There are several people in my life who are pregnant right now, and as they prepare for the births of their babies, with various different feelings and approaches, I am reminded of that time in my own life earlier this year.
Now that I am 28, and Hope and Ezra are 5 months old (that happened on the same day!), how about I share my birth story? Seems like fun to me! (I say this earnestly, no sarcasm.)
So here it is: The story of how our babies made their entrance into this world!
I love reading birth stories, and I spent a lot of time during my pregnancy and bedrest doing just that. I find it fascinating to delve into the details of this amazing and miraculous experience. Given my interest in this topic, I spent a fair amount of time thinking about and preparing for the birth of our twins.
My chosen method of preparation was Hypnobabies. This is a childbirth education course that focuses on helping the mother develop a calm and positive attitude toward birth, thereby making the birth experience a positive one. Their tagline is "Enjoy your baby's birth in comfort, joy, and love."
I had heard about Hypnobabies from my sister-in-law who is a doula and labor and delivery nurse. I was fascinated! (Seriously, it's really interesting, you should read more about it. Or ask me! I would love to share more.) When it came down to it, I decided I wanted to experience this for myself. I initially signed up for the six week course through Hypnobabies Twin Cities but then when I was put on bedrest, I opted for the home study course instead. I diligently read through the coursework, listened to the self-hypnosis CDs, and practiced my self hypnosis tools. Overall I was very happy with the program, as it allowed me to feel proactive about my birth preparation and remain low stress during my pregnancy.
The day finally arrived - the day that our babies would be born! At 7:30am on March 19, 2014 we checked in to our labor and delivery room at Fairview Southdale. (I had to be induced because at 34 weeks I developed cholestasis, which is a liver imbalance in which the flow of bile from the liver is impaired. The only treatment is to deliver the babies, and then the liver-bile system regulates itself after delivery.) Before I got hooked up to my IV, Ian took a few last pregnancy pictures:
When my doctor had done a cervical check two days prior, I was 3cm dilated and 100% effaced. That was great news! No cervical ripening needed. So my nurse Helen came in and we chatted about our birth preferences. She was very supportive and excited about our plans for a natural childbirth, and her daughter had even used hypnosis during birth! She started the pitocin, and things were underway!
Honestly, labor went really well - Hypnobabies worked! I was a Hypno Mom! I had put in the time and practice, and it totally paid off. I truly did experience contractions just as pressure, not pain! This was particularly cool because usually when pitocin is used, contractions are stronger and more painful. Ian went out periodically to update our family in the waiting room, and they couldn't believe I was doing so well and feeling so good. Even my nurse and doctor were surprised! At one point they put in an Intrauterine Pressure Catheter (IUPC) so that they could measure the strength of my contractions and be sure that they were productive. Sure enough, they were plenty strong! And my doctor confirmed the same thing later when I had a contraction during a cervical check! Yeah!
I was able to use a variety of positions in and out of bed, including being on the birthing ball, sitting up in bed, leaning back, standing, and periodically getting up to use the bathroom. I really enjoyed being able to move around, and use positions that were both comfortable for me, and good for the babies. At one point I even felt a little reflex-like jolt when Hope, who was positioned very low, moved down even lower. It was almost like the reflex when the doctor taps your knee with that little hammer. Weird, but cool!
Each time I had a cervical check throughout labor, I just relaxed and focused on being positive. I didn't want to know how far along I was, so after each one Ian would confer with my nurse. What I found out later was that initially (until about noon) I progressed nicely, but then I stalled at 6cm. And stayed at that amount of dilation for about 8 hours. It finally came to the point that my doctor came in, told me that this was the situation, and that she was recommending a C-section. This was the first time that day that I cried. I was feeling really good and wanted to keep going! I asked her for one more hour, which she agreed to. I asked Ian to share our situation with our family in the waiting room, and ask them to pray for progress. I spent that next hour trying different labor positions and focusing on being at peace with however things turned out.
At the end of the hour my doctor came back in and checked me. I was still only 6cm. She said that after being on bedrest for so long, trying to keep preterm labor at bay, my uterus had been through a lot, and it probably just wasn't able to get us any further. We had all done everything we could do from a labor standpoint, and it was time to go to the OR. She recommended this course of action as being the best for me and the babies. By that time I had accepted this, even though I had really wanted a natural, vaginal birth.
My doctor is a great surgeon, and everything went well. Ian was with me, and we got to see the babies right after they came out. I even got to hold Hope while I was getting stitched up!
Ian, ready for action!
All prepped and ready for surgery
9:38pm - Baby A - Little Miss Hope!
9:40pm - Baby B - Mr. Ezra! He needed a little help to get his lungs inflated, but then he got it sorted out. This also meant that Ian couldn't get as many pictures of Ezra in the OR.
Ian and his little daughter, Hope!
"She's so beautiful!"
"... so beautiful."
Our brand new bundles of joy
Very first family picture!
Such a proud dad!
Getting wheeled to our room. Even though they were born early (35 weeks +2 days), they didn't have to go to the NICU. They got to stay in our room, and we all went home together 4 days later! Amazing.
In reflecting on the whole experience, it was just how our journey was meant to be. I got to experience labor, and now I am confident that I could definitely do it again! Ian was the most amazing supporter and partner (my Hypno-Guardian!) and I was so lucky to have him. He said it was hard watching me on the operating table, so we are both very much on the V-BAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) train for next time (whenever that may be...).
Birth is amazing, and I am grateful to be able to share my experience. It is so intimate and personal though, so I am a strong believer in women making whatever choice is right for them. There are many great options out there, and it is great that we are, for the most part, able to choose where and how we want to bring babies into this world. My advice for any future mothers is to talk to people, and explore a variety of options until you find a fit that is good for you. And at the end of the day, you get a baby - or in our case, two! What a miraculous blessing.
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