Viveka's birth story (as written in the pre-birthy me)

Preface: I purposely am NOT reading this before I post it. I logged into myspace to find some photos for another post I'm planning and found this area called "blog" - I remembered blogging through my labor with Viveka via my old Helio... so... here it is. Watch the comments for my comments 4+ years later on the topic. Feel free to comment as well.

----------------------------------- Written Feb 2008 - 4 days after she was born ---------------------------

At 8 pm they inserted the cervix softener and I sat back and relaxed. Dh was there the entire time and we watched some tv and "hung out." The next morning, I was hungry but of course no food. I was hooked up to an IV the entire time for fluids since we needed to try to maintain levels. At 8 am, we started pitocin to start contractions. This was in hopes that my cervix would take some action since I really wasn't making much progress.
At eleven am the doctor came and broke my water. I was a whole one cm; 50% effaced. Soon, it helped progress some it seemed - the contractions were mild. I tried the birthing ball and such ball but was as i was in pain by mid afternoon, I opted for sterol (I think that's what it was called). Since I wasn't progressing I was hoping that if I was able to bear the pain better, we would progress more quickly. Many times I was asked if I wanted an epidural but I decided against it and DH supported that. Neither of us wanted a lethargic baby. Soon, the contractions got stronger and VERYYY painful. With the medication, I able to get some rest - the pain meds were in after about 5 hours of my water being broke.

After 2 hrs they checked again- gosh darn won't u knowm i was ONLY 1.5 cm. I took more sterol as contractions were kickin my butt. After 2 more hrs they checked again ,and inserted internal contraction sensor to verify how big they were since I once again was 1.5 cm.

now wouldn't you know my contractions were actually off the chart. w

I was extremely upset by then - all this pain and NO progress! So went for epidural at 6:30 pm. At that time I immediately progressed to 4 cm, most likely because I was able to relax some. I was surprised by watching how huge the contractions were but I felt nothing. I had wanted to be able to push, but I had to be realistic.

After two hours they checked me and while I was about 80 percent efaced, I still was a "small" 4. I spoke with the doctor and we decided to give it another two hours. After about an hour and a half, baby's heart rate was starting to drop at times. We spoke again and at 11 pm opted for a c section. Had I not had the epidural I would have had a spinal, so in a way I am glad that I did get the epidural.

Right after I got off the phone with the doctors I started vomitting water. They cleaned me up some and rolled me off to the c section room just down the hall. The entire time I was shaking and kept thinking oh my what if I don't survive. I kept concentrating on my breathing. While there was a sheet up, I could see some reflection of what was going on through the light above me. I stopped watching after I saw them remove something red from me (who know what organ that was). DH said it smelled like a meat shop!

I puked again during the surgery but dear Viveka was born at 11:45 pm. DH looked so afraid as he held her. I was still shaking and they gave me some medication via injection to help stop the shaking and of course kept putting warm blankets on me. DH brought her over to me and I gave her a kiss - her eyes were open and she was so beautiful. She was a 9/9 on the apgar score... I asked DH to hold her close and they went off to prepare her. They gave her the Vitamin K injection and also the eye medicine while I was getting sewn up. It took almost an hour to sew me up because my uterus had to be massaged since I had been contracting so hard for so long.

After all was done I vomitted again, but was happy to be brought over to my room. DH was there, the blood cord people were called and her blood cord was sent off for processing... They brought the baby in and she fed. We didn't get a good latch but after a little meneuvering it all worked out.

We spent a few more nights at the hospital and came home Tuesday aftenoon.

She lost a little weight in the hospital but she's definitely a joy to have home. I am recoving okay but in some additional pain because I've chosen against pain meds. The first day and a half I didn't opt for any but day two and three both I took 1 percoset. I took them immediatley after breastfeeding because I'm a bit hesitant. I've been taking motrin the last day - I figure at least there is such thing as baby motrin...

I'm still amazed they let me take her home :) She's such a joy!

Sorry for the novella about our Viveka.

And to end Cesarean Awareness Month - doctor against medical advice, faces CPS

I've posted how my son's birth (VBAC, vaginal birth after cesarean) was both liberating and trying. I had to sign a paper indicating I understand I was going against medical advice (where the nurse went ahead and told me, in labor, that my baby could die, but failed to tell me the same risks when I requested an epidural, go figure) when I decided against staying in bed and being constantly monitored.

Could you imagine being a DOCTOR who had to go against medical advice (whose? I mean, that person is a medical doctor as well, right?). In this scenario, a mom wanted a homebirth after cesarean, legal in many states, also in AZ if you have an MD, DO or ND with you, but otherwise currently not with a homebirth midwife), but had to transfer due to other issues. In transferring to a hospital, that mom gave up many rights. And now, she and her husband are at odds with the hospital that he WORKS at and had been chief of staff, for a decision many families make, and we also made. That decision was to not use the vitamin K shot at birth. Like us, the doctor researched and determined that oral vitamin K would be better, since the shot has about 20,000 times the amount needed, assuming there is trauma in the birth, and may increase the risk of getting leukemia, among other issues.. It was something our pediatrician allowed and agreed to and neither I or my husband are medical doctors. CPS was called on this doctor for a decision he and his wife made in health for his family. If he had done the "unethical" thing of transferring care of his wife/son to him, he could have discharged them without issue. But, he went with not treating his family and got this bunch of crap put on him.

Happy Cesarean Awareness Month!

Disclaimer: Cesareans can be life saving, but there's a difference between a stat and emergency cesarean. Don't freak know the facts.

Many words for Wednesday - cesarean awareness month

Apparently an unbiased VBAC consent form.

I wonder how many first time moms, in their excitement to meet their baby are talked into a cesarean, or scared into one by indicating that baby was in distress, and later talk about their emergency cesarean.

How many later find out that their cesarean was unnecessary.

Almost every time I hear a woman say she had to have an "emergency" cesarean, I wonder. Was it emergency or STAT?


A third of babies in the US are now born via surgery. Many women believe, once a cesarean, always a cesarean.

Many doctors believe the same.

Even with the facts and information that women should be given a trial of labor option for a VBAC. However, are physicians even being trained to prevent original cesareans? Why are more "low risk" women having cesareans?

Why are women being cut up so often?

Why are women told they don't have to be "strong" and give birth naturally? Why can't women be empowered?

Why is America's maternal health rates so low?

If more healthy babies is not the outcome of more cesareans, why are we having so many cesareans? Is it just money?

How I wish I had a home birth or even a doula my first time around.

How happy I am that I had the birth experience with my daughter, so I could grow so much, and successfully have a VBAC, 51 weeks ago, with the birth of my son.

A few links of interest:
http://www.vbacfacts.com

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db35.pdf
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20110415/high-c-section-rates-arent-linked-to-healthier-babies
Privacy Information

38 weeks and counting

I am blessed to have friends who know that birth can be trusted.
I am happy to know that I have the option of how this baby is born.
I am empowered by the women who have succecssfully VBACd, and especially those who have HBACd and even more thankful to know that UBAC is not unheard of.
Unfortunately I live in a society that is inundated with untruths that have become fact for most. But I've been enlightened. I know that with every scare tactic is a statistic. I know that every statistic can be skewed. I know that by letting go of medicalization and instead trusting my body and listening to it will get us to the place we need to with this new baby.
I know that V's birth was the way it was so that I could be empowered and help educate others. I know that not everyone cares, and that is how it is, but for some, the education is what they need so that they can trust their bodies as well. So that they can experience birth so that they can understand that
birth.matters

OH no! What if I fail the sugar test?

In spite of not being in the best shape, I did not have gestational diabetes while pregnant for V. For the first 7.5 months I did pretty well regulating my diet. I find, actually, that I eat much better while pregnant.

In a 'due date group' someone mentioned in their past pregnancies they had to test their blood sugar three times a day. What many do not know is that the 'uh oh you failed your sugar glucose test' is not generally that bad. Besides giving you a second chance on the test, those who do have gestation diabetes often can regulate their blood sugar through diet. According to medscape,
“Abnormal maternal glucose regulation occurs in 3-10% of pregnancies. Studies suggest that the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) among women of childbearing age is increasing in the United States. This increase is believed to be attributable to more sedentary lifestyles, changes in diet, continued immigration from high-risk populations, and the virtual epidemic of childhood and adolescent obesity that is presently evolving in United States. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance of variable degree with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes mellitus accounts for 90% of cases of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy. Type II diabetes mellitus accounts for 8% of cases of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, and given its increasing incidence, preexisting diabetes mellitus now affects 1% of pregnancies.”
Medscape. Diabetes mellitus. Retrieved electronically from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/127547-overview

Basically if you are in that 3-10%. there's an 90% chance you'll need to watch what you put in your mouth and when it goes in there and you'll be fine. I am NOT saying that GD is nothing to worry about, but what I am saying is do not assume that all is over if you fail the drinking test (and tell me again why they use artificial dyes in these tests? I asked for a color free one last time and they only had orange. I don't get it. I'm trying to prevent issues and you're causing me more! Anyway, again, I degress...), find out what you can do NUTRITIONALLY to get things going in the right direction. Talk to you midwife or OB and find out what can be done to get things under control. GD can cause birth defects, so of course, the first step is to prevent GD if possible in the first place.


Links of interest:
2007 Study on GDFoods to Avoid in Pregnancy
Prevent Diabetes in Pregnancy so you don't increase your child's risk of being overweight
General info on GD
(BTW, a large baby is not a defined reason for a cesarean! That's called an unnecessarian if there's not another (legitimate) reason!)