Braddock’s Birth Story
Braddock (my second pregnancy, but my first and only born) was due August 10th, 2010. I believe I was about 3cm dilated and 100% effaced at my check up appointment after his due date. My doctor was strongly urging me to schedule an induction. I was not happy about that as I was planning and really hoping and praying for an all natural childbirth. I reluctantly scheduled the induction (knowing I could cancel) and went home to walk, walk, walk and pray, pray, pray. That weekend I think I had been in early-labor because I was waking up from contractions pretty regular at times and more intense than Braxton-hix, but… the contractions would pass. After walking a lot on Monday, August 16th, I laid down to take a much needed nap because I had not been sleeping well (because of the night time contractions). As soon as I laid down, I began feeling some pretty intense contractions – and this is where the beginning of my 30 hour labor starts:
- 2pm Monday, Aug.16th: Intense contractions start going from 10 minutes apart to 4 minutes in less than half an hour. These contractions felt different than the contractions I had been experiencing. I knew by their gaining in frequency and intensity that I was finally in active labor. Yay!!!
- 3pm Monday: I call Ryan to come home from work so he can prepare us for the hospital. (Even though Ryan came home, I wouldn’t permit him to be in the bedroom with me where I was laboring. I had to focus pretty hard on those contractions and I just wanted my doula to come!)
- 4pm Monday: Our doula arrives to help me cope with the contractions and help us decide when is best to go to the hospital.
- 6:30pm Monday: Loading to go to hospital. My contractions were getting more intense, long, and about 3 minutes apart. We assumed I was about 6cm and decided we didn’t want to risk waiting at home any longer.
I am so thankful for this time at home with my doula. I really wanted to stay home as long as possible and make it to the hospital just in time for transition. Even after all the reading, research, planning, etc. I had done to prepare me for a natural birth; I was pretty shocked at how quickly my contractions were gaining in intensity. A natural tendency for me was to tense my body and start panicking. Those 2.5 hours alone with my doula were so helpful, as she was able to help me find a rhythm of coping with the contractions in a calm, relaxed manner.
- 7:30pm Monday: Admitted to the hospital. 5cm dilated and 100% effaced.
This was a bit discouraging to find out. We thought I was further along. My doula had guessed that I was nearing transition. After being admitted, I stuck with the rhythm I had found earlier with handling the contractions, which consisted of rocking, keeping my eyes closed no matter what, and no talking (I ignored every nurse that tried asking me the stupidest questions because they apparently didn’t understand that I was focusing on not screaming to high heaven!). I think being in the hospital definitely through me off because I was interrupted with questions, tests, etc.
- 1ish am Tuesday, Aug.17th: Still at 5cm and not progressing at all! Actually learned that I was going backwards in effacement and station. I begin asking (begging) for epidural at this point.
I was doing so well in the birth tub with handling my contractions – I think I could have stayed there all night…. But, the nurses made me get out after a couple hours for more tests. I was so exhausted at this point that I was literally passing out between contractions and being woken up with them again. I was losing my mental and emotional energy to keep me calm. It was at this point that I “broke” psychologically and emotionally. I totally lost the energy and focus I had before to cope with the contractions. And I was extremely discouraged that after all my best efforts to relax my body and stay calm, that I STILL wasn’t progressing. According to all the books, I was doing what I was supposed to be doing do progress.
- 2-3ish am Tuesday: After managing contractions on my own for about 12 hours, I finally get a light epidural – a lower dose of epidural allowing me to still move my legs and change positions in bed.
Such relief came with that epidural! I was able to rest and sleep in order to gain some kind of energy back. My main focus at this point was to conserve as much energy as possible so I could still “push” Braddock out and not have to have a c-section because I was unable to push.
- 7am Tuesday: Still at 5cm and not progressing! Doctor strongly recommends they break my water to avoid a possible c-section. Water is broken. Doctor reports that Braddock is in good position.
- 8am Tuesday: Another doctor reports that Braddock is actually in the wrong position (and probably had been the whole time) – explaining the intense back pain I was feeling earlier and why I was not progressing. Doctor strongly encourages pitocin to speed up labor. I decline in hopes that I can change different positions to encourage Braddock to move and speed up labor on our own.
I was hesitant with starting pitocin to speed up labor because I knew that could increase the risks of distressing Braddock and could again lead to a c-section. I feel like we were faced with so many tough decisions. But in the end, we really felt God’s peace and presence with us along the way.
- 12pm Tuesday: Still not progressing after trying various positions for a couple of hours. Doctor is concerned that I would need c-section to get Braddock out if I didn’t start progressing soon. Start pitocin to speed up labor.
Braddock remained very active, even jumping around in my belly, while all this was going on. He was showing superb results on the fetal monitor. My doula even commented on how she had never seen a baby do so well after an epidural and pitocin. The nurses agreed. This made me and Ryan feel more at peace about the decisions we were making along the way, as Braddock was my main concern in not having any medical interventions in the first place. I certainly wasn’t trying to have a natural birth just for the sake of doing it natural!
- 5pm Tuesday: Finally progressing and ready to push. Start pushing. I was able to do some mother-led pushing since the epidural was light and I could feel some of the contractions and pressure. Close to 2 hours of pushing and Braddock starts to go into distress. Doctor very concerned and wanted to get Braddock out ASAP. Doctor gives me an episiotomy ( another birth plan no-no) and had a 3rd degree tear.
- 7:40pm Tuesday: Braddock Ryan Hewitt is delivered by vacuum extraction. 7lbs, 2oz, 20in. Is immediately given to nursery nurses for deep suctioning (in case he inhaled the meconium he passed).
At the time, I was very concerned for Braddock and wanted them to do whatever they needed for him to be fine. Later, I was a bit sad about this because I was most passionate about the Newborn Care portion of my birth plan. I really, really, really wanted those first moments (really that first hour) alone skin-to-skin with Braddock (and Ryan there too). We had very specific orders that we didn’t want the nurses messing with Braddock. But after the meconium scare, the nurses used that as an excuse to discard my whole Newborn Care plan.
But, in the end – what mattered is that Braddock was safe, healthy, and with his parents. Ryan didn’t leave his side for a second and actually had to fight the nursery nurses for him (they really didn’t like Ryan). And Braddock was such a trooper. After the initial scare (and some very long minutes of not hearing his cry and not knowing if he was ok) – he surprised all the nurses and passed his 2nd apgar test!
So, all in all – nothing went according to our birth plan (which I was prepared for). We had a “plan” not because we expected our labor to go a specific way, but because we wanted to be more involved in the process of bringing our son into the world. And I’m still so glad that we did have a “plan” for it really prepared Ryan and I to make the decisions we made and to not rely solely on the doctors or nurses to tell us what to do. Although things did not go as planned, I can’t complain with how things turned out. Given the difficulties of the labor, we were all surprised that I didn’t end up with a c-section and with Braddock having to go to NICU. Ryan and I knew without a doubt that God was there with us. And we couldn’t be happier to have our precious son here with us now.
Thanks for the taking time to read!
But, in the end – what mattered is that Braddock was safe, healthy, and with his parents. Ryan didn’t leave his side for a second and actually had to fight the nursery nurses for him (they really didn’t like Ryan). And Braddock was such a trooper. After the initial scare (and some very long minutes of not hearing his cry and not knowing if he was ok) – he surprised all the nurses and passed his 2nd apgar test!
So, all in all – nothing went according to our birth plan (which I was prepared for). We had a “plan” not because we expected our labor to go a specific way, but because we wanted to be more involved in the process of bringing our son into the world. And I’m still so glad that we did have a “plan” for it really prepared Ryan and I to make the decisions we made and to not rely solely on the doctors or nurses to tell us what to do. Although things did not go as planned, I can’t complain with how things turned out. Given the difficulties of the labor, we were all surprised that I didn’t end up with a c-section and with Braddock having to go to NICU. Ryan and I knew without a doubt that God was there with us. And we couldn’t be happier to have our precious son here with us now.
Thanks for the taking time to read!
To read more from Candace about her baby and her family you can check out her blog, All Things Braddock You can also read more about Braddock and his parents at their blog. Thanks Candace for sharing about your birth of Braddock! .
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