Changes

As we prepared for DS3's arrival we were making lots of changes in our lives. I'd had two cesarean sections by that point and was praying for a VBAC. After seeking help with local OBs and being shut down - okay, not shut down; just laughed at, told inflated risk statistics and flat out told, "NO!" - I'd resolved myself to an inevitable third cesarean. I was crushed. A long-time friend of mine, Jessica, is a natural birth instructor as well as a doula. After several weeks of panic attacks and crying my heart out, praying for peace, I spilled my heart out to her. I told her how afraid I was of going under the knife again. My first cesarean was horribly botched after, to my dismay, experimental staples were used on my outer incision and it popped open to the fundus layer (AKA...the uterus). My second rendered me cut to the core and alone after my husband passed out. I was alone for three hours: 1/2 hour in surgery and 2 1/2 in recovery because my body temperature would not go back up. I was not allowed to see my baby or my husband. Jessica told me of a friend of hers, Sarah, who has a similar story to mine. She was also seeking a VBAC; she'd had three cesareans. Sarah told me about a doctor who she'd been talking to regarding helping her with a VBAC. Michael and I met with this doctor. I was already considering a home birth. After meeting with the doctor, he referred us to a doctor whom he felt would be better suited to do such a task since I'd had two cesareans. He made it sound risky. And then we met Dr. F! With an amazing bedside manner and resume, he quoted statistics, cited his experience and listened (LISTENED!) to me! He was willing to allow me to have a trial of labor and go for a VBAC! We were also meeting with a midwife for a home birth.

While preparing for the [natural] arrival of DS3, I threw out the chemically engineered prenatal vitamins I was previously taking and we invested in whole food vitamins. What a difference! I also began taking chlorophyll because I tend to be a bit anemic. I began chiropractic care on a regular basis after my hip was out of place so badly I could barely walk anymore. Michael and I took Brio Natural Birth class in preparation and hired Jessica to be our doula. Together, we conducted a lot of online research regarding the routine hospital procedures for newborns (we were praying about where to birth and were undecided at this point) and whipped up a birth plan. We also decided to use cloth diapers for the first time.

If you would like to read the birth story for DS3 please visit our other blog In Our Shoes as I have no intentions of spoiling it if you already follow.