Hi sweet friends! I know many of you have been waiting to hear our birth story, so instead of boring you on social media with me verbally telling the story, I decided to type everything up so I would always have it- kind of like a journal entry. I actually did this after I had Gray – his birth story is here – and ended up printing it off and putting it in his baby book. Wayyy easier that handwriting it all down in my opinion haha! Let’s jump in-
Wednesday, July 14th started like any other day. I was 38 weeks 4 days pregnant and was feeling pretty good. I had plans to pick up an order at our local Nordstrom around noon, so I got myself and Gray ready and we headed out. I was planning on meeting one of my girlfriends at Nordstrom and we decided to go inside and walk around a bit. As soon as we walked in, I felt some leaking (sorry to be blunt haha!), so I went to the bathroom to make sure things were okay. It didn’t seem like much fluid and it seemed to be a one time thing, so we continued to walk around. About 20 minutes later, while we were in the shoe department, I felt the leaking again, but this time it seemed like more. I immediately asked my girlfriend if the back of my dress was wet (it wasn’t haha). She started freaking out asking if my water broke and it truly wasn’t until then that I thought I was going into labor.
I wasn’t feeling any contractions, so I made the decision to take Gray home and meet Scott there. I packed Gray up in my car and as soon as I sat down in my driver’s seat I felt another gush of fluid- it was definitely more this time. I quickly drove home (about a 35 minute drive) and on the way I called my doctor, Scott, and my mom. My doctor advised me to go ahead and come into the hospital even though I wasn’t experiencing contractions yet.
Once I got home, I started experiencing cramping (similar to period cramps) and I knew things were definitely progressing. Scott and I quickly grabbed our hospital bags and we left Gray with my mom. The hospital was about 35 minutes away and during the ride the cramping got worse- still bearable, but I would have to stop and focus on my breathing.
We arrived to the hospital around 2 PM and they checked us into triage. Because I had a previous c-section, I had the option of another c-section (I actually had one scheduled for 7/19) or I could try for a VBAC. During my pregnancy, I made the decision and shared with you all that I wanted to try for a VBAC. My doctor and I discussed this and although she was on board with my decision, she did advise me of the risks. The practice I go to will not allow a VBAC if it has been 18 months or less between your deliveries- this is due to the increased risk of uterine rupture as the incision is still fairly ‘new’ from your first c-section. My deliveries would be 20 months apart, so I was on the borderline of them even allowing a VBAC. Scott had voiced concerns over this, but he told me that obviously I was the one delivering and should choose what I felt was best. As I got closer to the end of my pregnancy, I did feel a slight shift in my birthing plan. The risk of a uterine rupture made me nervous and the fact that my deliveries were so close intensified that anxiety. Ultimately, I decided that I would make the final decision once I go to the hospital for delivery. *In my mind, I ultimately felt like my decision would be based upon the status of my labor once I got to the hospital. Meaning, if I showed up to the hospital and was only 1-2 cm dilated (meaning I wasn’t far into labor) I would likely have a c-section. If I showed up to the hospital and my labor was further along (4+ cm dilated), I would likely have a VBAC. I guess I felt like the longer I was in labor, the higher the chance of a uterine rupture? I don’t really know why I made my made up this way, but this is what I ultimately decided during the last few weeks of my pregnancy.
The nurse hooked me up to the monitor, confirmed that my water broke/I was in labor, and checked to see how much I had dilated… 2 cm. I was pretty shocked because I was really starting to feel contractions at this point. The nurse mentioned that once your water breaks, contractions are much more intense as you no longer have that fluid cushion – your muscles are literally contracting up against the baby, not fluid.
Well, now I was in a pickle. I was 2 cm dilated and still was unsure on how I wanted to deliver this baby. Scott and I talked it over and ultimately we made the decision to move forward with a c-section. I’m pretty sure the nurse wanted to kill me because I was being so indecisive…I just felt lost and didn’t really know what option would be best. Once we made the decision to move forward with a c-section, they notified my doctor and we started preparing. We were told that they were very busy that day with c-sections and that it may take a little bit of time for an available operating room… exactly what you want to hear while you’re in active labor haha. At this point, my contractions were about a minute apart and they were very intense. I like to think that I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but holy cow- God bless you ladies who deliver naturally… let me bow down to you queens! I was literally curled into the fetal position on my side shaking the bed every time I had a contraction. Poor Scott didn’t know what to do.
Around 5 PM, my doctor and anesthesiologist came in to update us- they were still waiting for an available OR, but they recognized that I was EXTREMELY uncomfortable. We discussed pain management options for the time being, but nothing seemed ideal:
- Push pain meds through my IV, but they would suppress mine and baby’s respiratory systems which isn’t ideal before a surgery – NO
- Give an epidural now + spinal during c-section, but this combo can increase your risk of needing general anesthesia during surgery (meaning I would be fully asleep during the c-section) – NO
- Wait until OR is open and push through pain – YES
I told the doctors I would wait, but that I likely wouldn’t be able to push through the pain that much longer. They left the room and it wasn’t 5 minutes later that they came back and said that an OR was open and we were heading down. You don’t know how happy I was… literally. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and all I could focus on while they were wheeling me down the hall was seeing my baby and getting some pain relief.
Once we got into the OR, I received a spinal and they prepped me for surgery. Scott came in right before the surgery started and sat next to me the entire time. Once the baby was born, Scott was able to stand up and see if it was a boy or girl- it was a BOY and he was able to look down and tell me 🙂 Seriously the BEST moment! The staff set up the warmer for the baby about 10 feet to my left, so I was able to turn my head and watch everything they were doing (cleaning, weighing, examining baby). Once they were done, I was able to do skin to skin which was phenomenal… I just kept crying because I was so happy. Scott and sweet baby Oliver were able to stay with me the ENTIRE time and they came with my to recovery. *This was a way different experience than my first c-section where they took Scott and Gray away pretty much immediately to the nursery where they did the weight, examination, etc. I didn’t have any skin to skin and was left with the hospital staff in the OR while they put me back together. I ended up panicking a bit which resulted in them giving me Propofol to knock me out for a bit….anyways, not the best experience. This experience, however, was pure bliss- truly. I was so calm, I had my family with me the entire time….it was way more relaxed and was everything I wanted in a delivery.
I spent 2 hours in recovery and then transferred to a postpartum unit. I was there until we discharged Friday morning around 11 AM. As far as recovery, things have been going very well. Recovery after the c-section with Gray was fairly easy and I almost feel like this time around has been even easier- maybe because I knew what to expect? My number one tip after having a c-section is to GET UP if you are able to. I delivered at 5:59 PM on Wednesday evening and by midnight the nurses had me standing at the side of the bed (6 hours later!). I was able to slowly shuffle to the bathroom with help too! It can be scary to think about getting up and moving, but it is so important and I feel like it makes a world of difference. Today, I am nearly 2 weeks out for surgery and feel great! I am moving well, but am not going upstairs or lifting anything heavy. My incision is still mildly sore, but I don’t notice it much.
C-SECTION RECOVERY
A few of you have asked about what products you may need to aid in c-section recovery – I actually included all of my postpartum recommendations here. I definitely feel like you need less during the postpartum period with a c-section versus a vaginal delivery.
Following a c-section there are some limitations including not lifting anything heavier than the baby, driving, etc. Usually doctors will give a timeline of 6 weeks for these limitations, however I feel like this can vary depending on your healing. Ultimately, I think you just need to listen to your body- if something hurts or causes your incision to be tender, don’t do it. Everyone heals at a different rate, so maybe you can lift something (like your toddler) around 2 weeks postpartum whereas other women may not feel comfortable at that time.
NURSING UPDATE
I have shared that I am nursing Oliver and many of you have asked for an update on how that is going! I struggled tremendously nursing Gray and ended up exclusively pumping until he was 5 months old (and then I switched to formula). I talk more about my experience here if you are curious!
This time around has been completely different. I spent a lot of time with the lactation consultant in the hospital and tried to pick up as many tips as possible. Oliver seemed to be latching and sucking well which I was excited about! Around day 4 post-delivery, I noticed that my milk seemed to have come in- I wasn’t engorged, but I could definitely tell my breasts were more full and I was producing milk instead of colostrum. Oliver’s birthweight was 7 lbs 3 oz and when we left the hospital he dropped to 6 lbs 9 oz (very common for newborns to lose some weight initially). We had an appointment the following Monday with Oliver’s pediatrician and he weighed 6 lbs 14 oz which was super reassuring! He was gaining more than an ounce per day which is ideal!
I have been nursing on demand which ends up being every 3ish hours. Oliver will sometimes cluster feed at night where I feel like I am constantly nursing for a few hours, but that has gotten better over the last few days. I was told that the first 2 weeks of breastfeeding really sets the bar for your milk production, so feeding on demand is ideal. I was also advised to not introduce a bottle until at least 2 weeks old- we plan on using this bottle with these nipples per the lactation consultant. I will likely offer one bottle per day – I think I will do it at night to see if if will hold Oliver over for a longer time frame (4 hours) before feeding again. Bottle feeding will also allow me a bit more flexibility if I need to run errands, etc as someone else can feed Oliver if I’m not available.
Almost every time I nurse, I apply the Haakaa to my other breast to catch any letdown. I am typically able to collect 1-1.5 ounces each time and I have been storing this milk in the freezer. Generally speaking, I think I have been collecting 7-8 ounces of milk this way each day which I am happy about!
I certainly can go in to more detail about nursing if that is something you are interested in! Honestly, I didn’t have very high expectations this time around due to my experience with Gray, so I have been pleasantly surprised. Just remember- FED IS BEST, no matter if that’s breastmilk or formula. I beat myself up over and over over feeding Gray and felt like such a failure- no new mom should EVER feel like that! You do what’s best for your baby to keep them growing and developing + you do what’s best for you and your family.
I am planning on posting a Q+A today on Instagram stories, so if you have any questions please feel free to ask! Thank you guys for all of your love and prayers during this sweet time- wee are truly blessed to have such an amazing community who is supportive and kind. We definitely have been feeling the love and are so grateful 🙂 XO, -A
