My second successful, med-free VBAC (pic heavy)

[CountryChicMama]

Samuel Gray was born on April 4th at 11:05am weighing 8.15lbs and 21.5 inches long.

On Monday I was officially 41 weeks 3 days late. I’d been contracting and losing plug for the past three days, but nothing significant or time-able. I had an OB appt. that morning where I was declared a good 3cm and asked for them to strip my membranes. I began having good cramping almost immediately after the appt. and we went home to relax with the kiddos.

At about 8:30 that evening I realized that the cramping had become contractions and were coming regularly so we began to time them. By about 1:30am they had started to get intense enough and were coming every 6-8 minutes that I sought refuge in the shower. Called my mom at about 3:30am and told her to come on down, so that DH could rest a little. I got out of the shower and at around 4:30 with the intention to labor about an hour longer at home (contractions were every 4-5 minutes, but only lasting about 35-45 seconds), but I immediately felt off. I felt VERY faint, nauseated and honestly, like something bad was about to happen. I tried laying down, but couldn’t and immediately started dry heaving and falling down, so we called the inlaws who luckily live a mile away, got in the car and left.

We get to the hospital and my blood pressure was pretty high (so I assume that was the cause of my “attack”), so I just try to rest a bit. I was only 6cms, which I was disappointed about, but within 2 hours my BP had dropped significantly and I’d dilated to 8cms. At that point (about 7am) I had my MW break my water to see if it’d help progress my labor a little quicker. When we did we noticed merconium, but she wasn’t too concerned as I was so far along.

And then I stalled. I don’t know what happened, but my contractions began getting more and more intense, and on top of each other, yet I had no dilation for almost 4 hours!! I was almost in tears. I had been laboring now for almost 14 hours through the night. I was so tired that I broke down and asked for the epidural, but before I could get it I had to complete a bag of IV fluids first. So I was hooked up to the fluids and left to labor some more. At this point I just wanted to go home; I was so overwhelmed I just wasn’t even sure I could make it through the bag of fluids. DH and my mom were doing their best to comfort me and console me, but I was just really having a difficult time and was blaming myself for waiting too long and trying to be a martyr.

That anger and frustrations led me to just start pushing a little at every contraction. I didn’t care if I was dilated, or if I felt pushy, I just needed to do something. My IV bag had barely gone down one whole notch when all of a sudden I felt him slide down! I yelled that I need to push and my mom ran a grabbed a nurse. They came in checked and she yelled back “Hurry up, he’s not going to make it!!” I looked at her and said “What?!” She said the OB wasn’t going to make it; he was in with a c/s and my MW had stepped back into the office for a few appts. Luckily one of my other OBs just happen to be up on the floor visiting, so she ran in and in 4 or 5 contractions/pushes Samuel Gray was born.

The cord was wrapped up and around the back of his neck, shoulders and then I heard the staff gasp. The OB lifted up the cord and there was a perfect knot in it! We didn’t get to delay cord cutting due to the meconium, but the NICU team were able to drain/suction him right there next to my bed and then they just wrapped him up in a warm towel and handed him back. He was 8lbs 15oz and 21.5 inches long. I wish DH had gotten a pic of the knot, but he was too wrapped up in taking shots of Sam. I ended up with only a small superficial 2 stitch tear which was amazing. Though my labor left a little to be desired, my recovery has been fantastic and I honestly don’t even feel like I gave birth 5 days ago!





Meeting brother for the first time.


Absolutely infatuated.


In our first woven.

[this_mel_rocks]

Congrats! What a lucky little boy you have. A true knot in his cord and no issues. Amazing.

[umphreysmommy]

Congrats!! Your boys are all so adorable (especially the newbie!!). You look great too for so close after birth!!

[TrammellyFamily]

Awww! He's beautiful mama! Congratulations!!! <3

[SeaChellsRun]

Love that first picture of him all curled up. Congratulations mama!

[Melaine]

Love the pics, especially the one with your older DS looking at baby...so sweet! congrats!

[Almacham]

Congratulations! Love the pics - he's a cutie.

[Br2me]

congrats and thanks for sharing his story!!

[marliah]

Congratulations! Glad everything went well despite the knot in the core. Our fourth had one in hers, we are so glad she is ok

[silverstar91579]

Congratulations thank you for the inspiration m first two girls were natural then two girls by. C sections and I so want a vbac with this precious boy due august 8