Christian's Birth Story

Nicholas “Christian” Goss II
Hypnobabies Birth
July 14th, 2009 2:50am
PICTURES - CLICK HERE

To start this story, here is a brief explanation of some “red flags” in my health during the last trimester of my pregnancy. I put “red flags” in quotation marks because those were the words from a midwife concerning my risks of a natural birth. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and although I always controlled it well and had wonderful NSTs (measuring the baby’s heartrate) and BPPs (ultrasounds to make sure everything was ok) they still had to be on the cautious side of the risks in my pregnancy.

The midwives in the Vanderbilt practice are required to work under a board of doctors who usually recommend gestational diabetes patients to be induced at 38 weeks. My midwife was able to approve a hold on any induction until 40 weeks since everything was well controlled and looked great. I hoped all through my last trimester that my baby would come early and we would never have to consider an induction. However, my due date of July 6th came and I felt it was the safest to oblige their recommendations and go in for an induction 2 days later. (July 8th at 7:30pm.)

We arrived at the hospital that night and I was given an IV of Pitocin. I had to spend several days preparing myself and my fears of an induction because it really was going against everything I wanted for a natural childbirth. After months of preparing for a natural childbirth with Hypnobabies, I felt that I was letting myself down by going through with the induction – but I also knew I needed to be responsible to my baby and listen to the advice of the midwives. My Bishop’s score was between an 8 and 9 so I felt like I had a lot going for me and we would be able to work everything out for a great birth – even if it meant I had to have Pitocin. I was a good 5cm dilated and 70% effaced when we started the drugs. For 10 hours I was hooked up to the medicine and the nurses were increasing the dosage every 30 minutes. At 5:00am I was maxed out at 20mL and nothing was working. I was not in active labor although I was having a few pressure waves (contractions.) The advice from the midwife was to basically start from scratch and give me the Pitocin at smaller dosages again to see if something would happen.

Fast forward to 7:30am. There was a shift change in midwives and my new midwife came in to talk about what we needed to do since NOTHING was working!!! I never felt any strong pressure waves (contractions) the WHOLE NIGHT! The midwife began talking about how sometimes this is common. She recommended that we stay and continue to try other methods – breaking my water, continuing the Pitocin – but that realistically that would probably lead to a C-section since I was no more dilated or effaced. She also talked about how she had a patient try an induction 3 times before the Pitocin worked. When she mentioned that patient I perked up and said “so you let her go home all those times?????” I knew right then I would NOT stay at the hospital and that we would all go home and wait for my little man to come on his own time!!!!

We were discharged from the hospital as a “failed induction” against the board of doctor’s recommendations to stay. I just knew I was not putting my baby at any high risk by waiting a few days to see what would happen. To please the doctor’s and midwives, I scheduled follow up appointments to keep monitoring the baby’s well being. This was Thursday morning, July 9th – my next appointment would be Monday, July 13th to check on the baby. I did kick counts every day to make sure the baby was still active. (Of course he was!!!)

Now it’s Monday afternoon – I’m 41 weeks pregnant. I went to my ultrasound to check on the baby. The ultrasound did pick up some calcification of the placenta and low amniotic fluid. These are pretty big concerns in the health of the baby. The technician also said my baby was weighing in at 9lbs 14oz although measurements can be off a pound or so. The midwife that discharged me from the hospital last week called several hours later very concerned about the reports on the ultrasound so I decided that it would be best to go back in that night for another induction.

We left our house at 8:00pm Monday, July 13th – this time we would come back home with a baby……..but in my mind I felt that it probably would be by a C-section. My heart was broken. The only consolation I had was that my pressure waves were getting stronger over the weekend. I was taking a homeopathic to help bring the pressure waves on stronger and I also took a dose of castor oil earlier in the day to try to help things along on their own. I thought maybe there was a chance I could still have a natural childbirth – I just felt like I was running out of time! :)

The midwife on call that night was pretty doubtful that I would go into labor on my own – or even that I could have my baby naturally. She highly recommended we go ahead and schedule the C-section but I refused. She agreed to let us wait a little while before starting Pitocin and allowed me to try other techniques to get natural oxytocin going while hooked up to an NST since I was having pressure waves at 6-7 minutes apart.

Fortunately, there was another couple in their birthing time down the hall that needed the midwives more than I did so we didn’t see the midwife for 4 hours!!! The nurse with us was wonderful at keeping track of my pressure waves and allowing me just to focus on my own. I had my mom, husband and doula in the room with me and everything was very quiet and peaceful. I was able to remain mostly “off” (a hypnosis term) during those 4 hours. Since things were progressing, no one ever came in to start Pitocin! I was finally in my birthing time on my own!!!!

The last part of those 4 hours were the most intense. The pressure waves were coming one right after the other. I didn’t realize, but I was actually in the transformation stage (transition) at that time! The nurse allowed me to use hydrotherapy to relax and calm myself through the difficult pressure waves. At one point, my doula came into the bathroom when she heard some pushing noises. She called the midwife in to check me. Having to lay on the bed was very difficult – laying down was NOT comfortable! When she checked me, my husband said she had a very puzzled look on her face! She didn’t say anything until my doula called out “what is she??????”

The midwife looked around and said, “well, she’s complete! She’s dilated to 10, all the way effaced and thin, the baby is at a +3 position and I can feel the bag of waters!”

That’s all I needed to hear – I immediately got into a comfortable position to push. It took only 40 minutes to push my baby out! All the while we had the Pushing Your Baby Out CD track playing. Everyone was ASTOUNDED!!! My mom said it became like a circus in the room. Several different nurses and doctors were standing at the back of the room watching everything happen. They were very respectful and quiet – I never heard a sound. I think my mom was able to help keep the atmosphere calm and relaxed to match the music and talking on the CD.

I loved being able to listen to the cues while I was pushing out my baby. I never felt any pain or discomfort. It was actually a feeling of relief to push out my baby!!! I was the first to touch his head as it came out! The student midwife kept warm compresses on my perineum and the midwife helped coach me if I was pushing too hard. They never had to tell me to push because my body knew instinctively when it needed to happen.

I only had a couple small 1st degree tears but nothing around the perineum. To the astonishment of the whole room (and later to find out – pretty much the whole hospital) was that my baby boy was 10lbs, 10oz and 21 and ½ inches long!!!

I credit Hypnobabies to the incredible success of my birthing story!!! The best part was being able to relax myself during the difficult transformation stage and allow my body to go limp and loose. When I did, I could feel him drop down farther into my birthing canal. It was not a pleasant feeling, but it was empowering! I just can’t believe I was able to have the birth I’ve dreamed of when there was so much stacked against me with the gestational diabetes complications and previous failed induction!

This was the best experience of my whole life!!! I truly believe that the Lord answered the many prayers that we prayed over the past week. I also think my little boy’s guardian angel must have been working extra hours to make sure the doctor’s didn’t mess up his entrance into this world!!! :-)

The student midwife that was attending my birth came to me the next day to check how everything was going. She told me that the she and the midwife thought the other couple they were attending to would certainly have their baby a lot sooner than I would – which is why they never came back into my room until my doula called on them!!! I think this experience was great for her as she enters her field of midwifery practice. Now she can recommend the program after seeing such a successful Hypnobabies experience!

THANK YOU HYPNOBABIES for the education and empowerment to have an easy, comfortable, safe and fast childbirth! I can’t wait to do it again!

We now have a beautiful, healthy little boy!

Nicholas “Christian” Goss II
10lbs, 10oz, 21 ½ inches long
Born: 2:50am at Vanderbilt Hospital
NO DRUGS OF ANY KIND!!!!! PRAISE GOD!