Before I get into Rose's birth, here's a little back story with links to my other birth stories (in case you have nothing better to do).
When I was pregnant with my first daughter, Grace, we planned to have a home birth which ended in a hospital transfer and c-section due to "failure to progress". With Eddie's birth I thought I was destined for another surgery but was able to have a successful and redemptive vbac at a birth center with amazing midwives and a chiropractor who got him into the right position!
 |
| One week from birth! |
When we moved to Texas and I found out I was pregnant with my third baby, I was somewhat undecided on how I wanted to deliver. While I had had an amazing experience with my son, I didn't know any midwives in the area and to be honest, I felt like the pressure was off to go that route since I had a successful vbac under my belt. I scheduled an appointment with my obgyn and began to discuss my preferences for birth. I was quickly reminded that because I was "advanced maternal age" and attempting another vbac, that I would be considered "high risk" - insert all the eye rolls here - and therefore not allowed to labor in the tub, would need continual fetal monitoring, had to deliver by their cutoff date and so on. I was disappointed but not surprised by these restrictions. I told my doctor that with Eddie's birth I had delivered him on my hands and knees and wanted to know if I would have the freedom to decide what position I wanted to deliver this baby in, to which he smugly replied "oh, I don't catch babies that way". I left my appointment and found a midwife. I wouldn't allow this man to dictate every aspect of my birth. I made up my mind to try for the home birth I had set out to have 5 years earlier. Thankfully, I found my amazing midwife Monica and after our first phone conversation (it was almost an hour long!) I knew she was exactly who I needed to help bring my baby earth-side!
