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Week by Week

Hanna-Leigh

I delivered (if you want to call it that) my first baby by c-section for failure to progress. Dialation stopped at 8 centimeters and my doctor was convinced that the babys head was too large to fit through my pelvis. Justina weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and had a 13 inch head. I had a hard time accepting the fact that I wasn't capable of giving birth to my own child and immediately purchased literature on vbac to find out what my chances were if and when I ever became pregnant again. Every thing I read told me that I probably didn't have a small pelvis, but was told that only because I asked for a reason.

When I became pregnant with my second child, I knew I just had to try and decided that a change in doctors was probably a good idea. I found a doctor that was willing to give me the chance, and also thought it was a good idea but was told even by him that my chances would be much better if this baby was smaller than my first. I worried through out my pregnancy that I would suffer through another long labor only to end up with a c-section and when I went into labor 2 weeks early I knew that the chances of this baby being smaller were pretty good and I delivered Natasha by vbac with the help of a suction device after only 20 minutes of pushing because we started to lose her heartbeat. I had extensive tearing and wondered why women thought the recovery after a natural birth was easier than a c-section. I was still in extensive pain and didn't see much differance but at the same time, was thrilled at the thought that I, not the doctors, delivered my baby. Natasha weighed 7 pounds and also had a 13 inch head.

Two years later I became pregnant again and as the end of my pregnancy came along, I almost picked a date for a c-section, having suffered from the tearing of Natasha and knowing that I had gained much more weight for this baby and the chances of this baby weighing more were pretty good. It was my husband that talked me out of it and boy, was he right.

I had been having braxton hicks contractions for about 3 days and decided that I was no longer timing them, when they were real, I would know it. On the third night, I went to bed and was awakened at 4 am from the breaking of my water. (Something that was always done by the doctors because it never happened on its own.) I waited a little while, timed a few contractions that weren't regular but decided that I should go to the hospital anyway.

Boy, was I surprised when my nurse said I was 4 centimeters. No pain yet, I could of run a marathon. I walked the halls for a while and the contractions didn't seem to be getting any worse so I kept walking. When my doctor got there and checked me at 8 a.m., I was still only 4 centimeters but he informed us that my water hadn't broken completely so he finished it off and we agreed that if nothing was happening by 9 a.m., we would try some pitocin. I knew that was a bad idea, and walked , and walked, and walked. By 10a.m., I knew something had to of changed, it's amazing how much the contractions intensed in 2 hours.

The nurse checked me and informed me that I was now 7 centimeters and she would call the doctor because he had gone back to the office to see some patients.

About 30 minutes later, I knew I had to push. The nurse checked me and I was at 10 but had a little lip of cervix left. She told me that I could begin pushing and the doctor would be in any minute. About 20 minutes later, the doctor arrived and barely had time to put his catchers mit on. Hanna-Leigh was born at 11:04 a.m. with no episiotomy, and minimal tearing, and I delivered all 7 pounds 14 ounces of her with no suction, no c-section and she even had a 14 inch head. So much for C.P.D.

Melissa Adams