Little Lucas: My VBAC Birth Story

My beautiful baby boy was born yesterday, February 20, 2013, at 12:58 pm, faster than I even had time to prepare for! Everything went so well and I feel so incredibly blessed! This will be a long post because obviously it was a very important moment for me :) and the fact that I was able to successfully VBAC meant a lot to me too.

My due date was the 21st. My doctor's policy is not to let VBAC patients go past their due date, so I was scheduled for an induction at 6:00 am Friday morning. At my appointment last Wednesday, I was dilated to 2 cm and 50% effaced. I was excited that my body was doing something on its own! Every day, I waited and wondered if I was advancing, or if the random pain and pressure I felt could possibly maybe be a contraction!

By the time Tuesday rolled around, and nothing had happened, I resigned myself to the fact that I would be induced Friday. So I got on the phone to let everyone know that Marcos would be arriving in the morning and to just plan on coming Friday as the most likely. We decided that Marcos's friend Josh would pick him up at the airport at 9:30, and then we would meet them for brunch/lunch. Then we'd go together to my appointment at 1:00. I was just hoping for a 3 cm or something.

Well, of course, you can't plan labor! All week I had been just waiting for it to happen, knowing I couldn't predict it. So when I finally made a plan, baby decided to throw a wrench in it!

I woke up at 4:00 am and after awhile realized that the pain I was having were, finally, this time, contractions! I decided to get up and do some packing just in case, and then try to time them. I thought they would slow down if it was only false labor. When I started timing them, they were 5-6 minutes apart and consistently 40 seconds long. I went to lie back down to see if they would slow down, and I had two 8 minutes apart. Then Leyla woke up and in that rush I had some that were only 2 minutes apart. So, they were kind of irregular, but always lasted 40 seconds. When Beth and Cliff woke up, we decided to go to the hospital because they weren't slowing down and my doctor had said to come in when they were 10 minutes apart.

We took one last picture...and headed out the door!

I thought my contractions were pretty intense, but they were irregular, and the first ones I felt so I didn't think I was very far along. I could still talk through them somewhat, too. When I got to the hospital and checked in close to 8:00, I was 3 cm and 80% effaced. Progress! Dr. Salter came in to discuss options - he had to go out of town that night and wouldn't be back until Thursday night (that's why the induction was scheduled for Friday). Of course I would go into labor the day he has to be out of town! He was not very happy because he didn't want to miss it. So he wanted to speed it up to make sure I had the baby by 4:00 pm because he had to fly out at 5:00. I was admitted and had some labs done so they could break my water. Something else kind of scary to think about: the nurse went to set up the OR just in case of an emergency.

Around 11:00, he checked me - I was 6 cm, 90% effaced, and at 0 station! He actually said, wow! So then he broke my water. I can't believe I dilated THAT quickly, and without pitocin. What's more, my contractions were not coming closer together and were still irregular in their intensity, although I felt them as more intense.

Then we started talking about epidurals. The plan was to go natural, but as I thought about it, I changed my mind. Marcos would arrive at the airport and come straight to the hospital, and I wanted to be able to greet him, talk, and be comfortable and enjoy the birth with him since it was happening so fast. Also if I had to have an emergency c-section, having the epidural in place already would make it easier. So we went for it. It took awhile to take effect and my blood pressure dropped, but then I was okay. She checked me again I think around noon, and I was 8.5!! They started setting up for delivery and called the doctor.

I thought, this is crazy, I'm about to have a baby. I just got here and I'm almost done. I had no time to process it!! I could not believe how fast it had happened.

I started pushing and they brought in a mirror so I could see his head and his/my progress. I pushed for I think 3 contractions. Then his heart rate went real low. They waited and decided to use a vacuum to help pull him out, and an episiotomy. I pushed with the next contraction and there was his head! He suctioned his airways and I pushed one more time, and he was born :) They immediately put him on my chest and then cleaned him up.

(I forgot about the oxygen mask on my head.... I guess I was kind of preoccupied!)

 It was incredible to watch him being born and to have Marcos right there, and to hold him immediately. It is a beautiful experience. He let out a cry immediately, it was sweet!

Jonathan Lucas
7 lbs, 12 oz

21 inches long

14 inch head circumference

Big boy!

 The "stars aligned" for me that day - I got everything I wanted and none of my worries came true. I had so many things in my head that couldn't happen or my risk of uterine rupture would increase: slow labor, failure to dilate, pitocin, high blood pressure, etc. NONE of that happened. God was right there, moving things along, doing everything possible to give me an amazing birth experience. I really feel blessed, loved, and supported - that God wanted it to be this way.

He has chubby fluffy legs :)

 Silly big sis :)

I had quite a bad tear since they had to get him out so quickly (his cord was wrapped once, as it turns out), and that is the only complaint I have. Otherwise it could not have gone better! I had the BEST doctor and the BEST nurses and the BEST care, it was so great, and such a different experience, and I am so grateful for everyone who helped me and was there for me.

He came out looking JUST like his ultrasound pictures. And the first thing we both said was, wow he looks just like Leyla did! His hair is a bit darker, I think, and he has more of it - although she had a head of hair, too! He is more than a pound heavier and 2 inches longer too. She is so proud of him and loves to hold him and kiss him, too.

We love our little boy!!