Harper Elizabeth Morehead (Our Natural Birth Story)

The Bradley Method
From the beginning of this pregnancy, I knew I wanted to have a natural child birth. I had no idea what that really meant other than reading about other moms who had done it on "mommy blogs." At a random appointment, I mentioned to Dr. Ware, my OB, that I thought I would forego the epidural. She said that in her experience, if you really wanted to forego the epidural, you needed a plan. She recommended reading about the Bradley Method. I came home, Googled it, and despite even Wes' apprehension that I could actually go through with it, signed us up for classes in Hattiesburg every Tuesday night for the last 12 weeks of our pregnancy.

The Bradley Method is centered around 3 main ideas: nutrition, exercise, and most important, relaxation. I believe with all my heart that these three things transformed my pregnancy. Lets just say that 23 weeks of throwing up consistently 2-5 times a day and the inability to put my own shoes in the second trimester was not my idea of fun. As soon as our instructor, Elizabeth, sent us the workbook, we started the diet, doing the prescribed exercises, and relaxing at night. All of sudden, I had energy. I could do pretty much anything I could before I got pregnant. Sure I got tired faster, but the difference in the way I felt was night and day.

The more we learned about the benefits of natural child birth, the stages of labor, and how to manage pain, the more confident Wes and I both became in our ability to birth our children without medication and certainly without non-essential interventions.

After many lengthy conversations with Dr. Ware, a birth plan was written, and anticipation of the "birth day" of our little girl grew!


Pre-labor/Early labor

My labor really started about 4:30 Thursday morning (March 27). I worked Thursday, of course, because my plan was to work until my due date unless baby came before. Thursday afternoon, Wes and I walked the neighborhood and while the amount of contractions increased, the timing of the contractions remained sporadic. I contracted all Thursday night and began to have a bloody show. Friday morning (March 28) things slowed down a bit. It was a stormy day so Wes and I went to the mall to walk some more. Again, the contractions became more frequent but with little consistency.  I had a doctors appointment at 3 pm so we headed over hoping to hear that progress was being made. I had my first cervical check of the pregnancy.  I was dilated none to one, but the cervix was soft. After hearing that we both sort of relaxed and stopped timing each contraction although, I continued to have contractions all Friday night. Saturday (March 29) was pretty calm as far as contractions go, but I still had them sporadically throughout the day. I worked in the yard and just sat down when one would hit. They really picked up Saturday night, however.  Even though, I knew I wasn't in transition, Wes and I had agreed that we would go to hospital when my contractions were 5 minutes apart for an hour. They had been for about an hour and 45 minutes. So, we headed to the hospital around 11pm only to find out still very little dilation so we headed back home. Sunday morning (March 30) woke up with contractions still going strong, but the times were still sporadic. Sunday afternoon I soaked in the tub for about two hours and contracted the entire time. Around 8 pm, I asked Wes to contact our doula, Rachel White, because I could not take another night of contractions without progress. We were both exhausted! She suggested a Tylenol and a beer. I obliged, and I attempted to go to bed!

Active Labor

The Tylenol and beer might as well have been thrown down the drain because they did nothing to provide relief. In fact, my contractions were getting stronger and closer together with each passing hour. Wes feed me ice chips and compressed my hips while we laid in bed. I would fall asleep between contractions and wake up saying help me, help me! Which meant I wanted Wes to massage or compress or give me ice chips or do all of these things at once. I really had no idea of how much time was passing, how far apart the contractions were, or anything else. All I could concentrate on was breathing through each contractions and relaxing after each one. Wes was a CHAMP!!! I know he was tired and frustrated because with every contractions, I wanted something different. I wanted more pressure, less pressure, more ice, less ice, and sometimes I just sobbed! I had to go to the bathroom, A LOT! I would try to make it from the bed to the toilet between contractions, but I almost never made it! I would yell for Wes to come to the bathroom to help me! Of course, he always came. Finally, I asked Wes if he was timing these contractions. He said yes, they had been 2 minutes apart for about 2 hours. I said we needed to go the hospital this must have been around 3am. He did all the last minute prep, and off we went. While in the car, I started saying that I had to push. Wes kept saying, "Do not push in this car!" I kept telling him not to drive too fast, I couldn't wait if we got pulled over. 

The Hospital/Transition

When we arrived at the hospital around 4am, I somehow walked into the ER entrance, and I remember leaning against a concrete pillar. A security guard told he would get me a wheel chair, and I told him to hurry, I had to push. I remember seeing a lady named Emily that I remembered from Saturday night and she ran with me down the hall and up to second floor. This time when we got to labor and delivery, they didn't worry about putting me in triage. I went straight into the labor room where a lovely soul named Sharon was my nurse. She automatically asked about our birth plan, and I could hear Wes giving her the information about the wireless electronic fetal monitoring, asking her to call Dr. Ware, explaining about the the Group Strep B antibiotics because I tested positive, etc. I went straight to the bed and started taking off my clothes. After a few minutes, I was checked and had dilated to 5cm! I didn't really need to push after all. Rachel arrived, and I really calmed down quite a bit. 
The next few hours are kind of a blur.  I remember talking to my parents on the phone and asking them to let the dog out before they came to the hospital. I remember walking around, sitting on the birthing ball,  and being in the bed at times.  I remember Dr. Ware calling us on the phone to tell us she was on her way.  I remember Rachel telling Wes to get the nurse when I said I had a lot of pressure in the front and wanted to push.  I remember the nurse or maybe Dr.  Ware saying I was at 10 cm with a bulging bag
of waters.  I remember two nurses and Dr.  Ware kind of standing in the background.  I asked about the time and it was around 9am, I think. I thought to myself,  I'll have this baby before lunch.  And then there was what seemed like a really,  really long pause.  

Second Stage

I asked the room,  "so with the next contraction I can push,  right?"  All agreed.  I asked Rachel why my water didn't break and she said something about my diet being good.  I didn't talk much during this stage except to ask for tissue ( Did I mention I had a cold? ) and ice.  And really I just held my hand out and didn't say anything.  My favorite position to push in was standing up with my arms on someone's shoulders and squatting during the contraction. I also liked sitting in the bed with Wes behind me.  I wasn't very loud and Rachel keep reminding me to make low groaning sounds. The pain during this part was not as intense as I expected. Pushing took all the intensity out. I still had no idea how much time was passing. I just keep relaxing between contractions and thinking about breathing through the next one. We were taught to take two deep breaths, hold the third one, and push with our lower half. I just keep thinking about over and over. I remember Wes telling me that an hour and half had passed. I think I asked to be checked again at this point, and someone said that the she was about half an inch from crowning and to give it my all in the next few pushes. I did! I pushed long and hard and held my breath and I never felt a baby crowning. I asked the room for suggestions and said I must be a bad pusher. Someone suggested changing positions. So I moved to all fours and tried to do some pelvic rocks between pushes. That was the first unbearable pain, I had felt. I let them know that that would not work. I moved to the birthing ball and that was when I really started to feel the pain in my lower back. This is when I started to talk directly to Dr. Ware and tell her where it hurt and ask her what to do. She said she thought the baby was OP (occiput position).  My water still had not broken. Dr. Ware checked me at this point and the water finally broke which was a relief, but there was meconium in the water.  There was no reason to be alarmed. The baby nor I were in distress. But by this point, I had been pushing 4.5 hours. Dr. Ware also said that the baby had moved back into the uterus and a lip was forming around the cervix. So, I said this is going to be a section, isn't it? 

C-Section

Dr. Ware expressed that she did not want to do a section on a healthy baby and momma, but she didn't think this baby was coming out. I know there was more discussion, but I don't really remember what was being said because the contraction pain increased by a lot. I remember Rachel and Wes rolling me back and forth on the bed to try and turn the baby. I remember Wes asking everyone to leave the room. I remember crying. I don't remember what I said or how the decision was made. I remember asking Dr. Ware how long the section would take and she answered 20 minutes. I said, if you can get it done in 20 minutes let's do it. At this point, everything started moving really fast and felt very chaotic. I got an epidural (just the shot) and that helped me relax a lot. Dr. Ware came in and said that I wouldn't be able to hold the baby right away because she wanted her to be checked for meconium aspiration, but that they would bring her over right after that. The nurses starting telling me that the baby was almost out, and Wes wasn't in the room. I started yelling down the hall for him to run! I remember Wes standing or sitting next to my head. I heard Harper cry. Wes left to go see her. And then.... it felt like I couldn't breathe. I couldn't focus on anything else. I kept saying over and over again, I can't breathe. The nurse assured me that I was fine and said she was giving me medicine for it. Wes brought Harper over and I started ripping at my gown to get skin to skin and it was all tangled in the cords. And then... I felt sick and started dry heaving. And Wes and Harper left to go to the nursery. Sadly, I don't remember what happened after that. I remember seeing Harper for the first time and someone asking who she looked like and I said Wes. I don't remember breastfeeding her. Luckily, Wes took lots of pictures. I don't remember getting to our regular room or Harper coming in from the nursery. I do remember the medication being so strong that as soon as they gave it to me, I feel asleep. 

In the End

While this is story is very disappointing to me, Elizabeth, our Bradley instructor, emphasized that in the end a happy, healthy family was always our goal. Well, we met that goal! And while, I didn't actually deliver Harper without medication, I did give her the best trail of medicated free labor I could have. I didn't give up, and she and I are healthier for it. 

There are no words to express how amazing Dr. Alisha Ware was. Her call shift ended at 7am Monday morning. She had clinic that day, but she stayed in the labor room with us all morning and afternoon. She never left our side because she wanted to make sure that the nurses and other doctors on call gave us the time and freedom to have the labor and delivery we wanted. I am forever thankful for her! 

Wes and I could not have survived the day without Rachel White, our doula. She was so supportive and helpful and gave us the extra confidence we needed. She is also as skinny as a twig, but strong! That girl held me up for hours!! I am happy to call her friend. 

And Wes, what can I say about him. He started this process wanting to sit in the waiting room and have the nurse come get him when it was over to being my labor and delivery coach. He exercised with me every night. He made me eat eggs for breakfast even though I protested everyday.  He labored with me for 4 long and tiring days. He endured a lot of gross stuff. He gave me everything I asked for even when I am sure he just wanted to slap me. He called our families and text the updates during the entire process. He kept our friends informed. He didn't let me miss a minute even when I wasn't lucid by taking pictures of precious moments. He stayed with Harper and instructed the nurses on how to care for her. He gave me food when he wasn't suppose to. He never left my side. He always reminded me to breathe. I love him so! 

At my last doctors visit, Dr. Ware said that a VBAC is not out of the questions because of my excellent labor. Would I do it again, absolutely! Only next time, I want one of those 7 hour labor and delivery deals. 

Until next time..

XOXOXOX