For those who are interested...
Lydia's Birth Story
I suppose I should start by saying that although both boys had to be induced at 41 weeks and almost 42 weeks, I had a feeling that something was going to be different about Lydia's birth. With the boys, I felt as if I could stay pregnant with them forever. By a few weeks ago, I was ready for Lydia to be here and to be done being pregnant. Last Saturday, we had a quiet, relaxing day at home. I worked on laundry, made banana bars, got caught up on finances, meal planned for the week, and got a grocery list made. That evening, we went to a surprise 40th wedding anniversary party for a couple from our church. Not long after we arrived at the party my water broke. Thankfully, it started leaking slowly. We hadn't even started to eat yet, so I tried not to make it known what had happened. We stuck around long enough to eat a quick meal but then took off hoping that it didn't seem so strange that we left so soon. Once home, I called my midwife who talked through a few options with me but really felt that I needed to come to the hospital. So, we called Evann, a girl from our church, and asked her to stay with the boys until my parents were able to get back to Wahoo. I said "get back" to Wahoo because my parents had been home for only about 24 hours before we were calling them. They had been in town visiting us for a few days last week. I worked two full days last week and they stayed with the boys while I worked. They left Wahoo on Friday afternoon. My parents thought they could get ready and be back on the road by about 10:00pm that night. Mike and I finished packing our bags and getting things in order. When we were ready to leave for the hospital, we told the boys what was going on. Jonah said, "But I thought Grandma and Grandpa were going to be here when the baby was born." We told him that Grandma and Grandpa would be there when they woke up. His reply - "Evann AND Grandma and Grandpa?!?!" He was excited!
We arrived at the hospital around 9:00pm. We got up to Labor & Delivery and settled into our room. The first thing they did was a test to confirm that my water really did break - I had no doubt. The test proved that it did. The on-call resident (we delivered at The Nebraska Medical Center - a teaching hospital) did the first dilation check I had during this pregnancy and said I was at 2 cm and 70% effaced. By this time, I wasn't having any regular contractions. My midwife came to talk to us about our options for the night. Since I was attempting another VBAC, the baby's heartbeat was supposed to be monitored continuously once we arrived at the hospital since changes in heart rate are some of the first signs of uterine rupture (the big concern with VBACs even though the likelihood of one is VERY small). Thankfully, the midwife was willing to let me wait awhile to start being monitored so that we could walk the halls to try to get labor going. By midnight, I was having some contractions but they were small and irregular. So, we tried using a breast pump. It was much more successful in bringing on good, strong contractions, but I would have 4-5 and then they would go away. The only other options we had were to wait it out a few more hours to see if labor would start on its own or to begin pitocin. At this point, I was physically and mentally spent. I had been up since Saturday morning and don't do well with little sleep. I really didn't want to induce labor but also knew that I wouldn't have the energy for labor if we kept waiting. My midwife was very understanding, and although she would have preferred to start pitocin much earlier, we managed to wait until about 3:00am. Since labor still had not started, we agreed to start the pitocin but to go slowly with increasing it to allow my body to take over once I was in labor. Thankfully, I was able to rest for a couple of hours before the contractions got too intense for me to rest through. I didn't sleep at all, but it was good to lay quietly in a dark room and just pray. By about 6:00am, contractions were increasing in intensity. I tried laboring in some different positions to try to speed the labor along, but my physical and mental fatigue was making it so difficult for me to have the strength to manage the contractions and the pain. I was a wreck! I so much desired to have another unmedicated childbirth but just felt as if I couldn't keep going after 24 hours without sleep. My midwife was a good support and counsel as we talked through the options of continuing to labor on my own or to get an epidural. There are many reasons for me not wanting an epidural as well as other means of pain relief, but at the time it came down to me being so physically and emotionally spent that we felt that the best option for me was to get an epidural. I needed rest. We made that decision around 8:00am. The anesthesiologist arrived fairly quickly and got to work. He was unable to get it in on the first attempt (not cool). Thankfully, he was able to get it in on the second attempt. When the midwife checked me around 9:00am, I was 5 cm and 100% effaced. Around 10:00am, my nurse came in and said that she wanted to check me again (we had been avoiding unnecessary checks since my water had broken and we wanted to avoid any chances of bacteria being introduced). While checking, she seemed a bit concerned and said something like, "I don't think I can feel a cervix. I'm going to have the midwife come check you." I was confused at first and disappointed thinking that things weren't progressing as hoped. But, the midwife came in a few minutes later and said, "10 cm. We are ready to start pushing!"
This blew me away! When I labored with Silas unmedicated, I knew exactly what was happening with my body. I knew when I was going through transition. I knew when I reached 10 cm. I knew when I needed to start pushing. This time was completely different. I felt the tightness of the contractions but had no idea that I had reached the point of pushing.
The second stage of labor (pushing) lasted about 1 hr and 20 mins with Silas. So, I was expecting it to take less than that this time. Not long into pushing, I could tell that my midwife was getting frustrated. She then said that I was doing exactly what I needed to be doing but that the baby wasn't coming down any more. She said that there was some kind of strong, fibrous band of tissue that was preventing the baby from coming through the birth canal. She assumed it was scar tissue from Silas' delivery. We tried lots of different positions for pushing to try to get the baby past the tissue but nothing worked. After an hour and a half, my midwife said that she needed to consult with the OB on duty to see what the next step should be (cutting the tissue or use of the vacuum were two options she mentioned...not fun). She said that in 14 years as a L&D nurse followed by 14 years as a midwife she had never seen something like this. The OB on call was the chief resident. He was very kind and encouraging to us and, after assessing the situation, felt that the best thing to do was to cut the scar tissue. The attending physician joined us as well and agreed with the resident's decision. Both of them also said that they had not seen scar tissue like this interfering with the delivery of a baby. But, they both felt that once it was cut the baby would be born quite quickly. So, he went ahead an made the cut.
By the first pushing contraction after the cut, progress was being made. She was on her way out! Between contractions, the nurses and drs were chuckling because they could see the top of her head turning from side to side. She was trying to figure out which way to go. It is AMAZING that babies know just what to do! Within 4 or 5 pushing contractions at 12:25pm, our Lydia was born!!! The OB lifted her right up onto my chest. And, things are a bit of a blur after that! I know that she looked right up at me, responding to my voice just moments after birth. She cried right away but calmed quite quickly to my voice and cuddling. Mike got to cut the cord. Lydia did the little newborn crawl to get up to me. The baby nurse performed all of the immediate newborn cares while Lydia laid with me. I loved how the nurses didn't take her from me or even suggest taking her from me. I got to hold her and cuddle her until I got too curious about her size. Then, I gave her up for just a minute while the nurse weighed and measured her - 8 lbs, 7 oz and 21 3/4 inches long. Right after the measuring was done, they gave her right back to me. And, Lydia got to nurse. She latched on right away and spend nearly an hour nursing while the OB took care of me.
After about an hour, my midwife and nurses wanted me to eat. I hadn't eaten much of anything since Saturday lunch (24 hrs earlier), and my blood pressure was quite low (70-something over 40-something). So, I ordered a meal and once it got there the nurse took Lydia and gave her a bath and finished her newborn cares. Then, after I finished eating, the nurses wanted me to get up and shower before moving to my postpartum room. I was amazed at how quickly they wanted me up and moving but thankful, too, as I was ready to feel clean. By 3:00pm, we were in our postpartum room resting. I think my parents arrived with the boys around 5:00 or 5:30. It was SO good to see them. Jonah was beaming when he walked into our room with a gift in tow for Lydia. Silas fell in love with his "Baby Lydia" immediately.
When we went to that party at church at 5:00pm Saturday night, we had no idea of what the next 24 hours would bring. What a blessing and answer to prayer that Lydia arrived quickly and safely! Months of my prayers that the Lord would bring Lydia to us "in Your way and in Your timing" were answered in ways we didn't expect. And, although two of my deepest desires for Lydia's birth - to go into labor on my own and to give birth naturally and unmedicated - did not happen, we have nothing but praise to offer to God. He is good!
