Chris and Marci Dunning: July 2014

My first baby, Liam was a C-section. He was breech. His whole birth experience for me was other people making choices for me. Although I am extremely grateful for C-sections because it gave me my baby safely I knew right away that I never wanted to do it again if I could help it. So when we got pregnant with Fiona I started looking into the option of out of hospital births. I felt this was my best option if I did not want a repeat C-section. I knew I did not want to give birth at home because we lived about a half hour away from the hospital. IF anything went wrong that was too much time. I googled midwifes in St. George Utah and there was my answer. A birth center just 4 blocks from the hospital. On the same street even! I called and made an appointment with a midwife there. Chris and I then went and met Cyndi. Immediately I felt calm and safe. She listened to my birth experience with Liam and felt comfortable having me VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) there at the birthing center since I had labored with Liam.

Fiona's Birth story starts when I was 37 weeks pregnant. I started having pretty consistent contractions about every 5 to ten minutes apart. I had Liam a 37 weeks so I thought, this is it. I called my mom to tell her that I was having contractions and would let her know when things picked up. She immediately got in her car and drove down, not wanting to miss the birth. Liam and I laid down in bed so he could get a nap in before we had to go to the birthing center in St. George. Even while we were lying down the contractions kept coming. And then they just stopped.

This kept happening. I would have strong contractions everyday and then they would just stop. About once a week they would get bad enough that I would think it was the real deal, and then nothing.

By my 39 week appointment I was completely effaced and dilated to a 5 almost 6, and had my membranes stripped 3 times by then. I was tired and sick of having contractions. I was just mentally and physically exhausted. The next day was Liam's birthday and my midwife said that she was sure she could get my labor started with a combination of walking, castor oil, and stripping my membranes, but she wanted to do it the next day. I originally told her no because I didn't want to have Liam and Fiona's birthday on the same day. So we decided to wait until the day after.

I got home and called Chris to tell him the plan. He told me that both him and his mom were working Saturday and it would be easier for everyone if we did it on friday. I was so happy to hear him say this because I was so so done being pregnant. So we decided to go ahead and try to get my labor started on Liam's birthday.

We woke up and had pancakes for breakfast and I took my castor oil. Liam sat on the couch and watched Cars with his Mema (my mom) while Chris and I went to the Midwife. This was at 9:00. She stripped my membranes and had me go on a brisk 20 minute walk. It was a beautiful sunny day and Chris and I had a nice walk. While out walking I had about 4 contractions. We went back to the midwife and she told us to go home and come back in when things were really going.

Liam watching Cars as we left. Last picture as an only child

We went back to my mom's condo because it was closer to the birthing center. As soon as I got home Liam and I hopped in the shower. He loves showers and also they are supposed to keep your labor going. Liam played with his hot wheel cars and was having a great time. I was just enjoying my time with Liam and Chris was sitting in the hall timing my contractions. I would yell to him when they stopped and started. By this time they were about every 4 minutes apart, but they were something I could handle.

After a long shower we texted my midwife to let her know how things were going. She said to lay down and see if things kept going. So my mom, Chris, Liam, and I laid in my moms king size bed to watch Cars 2. Liam thought this was great. Chris kept timing my contractions and all of the sudden they got strong and right on top of one another. I told Chris to text my midwife and she said to come in.

Chris' mom got to St George at about this point to watch Liam. Perfect timing. We walked down stairs and headed into the birthing center. This was about noon or 12:30. We sent my mom to go get ice chips. This would turn out to be a life saver. It is about a 5 minute drive from my mom's condo, and while in the car I had maybe one contraction. I started to panic thinking that it was all going to stop again.

But as soon as we pulled into the parking lot and saw the midwife waiting for us I had a strong contraction and had to wait in the car until it passed, and then as I was walking into the birthing center I literally was running to get to the bed because another one was starting. These were strong, a lot stronger than any of the others had been.

They were filling up the birthing tub and told me I could get in at anytime even though it wasn’t full. This was all I needed to hear. I practically jumped in. At this point my mom got there and Chris was changing into his swim suit. When the next contraction hit I screamed for Chris to get in the tub. I needed him at that moment more than I ever have in my whole life. I needed his help to relax and get through the pain. He jumped right in and curled himself around me.

Chris was my rock. I could not have done it without him.

The midwife checked me and told me that I had just a lip of the cervix left to dilate and then I was there. So basically I was almost completely dilated. This gave me hope that it would not be too much longer. Which was good because I really didn't feel like I had even hit transition yet.

And then I did hit it. The wall. I wanted to run and hide from the contractions, and I actually tried. Before this when a contraction would hit I would moan (quite loudly to my surprise) and relax, but when I hit transition I would start swimming around in circles in the pool. Actually trying to run away. I don't know how long I did this for, but then my midwife very nicely told me that I needed to just relax and that I couldn't run anymore. So I did. It definitely was not any less painful, but it was less exhausting. In between every contraction I would yell “ice” and my mom who was outside the pool would give me some. It helped so much. It helped cool me down and soothe my throat from all the moaning.

Finally after being there for about 3 hrs my body started pushing. It was completely involuntary. In the middle of one of the contractions my body just pushed. Everyone was excited because we all knew Fiona would be there soon.

I tried pushing in the pool for probably about 30 minutes or so, but my midwife could see that it was not working. I couldn't get the leverage I needed. So she had me get out of the pool. She wanted me to try squatting, but as soon as I stood up I could tell that was not going to happen. I could hardly lift my body it felt so heavy. So we went to the toilet where I could sit and push. This was fantastic. I finally felt like I was getting somewhere. I could feel Fiona moving down. It was crowded in the bathroom. We had Chris sitting on the side of the tub, me on the toilet, my midwife on the floor next to me, and the birthing assistant popping in every contraction so she could monitor Fiona's heart rate with the doppler. But I never wanted to leave. I probably would have delivered her there, but Fiona's heart rate started dropping to about 100 every time I pushed. This isn't scary low, but low enough that they wanted to move me to the bed to lie on my side to push.

So that is where we went. I was lying on my left side with my poor mom propping my leg up. All I could think about was how heavy my leg must be, but Fiona's heart rate came right up, so this is where we stayed. They eventually turned me to my right side, and then into a kind of sitting position.

This is where Fiona started crowning. Now in all the natural childbirth books I read they talked about the ring of fire. It is a sensation you get as the baby is crowning. This does not do it justice. I really felt like I was going to rip open. It got so bad I stopped pushing my midwife kept saying Marci push, and I kept saying no. It hurt so bad. Finally both my midwife and mom said Marci reach down and feel Fiona. Her head was already halfway out! At this point I figured I just had to do it. She had to come out at some point.

So I pushed and pushed and pushed and finally her whole head was out. They then had me turn on my side because it was apparent that she was big and it would be easier to get her shoulders out on my side. Once her shoulders were out I expected her to just slide out, but she didn't. My midwife said Marci reach down and pull your baby up to you. So I did. I pulled her out and put her right on my chest. She was born at 5:34 pm.

It was over. I could not believe that I did it! She was here, all natural and a V-BAC! I was crying. Chris was crying. Both of us because we were just so happy it was over.

They stitched me up and gave me a shot because I was bleeding and then it was time to weigh her. Now the midwife asked for guesses because she was obviously a big girl. My my mom said 8 lbs I said she had to be at least 9. The midwife smiled and said you are both wrong. 10 lbs 5 oz ! We all gasped and then laughed. That just made the moment sweeter. My body just birthed a 10 lb baby!

In the end I am so glad I did it exactly the way I did. Now I have two sweet babies that were given to me on the same day. I hope they think of it this way too.