Vivianna's Birth Story
JULY 25, 2020
The Birth of Vivianna Louise
By Vivianna’s Mom and The Birth Center Client, Liz
When I was pregnant with my first baby, I wanted an unmedicated birth. I didn’t plan on having an epidural. When my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart, my OB had told me that was the point when I was getting close to delivery and I should go to the hospital.
Upon arriving at the hospital, a nurse checked my cervix, and I was 1 centimeter dilated. I thought, “How can I have this amount of pain and only be 1 centimeter?” I was really discouraged. They sent us home, and I labored there for a while. The pain continued to get more intense, and I couldn’t handle it.
Back at the hospital, they pronounced me 2-3 centimeters. I agreed to fentanyl as pain medication, but that did nothing for the pain so I eventually had an epidural. After about six more hours of labor, I pushed on my back for two and half hours, and the doctor used a vacuum. My son, Jack, was born healthy. It was a long labor, about 32 hours, and I was going on 48 hours of no sleep. My brain was not in a position to make decisions, and I couldn’t advocate for myself. I could only focus on the pain.
Planning for a Natural Birth
When I learned I was pregnant a second time, I knew I wanted a natural, physiologic birth. I started doing research and found The Birth Center online. I called and talked to Ruth, expressing my interest in receiving care from her. She wasn’t sure about my insurance, so she put me in contact with her biller, Denise. We eventually found out that my insurance would not cover care at The Birth Center.
With that news, I returned to the OB who had delivered my first baby, who I liked and had a good experience with during my prenatal care. I also hired a doula, Kim, since I was not able to go to The Birth Center. Then, COVID hit. Hospital policies changed, but thankfully Kim supported me throughout my whole pregnancy. She introduced me to several amazing resources and suggested listening to Hypnobabies in order to have as close to a physiologic birth as possible at the hospital. I spent several months educating myself about my rights and evidence-based interventions in order to prepare for a hospital birth.
At 38 and a half weeks, Kim called me to tell me that she had spoken with someone at the hospital who said policies suddenly changed for the labor and delivery unit. With more patients testing positive for COVID, all pregnant women were required to be tested. A positive result would mean no support people during labor, no video chatting, and the baby could be taken away from Mom. I was really bummed that it was possible my husband and my doula might not be allowed to attend the birth.
With Kim’s encouragement, I began searching right away for somewhere else to have my baby. Kim contacted several places, too. She reached out to Ruth, who said that she would be willing to take me. When I spoke to Ruth, I told her I would need to contact my insurance company to see if anything had changed since the beginning of my pregnancy. I was so happy to learn that Denise had done everything necessary to contract with my insurance. That all happened on a Thursday, and I saw Ruth for my first appointment the next day.
Ruth was gracious, and I was so grateful to be receiving my prenatal care in the place I originally wanted to be. During my visit, I had my birth plan with me, and I was going to show it to Ruth. However, I quickly realized I didn’t need to because everything in it was standard practice at The Birth Center. I knew I would be able to have the birth I wanted from the get-go.
I had another appointment the following Thursday, and Kim was also able to come with me. It was so nice to have Ruth as my provider. She would spend an hour with me, whereas I got 15 minutes with the doctor.
Fighting Through the Pain of Back Labor (Again)
The next day, July 24, I was 39 weeks, 4 days. I started feeling little inklings of labor in my belly. With my first baby, I had a lot of back labor, so I was hoping the second time would be “normal” and not so painful. As evening came, contractions started to become stronger, so I contacted Kim. “I’m not sure if this is anything,” I told her. Contractions were inconsistent, but I called my parents, who live about an hour and a half away, to be with Jack, just in case.
Around 8 p.m. that night, things started becoming more consistent. A few hours later, the pain switched over to back labor. My parents arrived about midnight, and Kim came shortly after. We contacted Ruth as well, and she suggested various positions to try. At 2:40 a.m., my husband, Marcos, and I left our house for the 50-minute drive to The Birth Center. My husband drove, and I was in the back of our van, trying to focus on the Hypnobabies techniques. Kim followed in her car.
When we got there, Ruth checked me, and I was so thankful to hear I was five centimeters dilated. We went into one of the birthing suites, where Ruth started filling up the tub. Once the tub was ready, my husband and I got in together. With Kim by my side and my husband rubbing my back, the contractions grew in intensity, and I was having a hard time controlling my vocal cords. I was also having difficulty with the breathing techniques. Ruth really encouraged me to focus on the breathing and showed me different techniques to try.
I had a handful of contractions, and I thought I felt the urge to push, but I wasn’t sure. There was a lot of pressure in my bottom. Ruth checked me and said I could try pushing if I felt like it. I tried a few times, and nothing happened. Ruth said pushing in the tub might not be the best option because of the baby’s position. I tried pushing on the bed while lying on my back and on each side. I also used the squat bar and sat on the toilet, and nothing seemed to be working.
Everyone was supporting me and trying to help me figure out how to push. Ruth eventually suggested squatting in the shower to see if that would help reposition the baby. Every time a contraction came, I pushed as hard as I could. Finally, after what felt like five hours of pushing, I started feeling movement. I could feel the head, and my baby seemed so close, but I couldn’t quite get the baby out.
Giving Birth and Meeting My Daughter
I wanted to try the birthing stool again, but that position wasn’t right either. Ruth recommended I get back on the bed and said she thought the baby had turned. With my husband and Kim by my side, I lay down on my back, held my legs, and pushed as hard as I could. Finally, the baby’s head popped out, then the body. It was one of the most amazing and hardest things I’ve ever done in my entire life.
With my husband by my side, Ruth caught the baby and put her on my belly right away. We didn’t know the sex, so I asked, “What is it?” Ruth said, “It’s a baby,” and we all laughed. Then my husband said, “It’s a girl!” Vivianna Louise was born at 7:43 a.m. on July 25, weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches.
While delivering the placenta was uncomfortable, I really enjoyed the bonding time after my daughter was born. My husband cut the cord, and we both had skin-to-skin time with Vivianna. We were able to relax without any rush or pressure, and Ruth and her staff checked on us periodically. We left The Birth Center about three hours after Vivianna was born, which was awesome — way better than being stuck in the hospital for 24 hours. Jack, who is two and a half, was thrilled to meet and hold his baby sister, giving her kisses on the head.
Two days later, I had a postpartum appointment with the RN, Sage, and everything was normal. I was still pretty sore, though. At our two-week appointment, we saw Ruth, and I needed a little lactation help. Ruth assisted me with breastfeeding and helped me manage being an over-producer. I have a heavy letdown, so she offered guidance on block feeding and suggestions on how to help the baby handle the flow better.
Reflecting on My Birth Experience
I had really hoped I wouldn’t have back labor again, like I did with my first labor. In fact, during my second pregnancy, I worked hard on my posture and how I sat to try to avoid back labor. I did everything right, and I still had the back labor, so that was disappointing for me. Ruth later said there must be something about my pelvis, that I produce posterior babies.
Still, when I think about Vivianna’s birth, I am so grateful for my amazing support system: Marcos, Ruth, and Kim. I labored through the middle of the night, and everyone was so patient and encouraging. Ruth and Kim recommended various positions and told me to keep going and trying different things. And when the baby finally turned, they said, “This was all you. You did this! You’re the one who got the baby to turn.” To hear those encouraging words was very special and emotional for me. I was the one who did the hard work and had the physiologic birth I’d hoped for.
Even though pushing was really hard, Ruth coached me through it. It took me a while to get the hang of pushing because Hypnobabies trains you differently. That type of pushing — opening the diaphragm and moaning — didn’t work for me, so Ruth told me to push as hard as I could.
I knew I had been pushing for a long time, working really hard at it. There came a point when I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to have the physiologic birth I planned for, I thought, “Hospital interventions sound nice and might help get this baby out sooner.” However, I was very determined to get the baby out at The Birth Center. I told myself, “This is the only option. I refuse to go to a hospital.”
Without Ruth and Kim, I wouldn’t have had the experience that I did. Kim went above and beyond, and everything came full circle because I got to deliver at The Birth Center, which was my first choice. It was an amazing birth experience, and I definitely want to go back to The Birth Center for my next baby.
For more information about our prenatal care and birth services at The Birth Center, click here: https://www.sactobirth.com/prenatal and https://www.sactobirth.com/birth-services
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