Another great birth story

I have now given birth 11 times.  I am fortunate enough to have had two babies at Providence.  One birth occurred in the ABC unit and I felt so blessed.  I was 40w 3days and totally dehydrated.  Of course I didn't know I was dehydrated and went to ABC ordered from my midwife to check me out.  Since I was GBS positive , the wonderful nurses fed me and then started my IV.  Within an hour I popped into labor and was at 7cm.  It was the most amazing birth.  I had been no fluid when I went in, so pushing was a struggle,  but I found that the tub was so relaxing, and the rocking chair did wonders.  My baby was posterior and Jan had me get on my hands and knees on the bed and I literally felt the baby spin.  I was so thrilled to get the relaxing birth in the ABC unit.  I was so surprised at the constant care from the nurses and the midwife.  It being my first midwife assisted birth, I vowed that any future babies would be with a midwife.  Jan was wonderful.  Rosalyn Dominica was born Oct. 17, 2008 weighing 8lbs 5 1/2 ounces.

 

My next delivery didn't go as well, but we again had Jan.  We started out with one of the ABC nurses with me, and I felt the staff at my insistence was respectful of my disappointment of not having the baby in the ABC unit, but also was respectful of my wishes.  I found out at 37 weeks I was very low on fluid and being my 11th child I was feeling that something wasn't quite right.  We began the induction and labored all night, unfortunately for whatever reason things weren't going well for us, we decided to stop the induction to try again the next day.  My midwife was prompt and was positive getting me out of the feelings of something being terribly wrong.  We endured a very long hard labor.  My little man was not moving down, and I was not dilating what I thought to be norm.  I had tried the epidural to my total dislike and secretly happy when it seemed to wear off within a few hours.  Finally I was able to get on my hands and knees leaning over the bed to bring the baby down, I felt the urge so urgently and flipped over to push.  I had studied the Bradley Method and for the last nine months had programmed my brain to listen to both Jan and my husband once I hit those emotional signposts.  I worked very hard to overcome the pain and do exactly as Jan told me to do, and my husband was an amazing coach also studying the Bradley Method kept me centered and breathing.  Finally Anthony was born at a tiny 6lbs 13oz but we found his umbilical cord to be extremely short, probably causing much of the last three days of difficulty.  He was born Anthony Allan on August 1, 2010.

 

Thank you Jan, Metro Midwives and although I felt heart broken for the last few weeks, thank you ABC for helping woman to give birth in an atmosphere of comfort.  After I had Anthony they put me in a room across the hall, while I so wished I was in the ABC, even a few nurses at my independece kept telling me I was a candidate for the ABC I secretly wished for a different labor.  But feel blessed to have a wonderful midwife, Anthony's doctor Dr. Rosenburg came to see us right away and by the next morning we were on our way home.