This is the birth story of Jack, written by his mom Anika. I had the privilege of coming to see them in the hospital to do an in hospital newborn session. This family is so sweet and so loving, and I felt like Anika did a great job portraying that here.
"As April 1st approached, your head was still up under my ribs which meant I would be needing a cesarean section to finally meet you. I had several months where all I was told was that you would not be able to flip head down so I accepted that cesarean section was going to be our birth plan. At my final ultrasound a week before our set date to meet you (March 27) the ultrasound technician surprised your dad and I that you had made a miraculous somersault to be in the correct birthing position! We were in disbelief that you had flipped so late and I didn't even feel it. Then we waited for natural birth to begin...April 1st passed and we were all getting impatient. Grammpy, GiGi, and cousin Michelle all came to meet you and all had to return home since time pressed on and you were cozy staying inside me. We decided to get induced at 41 weeks.
We got to the hospital on the evening of Monday April 8th to begin the induction. Upon arrival the midwife checked my cervix and said I was 1cm and 50% effaced. This was less progress than another midwife told me a week previous. Starting with this discouraging progress report, I was nervous about how the induction process would be. All of the delivery rooms were full so they started the induction in a tiny closet of a room.
During the night I was given Cytotec to help soften my cervix. Around 6am we were moved to a delivery room. Besides the interruptions of nurses checking on me, I was able to rest most of the night with some painkillers and sleeping medicine. Pitocin was administered starting at 6:30am, at 7:30am I woke up to my water breaking! With excitement and nerves I woke up your dad who was very sleepy from sleeping on the couch. I noticed the water was colored, there was meconium in the waters which meant you would have extra attention to make sure your lungs were cleared. The nurse checked the waters twice and said it was not my amniotic fluid...But I knew my water broke, there was no mistaking the feeling. I went to sit on the toilet while I continued to leak. Contractions came on strong almost immediately after my water breaking. Grammy was lost looking for parking and I was in need of her calming support and mantras. Once she got there she helped me through contractions. I mostly needed to concentrate on my breathing to get through them. The nurse Elizabeth was wonderful and was able to find me waterproof monitors so I could labor in the tub. The water gave some relief but the contractions grew stronger and nausea from the Pitocin set in. Finally I threw up my breakfast during a contraction and that was my breaking point. I asked for an epidural and we waited a while for the anesthesia team to arrive. In the meantime I bounced on the birthing ball but didn’t find it comfortable or helpful.
When the anethesia team arrived they promptly got to work on by backside. I leaned over a pillow and was coached by my nurse not to move. During the placement of the epidural I felt the strongest shooting sensation down my right leg and I jumped. That was a big no-no and I felt liquid (blood) run down my back. After it was placed in my spine the nurse anethesist said they would need to redo it. So we went through the whole process again where I could not move a muscle during painful contractions. The second epidural hit the spot and I felt NOTHING for the rest of the labor! With quick relief setting in, my body was able to relax and I napped.
Every hour or less my nurse would flip me side to side with the peanut ball between my thighs. The highest level the Pitocin was set to was a 4 or 6 (some people need up to 25 or 30). Every few hours the midwife would check my cervix for progress. Before I got the epidural I was 3cm, at 12pm I progressed to 6cm and 80% effaced. Then to extreme surprise just 30 minutes later I was 9cm and 90% effaced. The rapid transition of 3cm in 30 minutes was hard on you, your heart rate dropped due to the stress. Our nurse watched the monitor of your heart rate intensely, trying to determine if it would recover or if we would need an emergency cesarean section. I felt very calm during this time and prayed knowing that the situation was in God’s control and that everything would be okay. To get a better reading of your heart rate, the midwife inserted an electrode monitor to your head. Luckily your heart rate recovered while we waited for the last centimeter of dilation.They turned off the Pitocin and I continued to have contractions every two minutes, lasting 90 seconds.
I continued to nap while I waited for the urge to push. The urge never came and two hours later at 2:30pm the midwife checked me and said it was go time! The team assembled for your imminent arrival to the world. Two or three pediatric nurses were in the corner of the room, my nurse and midwife and the end of my bed, Grammy holding my left leg, daddy holding my right leg and Marilee near my head. During contractions I began to push and the nurse would count to 10 for each push and we did three sets with each contracting. A mirror was put in place so I could see the beginning of your head. At one point your head began to emerge on its own so the midwife instructed to keep pushing. You were born at 2:59pm, less than 30 minutes of pushing! Your slippery grey body was placed on my stomach and my strongest sensation was how warm you felt! I won’t ever forget that feeling.
Unfortunately you were quickly whisked away after daddy cut the cord to deep suction your lungs. When the nurses brought you back to me I held you to my chest and we attempted to breastfeed. Both of us were new at it and I didn’t realize you were giving me hickies around my nipple! While you and I were preoccupied with getting to know each other, everyone else in the room was concerned about my retained placenta. After 30 minutes of trying to get it out, the midwife had to go inside my uterus and manually remove it. The was very uncomfortable for me even though I was still numb from the epidural. Marilee described it as carving out a pumpkin. For this part especially, I am so thankful I had an epidural!
We ordered dinner and recovered a bit in the room. Then we were wheeled down the hall to the postpartum room. I held you as my prize of a victorious vaginal birth! What an amazing and blessed feeling!
Thanks be to God!"
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