Molly's Birth Story

August 2015

This only took me two months to write, because, two kids.

I am a total sucker for birth stories. I binge read them when I am pregnant. I don't really know why. Maybe to get a glimpse at what my experience might be like?

If you read about Carter's birth story, you know that things did not go as planned. At nearly 41 weeks, we found out that he was breech. That led to a scheduled c-section. After my experience, I wanted to try everything in my power to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). Well, here is our story! I longed to experience true labor just to see what it was like. I don't know what our future holds for more babies, so it was really important to me this time. It's like God said, "OKAY, you want to have an experience, HERE YOU GO! He is a week of labor!" haha

Monday: At 38 weeks, I went in to my weekly check-up with my midwife. The night before was rough. I felt sick to my stomach and blamed it on the food I ate for dinner. (DANG YOU ICE CREAM CAKE!) All day I felt off. Lots of nausea and cramping! I even had Scott come home from work to drive me to my appointment just in case. When we got there, I had a normal visit and was about 1cm, and 70% effaced. I went home and the symptoms persisted and started getting a little worse. Around 10pm I started having actual contractions. I made myself go to sleep just in case something was getting started.

Tuesday: Around 2am, the contractions started getting longer/stronger/closer together, the trifecta of labor. I started tracking them and decided that we needed to go into the hospital when they were consistently 3/4 minutes apart. We called my mom, and she brought my grandma over to watch Carter and follow us to the hospital. *Let me add, that we almost hit a deer head on, on the way to the hospital! AH!* Once we got there, they checked me and monitored me to see what was going on. The nurse said, "did you get checked at your appointment today? I have a feeling that you are probably just contracting from that.." (DAGGERS FROM MY EYES!) It turns out that I was severely dehydrated and it was putting me into labor. After receiving two bags of fluid and some monitoring, the contractions stopped and I got sent home. I was discouraged because I really thought that was the real deal. Bags were with us, Carter was taken care of, and I was mentally ready to meet our daughter. We went home and I got some rest. I was really tired and sore from dealing with contractions the previous day and into the night/morning. When I woke up from my nap, the contractions started back up. I spent the afternoon on my yoga ball in the living room monitoring contractions-like ya do. I called my aunt to come over and sit with us because the pressure and pain of walking was really hard to do anything for Carter. She sat with us all day. The contractions were consistently 6 minutes apart and finally stopped altogether. After that, nothing else happened. I took a hot shower and slept all night long with no contractions until the next evening. Calm before the storm.

Wednesday: It was a pretty chill day. I thought for sure that everything had stalled. I called mom to see if she wanted to get her nails done when she got off work that night. We went to Pretty Nails, and she drove me to Meijer to get a couple random things that I felt that I needed at that point. (Still totally nesting) The whole time I was getting my nails done, I was contracting. Things were heating back up again. I kept trying to hide it because I didn't want to freak anyone out about it. The nail tech probably thought I was a crazy person breathing through my pedicure. IN THROUGH YOUR NOSE, OUT THROUGH YOUR MOUTH! Imagine the guy doing my manicure while I was closing my eyes and grinding my teeth from the pain. HILARIOUS I tell you! "I will take the Strawberry Margarita OPI, please, AHhH!"

That night continued with more contractions and over feeling of a baby about to fall out of me. I forced myself to go to sleep.

Thursday: At 3:30am, I felt a pop. YA'LL-A FOR REAL POP. LIKE A BALLOON. I was like, "Surely not. That can not be my water breaking." I stood up quickly, and started having contractions. I will save you the deets, but basically, I figured out that it was, indeed, my water breaking. Scott had already left for work that day, so I was sitting in the bathroom with my phone, and the conversation went a little something like this: "Hey, uh, I think my water broke. I mean, I am sure it did. I think. There was this pop and a little trickle of water. I think it was water. Oh gosh, yeah it is my water. COME HOME NOW!" We had already had so many false alarms, that I didn't want to have him come home for another one. We called the troops, (my mom/brother/midwife), and got going to the hospital. YA'LL, NO WONDER the nurse on Monday knew I wasn't really in true labor. THIS WAS REAL LABOR! I looked at Scott and said, "If you ever want to torture anyone, THIS is what you need to do to them!" I was having contractions every 2.5 minutes, and they lasted 1 minute. I have been told once your water breaks, the contractions are way worse. THEY were right.

You know what is fun? Registration at the hospital, in the Emergency room, in a wheel chair, with everyone watching you have horrendous contractions, and the lady says, "I need you to sign this here, and initial here." OMG, lady, you are hilarious and high if you think I am going to get out of this chair and sign that form! GET-ME-UPSTAIRS-DEVIL-WOMAN!

After the paperwork, the wait for someone to take me upstairs, the blood work, the check, the bag of fluid, the questions, (I MEAN ARE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE TRYING TO TORTURE ME?), I was able to get an epidural around 7:00am. I didn't plan on it, but I also didn't plan on a week of labor leading up to this point, and daggers in my stomach, so. Hey, fun fact, did you know you have to be crazy still while they insert the epidural? Even through painful contractions? That was fun. I was ready to throw in the towel.

After the epidural, things were glorious. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, family was visiting and laughing with me. Why would anyone deny themselves this special juice? hehe-kidding-kinda. I progressed quickly, and was able to start pushing around noon.

We were waiting on Amber to get there to do the birth pictures, but we really didn't think she would make it. She worked from 8:00-12:00, and high tailed it over to capture it for us! (Running through the parking lot and all) I was pushing when she bolted in! SO close, and SO thankful! My mom (nurse), and Scott were both in there with me. I was so numb that I couldn't feel a thing. I just pushed however they told me, and at 12:52, they pulled out that dark headed little angel and placed her on my chest. You guys. SO worth it. Everything. It was everything I hoped it would be.

Fun side note, after they pulled her out, I heard my mom say, "well, it was supposed to be a girl!" HEART ATTACK! I said "WHAT!?" (The midwife asked her if we knew was it was before my mom had seen her). I will NEVER forget that moment! LOL

I would not change one thing about my labor/delivery. I prayed that God would give me a joyful experience and he came through, as always. Of course, I dramatize everything for the humor of it all, but it really was such a neat, beautiful experience. I will never forget the moment I first saw that dark hair and sweet face snuggle up on my chest. We were blessed with the best staff at Clark Memorial anyone could ask for! I loved every person I met. I never imagined that I would enjoy a labor and delivery like this. You always read about horror stories and deliveries gone bad. I put all of my trust in God to allow me to deliver VBAC safely,and to protect us during delivery. It was so wonderful!

Below are the pictures that Amber caught for us. I will forever be grateful for her talent and time capturing these for us! SO SO Special! Thanks for reading! If you were considering a VBAC and have questions, feel free to message me! :)

Molly Anne Burke

June 11th, 2015

12:52pm

6lbs, 7oz, 19in