Rowan is HERE!

Labor started between 9 and 10pm on Monday night - with contractions accompanied with a minor low back ache. Jason started timing things at around 11pm, as I was starting to breath through them. He timed them for an hour or so, then I told him to stop because they were not following a pattern and were kindda all over the place.
I got in the tub around 1:30 and sat there for about and hour and half. By 3:00 things were much more intense, the only position that was somewhat easier for me was on my hands and knees. Couldn't walk or talk during a contraction, and I was getting more vocal with the pain.
By 5:30 there were enough contractions happening 4.5 min apart so we called my Midwife and she said we could come in and get checked out. By the sounds of things, and how intense it was, she guessed I was making progress.
We got there around 6:30 and she checked me and amazingly enough, I was only 1cm dilated and 0% effaced!! No progress was being made , yet I was experiencing labor pains that would be expected for someone at least 5-7cm dilated! All we could do was go home (although Jason wanted to get me a hotel room...I knew I wasn't going to be comfortable there and I didn't want to be in labor in a hotel room...). So home we went again. Oh, I should mention, on the way TO Stratford, I actually fell asleep a little bit and contractions happened about 7 minutes apart. So my midwife said I wasn't in active labor yet since they were changing according to my position or physical activity. She said I really needed to be knocked out so I could sleep, so she said to take some Gravol.

Got home just after 7, took some Gravol and went back to bed. In bed, my contractions were 6-7 min apart, in the tub they were 4-5 min apart. When I was walking or moving around they were 2-3 min apart, most of the time stacked on top of eachother!! So I was all over the map. I tried to sleep, but was in agony, and had to change my position for every contraction. The Gravol just made me really sleepy between contractions but I couldn't sleep through them AT ALL. I was by myself for about 3 hours because Jason was with the twins downstairs. I called him up around 10:30 because I needed him to time things.
There was no change in the timing of the contractions - at all!! They were all over the place, but I was in so much pain I was beside myself. Terrible back labor.
I totally lost track of time after Jason came upstairs...before I knew it, he was talking to the midwife and was saying something about us being there before 7:00!! I tried to talk to her between contractions (which were at that point happening in 2's about 6 minutes apart). She said that she was concerned something was wrong - since I wasn't following the pattern of active labor and things hadn't changed since she saw me. She said that I should come in and get checked - if I hadn't made any or enough progress, she recommended that I see the OB at the hospital because there could be a problem. At that point I didn't care anymore, if I had to have a section, for safety reasons, I was fine with it.
We left the house at 6:30 and headed to Stratford again...this time I was a MESS and had very little rest between contractions. Being buckled in to the front seat was torture for my back. Every time Jason had to touch the breaks, I would scream GO GO GO!!! I tried to get him to speed...he wasn't going as fast as I would have liked though.
We called the midwife half way there and she asked if we wanted to just go to the hospital right away instead of meeting her at the office for a check. YES!!!! I just wanted to get to the hospital. I could tell she was sorta reluctant, because she knew that if given the opportunity, the OB would want to muck with me and make a ruling before she had a chance to assess things.

We got the hospital at 7:00...Jason got me a wheelchair and I made it all the way to triage in Maternity on the 2nd floor before I got hit with another contraction. This got everyone's attention ASAP and as soon as it was done, my midwife went to check me and I felt something "give". I thought it was my water, but I saw later it was just my plug. My midwife checked me and she was SHOCKED!! I was FULLY DILATED! I was praising God BIG TIME.
They wheeled me across the hall and into bed, on my knees and told me I could push with my next contraction! Around 7:15 I started pushing, my midwife moved the last little bit of my cervix out of the way. I asked them for laughing gas, which they gave me, but I was having a hard time with the mask...it was in a weird place and so much was going on, I didn't even use it properly.

I was on my hands and knees, but they turned me around so they could see things better and so that I could push better. Even though I hated that position (I have a long tailbone that doesn't like me sitting on it that way), I stayed sitting, the bed was lowered a little bit. Pushing was scary - I thought I would poop...but I don't thing I had anything to poop - it just felt that way. My water broke in the 1st push...Weird feeling, I thought I had peed! LOL! I didn't care. My midwife broke the last little bit of water, and she said his head was right there, she could see it.
They got the mirror out so I could watch things and that helped. I really didn't want to relax my legs...I just couldn't. I couldn't grab them or anything. I just had to push. Soon I could see and feel the top of his head. I pushed about 3 or 4 more times and his head came out...I was so scared of tearing, but I only tore a tiny amount, 1st degree, and no stitching was required.
One more push, maybe 2 and he was born at 7:39pm after only 19 minutes of pushing!!
I got to pick him right up and bring him up to my chest - all goopy and bloody. I got to hold him right away. He had a big poop all over my stomach, then he peed a short time later - all systems GO!

As soon as he was wiped down, I let him root around my breasts to see if he was interested...and he latched on within about 10 minutes after he was born.

Jason got to cut the cord, and I got to see an umbilical for the 1st time - not as big as I thought it would be...his was quite small. I delivered the placenta while they wiped him down on my chest - that was uncomfortable but not bad. I think Jason accidentally captured that moment in a picture I look like was yelling at someone, but I don't think I was...I was probably saying OW!

Rowan was weighed and measured and warmed up, then he was back in my arms to nurse some more. Then my mom came in, she just knew we had left for the hospital, not sure if he was born yet. So she was his 1st visitor and got to see him about 30 minutes after he was born.

He slept great all night - which was nice but I was pretty wide awake, so he slept more than I did. Recovery has been a breeze compared to recovery from a section. For one, I can walk around without dragging an IV pole and catheter with me for 48 hours!
I was scared to use the washroom afterwards, but my midwife gave me permission to pee in the shower....lol...makes me laugh just saying that!! HAHAHA....felt good. I am still sore but I am just taking it slow and keeping my legs together.

We were so blessed - I don't have coverage with our insurance for a private or even semi private room (odd), but I was told that if things were not busy at the hospital, I might get to stay in the labor suite over night!! So at the end of the night, my midwife was able to talk them into letting me stay in the room, Jason could spend the night with me, and we had this HUGE room to ourselves free of charge! Praise God! It is a lovely hospital, so much better than Woodstock. I am still to happy with my decision....even with the torturous car ride! I DID IT! I had the delivery I wanted, with a midwife, in the hospital I wanted.

And, I had told people that I wanted a 6 and a half pounder at the MOST...I didn't think he would be 7lbs. He was 6lbs 6oz and 19 inches long....perfect! He can get some use out of the cute newborn clothes!! LOL!

Rowan means "Red Haired One" - and we think he might have red hair...it looks like Zayne's did when she was born.

Jason means Healer. This pregnancy and birth was sort of a healing for me after the rough time I had with my last pregnancy and having to have a c-section and then all the trials I had to over come afterward...this was going to be different and it was, in many ways.

Kael (pronounced like the vegetable) means Healthy, Strong & Manly. He is and will be all that. He has proven to be an EXCELLENT nurser and he is healthy and whole.

I love him, he has completed this family and he has healed me emotionally, I am so thankful! And he's pretty darn cute

 

Congrats!! Felt like I was laboring with you for a few seconds there.

 

Congrats!!

 

Congratulations!! :Clap:

 

Congrats!!!

 

Congrats!

 

I was just popping in to see who was in here these days and what's been going on...and then I noticed you had your baby!!!! CONGRATS!!! Sounds like a LONG labor, but well worth it in the end!

 

Wow, congrats! I loved reading your birth story! :drinks:

 

Amazing birth story! Congrats on baby Rowan!!!

 

So glad you got your vbac. Your labor 'pattern' sounds EXACTLY like what happened in my first vbac. My doula later told me that she's seen a lot of vbacs go that way. Her theory is that the body takes it slower because it knows it needs to be more careful. My second vbac also went with me being 0cm but having labor like I was in transition already. My body just likes to sit at 0-2cm for hours and hours and hours, and then go from 2 to 10 within an hour or so. Just proves that not everyone follows the textbook when it comes to labor.

Congratulations!!

 

How exciting!! Glad things went as you wanted them to (got your VBAC!). Great name!

 

that is really interesting, Susanna - I didn't know that! I knew that I would likely have a fast delivery as it's in my genes....but I had no idea that I would be in labor for that long - and it was intense labor!! I don't know, maybe he was facing backwards for a bit, then turned...who knows. The back pain was intense. I am glad though, that I did all the laboring at home - if I had been in the hospital earlier in the day, I would have been checked often and told where things were at - and I likely would have become very discouraged or pressured into having meds I didn't plan on having. Ignorance was bliss. I left the house actually thinking I'd be having a CS again. I am glad I didn't have to!!!!

 

Congrats, so awesome you got the delivery you wanted!! Love his name!

 

Conngratulations!! I'm so impressed with your delivery, a VBAC! With no medication! Kudos to you and congratulations!!! :ibiggrin:

 

Congratulations!!

 

CONGRATS!!