebirth. Mine were in their motorhome in the driveway. About 7am the midwives arrived and my mom came in to entertain the girls. My midwife is a Bradley instructor as well and was extremely good at suggesting positions for me to try. I was sitting up in bed when our son Brett was born. This time I was able to breathe the head out with not a bit of a tear! He was 9 lbs. Unfortunately my mom left the girls behind in the playroom when she came in for the actual birth, against our wishes. I'm sure they'll never forgive her. But they got to cut the cord! This was the most perfect birth I could ever imagine. Only four hours but not traumatic in any way. I would do it again in a minute if only raising kids wasn't so much work! If you are considering a homebirth or VBAC...please do it .It will be the most fulfilling experience of your life!