I am on such a high still from completed my VBAC. It has been a very healing experience. I’m so glad that I trusted my body and gave it a go. Thank you for helping empower us and helping me to experience the amazing feeling of giving birth 🙂
Hi Erika, we just wanted to share our fantastic news that our little girl ‘Mila Rose’ was born on the 24/7/12
We had to change to Sunshine hospital after Bacchus Marsh decided that they would not support a VBAC based on the results from my pelvis CT scan showing that I had a smaller than average pelvis by 1cm and that baby was measuring at the 93rd percentile. The doctors were not very supportive at Sunshine Hospital. They gave me a very small percent chance of having a vaginal birth but they agreed to let me have a go.
On her due date I was having mild contractions. I thought they were braxton hicks as I’d been having them all weekend after doing some nipple stimulation. I continued on with my day and went shopping to buy some clary sage oil (as suggested by a midwife). I rubbed some on my tummy and then cleaned the whole house. Later on I went for a walk and my back was aching. I thought it was from mopping the floor 🙂 When I got home I went to the toilet and had a ‘show’ it was about 7pm. I informed my birth team that things were going to happen soon and we spent the evening watching tv and talking. I decided to go for a walk to see if contractions would pick up at about 11pm. Things seemed pretty slow so I suggested that everyone should grab some sleep around 1am.
Once everyone went to sleep my contractions picked up. I listen to your CD and practiced some relaxation. I also used a heat pack, TENS machine and the shower. At 4.30am I woke everyone up and we headed to the hospital. At that stage contractions were about 3 mins apart. When we got to the hospital they put me in the pre-admission area and hooked me up to the foetal monitor. My partner was aloud in but the rest of the birth team had to stay in the waiting room. I was left laying down on the bed for an 1 1/2 hrs while they were dealing with other patients. My contractions slowed down to 1 every 10 minutes. I was getting extremely frustrated as I wanted to get up. My waters broke as I was laying there and the midwife checked me and told me I was 4cms dilated and the head appeared to be engaged. This was a good sign as my sons head never in engaged in my previous birth. She let my labour team in and said she was going to see if a room was available for me.
The midwife let me get up and go to the toilet and that’s when things really hit. My contractions were one on top of each other and I struggled to get back from the toilet. Blood was everywhere. When I got back to the room I started feeling lots of pressure and I started growling/roaring and my legs were shaking I could feel her moving down. My family realised something was happening and ran off to get help. They came back with a wheelchair and I struggled to get in as I felt like I was sitting on her head. They found a free room and wheeled me up. I jumped off the chair and lent on the bed and started pushing.
Her head come out easy, I just waited for the contractions to push her out, however her shoulders got stuck as she didn’t turn properly, the midwife told me I had to push her out in the next contraction or I would have to get on the bed, after a tense couple of minutes waiting for the next contraction I pushed her out in one big push. I had gone from being 4cms dilated to pushing a baby out in 25 minutes. Our baby girl was 9lbs 12oz, 53cms long with a 37cm head. Just Perfect !
I ended up needing a few stitches for some 1st degree tears because of her shoulders getting stuck but recovery has been so much better than after my c-section.
I am on such a high still from completed my VBAC. It has been a very healing experience. I’m so glad that I trusted my body and gave it a go. Thank you for helping empower us and helping me to experience the amazing feeling of giving birth 🙂
Warm Regards, Mel & Ben
