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Aeden Danger is here!
- Apr 16, 2010 at 9:37 AM
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- Comments (2) Total Views (136) Everyone can see this journal post.
Life has a funny way of throwing you curve balls, especially when it comes to childbirth. I feel exceptionally blessed that I had it in me to be open to whatever could happen, because if I hadn't, I might be telling a horror story instead of a happy one.
The good news is, Aeden was born at 10:48 am on April 10, 2010. He weighed 11lbs 10 oz and was 21 & 1/2 inches long. Big boy! We knew that going in, though - I was huge the last few months of my pregnancy. He's absolutely beautiful, has a wonderful demeanor, eats like a champ, and is clearly benefitting from all of the attention that Daddy and I are showering on him since his arrival.
My friends and family all knew that Justen and I wanted to pursue a natural childbirth, preferably in water. Late in the pregnancy I had switched from seeing a doctor at Women & Infants hospital to seeing the midwives at East Bay Community Action for this reason. While they weren't able to promise me a full waterbirth because the hospital policy allows for laboring in the tub only until the water breaks, I felt it was as good as I was gonna get given my situation. I couldn't afford to pay out of pocket for a home based waterbirth with the midwives, and my insurance doesn't cover it. I was feeling depressed about it, and Justen and I had discussed just trying to have an unassisted homebirth, but even still we couldn't afford to buy a tub or even do laundry so that we would have clean towels and sheets. We both were scared of being pressured into procedures we didn't want if we were at the hospital and dealing with doctors, and our midwives were aware of that and did talk to me about being open to the possibility that we might not be able to do things the way we want. It's a good thing that I was able to put aside my beliefs and that Justen was able to do so and support me in my decisions, because after a tedious 16 hours of trying to make labor happen as naturally as possible, we wound up in the operating room.
We arrived at the hospital at 2pm on the 9th to have some tests done. Justen and I had agreed that we were ready to induce labor by having the water broken - also not something we had originally planned to do, but we were a week past the due date, getting a LOT of false labor, and thinking it might be best for the baby if we got the show on the road. Both of the midwives I had been seeing at the office were there with us, and after the water was broken, they thought there was meconium in the fluid, so instantly we were glad that we had made the decision - I know it's not fatal but the thought of my baby boy breathing in his own poop is unsettling at best! I wasn't allowed to eat anything but jello, popsicles, and chicken broth just in case of surgery, so I was very hungry, and feeling quite weak when the first of my contractions started some 12 hours later. By then I wanted to sleep so badly but I was waking up every 5-10 minutes to breathe through the contractions, and nurses kept coming in to fix the baby's heart monitor because it moved every time I did.
15 hours after having the water broken, the midwives came to talk to us about our options. The contractions had tapered off entirely and hadn't occurred in almost an hour. The baby's heart rate was accelerated, then it went down further than they like to see. If I had chosen to take pitocin and continue with the labor, the baby would have been even more stressed out than he already was, and I was already tired, hungry and weak - too far gone to be able to go into the strong labor that pitocin would have put me in, and besides, I REALLY didn't want it to mess with my hormones! So that left the option of c-section. While neither Justen or I were happy that we had to go that route after all our months of hoping for a beautiful natural birth, I knew in my heart that it was the only way to go from there and he supported my decison. We went into the OR, they gave me a spinal and prepped me, then Justen came in just after they started and held my hand and talked to me while the doctors and our midwives worked to bring Aeden out of the womb. I was nervous but as soon as I heard our little man crying a wave of relief washed over me. The midwife who delivered him brought him to me and while I wasn't able to hold him completely given my position, I was able to touch and kiss him while she held him to me, and Daddy got to cut his cord right after. Things get a little groggy here, I don't remember everything, just relief and happiness that he was okay and I was still alive! :)
We spent 4 days in the hospital so i could recover. It wasn't always without its annoyances between Justen and I both being exhausted, and the parade of visitors and doctors and nurses for the whole day after the surgery, and for the next few days we were there, but Aeden was in the room with us all the time except for a couple of exams, to which Justen went with him. Aeden took to breastfeeding immediately, and for some reason I have been able to hold him across my belly, which is great because I can't lay down on my side without discomfort. usually c section moms have to feed on their sides, but I couldn't do it if I tried. Too much pain if I'm not sitting mostly upright. Now, here's the interesting part - the part that REALLY makes this whole thing completely worth it even though it wasn't in our original plan...
Aeden Danger earned his middle name right at birth. The day after we got home from the hospital, we had to take Aeden to see Mary, the midwife who delivered him, for a check up to make sure he was continuing to gain weight. She told me she was so impressed with my ability to refuse the pitocin and go with the c section despite our beliefs, because when she pulled him out, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck - TWICE. Somehow, he just knew he couldn't come out safely and that is why labor stopped and he was taking so long. And if I hadn't picked up on that, and if I hadn't felt so weak after a short time, or hadn't been so against pitocin, we might not have him here with us right now!
We're so happy to be home and we're all doing really well. I have to keep myself from doing too much but I'm staying as active as I can handle. Daddy is a huge help and is overwhelmed with joy... We're having a wonderful family bonding experience and I am so glad that I listened to my midwives and my instincts - and most of all, our beautiful baby boy!
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Wow, mama! I'm glad everything went alright if not according to plan! Usually nuchal cords aren't a big deal, but being that he was so big and you were so tired and weak it definitely could have been a problem. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut, even if it's totally not what you planned or wanted. Congrats, and I LOVE his name!
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