*EBAC*

a client of mine who delivered last week went for a vba3c with a breech baby. she rocks, that's all i can say. she is brave, strong, determined, feisty, and this mama kicked a**. she got to 10cm, but little footling breech baby girl was laying diagonal across mom's abdomen and wasn't budging. the amazing doctor was willing to do a breech extraction, but when he reached up there to asses the situation decided baby's legs were a little bit too "chubby" for his comfort and he was afraid she'd be too big to avoid injury. so after a hard-fought fight, it was off to the OR for another c-section.
seriously, i'm bummed for this mom. she did everything right. she stacked her deck of cards as much in her favor as she could. but it apparently just wasn't meant to be.
and then i came across an incredible term that fits her birth to the T.
EBAC- Empowered Birth After Cesarean.
i LOVE this! and even though the outcome wasn't what we were hoping for, mom's labor was great, and baby got great benefits from all those labor hormones, all that time getting good squeezes from big, powerful contractions, dilating to a full 10cm and showing mom her body does work after all-- all that effort was not in vain, it was productive, and it was good. and mom should feel so empowered for that. i think she does, and i believe she should. she is a rock star in my book!

Amazing VBA2C in Saudi Arabia

Over the summer I got to be "internet doula" to an American mama I met on a VBAC forum who was living in Saudi Arabia. The medical system is very different there, and she was told since she had 2 prior cesareans that she must have a third for this delivery. I cringed when she told me that her doctor informed her that earlier that week she had done a *sixth* c-section on a mama there and there was no problem doing so many!
She really wanted her VBAC, educated herself, read any information she could get her hands on, and continued to insist on getting a shot to VBAC. Her husband was an amazing support, and went to her doctor repeatedly to insist that she get to try. She was prepared to refuse the cesarean if necessary, labor at home till she was pushing if necessary, but ideally would have loved to get the support of her medical team. She also knew that she would be facing this alone, because in Saudi Arabia, husbands are not allowed in the labor and delivery ward! Her bravery and courage are such an inspiration!
About 3-4 weeks before her due date, ACOG released their new guidelines for VBAC and I emailed her the info. She and her husband brought the information to her doctor and she finally got the official OK! I could tell she was so relieved and excited from her email and so was I!! Here is an excerpt from her very triumphant birth story:

"On August 14th I woke up at 1pm with mild contractions, oh by the way, it is the month of Ramadan where all Muslims fast for the entire month during the day, which means no food, water and only pure thoughts. I get out of bed and time a few contractions just to see where I'm at. They are every 10-15 mins. apart. I text my husband and tell him I think today is the day. He called and asked me if I wanted him to come home. I said no cause everything is fine. About an hour later I went to the bathroom and I lost my mucas plug. I never thought I'd be so happy to see blood and yucky glob! haha Hubby came home and we had dinner around 6:30pm. At 9pm we went to my NST. (different working hours due to Ramadan) They do the test for 30 minutes then the doctor comes in to check me because I've been contracting. She checks to see if I'm leaking any fluid. She said that I am and continues to check for dilation. When she checks me my water breaks. The doctor tells me that I will be admitted now. How nice, cause I was told that I would have to be monitored the whole time I'm in labor which means that I have to stay in bed. Not my plan at all. I wanted to labor at home where I could use my birth ball, the shower and be with my hubby. (husbands are not allowed in the room during the delivery of the baby) By this time it's 10pm and I'm getting hungry again. lol My contractions are still coming about the same 10-15 minutes apart and are still mild but I have to stop moving when I get one.

"Around 4am the doctor checked me and I was at 4 cm in active labor. Now the contractions are hard and fast. I started asking for releif but they didn't have anything. I started begging for a c-section about 6 am because the pain was so bad. They put the catheter in, shaved the lower belly, checked my vitals and brought the bed in for the OR. At shift change, 7am, is when my supportive doctor which I never met before came in and seen me. She checked me and said Shari you've come so far just wait a little longer. She waited and checked me again and said get that bed out of here she's at 9cm and will not have a RCS. If it wasn't for this new doctor I would have chickened out again and had a RCS. They don't let you push in any position. You have to have you knees under stir-ups while pushing. I started to push I think around 8am. I couldn't really keep track of the time cause it was really intense. My hubby came to the hospital and was in the hallway trying to talk to me. I had texted him saying I was going for c-section. The doctor got the vacuum and showed it to me cause I wasn't pushing good and was stopping in the middle of contractions. My hubby asked the doctor to give me a few more minutes to try before she did the vacuum. She agreed and I started to push harder and longer. Everyone in the room was saying push Shari push. Good girl. Don't stop now. They were a great team. I could feel the baby's head starting to come and I felt a burst of energy. I felt his head come out and the doctor said 1 more push don't stop. So I pushed and my baby boy was placed on my belly at 8:43 am born naturally. He weighed 9 pounds 3 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. They took him to NICU for 24 hours because he was so big. (Saudi babies are smaller) I was able to see him after a few hours and try to nurse him about 6:30 pm. He did great and was able to room in with me after 24 hour observation. He started to nurse like a pro and is gaining weight.

"Without God, my husband this group and the new staff that came on duty I wouldn't have been able to do this. I was the first person to try VBA2C in the hospital and I hope it will help other women to at least try labor. Thank you all for the support and information. God bless you. "

I got a call from her husband at about 5:55am (central time) that her VBA2C was successful. It was the best wake-up call I could have received! What an incredible triumphant birth in the face of such odds! Congratulations Shari, you rock, and thank you so much for letting me be a part, even from the other side of the world!

one year ago today...

Has it already been a year? Really?!? That went by wayyyyy too fast!
I have been so emotional this weekend, and as I go into today, I feel just this swirl of excitement, nostalgia, gratitude, and sheer thrill. Will I get any sleep tonight? I just can't stop remembering...

Here's the timeline of my birth, which I am so thankful that my doula recorded for me!

5:45ish, at sunrise I woke up to the pop of my water breaking. I rushed to the bathroom and sat on the toilet just in the nick of time for the full gush. I was actually quite perturbed at first. I did not want to labor without my water! I woke Marco and told him we need to clean the house.
6am I call my doula and tell her, but contractions really haven't started yet.
6:40 I text her back saying contractions have started, if she could start to get ready to head out to my house.
7am my dear friend Andrea shows up and I'm taking a quick shower.
7:05 my husband calls my doula Tonya to come, things are picking up and he's nervous. :)
7:25am Tonya arrives, Marco is timing my contractions which are about 4 minutes apart and 40 seconds long.
7:45 Marco's family arrives to watch the older 3 and I retreat to the bedroom to avoid too much of an audience.
By 8am all the kids have woken up and we are getting ready to head up to Denton. I didn't want to go to the hospital, but didn't want to labor with so many people in the house, so we decided to head to the park close to the hospital to walk.
About 9ish am we stop by the hospital just to use the bathroom. I walk in happily and smiling so the security guard won't know I'm in labor, lol. I am not ready to be there yet...
Something I remember quite vividly walking out of that hospital was the absolute awe of what my body was doing. It was incredible and I remember feeling so grateful to get to labor. And the presence of God was so thick. I teared up a few times, but had to force myself to focus on the task at hand. I tell myself there would be plenty of time in the future to shed those tears of joy and thank God for his faithfulness to me!
We get to the park and I start to feel really nauseous. Yay, transition! This sucks. So thankful, but it's getting harder to stay relaxed. We hardly get any walking in and I start throwing up (I swear I got an extra centimeter dilated right there, lol!)
We arrive at the hospital at about 10am, get to my room, try to potty but couldn't because I could feel he was sooooo low.
Shortly after I get checked and I'm thrilled to hear I'm already 10cm, completely effaced, and 0 to +1 station. YAY!!!
Pushing was HARD. Nothing could prepare me for that. I wasted about an hour or so pushing in a position that just would not work because I just could not make myself move. My doula told me later she thought subconsciously I just needed everything to slow down a little, to let me brain wrap around the idea that I WAS doing this! I think she was right, it was all happening so fast!
11:05am my doula, and doctor finally convince me I can move so I turn around over the back of the bed. I immediately feel him descending.
11:34am Sergio Emanuel Perez is born! I DID IT! He weighed in at 6lbs 7oz and 18.5 inches long.

My triumphant birth forever changed me. Next to my salvation in Christ it is the most redemptive, healing experience I have ever been blessed to have. I am forever grateful to my God, my healer and strength, to my amazing husband, who was so incredibly supportive and endured my not-so-fun pregnancy with me, to my doula and now treasured friend Tonya, I could not have done this without you, and to my other dearly treasured friend Andrea, whose presence there gave me so much support and strength.

Happy birthday sweet baby boy. And happy VBAC day to me!

VBAC after Inverted T!

Another mama in from the special scars special women support group had a VBAC after inverted T incision!!
This is an incredible birth story in so many different ways. I am amazed at the human body, it's power, it's capacity, it's endurance. We certainly are "fearfully and wonderfully made!!"
After being dilated fully for 20 hours, this mama brought forth her baby with incredible tenacity. While I don't know her, and she lives all the way on the other side of the world, I am so blessed to have been able to "witness" this on facebook and participate with my prayers, well-wishes, and positive energy. She is such an inspiration and I hope you read her complete birth story here!
http://doulamomma.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/the-birth-of-stella-rose-home-water-birth-after-inverted-t-cesarean/

ACOG revises its VBAC policies

While I am uber excited to see this released, and think it's LONG overdue, it's just a start at the work we have to do!
I'm hoping doctors everywhere are paying attention and planning to give their patients the very best shot at VBAC!
Here are some great links to check out and get the scoop!
http://blog.ican-online.org/2010/07/21/ican-responds-to-new-acog-guidelines-on-vbac/
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr07-21-10-1.cfm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38349267/ns/health

Special Scars, Special Women

I just wanted to make sure to highlight this fantastic yahoo-based support group (that I just so happen to have been asked tonight to help moderate, yay!).
I joined this group for women with atypical cesarean incisions like mine when I was planning my VBAC and got so much information and support here. The members are awesome, the leader is a fabulous source of facts and statistics, and I am so blessed to be a part of this.
I have become quite passionate about VBACing in general since my own, but especially for women who either have been given a non-transverse scar, or have be sectioned so many times that no one wants to touch them other than to slice them open again. I just think it's so amazing our bodies' incredible resilience to heal, and believe that women should get to chose how to birth their babies.
More attention needs to be given to the issue of VBACing after special scars, more studies and statistics need to be compiled, and more OBs and midwives need to make themselves available to give mothers a shot at VBACing.
I still feel blessed to have crossed paths with the right people who led me ultimately to the supportive OB who gave me my VBAC. If I can be a part of spreading the message that *IT CAN BE DONE*, I feel I pay forward the blessing that I received.
So, if you or anyone you know has had an inverted T, classical, low vertical, J, or upright T incision, please pass along the following link! (It's also under my VBAC resources to the right)
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Special_Scars-Special_Women/?yguid=347970953

Baby M's birth

I became a traveling doula to help my dear sis have her baby and turned it into a mini vacation to spend some time with family in my home town.
I have to say, my sis is so awesome, and one of the strongest women I know! She delivered baby M at 41 weeks, and had a great Hypnobabies birth. Other than a touch of pitocin just to get her labor going, it was completely drug free! Dad was a great support too, very involved and attentive, doing anything he could to help! They worked together as a great team!
Induction started with my sis already at 5cm, so the tiniest bit of pitocin was used. After she got to 6cm, the drip was stopped and her body did the rest on it's own. Baby had some slight positioning issues and a nuchal hand, but nothing that caused too much of an issue. Baby M was born at 3:11am on July 8th weighing in at 7lbs 14.9oz, and 18 3/4 inches long.
His birth is not the first birth I have attended, but this was the first that actually counted toward my certification. It was great to put into practice all the new tricks I've learned from my training and get to see the benefits!
It was such a blessing to get to be a part of this birth! Pics soon to come!