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Ryan Keanu's Birth

I had a VBAC 2 1/2 years ago and here is my story....

My first son was born in 1991 by c-section. I was young, healthy, and in shape before and during my pregnancy. My mother had 2 easy vaginal deliveries, so I just figured I would too. To be honest with you, I didn't pay much attention during our Lamaze class when they covered c-sections because I just knew it didn't apply to me - BOY WAS I WRONG!!! I went into labor about 4:00 pm 5 days after my due date. I arrived at the hospital at 7:30 pm and was able to get an epidural within a couple hours even though I was only dilated 2 1/2 cm! This, I know now, was a big mistake! I progressed comfortably to about 6 cm and then stopped. We waited several hours with no further progression so my doctor did a c-section. I was tired, exhausted, and didn't really care about anything except getting the baby out at that point. The operation went fine, but the nightmare started shortly afterwards. My pain medication came out of my back and you could not tell by looking at the iv. The problems went on from there and I ended up 4 days in the hospital and with 6 long awful weeks recovering at home from MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY (which is what a c-section is). I vowed that I would not go through that again!

We planned our next baby to be due exactly 3 years later and I got very educated on VBAC at that time. We had moved to Maui, Hawaii so I had a new OB/GYN who supported my plan on having a VBAC. He saw no reason why I couldn't deliver vaginally. He said my pelvic bones seemed large enough. I read every book I could find at the library on the subject of VBAC and I followed every piece of advice throughout the entire 9 months. I was determined to do everything in my power not to have another c-section, and if it had to be done I would know that I tried every possible thing to avoid it.

Three days past my due date, I went into labor at 10:00 pm with contractions every 10 minutes or so and they were strong and very painful. We arrived at the hospital at about 1:00 am and I was only dilated to about 3cm. The doctor broke my water at about 4:00 am. I was progressing regularly so he let me keep going, and at 6:20 am I was ready to push. I told the nurse and she checked me and said yes, you're dilated to 10, I'll go get the doctor! He checked me and said I was ready too. I pushed for almost 2 hours and that part did not hurt at all. I just felt pressure, but no real pain. The doctor said that he could tell me for sure I was going to deliver vaginally! That comment alone gave me a whole new burst of energy and at 8:15am Ryan Keanu was born. I had a small episiotomy at the last second, which didn't hurt and I never would have known if the doctor hadn't told me. I never felt any pain afterwards either. I didn't even feel like I had delivered a baby! I was ready to take a shower and I could have gone home immediately! What a difference from the my first son's birth!!! Although it was one of the happiest moments, it was a horrible experience for us both, and this vaginal birth was a wonderful experience for us, which we look back on with fond memories! It was also a huge feeling of accomplishment, for which I will forever feel proud!

I used deep concentration techniques, visualizing my body inside, as I imagined the baby working his way down to the birth canal. I was so deep in concentration throughout the whole entire labor that I couldn't even tell you what my nurse looked like! My eyes were closed so I would not be distracted by the slightest thing. I believe too that comments made by nurses, doctors or others in the birthing room can speed, slow, or stop one's labor. If a nurse comes in and says, "Oh you haven't progressed in 2 hours at all!" that comment goes into your brain and can effect your labor because you are thinking to yourself that something is wrong with me, and my body isn't working right! That all weighs in to your final outcome. You must not hear any negative comments or your mind and body will hear them too and you could end up in the operating room. I also believe that epidurals should be avoided, as they can slow one's labor down or even stop it if given too early in labor. They can have disastrous results if administered too late in labor as well. Labor hurts and you can use natural means like visualization and concentration to manage the pain. One intervention leads to another and so on. Let's give you an epidural, then you slow down, so let's give you pitocin, so then...... and it will go on and on! You are better off just sticking it out - especially in the long run!!!!