A Birth to Remember

Labor Doula Services and Products to Support Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Twin HBAC

Leila & Sarah's Birth Story

Background info:

First birth was in the hospital and augmented with Pitocin.  I had PIH during the pregnancy and a few complications, but nothing too serious. 

Second birth was a planned homebirth but I risked out of the midwife's care at 42 weeks and ended up with a c-section because the baby showed late decels.  He had a tight nuchal cord.  He weighed just over 11 lbs at birth.

I know this story will be long, but this has been the most incredible experience of my life!  I have learned to trust in God more and to be patient and surrender my concerns to Him.  I can't even begin to express how this has made me feel.  I could go on and on about my previous pregnancies and births and what I went through with this twin pregnancy.  But I will try to keep it short.¦

My third pregnancy was a total shock because we found out at 22 weeks (on Dec. 30, my birthday!) that we were having twin girls.  We had been planning a homebirth but knew that the midwife would no longer see us since she did not attend twin births.  Added to the fact that I was planning a VBAC, I was sure things were going to be more complicated.  Thankfully, my pregnancy was not complicated at all!  I never went on bedrest, never had any problems, the girls were both good sizes.¦  Baby A was breech and we were told she had a single umbilical artery.  She flipped to vertex after 3 visits with my chiropractor.  I went into labor at 39 weeks, 1 day, on the day the backup OB had wanted to perform an elective repeat cesarean, which I refused.

On Friday morning, April 28, 2006, my water broke at 12:53.  I had gone to sleep just before 11 pm and was already in a pretty deep sleep but my eyes opened when I felt the "pop" and I was immediately awake.  I flooded the entire side of the bed and soaked through our new king size mattress.  When I sat up I was wet up to the neckline of my shirt in the back!  I stood up and gushed on the floor right in front of our dog Delmar. 

I was pretty sure things were going to happen quickly so I woke Jason and then called the midwives and my mom.  At that point I was having contractions every few minutes, but no more intense than the ones I'd been having for weeks.  The midwives had a long drive so I wanted to make sure I let them know right away. 

I also should mention that I had never met 2 of the midwives that attended the birth.  Two weeks before I had the babies I got a call from one of my midwives saying that because of some recent "bad outcome" births, they were not going to attend my birth because I was too "high-risk" and they could get into trouble if anyone found out.  I understood but I was crushed anyway.  I knew I would have a hard time finding another MW, especially so late in the pregnancy.  This is when  I started to question things myself and through several small miracles, I found my "angel" midwives. 

My friends helped me search and offered alternatives to birthing at my home.  I considered driving out of state or attempting an unassisted birth.  I thought about going to the hospital when I was ready to push.  Then one day I got a call from an angel I'll call "L."  L told me she had been given my name and wanted to see if she could help.  I was almost 38 weeks pregnant at this point.  I loved talking with her and felt comfortable asking her to attend my birth.  Nothing was finalized though.  The Tuesday before the girls were born I got a call from the midwife who had dropped me a week earlier.  She had reconsidered and wanted to attend the birth if I needed her there.  I�¢-�ll call her �¢--T.�¢--

When I called �¢--L�¢-- at 1 am on Friday, she called the MW who would assist her, �¢--B.�¢--  I had never met, nor spoken to B before.  I quickly learned though that she was the same MW I had emailed a few days earlier at the suggestion of a friend!  I thought it was great how things were coming together.  I paged T but she didn�¢-�t get the pages and didn�¢-�t call back.

I�¢-�m not sure when it was, but at some point around 4 or 5 am the contractions started to get pretty intense. I took a shower at 4:45 am which helped a little bit.  I remember telling Jason that I need the MWs to hurry up so I could really get going.  I felt like I could slow things down at will and I made myself relax on the couch and rest for a couple of hours.

At 7:22 am B and L arrived and I was moaning away in the bedroom.  It was crazy because the second I saw them (for the very first time!) I felt totally at ease.  They truly felt like angels.  They checked me and determined that I was 5-6 cm and stretchy to 7 cm.  I remember thinking �¢--is that IT?�¢--  I had wanted them to say I could start pushing but in a way I knew I still had more work ahead of me.  They also discovered that a bit of Baby A�¢-�s cord has slipped in front of her head but they slid it back and everything was fine.  It must have been around this time that Jason got a call from T because she had seen my missed calls.  She got in her car and hurried to get to our house.  She lives about 3 hours away.

I remember changing positions a lot�¢-�¦  I took a shower at 8:20 am.  I was on the bed at one point when they checked me and said I was 7-8 cm.  This was at 9 am.  I couldn�¢-�t stand to be on the bed though.  I spent a lot of time leaning over the edge of the bed on my knees, using the bed to rest my arms and head.  I remember moaning �¢--oouuuuttt�¢-- and telling the babies that it was time to be born.  Finally I felt like I almost wanted to push.  They checked me (it was 10:30 am) and said I was complete but had an anterior lip.  I was ready to be done by now.  The contractions were incredibly intense and I was worn out.  I wanted to get those babies out of me!

At 11 am L and B went into the kitchen and I moved into Jason�¢-�s computer chair.  I had a cold washcloth that I was rubbing on my face and I got really quiet during the contractions.  I sat with my eyes closed and thought about the lip of my cervix melting away.  I must have looked like I was asleep because I heard L tell B that I hadn�¢-�t had contractions in several minutes.  I wanted to tell them otherwise but I couldn�¢-�t make myself speak.  They were still in the kitchen when I suddenly started to bear down and knew that I was pushing the baby out.

I dropped to my knees and draped myself over the edge of the bed.  I guess I made some noise because L and B came running in and started putting pads down under me.  Around this time T showed up.  I was pushing with every contraction but I wasn�¢-�t really doing anything, my body was.  I felt like my body was in control so I just kneeled there and let it do its work.  This was around 11:30 am.  Jason and both of the boys were in the room watching as Baby A was born.

I reached down and felt Baby A�¢-�s head as she crowned and every thought disappeared from my head.  She was born seconds later and I lifted her into my arms.  It was 11:53 am.  She had a very short cord though, so I had to cut it before I could nurse her.  I put her to my breast and immediately felt the urge to push again.  I passed the baby to the MWs and told them the baby was coming!  L checked and felt a tiny hand presenting.  I sensed a little urgency as she pushed the hand back up and told me to push even if I wasn�¢-�t contracting.

Let me say it is not easy to push when you don�¢-�t have the urge and your body is tired from pushing out a baby already.  I tried but it was weak.  Thankfully I had another contraction right away and my body took over again.  Baby B was born at 12:07 pm.  I felt like I had no break in between babies, they both came so fast.  Matthew had decided that  baby A was Leila so Jason told me that we had figured out who was who. 

I climbed back into Jason�¢-�s chair with Sarah still attached.  I nursed her and Leila as we waited for the placenta.  I cut Sarah�¢-�s cord and the placenta came shortly after at 12:15 pm.  It was huge and looked almost as big as a baby!  After that I got into bed and we were all checked out.  I had a minor tear from the incident with Sarah�¢-�s hand presenting.  I didn�¢-�t get any stitches though.  We weighed the girls and they were both exactly the same�¢-�¦ 7 lbs, 6 oz!  After being examined by 4 MWs, it was determined that both babies had both of their umbilical arteries after all.  All that worry for nothing.  God is good!!!  I honestly believe that He provided me with 3 angels to take care of me and my babies and ensure that they had a safe and gentle entrance into this world.

I should also mention that although I was loud and at times I said I was not going to �¢--do this anymore�¢--, there was never a point when I didn�¢-�t feel totally safe.  I completely trusted in God, the midwives, and my body.  The thought of complications never entered my mind and I was never concerned about uterine rupture from my previous c-section.  I think God took away all of my concerns that I had lifted up to Him in prayer so many times.  It was just an incredible, wonderful experience!!!

Leila Beth born April 28, 2006 at 11:53 am

7 lbs, 6 oz 

20 ���½ inches

Sarah Grace born at 12:07 pm

7 lbs, 6 oz

20 ���¼ inches

re2

Baby A (Leila) is born

Baby A again

Baby B (Sarah) is born

Nursing and delivering the placenta

Sarah & Leila

One of our placenta prints

View our birth video here (nothing graphic):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xi37qJ-mIoU