Check It

Pictures and Deets!!!

Baby Nomad

HE's 7 lbs 9 oz!!!!




More from MamaNomad later...

Labor Watch

I'm sitting in my dark kitchen, a candle burning peaceful, smooth labor-vibes into the air, glancing uncontrollably across the street every few seconds...
What a beautiful day it was! You can read the events from Leah's perspective, and I'll just show you the pics:

The perfect labor meal: A BLAC Sandwich (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Chicken). Mmmmm...
A little Isa-love
Watch out, Kiran, that seat will be gone, soon!
Holding Peck
Glowing

Light your candles, ladies!!
xoxoxoxoxo

Birth Story Carnival

I realize I am a few days late, but I just couldn't pass up a chance to participate in a birth story sharing event.

My first inclination was to share Kiran's birth story, since it is my most recent and because we just celebrated his 1st birthday. But, in digging a little deeper, I have decided I would like to share Kaden's birth story. All 3 of my births changed me and are so special to me, each in it's own way. Kaden's birth was my first VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean), it was a very fast and uncomplicated birth after a super-long and more complicated birth, and it was my first homebirth--all of which made it such an intensely powerful and fulfilling experience for me.

I had been having strong and regular, but not painful, contractions for several weeks. At 37 weeks I woke up at 2 am for my regular potty & snack trip. I was still having the same regular contractions, but nothing out of the ordinary. I returned to bed with my string cheese, and had trouble falling back to sleep (again, not unusual). At about 2:45 Rich woke up and asked how I was doing, and if my contractions were regular. I told him they were, but that I thought we should just go back to sleep and that we would probably have several nights like this before I really was in labor. At 3 am we both laid down to rest, and I turned over onto my belly, like in child's pose, as my contraction was a little stronger--and I felt a "pop" up in my belly. Instantly the contractions intensified and became painful, and I went into the living room to sit on my birth ball and light candles, while vocalizing through them. Rich called our midwife and called my mom to come be with me, as he worked like a mad-man trying to get the hot tub (which was completely unprepared for labor) into the house, cleaned, and filled (HA!).

I labored like this for about 20 minutes, when I felt the urge to poop--so I moved into the bathroom. As soon as I sat down on the toilet, my contractions turned to grunting pushes...what an amazing feeling that was! That urge is so powerful and overwhelming, I could not deny it. I told Rich to call our midwife back and tell her I was "feeling pushy." By the time she arrived at 3:30 and checked me, I was completely dilated and pushing.

Now came the hard part. :) I have heard a lot of women tell a lot of birth stories. I have read about and seen many many videotaped and a few live births. Some women have a very difficult time with the contractions, others with pushing... mine was pushing. It wasn't that it was so painful, although it was... It was deciding in my mind, actually committing to pushing that baby out, that was so difficult. I can remember the exact moment that I finally made up my mind, and decided to really push him out--and out he came!

It was so glorious to feel him slip out of me--although the several minutes that he was crowning was the most intense and painful moment of my life--and then to hold him on my chest, all wet and warm and brand new, was the most profound and most longed-for experience I have had.

To see pictures, and read the account of Kaden's birth that I wrote the day he was born, click here.

Thanks, Lotus, for giving us this opportunity to share such intimate and important details of our lives.

A Year Ago Tonight...

at almost exactly this same time..

I accepted that I was probably really in labor. After having regular contractions for several weeks, and wondering if I was going to have another early baby, I finally labored in earnest, 2 days before my due date. As Rich got off work at 11:30, my labor immediately intensified, and 2 hours later Kiran Cedar was born.


But, more on that tomorrow. If you want to read the whole story in the meantime, click here.

PhotoHunt 4: Free

...and not happy about it!!
You can read the full story of how Kylin was kicked out of the womb too early for her liking here.

The Kind of Births I Want to See More of

...and they actually take place in the hospital.

Amy inspired me to do a follow-up post to the hilarious, but nonetheless disturbing, video clip I posted last week. I don't think Amy took it this way, but I want to be sure everyone understands, I did not mean that to be offensive to anyone who has or would like to give birth in a hospital. I strongly believe women should be where they are most comfortable (physically, mentally, and emotionally), and for some that is not in their own home. The problem that I have is the outrageous system of medicalized birth in America. A system that is in serious trouble, being concerned much more with lawsuits and protocol than with the health of our mothers and babies. At the same time that our cesarean rate is skyrocketing, our fetal mortality rates are going up right along with it. This could be a whole long ranty post, complete with numbers and percentages that would make your jaws drop and you would all fall out of your chairs in sheer horror and disgust...but I'm not going there tonight. If you would like to read that post, Angela has outlined it very nicely in her post "How the United States Ranks." What I do want to say is that there are many wonderful midwives, doulas, nurses and doctors (yes, I said doctors) who are working in our nations hospitals to make it a safer and more peaceful place to give birth. I love this video, because it highlights exactly that. And because it is set to the song that Rich and Kylin and I walked down the aisle to after our wedding...it always makes me cry.



If you search on youtube for "Navelgazing Midwife" or "Dr. Wonderful" you will find many more amazing and touching videos. Oh, and Amy, I would LOVE to see your wonderful hospital birth video on youtube, or for sale... we need to be the change we wish to see in the world, sister.


In other news....

I bought a domain name!!! :)

I'm urbanhippiemama.com

For now I will just make it point to this site, so any bookmarks or feeds you already have in place *should* be fine. If you try to check the blog in the next couple of days and you get a weird page or something funky happens, just check back again... hopefully I'll get all the bugs worked out really quickly.

A Typical Hospital Birth

I am not anti-hospital. Doctors and hospitals provide very necessary and life-saving medical care, when they are needed. I am anti-fear-based-decision-making-and-relying-on-technology-instead-of-human-care, though, and so when I saw this video today on VBAC Warrior's blog I felt as if my feelings about hospital birth were finally understood and portrayed in front of the larger audience. I know that Monty Python's The Meaning of Life has been around for 25 years now, and that I am probably the only one reading this who has never seen it before, but sadly this scene is more right-on today than it probably even was in 1983.

It Worked!

Thanks for all the good thoughts... see Savannah's blog for details of her little guy's journey. Liam was born by VBAC on March 21st!! They are home and enjoying their babymoon now.

Send Love

My good friend Savannah has been in labor for 30 hours now, and could use some love and prayers and peaceful birthing vibes. Please keep her in your thoughts. You can check for updates on the blog her husband is updating.

Kiran's Birth

Rich worked a night shift, 3-11:30, on Wednesday, March 14th—instead of his normal day shift, so we got to sleep in together that morning. When the kids woke up, Kylin took Kaden in to the playroom to play, and Rich and I got to cuddle and sleep a little while longer. During that morning nap I had about 3 contractions that woke me up from my sleep each time and I wondered (as I did with every set of regular contractions) “Could this be IT?!”
We got up at 8 or 8:30, had a yummy breakfast together of soft boiled eggs and toast, and then friends of mine who are studying to be midwives, Kelly and Lori, came over to practice on my belly. The contractions had continued fairly regularly after getting up, and I told Kelly and Lori that I was hoping the baby might decide to come while they were there.
They left at 10:30, and we decided to get the grocery shopping done. I continued to have contractions through Fred Meyer, and we tried to stock up on what we might like during labor and post-partum. My contractions hadn’t changed at all from what they had been for awhile, but I was having them pretty regularly and my low back was aching.
We came home and Rich cut up a bunch of veggies and made dip, and I heated up the food Kelly had brought us—lasagna, grilled chicken, and tabouli. We snacked and grazed, and Kylin, Rich, and I played dice.
At 2:30 Rich left for work, and I started dinner in the crockpot to cook—CHILI . When I was done with that, I laid down with Kaden to take a nap. I slept very soundly and we woke up together at about 5 or 5:30. I made a big pan of cornbread, and called my mom to invite her over to eat with us, since Dad was gone bowling. I think at about 7:30 Mom, Haley, and Dylan came over. I was having very regular contractions, but I couldn’t really tell if they had intensified. Looking back, I’m pretty sure they had, but at that point I still wasn’t sure I was in labor, although I was excited and hopeful. I enjoyed hanging out with my mom and sister and our kids, and while we talked, I contracted and made lactation cookies.
Rich had been at work all evening, and he called to check in on every break. By his dinner break I was thinking it might really be labor, and by his last break I was pretty sure it was. I told him he didn’t need to leave work yet, and I would call if anything changed. I was so thankful to have my mom and sister there. It kept me from being fearful of laboring without Rich there, and it was also so helpful to have my mom caring for the kids. She put Kaden down to bed, and then came downstairs to help Haley bathe Dylan.
At 10 pm I called Stephanie, who was our videographer, and who wanted as much notice as possible so that she could arrange care for her girls. I told her I was pretty sure I was in labor, the contractions were coming every couple minutes but weren’t lasting real long, and were still just “uncomfortable.” I told her we would probably be calling her to come later that night.
I had asked my friend and chiropractor, Amy, to attend our birth as well—to take still photos and to adjust the baby and/or I. Unfortunately she had left early that morning for Puerto Vallarta, so it wasn’t to be.
11:19 pm, post on MDC “PDX BabyWatch 2007 Spring Edition” thread:
“Ok...I think I need some candles, ladies. Have been having regular contractions all day, starting out a little bit painful this morning and waking me up from sleep. Tonight they've gotten more painful and now I'm having to stop and focus and breathe through them. I hope this is it, cause I don't want to do this more than I have to...these ones HURT!! I'm so excited to get in the tub when it's a little closer...that sounds soooooo good right now. I'll let you know what happens...just wanted to imagine all the candles burning (even if they're just mental! ). thanks, mamas!!”

I bustled about, cleaning up, switching sheets of cookies to bake in the oven, and doing laundry. At 11:30 pm Rich called as he left work, and my labor shifted gears. Every 2 minutes I told him “I’ll call you right back.” I walked in to the dark bathroom, leaned on the counter, and swayed my hips through contractions that lasted 30-40 seconds. I called him right back after each one, and was upbeat and excited in between. Rich said that he realized by the time he was crossing the bridge and I had already hung up and called him back about 5 times, that he knew this was it.
I continued to bustle about the house getting things done—cookies, laundry, cleaning up—and kept wondering why I didn’t want to get in the tub yet, even though it sounded so good. Although I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I was worried that my labor would be long, and I wanted to “save” the comfort of the water for when it would really be needed. It was also difficult for me to accept how far along I was in my laboring, because even though the contractions were becoming very intense, in between them I felt completely fine, and even great.
The first contraction I had after Rich arrived was in the laundry room. I leaned over the dryer, closed my eyes, swayed my hips from side to side, and vocalized through my contraction. When it subsided, I looked up to see Rich in the doorway on the phone with Ellie—despite me having told him that I thought we could wait a little while to call her. As soon as I looked up he explained unquestioningly, “I know that sound—that’s the ‘call Ellie’ sound!” I got a wonderful laugh out of that, because it is not often that Rich is caught off guard, and this was the only time I had seen it. 
I finished most of my chores, and began laboring in the living room. I think it was about this time (12 am?) that Kylin went to bed. I labored on my birth ball, and lit candles on my altar. I held my shiva lingham stone in one hand and wore my “trust” charm as a bracelet on the other.
Finally, I felt like it was time to get in the tub. As I stepped in and lowered myself into the hot water I moaned, “Ohhhhh….this is HEAVENLY…” It felt sooooooo good. Rich stayed by my side, right next to the tub. He held my hand, kissed me, gave me sips of water, and whispered sweet words of encouragement. Jack Johnson played softly on the stereo, and sometimes between contractions, I sang along.
Shortly before Betsy arrived, I turned inward. Instead of carrying on conversations with others between contractions, I became quiet and meditative. I contemplated this change and what it might mean (transition??..). I asked Rich to light the sage and smudge our birth space. Betsy arrived and sat quietly on the couch. Up until this point I had been aware of the people around me and what they were doing—the flash of the camera…conversations…but after this point most of what I remember is what was going on within myself.
I distinctly remember when my body’s energy shifted. It was just before the urge to bear down began, I noticed a distinct shift in my energy—as if it was suddenly moving in a direction down my belly. I hesitated to believe this was the first sign of pushing. I doubted (as I had with Kaden) that I could be this far along already. I did not want to get my hopes up, and then be disappointed or discouraged. But, the feeling grew and intensified. Soon I let out a little push with the contraction and it felt so good…exactly right. I still wanted validation that it was, in fact, ok to push—so I asked to be checked. Betsy donned her gloves, and got no further than a fingertip in when she said “the head is right there.” With that, I began pushing in earnest.
Sometime in there, Rich slipped into the tub to be with me. He sat behind me and anchored my body. It was the most amazing feeling to have these intense rushes of energy going through me, to have my body floating completely off the earth, and to be grounded only by my partner. It was wonderful…other-world-ly feeling.
As I pushed, my water broke. Rich said it felt like a shockwave went through the water, and he knew something happened even before I said it. I felt the head move smoothly down inside of me, much more quickly and with less effort than with Kaden. I believe it was a combination of it being my second vaginal birth, the comfort and pressure of the water, my upright position, and the presence of a little less fear. I do remember wrestling inside with the fear of pushing a baby out, but the battle was much shorter this time, and I got my resolve much easier.
I reached my hand down and felt my tissue stretch around our baby’s soft fuzzy head…What an amazing, surreal feeling. I tried to remain calm and focused, and maintaining contact with the baby and my perineum helped me do that. I pushed his head out and felt it fill my palm…It was so soft—I think a combination of his fuzzy hair, and the layer of vernix. Rich reached around me and rubbed his little head also, as we waited for my next urge to push, and for his body to be born. At 1:31 am, I pushed his little body into the water, into my arms, and Rich and I pulled him up on to my chest. I said, “Check her and make sure she’s ok,” just as I ran my hand down his bum and felt his little testicles in my hand. “It’s a BOY! ” I said, and apologized to him: “Sorry, little guy!”
My mom had brought Kylin down while I pushed, but she had stayed asleep on the couch. After the baby was born, I asked Kylin to join us in the tub, and this got her up. We enjoyed some time in the warm water together, as Ellie got his breathing going, and finally announced his name: Kiran Cedar Cross Hall.

2005 CDC Cesarean Rate

Research Shows Rising Cesarean Rate Bad for Mothers and BabiesICAN Names Top 15 Studies That Should Keep Mothers Out of the OR

Portland, OR, November 21, 2006 – As the number of cesarean sections in the U.S. continues to mount, so does the research showing that mothers and babies may be paying a high price for this surgery. Research published just in the last year has highlighted the short-term and long-term risks of undergoing a cesarean, for both mother and baby. Other research has called into question the assumed safety advantage of cesarean section over vaginal birth in various situations including vaginal birth after multiple cesareans and breech deliveries.

“Everything we know and continue to learn about cesareans supports more judicious use of the surgery,” says Tonya Jamois “but it is clear that the procedure is being overused.”

Major pieces of research released in 2006 showed that women who undergo cesareans versus women experiencing a vaginal birth have a higher risk of dying in childbirth, have a higher chance of suffering from potentially fatal placental problems in subsequent pregnancies, and their babies have a higher chance of being injured during surgery. The list of 15 studies that ICAN collected (see attached fact sheet) also shows that vaginal birth after cesarean, including multiple cesareans, continues to be a reasonably safe birthing choice for mothers.

“These studies continue to reinforce the findings of our 2004 systematic review of best research comparing outcomes of cesarean and vaginal birth.” says Maureen Corry of Childbirth Connection, a non-profit organization aimed at improving maternity care in the U.S. “Cesarean section always carries the risks of major abdominal surgery, and casual use the surgery may place both the woman and her baby in the way of considerable – and avoidable – harm.”

The CDC reports that the cesarean rate in the U.S. for 2005 is 30.2%, up from 29.1% in 2004. [The last reported rate in Canada is 22.6% in 2002.]

Feeding into the overall rates is the unknown number of women who are being forced into cesarean. Over 300 hospitals and thousands of physicians across the U.S. [and many in Canada] have banned vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) based on cost concerns and fears over liability. These bans mean that women are pushed into cesareans they do not want and likely do not need.

Dr. Mark Landon professor and vice chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine questions this trend. He is the primary author of the first large-scale American prospective study on VBAC, funded by the National Institutes of Health. “Our study findings have confirmed the relative safety of VBAC for most women and also demonstrated the risk uterine rupture is not significantly increased in women with multiple prior cesarean deliveries compared to a single prior operation” says Landon. “It’s critical for women to receive unbiased, evidence-based counsel from their physicians when they consider their birthing options.”

For women being threatened with a coerced cesarean, ICAN has developed a guide to help them understand their rights as patients. The resource discusses the principles of informed consent and the right of every patient to refuse an unwanted medical procedure.

Women who are seeking information about how to avoid a cesarean, have a VBAC, or are recovering from a cesarean can visit ICAN for more information. In addition to over 70 local chapters nationwide, the group hosts an active on-line discussion group that can serve as a resource for mothers.

About Cesareans: ICAN recognizes that when a cesarean is medically necessary, it can be a lifesaving technique for both mother and baby, and worth the risks involved. Potential risks to babies include: low birth weight; prematurity; respiratory problems; and lacerations. Potential risks to women include: hemorrhage; infection; hysterectomy; surgical mistakes; re-hospitalization; dangerous placental abnormalities in future pregnancies; unexplained stillbirth in future pregnancies and increased percentage of maternal death.

Mission statement: ICAN is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery and promoting vaginal birth after cesarean. There are 71 ICAN Chapters across North America, which hold education and support meetings for people interested in cesarean prevention and recovery.

For women who have experienced a cesarean, who are working towards a VBAC, or simply want to know how to prevent a first cesarean, ICAN of Portland is available to provide resources and support. For more information on how to get involved, contact:

ICANofPortland@yahoo.com, or Theresa 503-245-1678

For more information about Childbirth Connection, please visit www.childbirthconnection.org.


Rising Cesarean Rate Bad for Mothers
Top 15 Studies from 2006


1. Infant and Neonatal Mortality for Primary Cesarean and Vaginal Births to Women with "No Indicated Risk," United States, 1998–2001 Birth Cohorts (MacDorman, et al., Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care; Volume 33; Page 175; September 2006)

Study design: Researchers compared outcomes by cesarean delivery vs. vaginal delivery for women who had no preexisting risk for medical complications.
Bottom line: Risk of death for babies born by cesarean was nearly three times greater than babies who were born vaginally.

2. Maternal Complications Associated With Multiple Cesarean Deliveries (Nisenblat, et al., Obstetrics and Gynecology; Volume 108; Page 21; 2006)
Study design: Authors examined the health consequences of having multiple cesarean deliveries.
Bottom line: Multiple cesarean deliveries are associated with more difficult surgery and increased blood loss compared with a second planned cesarean delivery. The risk of major complications increases with cesarean delivery number.

3. Previous Cesarean Delivery and Risks of Placenta Previa and Placental Abruption (Getahun, et al., Obstetrics and Gynecology; Volume 107, No. 4, April 2006)

Study design: Authors examined the risk of placenta previa and placental abruption in women with a history of cesarean. Both previa and abruption are major causes of injury and death in childbirth.
Bottom line: Having a history of cesarean increases a woman’s chance of having a placenta previa and placental abruption, and each additional cesarean further increases the risk. Women with only vaginal deliveries or only one cesarean do not experience nearly the same risk.

4. Caesarean delivery rates and pregnancy outcomes: the 2005 WHO global survey on maternal and perinatal health in Latin America. (Villar, et al., The Lancet, June 3 2006; 367(9525):1819-29)

Study design: Study authors examined 97,095 births in 8 countries in Latin America looking for an association between cesarean delivery and pregnancy outcome.
Bottom line: Rate of cesarean delivery was positively associated with severe injury and death for mothers, even after adjustment for risk factors, and death for babies.

5. Risk of uterine rupture with a trial of labor in women with multiple and single prior cesarean delivery. (Landon, et al., Obstetrics and Gynecology July 2006; 108:2-3,12-20)

Study design: Study authors examined whether the risk of uterine rupture is greater in women with a history of multiple cesareans.
Bottom line: A history of multiple cesarean does not increase risk of uterine rupture and authors note that VBAC should remain an option for these women.

6. Vaginal birth after caesarean section versus elective repeat caesarean section: assessment of maternal downstream health outcomes (Pare, et al., British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Volume 113; Page 75; Jan 2006)

Study design: Researchers compared hysterectomy rates on women having a birth after one previous cesarean, and planning future births.
Bottom line: A policy of elective repeat caesarean section led to higher cumulative hysterectomy rate, nearly twice the rate.

7. Trial of Labor or Repeat Cesarean Delivery in Women With Morbid Obesity and Previous Cesarean Delivery (Hibbard, et al., Obstetrics and Gynecology; Volume 108, Page 125, July 2006.)

Study design: Researchers compared births for women with a prior cesarean delivery, according to the woman’s body mass index.
Bottom line: Morbidly obese women and their babies experienced a higher rate of injury when the baby was delivered by repeat cesarean.


8. Vaginal Birth After Cesarean in California: Before and After a Change in Guidelines (Zweifler, et al., Annals of Family Medicine, May/June 2006;4(3):228-234)

Study design: Researchers examined whether restrictive VBAC guidelines issued by ACOG and implemented by careproviders and hospitals have improved health outcomes for mothers and babies.
The bottom line: Researchers found that, in spite of restrictive guidelines imposed on women with a history of cesarean and those seeking VBAC, mothers and babies fared no better.


9. Uterine rupture and labor after a previous low transverse caesarean section (Turner, et al., British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology June 2006; 113:729–732)

Study design: Study authors reviewed the births of 4,021 women who had a single prior caesarean section and the 9 cases of complete uterine rupture that occurred during labor.
Bottom line: A trial of labor in women with a previous low transverse caesarean is associated with a high rate of vaginal delivery (78%) and a low rate of uterine rupture (0.22%).


10. Geographic Variation in the Appropriate Use of Cesarean Delivery (Baicker, et al., Health Affairs 25 (2006): w355–w367; August 2006)

Study design: Authors explore whether higher usage rates reflect medically inappropriate use of this procedure.
Bottom line: Authors found that cesarean rates varied greatly and that high cesarean rates were only partially due to medical need, and are greatly influenced by nonmedical factors like fear of lawsuits. Higher cesarean correlate to decreasing medical value for patients and do not mean improvements in the health of mothers and babies.

11. Maternal Risk Profiles and the Primary Cesarean Rate in the United States, 1991-2002 (Declerq, et al., American Journal of Public Health; May 2006)

Study design: Researchers examined the medical risk factors of mothers and compared that to the cesarean rate.
Bottom line: The rising cesarean rate is not being driven by an increase in the risk profile of mothers.

12. Physiology of Fetal Lung Fluid: Clearance and the Effect of Labor (Jain, et al., Seminars in Perinatology 2006)

Study design: This paper examines how labor or lack of labor can affect a baby’s ability to breathe after birth.
Bottom line: The process of labor and vaginal birth prepare the lungs of a baby for breathing air. Even for mature babies, being born by cesarean deprives the baby of important hormonal changes that occur before and during labor, and increases the risk of having difficulty breathing and death for the baby.


13. Factors Influencing the Composition of the Intestinal Microbiota in Early Infancy (Penders, et al., Pediatrics, Volume 118, Number 2, August 2006)

Study design: Researchers examined the amount of healthy and unhealthy bacteria in the intestines of newborns and compared that to mode of birth.
Bottom line: Bacteria in the intestine affects the overall health and immune system of babies. Babies born by cesarean section had higher counts of unhealthy bacteria and the lowest counts of beneficial bacteria, and babies born vaginally at home had the highest counts of healthy bacteria and lowest counts of unhealthy bacteria.

14. Five years to the term breech trial: The rise and fall of a randomized controlled trial (Glezerman, Obstetrics and Gynecology; Volume 194; Page 20; January 2006).
Study design: Author examines the methodology of the well-known Hannah Term Breech trial and cites inconsistencies.
Results: Most cases of neonatal death and morbidity in the term breech trial cannot be attributed to the mode of delivery. Moreover, analysis of outcome after 2 years has shown no difference between vaginal and abdominal deliveries of breech babies. Author concludes that “conventional wisdom” of cesarean for breech should be withdrawn.

15. Is planned vaginal delivery for breech presentation at term still an option? Results of an observational prospective survey in France and Belgium (Goffinet, et al.,Obstetrics and Gynecology Volume 194, Issue 4 , April 2006, Pages 1002-1011)

Study design: Researchers compared outcomes for planned cesarean and planned vaginal birth for breech babies among 8,105 women in France and Belgium. Bottom line: Of those who planned a vaginal birth, 71% were successful and there was no significant difference in outcomes between the vaginal birth and cesarean delivery groups.

BIRTH DAY!!

The four of us are all cuddled in bed now, reading a bedtime story. Kaden is sprawled out, asleep, on his daddy's lap, Kylin is in between Rich and I... We are a FAMILY!!
I woke up this morning at 2 am, for my hourly (at least) trip to the potty. I was having the regular tightening contractions that I have had for most of my pregnancy, with some crampiness that has become normal the past week or two. The only thing different that I noticed, was that they were pretty regular--maybe 2 minutes apart...but that was not a "first" either. At 2:45 Rich woke up and we talked a little. He wondered if he should get the hot tub prepared (which he had wanted to do Saturday, but I told him that would only jynx me), and again I told him to hold off--I had had many nights like this during my pregnancy with Kylin, with regular contractions not leading to anything. At 3:00 I got into child's pose, kind of a hands and knees position with your chest down, and after a minute I felt a pop up in my belly and my contractions were instantly painful and intense. I told Rich to call Ellie right away. He flew around the house, trying to get the hot tub ready, my mom arrived to be with me during my contractions, and I sat in the living room on my birth ball lighting candles in between contractions. I was moaning and vocalizing loudly to get through the strong, frequent contractions.

After about 15 minutes I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom, so I went in and sat on the toilet--and my contractions instantly became strong, grunting pushes. I yelled to Rich to call Ellie again, and tell her I'm pushing. Ellie arrived soon while I was still on the toilet, about 3:30, and checked me. She said we should get me moved, and I thought she meant so that she could get in a better position to check my dilation, and then she said, "we don't want you having the baby on the toilet." I still can't believe I was fully dilated...
I was really tied to the idea of laboring in the hot tub, but Rich helped me to let go of that quickly, and he helped me to stay present and grounded. He is so flexible and strong in intense situations, and he was amazingly calm and centered during the birth. We got into the bathtub for a few contractions, and Rich was very sweet--sitting behind me in the tub, rubbing my legs and hair--but it was so difficult to push in that small space. So, we got out after a few pushes and moved to the bed. It took a few pushes to get the baby under my pubic bone, but he was born so easily...at 4:22 am, just 2 hours and 22 minutes after I woke up.
Kylin was there during the birth, my mom woke her up when we moved to the bed to push. She was so sweet and excited...kissing me, hugging me, and "stretching" with me. :-) When Kaden was crowning, Kylin whispered in my ear, "your baby is almost here." It was so precious.
He is beautiful and perfect...weighing 7 lbs and measuring 20 inches long. Kylin got to announce his name, as she had been waiting months to do: Kaden River.

Kylin’s Birth

I woke up on Sunday, August 26^th, feeling “different.” It was hot, I was cranky, and Jamie and I were not getting along. He worked in the computer room all morning, and I cleaned and worked around the house. At about 11 am I couldn’t stand it anymore…my back was aching so badly—I had to ask for his help. I bent over in front of the box fan on all fours, the air blowing in my face, and called for him to come rub my back. I had been having contractions, but they were not very regular—varying from 5-10 minutes apart. We decided we would like to get the grocery shopping done and run a few errands before going to the hospital to be checked. If I really was in labor, I wanted to know for sure so that I could notify Aunt Debbie, who would be driving up from Grants Pass to be here for the birth. I spoke to my mom and told her how I was feeling and what our plans were, and she thought it was pretty silly that I would run around doing errands while I was in labor, but I was sure that was what I wanted to do. We went to Fred Meyer first for Jamie to get his watch fixed, and as he was waiting at the counter with the associate trying to do whatever it was they were trying to do to his watch I paced back and forth several feet away, having strong but not painful contractions. The woman who was helping him kept asking if I was ok, and suggested that I get right to the hospital if I was having contractions. My extensive birth plan included laboring at home as long as possible, but it was difficult to continue on that path when it seemed everyone else thought I should be at the hospital. I don’t remember the actual conversation, but we decided to heed everyone’s advice, and just go into the hospital to get checked. I also don’t remember what instigated it, but I was SO mad at Jamie on the way to the hospital—I remember screaming “I HATE YOU!!!” over and over in the car, and wishing I could just get out and never have to see him again. I have no idea why…

When I arrived in labor and delivery at 3:45 pm I was put in a triage room, checked and found to be at 3 cm, and I remember laying in bed hooked up to the monitors while Jamie watched TV. The reality of the experience we were about to have set in, and the anger began to dissipate. After a little while, a nurse came in and told us they wanted to move us to a room and get me on an IV. They said there was nothing to worry about, but that the baby’s heart didn’t look as good as they would like and they wanted to get some fluids in me and see if her heart tones improved.

We moved to the LDR room and they got me all settled and hooked up. I asked if they were going to send us home after the fluids, and the nurse said that we were all checked in and that we wouldn’t be going home…she then uttered the magic words: “You’re having a baby!!” I was like putty in her hands…I couldn’t help but want to nod and smile and blindly believe that because she said it was so, it was.

After the fluids were administered the baby’s heart tones looked much better, and they were willing to let me off the monitor for short periods of time to walk the halls. So, with my IV pole in tow, I walked. And walked. And walked. And walked some more. I did laps around and around the L&D ward. Friends and family started arriving, and soon I felt like a long distance track star, circling the racetrack, waving to each fan and cheerleader on every lap. I also had a small crowd making the trek with me. At this point, contractions were very bearable. I was breathing through them, and although they felt strong and uncomfortable, they weren’t painful.

I labored all night, rotating between the birth ball and walking laps, hoping that labor would pick up. At some point in the evening pitocin was suggested, and I refused—I knew I definitely didn’t want to go down that path. My aunt, cousin, and her 19 month old daughter drove as quickly as they could, and arrived later that night.

Somehow the tension between Jamie and I slipped away, and we were able to work as a wonderful team. He was in rare form during my labor, being very attentive, rubbing my back, and supporting me in anyway he could.

The next morning at 7 am I was STARVING, tired, and worn down. I finally caved to the repeated advice to start pitocin, with the caveat that it be used as sparingly as possible. The nurse turned up the dose slowly, but nonetheless, up and up it went. My contractions increased a little in intensity, frequency, and duration, but not really in painfulness. I had been stuck at 4 cm dilation for several hours. I continued being as mobile and upright as they would allow—walking, sitting on the birth ball, and rocking in the rocking chair. At one point, I got into the “Jacuzzi” tub in the bathroom, but didn’t last more than a minute before I got very frustrated about the cramped, hard, uncomfortable tub, lukewarm water, and jets spraying at my knees and promptly got back out.

The nurse began planting a seed for the next in the cascade of interventions—having my membranes ruptured. I, of course, refused all day, but rolling into the evening I started to worry about being up laboring all night for a second night in a row—and still on an empty stomach. I couldn’t bear the thought.

At 5 pm, and 4 cm, Dr. Nakamura came in with his huge crochet-needle-looking amnio-hook and broke my water as I lay in the hospital bed. INSTANTLY I was overwhelmed by the pain…it was like a switch had been flipped, and suddenly the circuit that allowed my brain to sense the pain of the contractions was engaged.

I was paralyzed by the pain, lying on my left side, trying to make it through one contraction at a time. My mom was in front of me, talking me through each wave of excruciating pain, while Jamie stood behind me, rubbing my legs. After about an hour I knew I could not do it another minute and I said it was time for an epidural. I had really really hoped to go without one, but I just couldn’t bear the searing pain any longer.

It seemed like forever between the time I made the decision, and the time the anesthesiologist actually arrived and began the procedure, and the pain got even more intense. During that hour I progressed from 4 to 6 cm. The epidural took quite a while to insert properly and was a very painful procedure—the anesthesiologist kept hitting blood vessels and making jokes, and everyone in the room was on edge and unsure if the problems he was encountering were serious. When it was over and the medication took effect I was very comfortable. I sat talking with Stephanie from 6:30-7:30 pm while everyone else left to get food. The nurse returned to check me, found me to be dilated to 10 cm, and my response was, “Shut Up!!!”… I couldn’t believe after such a long early labor, active labor was over in an hour.

At about 8 pm everyone returned, ready for the pushing to begin. My room looked like we were hosting a sporting event with all the people there (12!): my dad, brother Brian, sisters Haley and Julie, best friend Stephanie, Aunt Debbie, cousin Bridget, her daughter Drew, brother’s girlfriend Becky (who I met for the first time that day), Jamie’s sister Dani, my mom, and Jamie--the doctor said he should have sold tickets. In the waiting room was Jamie’s mom, her huspand, and Dani’s kids Ari, Jessi, Shawn, and Jason.

In the labor room, I pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed, in every position imaginable. After a little over 2 hours it was apparent that we were not making any progress. Dr. Nakamura checked me and determined that the baby’s head was stuck sideways, and decided to use the vacuum to turn her head so that it could fit through the birth canal. My first thought was that I had read that an episiotomy is necessary in order to use the vacuum extractor, but to my relief when I asked the doctor about this his response was: “I haven’t done one of those in 8 years, and I’m not about to start now!” I pushed for some time while he tried to guide the baby’s head, and I could hear people shouting excitedly “I can see her hair!”, but I could feel that she was not moving down. Finally the doctor said, “The scalp is coming, but the skull is not.” He explained that her head was transverse and asynclitic, and that a cesarean was probably the best option. I pleaded for anything else to try first. He said I could turn side to side every 5 minutes and see if gravity would help the baby turn, but it was unsuccessful and so a cesarean was our final resort.

After making the decision to do the surgery, the vibe in the room immediately changed. Instead of being focused on me, there was now a hustle and business, every person doing their job to prep me for surgery. This period of time felt like it went on forever, and during it my epidural wore off. The excruciating pain returned, and I begged for more medication. The anesthesiologist came in, added more medication to the drip, and did his part in preparing me. I did not realize that he was adding more and different kinds of drugs to my cocktail.

As I laid on the table, with nurses shaving me and painting my belly with iodine, I suddenly felt a lot of pressure down low, and a feeling like the baby was moving down the birth canal. I yelled “She’s moving!! I can feel her moving down!” The nurse looked very doubtful, but said “Oh, I wish she would.” She checked me and said that the baby had definitely not moved. Full of disappointment, defeat, and exhaustion, and at the same time anticipation and excitement, I was wheeled into the O.R. The surgery was uneventful, but very unpleasant. I started to feel the effects of the extra drugs, but because I was not warned that I would feel different, I thought it was something they were giving me in my oxygen mask. I tried to stop breathing. Jamie noticed that I was holding my breath, and kept coaching me to breathe. I counted ceiling tiles. I stared at the lights. Anything to keep from thinking about my insides exposed to all who were looking…my guts sliced open just a few feet below my eyes.

Then came the magical, amazing moment. I became a mother. The doctor lifted my baby from my womb, and presented her up in the air for me to see. She was beautiful. And very mad. My eyes welled up with tears, and suddenly all the ickiness of surgery faded away. I was a mother. I had a baby. She was so gorgeous and perfect. They weighed her, measured her, and I watched every second of her short life with intense wonder. Finally they brought her over, all wrapped up like a little burrito, and handed her to Jamie. He held her next to my head, and we cooed and kissed her. Kylin Taylor. Our sweet baby girl.