Chloe is a follower of mine on Instagram and reached out to share her birth story in the hopes of empowering other women to advocate for themselves and their babies.
She says:
Bit of back story this was my 3rd pregnancy...my first was a big boy weighing 9lb 13.5oz and was brow presentation so ended in an emergency csection after pushing for almost 2 hrs.
My 2nd labour and birth was so healing, he weighed 7lb 14oz and was a very successful vbac.
This time I was under the most wonderful midwife team and they pride themselves on continuity of care and are very pro physiological birth, hands off approach etc they were wonderful and absolutely had my back about 'birthing outside of guidance'. My pregnancy changed somewhat when I hit 32 weeks and was sent for a growth scan. I was reluctant but sheer curiosity got the better of me so I went - he measured big. I wasn't concerned, the midwives weren't concerned but the DRs were. I refused my GTT as I had absolutely no signs of diabetes but instead opted for a week of blood sugar testing at home - all come back perfect as I knew it would!
At 36 weeks another scan was done but it measured him spot on his 'trend' so I was referred to a specialist consultant to complete another scan at 39 weeks to complete a more thorough scan. She also measured him at 9lb 12oz at 39 weeks (in hindsight this was likely spot on).
At this point I was told I would be offered an elective cesarean or induction. I had an induction with my 2nd using the cooks balloon and I had a very pleasant experience so wasn't against this being an option however it wasn't my preference.
I went home and spoke to my husband and agreed that if by 40 weeks I hadn't gone into labour I'd ask to be induced as I was also extremely uncomfortable and had been in the latent phase of labour for days leading up to 40 weeks.
I went into hospital on the monday (our NHS due date, we knew he was actually due 5 days later than NHS due date as we knew when we conceived) and it wasn't until Tuesday evening that I was taken to labour ward to have the cooks balloon... during this time I spoke to 2 different drs, a consultant midwife and lead midwife on shift as I told them once I had my water broken I was going to labour on the birthing unit - I received alot of pushback and was even told that it was not an option as I was too high risk (my midwife was straight up to the hospital to fight my corner).
They considered the fact I was having another vbac a risk, the fact baby was measuring bigger than average a risk and the fact that I was being induced a risk. The only thing that was 'risky' was not allowing me to labour in an environment that was calming and soothing and where I wanted to be.
After much back and forth, I was taken round and examined to see how my cervix was. I was 3cm. Up until this point I'd been having intense but irregular contractions. I decided because I was so dilated and cervix being thin and stretchy to skip the cooks balloon and go for AROM. This worked well and within an hour I was contracting regularly. I moved round to the birth center and was in established labour an hour later. I was able to go into the water, avoid continuous monitoring and instead had regular intermittent monitoring. I was active and in control the whole time.
Within 4 hrs I was 8cm dilated and trying to push with very intense contractions, however, with this urge I was bleeding quite heavily. I got land side and was examined and still had a lip of cervix and was still only 8cm and had to really fight the urge to push as my body wasn't quite caught up.
Because I was bleeding I was moved back onto labour ward. Something that we had spoken about prior and I was happy to do however in the moment I was so scared...
For that period of time my breathing went out of the window and I was begging for the epidural.
I should mention I'd now been in labour for 6-7 hrs with just a few puffs of gas and air, I was starving as I hadn't eaten for nearly 24 hrs and I was exhausted. My husband double and triple checked with me and after the 3rd time of asking and me screaming at him, the drs finally gave me an epidural. I believe the intensity was due to baby turning from back to back to face down and descending into the birth canal. This time of peace with the epidural gave my body time to rest and allow it to do what it needed to and calm down from the business and stress of the move.
After a couple more hrs the drs come round to again 'make a plan' although my plan was to deliver my baby...
As my contractions had massively slowed down almost to a halt they offered again a section and said they would absolutely decline giving me any hormones to help labour pick up. They also declined me any food or drink and declared me nil by mouth 🤣
All the while my midwife was telling them how this is less than sub optimal conditions to labour in.
The moment they left I got my husband to get me some lucozade sport and sweeties for a sugar boost and within half an hour I was contracting 4 in 10. I had an urge to be on all 4s so leant over the back of the bed and the midwife asked if she could see if the lip had gone as I was baring down again to which I said yes. She moved the last tiny bit manually and baby dropped onto her hand. I had an instinct to turn round and sit on the bed to push and with a few pushes his head was out at 11.11am another few pushes and his body was born at 11.13am. He weighed in at an impressive 9lb 15.5oz. I had nothing but a few grazes and a whole lot of pride! 12 hrs after established labour began he was in our arms.
All the risk factors meant nothing anymore and he was safe as was I. The drs told me constantly from 32 weeks how risky I was! They told me how I'd likely need intervention that's if I even get to birth him...I was told he'd likely get stuck and have shoulder dystocia, told he could die in severe cases. Told I could die if I have a uterine rupture (which was very likely given my 'history' 🙄)
And I proved them all wrong.
I'm so proud of my body and my baby. I'm glad he was as big as he was because it just shows not all big babies are to be feared, a big baby doesn't mean you'll rip in half or need a cesarean.
And I just want other woman to know...
You can say no, you can decline, you can ask for alternatives because I did. You can have VE's, end up on labour ward and have an induction and still hypnobirth and have a gentle birth and honour your preferences.
Sure I had to fight harder than I should've done for it but I got the birth I wanted. A vaginal uncomplicated birth left to my own devices, roared him out and had our golden hour 😍 it was amazing in the end but I shouldn't of had to fight constantly.
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