Birthrites: Healing After Caesarean.

Caelan's birthstory

~ by Randee (his mommy)
randeesanders@yahoo.com

Caelan was a successful HBA2C (home birth after two c-sections). I had been having irregular contractions for about a week before the baby was born, and was quite ready for it to be the real thing. I went in for my last midwife appointment on a thursday and had dialated to a 5 and 70% effaced. My midwife (Liz Camp) rimmed my cervex and said "See you tonight!", sure enouph I woke up at 11:00pm with pretty strong contractions thet were 5 minutes apart for about 40 minutes, then they were 3-5 min for about 20 minutes, and after they were every 3 minutes apart for 30 minutes I thought that it was time to wake my husband up and call Liz. Liz came over right away at about 12:30ish. When she got to our house my contractions slowed way down as well as the intensity. Liz said that some women do that... its like they have their "nesting space" invaded, which slows and sometimes even stops labor.

Well, My midwife was so wonderful, she and her assistant, Samantha, stayed with me all night even though my labor had slowed way down. When she first arribed I had dialated to a 7 and 100% effaced, and I stayed that way well into the morning. At 9-10:00ish a.m. We talked about wether or not we should help the labor along. I wasnt progressing much and Liz thought that mabey I was pitocen dependent from my first two births (The give you Pitocen with C-Sections... I guesse its to get your uterus to contract and release your placenta, etc.) We decided to say a prayer to see if we should break the bags of water. After the prayer we all felt good about it and decided that was what we should do.

So, with each contraction she had me push while she broke both my bags of water. Then we got into position on our living room floor and with the next contraction Liz informed us that I was dialated to a 10 in a matter of just minutes. We began to push and I remember Liz saying "keep pushing, his head is right there!", and I counldnt believe it because I never was in much pain up untel then. She had me feel, and sure enouph, I felt his head just centemeters away from my vaginal opening. That is what gave me the strength for the rest. She rimmed my perinial muscles the whole time, which is what hurt the most, but well worth it because I never tore. A few pushes later his head was out - WOW - what an acomplishment that was! He was so blue and beautiful, then with the next contraction his body came, and boy, was my heart filled with joy! I finally did ti! Naturally and vaginally, my dream came true! It only took 10 minutes after I had dialated to a 10 to the moment I first held my son. It was so amazing and spiritual! I was able to hold him right away, which was such a neet experience because with my first two, I didnt get to hold them for a few hours afterward because they were ceserean.

I began to hemorage a little afterward, but my midwife sure knew her stuff. She kneaded my stomache and gabe me some herbs, etc. to stop the bleeding. She asked my husband, Blaine, to give me a priesthood blessing and my bleeding stoped imediately afterwards. I am so glad I did a homebirth, I truely believe that if I were in a hospitol again with all the interventions, I would not have been able to do it. It was the love at home, my diet, the books and studing that I did throughout pregnancy, my faith in my body and the Lord (which was so hard to get - and very much the most important), my wonderful and spiritual midwife, and my special husband who was there for me the whole time, that made all the difference! My recovery was so much easier too. I could walk that same day!

Caelan was born on 2/23 at 10:37 a.m., and weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 19 3/4 inches long. His head was 14 inches (only 1/2 inch smaller than my first son who was taken c-secion for CPD [head too small for pelvis]). He is so healthy and beautiful and bery calm and well natured. I feel so blessed to have his spirit in our home... what a cutie!!!