Birth Stories! Ave

Even before I was pregnant, I knew that I would be attempting a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) for our second child due to the c-section I'd had with our first daughter. Because of this we had to make sure that we didn't get pregnant too soon as our doctor could only support a VBAC decision if there were at least 18 months (preferably 2 years) in between deliveries. Our first two daughters are almost 2 years to the day apart.

Because I was attempting a VBAC, the doctors couldn't induce labor (fine by me!) but they also wouldn't let me go more than a week past my due date. For almost the entire pregnancy I was hoping to go as soon as I hit full term. Then I found out that my doctor was going on vacation. Ugh. Her vacation fell during weeks 37-39 of my pregnancy, so then I started praying that I would go after 39 weeks, but I still hoped to go before my due date. I started getting pretty nervous after my due date came and went with no signs of imminent labor.

Three days after my due date though, I woke up at about 5 or 6 in the morning feeling strange. I got up to go pee and felt a few strong contractions. I'd been having contractions that were this strong for weeks, but these felt different. I can't really explain how they were different, but I knew they were real and it made me excited. I went back to bed and realized that there were tiny amounts of fluid coming out with some of the contractions and it made me wonder if my water had broken. I never had a large amount at once though, so I wasn't ever sure.

I managed to stay in bed for another hour or so and then got up to take a shower and relax and try to occupy my mind with other things. When my husband finally began to stir, I ran into our room to tell him that I was fairly certain that I was in labor. I forced him to wait until 10am or so before telling my parents (who lived next door) what was going on. I had no desire for an audience.

Due to the VBAC situation, my doctor wanted me to get to the hospital early. My contractions were 6-7 minutes apart when we called her, but I knew I wasn't really very far along. I didn't want to go in that early, but since I had a suspicion that my water had broken, she wanted me to be checked out.

We said goodbye to Noa who was going to be staying next door with my parents and headed to the hospital. Our hospital is about 25 minutes from our house with ocean views the entire way. The drive there is one of the things I love most about our hospital.

When we arrived, the nurse was skeptical that I was in labor. She said she seriously doubted that my water had broken and that they would probably send me home. She said they would be conducting a fern test to see if it had actually broken and if it had, that they would have to keep me. The fern test came back positive, so I was there to stay after all. Unfortunately since I was barely 2cm, if that even, they insisted that I be given some Pitocin. This is still something that annoys and frustrates me. As soon as the Pitocin hit, I was in a whole lot of pain and I was frustrated that my predictable and bell-shaped contractions were gone. No more gradual starts or stops. They hit instantly and ended instantly and I never knew if it would be a single, double or triple contraction. They didn't come at regular intervals either. Oh, how I hate Pitocin. 

After a few hours on this drug, I was ready for an epidural. I was maybe 4cm when I told them to get the anesthesiologist. I was told it would be about 45 minutes before he could get there. I "patiently" waited those 45 minutes glaring at the clock watching the second hand, willing it to move faster. After an hour and a half I buzzed the nurse in to ask where we were at with the epidural. She sympathetically explained that there were some more urgent requests in before mine and that the anesthesiologist now had two c-sections to attend to before he could get to me. She thought it might be another half hour. I wanted to punch her.

Another hour and half went by before the anesthesiologist arrived. Because of my last experience, I was prepared for a very disagreeable person. When this guy arrived, I was shocked to find him very agreeable and even friendly. And he made me feel much better. I wanted to hug him.

After he left, I felt good for a few minutes and then I noticed that there was still a lot of pain in my left leg. It was not pleasant and began to grow more and more uncomfortable. I mentioned it to the nurse and she had me lay on the opposite side so that the epidural would work its way over to that side. This didn't do much good and she didn't have any other suggestions. I figured that if the epidural didn't get rid of that pain then nothing would. I'm not an anesthetics specialist. I didn't want to complain, but I did mention it to my nurses from time to time to keep them updated.

I tried to rest, but was having trouble doing so with the pain in my left leg. I had them turn out the lights and told my husband it would be a good time for him to get something to eat. He ran down to the cafeteria and of all things, ordered a Philly cheese steak sandwich. The smell, when he got back, blasted me in the face and made me sick. I held my stomach together though and managed not to throw up, but I certainly didn't hold back telling him how bad a decision that had been.  Poor husband.

Sometime that night I hit 10cm and felt the urge to push. Ave was still very high up though as she was in a posterior position and they told me it would be a while before I could start pushing. I was encouraged to rest for a while more.

Sometime around 5am the nurse came in and had me start pushing. Ave was high up still, so she didn't want me wearing myself out. They had me push every other contraction for about a half hour or so. My leg was killing me. The nurse held my right leg and my husband held my left leg while I pushed. They were encouraging for a while and then everyone seemed to lose interest except me. The nurse stopped holding my leg even though I was told to continue pushing.  My husband would go back to the chair and fall asleep until he was summoned again for pushing contractions. 

This continued for a while. Sometimes they would have me push every contraction and sometimes they would have me rest for a few. My leg began to hurt so much that I didn't think I could bend it anymore. My nurse kept making comments that it looked like we'd have to do a c-section. I pretended like she didn't exist. I do not appreciate negative forms of encouragement. After 5 hours of pushing like this, my doctor came in and asked how things were going. I told her that I still had a lot in me and that I wanted to continue. I told her that I could probably focus more on the pushing if it weren't for the pain in my left leg. The nurse actually said, "why didn't you tell me about that before." I wanted to scream that I had, but I ignored her instead. I still think she was trying to save face in front of the doctor.

With my doctor making the request, the anesthesiologist was back within minutes. Much to my amazement, the pain in my leg was gone within seconds of "tweaking" the epidural.

A little more pushing and we were finally making serious progress. As Ave came out, I started to tear so my doctor cut me and then I just tore more. But, after 27 or so hours of labor, 5-1/2 hours of pushing, Ave arrived! She brought with her all the peace and joy I had been anticipating. I held her, admired her angled head and the ledge on her forehead from her sunny-side-up delivery. She had dark tight curls that clung to that misshapen head. Her complexion was significantly darker than Noa's had been. She was unique and beautiful.

We had a number of nurses come in by our room to check out the baby. My doctor later told me that they were impressed with the sunny-side-up, super-long, VBAC they'd been hearing about and wanted to see the us.  Celebrity!

After my last delivery where I had to stay in recovery for over 24 hours and couldn't eat during that time, I was shocked when they brought me a sandwich within what seemed to be minutes after delivery. They also brought me a delicious raspberry spritzer drink (sans alcohol).  Omg, amazingly satisfying!  Other ladies I've talked to who deliver at the same hospital always mention the spritzer. I ate a few bites of the sandwich, slurped up the spritzer (promptly asked for more) and then they came in to move me to a new room on another floor.

After we switched rooms, a nurse came to give Ave her first bath. Thankfully my husband was there to take over the hair washing when the nurse started yanking clumps of hair out with her violent combing technique.

Later that day, my parents brought Noa to meet her little sister. I had this part all planned out and I really felt that it went beautifully. Ave was put in the bassinet before Noa arrived. I had Noa climb up on the bed with me and we pulled the bassinet over to us. There in the bassinet was her little sister Ave and Ave had a present for Noa. Noa got to open her present, a little family of 4 lambs, a Mama-lamb, a Daddy-lamb, a Noa-lamb and an Ave-lamb (the Ave lamb looked like a little boy lamb, but I don't think either of them ever noticed). Daddy picked up Ave eventually and we all held her and admired her together as a family. Noa never expressed any jealousy or anger at Ave which made me so happy since I had heard so many horror stories from friends about infants being pushed over or having things thrown at them. She did get upset with me about a week after we all arrived home because I couldn't get to her as quickly as she was used to, but that only lasted a few days and then she developed a bit more patience.

Ave was an easier baby than Noa had been, but that may have been due to the relatively more normal birth, the fact that I didn't have a c-section to recover from and the fact that we'd done it all before. Also, about two or three weeks after we brought her home, we watched a dvd called, "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and instantly wished we'd watched it before having our first. I think we went out that night and bought a swing which turned out to be the best baby-purchase we ever made.

We loved our little family of four but were also thrilled to find out eight or nine months after Ave was born that we were going to have another!  Up next, baby girl number three!