A Quick, Unmedicated VBAC at NCH with Doula Support

"If anything is true about labor, is that it probably won’t happen the way you think it will. For our VBAC with my daughter it happened faster than I ever imagined, 2.5 hours start to finish to be exact.

I prepared immensely for my VBAC after having a “failure to progress” cesarean section with my son and first child. I was induced at 38 weeks with Pitocin after being diagnosed with cholestasis. I consented to an epidural and progressed to pushing. After 3 hours of pushing with

my former OBGYN and a failed vacuum extraction, we pivoted to a cesarean. I had a difficult time postpartum healing from my surgery so when it came time for my second birth I wanted a unmedicated VBAC more than anything. Mindful Birth was invaluable in their support and

guidance throughout the process- shout to my amazing doula Kelly!

After all the preparation and natural induction efforts, the long-awaited day arrived and things escalated quickly! I was 39 weeks and 4 days. I did not think I was in early or active labor at any point during this day, other than Braxton hicks for weeks and practice contractions the 3 nights before. Our doula Kelly joined us for an OB appointment that morning to check progress and discuss a membrane sweep but ultimately, we declined. Everything seemed normal the rest of the day. We went out to dinner, did my son’s bedtime routine, facetimed with his Abuela…. like I

said, all very normal activities. After my son went to sleep I did a pumping session. I had been collecting colostrum for a couple weeks to help with natural induction and in case there were breastfeeding issues I wanted to have a stash due to my experience of supplementing with formula for my son. I was seated on the couch watching a romcom movie and after I was done with the pumping session, I took the pump off and struggled to stand up from the couch, like a 40 week pregnant struggle lol. At the top of my stance, I heard and felt what is best described as a popping noise and sensation followed by liquid. It wasn’t an extreme amount, but I walked into our bedroom and told my husband that I think my water had just broke. I called our doula, Kelly, and we talked about what happened, some giggles of excitement, and we discussed staying in communication on what happens following. To be honest, my husband and I were in a little disbelief that my water broke. After that, things escalated so quickly that it’s kind of a blur.

Within minutes I started having intense contractions. I was trying to breathe through them with my husband and assess the situation. We were calling and texting Kelly as I felt the contractions were intense off that bat, but I also thought that maybe I was just not tolerating the contractions well. I was trying to get in the headspace and use my labor preparation tools to manage the pain. We started to time the contractions, and they were happening fast. Kelly said she was on her way

over to us and stayed on the phone the whole time. While on the phone with her, I started to feel the urge to go to the bathroom and push. We live only a couple minutes from the hospital, which is NCH, so we were comfortable laboring at home for a while but having the urge to push and not being at the hospital – I was starting to feel very anxious at this point.

When I was visualizing my birth, I pictured a long labor and was not prepared for a situation where my water broke before going into labor. My husband was packing our car and waiting for my parents to get to our house to stay with our son. When Kelly got to the house she said she realized how far along as soon as she saw me. At this point I was laboring in the fetal position in our bed, it seemed like the easiest way to hold in the urge to push. She assured us we can go to the hospital anytime I’m ready. We’ve now joked with my husband because he seemed to be taking his sweet time to pack the car – and eventually I had to raise my voice to say, “get me to the hospital right now” (there were other choice words redacted from this sentence, LOL).

The urge to push was so strong at this point. Kelly actually did a check to see if she could see a head before we left the house, AH! While I love a beautiful home birth story, it was not in my birth plan to have one and certainly not an unplanned one.

It really felt like a movie script from this point on. We were able to change out of my pants, but my shirt stayed on which was covered in amniotic fluid from my water continuing to leak. I’m trying to get into the car in between contractions, and my mom is watching me about to call 911. That car ride from home to the hospital was honestly the worst part of the whole labor. I’m riding backwards holding onto the seat, my husband’s giving me direction updates to the hospital, and literally holding my baby in until we got to the hospital. The urge to push was so strong. When planning for our birth, I imagined I would be calmer at home and more anxious at the hospital. In this case with how fast it came on, I was so anxious at home thinking we were close to an accidental home birth.

When we got to the hospital my husband literally left the car running with all the doors open while we were checking into the hospital. Kelly was calmly explaining to them that I was in transition and there is an urgency. Luckily my OB, Dr. Miller who we met with that morning, was in the lobby. The team at NCH responded quickly. They skipped me past triage and went straight to a delivery room. I remember them asking a lot of questions while wheeling me back, and Kelly had to answer most of them as I was unable to answer fully at this point. I felt such relief when I finally made it to the hospital bed.

I landed back into the fetal position. They started prepping the room. I remember having at least 1 more contraction on my

side before Dr. Miller checked me. She was gratefully quick about it and let us know she was ready and that I could start pushing when I was ready. I immediately got on all fours with internal rotation, a pushing position I was hopeful would be successful for my VBAC. While I started pushing the nurses were a little frantic trying to hook me up to the IV and literally cut my shirt off with scissors. There was a dramatic do it now! in between contractions and luckily the nurse was swift. In total, we recall 6 pushes and then our daughter was out! We arrived at the hospital around 11:05 she was born at 11:30. Once I was able to push, the pain was there but the urge to push was so much stronger, I couldn’t deny the impulse. Each push was hard and it was most certainly an effort. The last 2-3 pushes my baby was so close and everyone in the room was

encouraging and chanting saying she’s right there, you can do it, let go, she’s almost here! On the last push I told myself if you do this right now then it’s all over - and I gave it literally every ounce of my being. And then, it was! She was in my arms right away.

They waited for the blood to drain from the cord and turn white before my husband got to cut it. After that they hospital

team left the room, and we had a really lovely golden hour experience. We were all still in shock of how quickly everything went down and reminisced for a bit soaking in the newborn bliss (literally all were like what the hell just happened)! It was wild but a blessing to have a quick, unmedicated birth. Everything checked out perfect for both me and baby, we were home two days later by lunchtime!

I would love to thank my doula, Kelly, for being an amazing guide and resource! As I mentioned I prepared immensely for this birth, and Kelly was there every step of the way guiding me through it all and giving recommendations to help me get my redemptive VBAC. The Mindful Birth team is so knowledgeable about the local area. I focused on movement, nutrition, and mindset to prepare. I did a strength training program and stretched every single night with pelvic floor focus. I saw a chiropractor and pelvic floor PT and had a labor prenatal massage a week before I went into labor. For mindset as a VBAC mom, I found the VBAC link podcasts stories helpful, GentleBirth app for meditations and hypnobirthing, and my own personal visualization of my VBAC. I also had a long list of coping tools prepared from Mindful Birth’s birth class with Christine.

I’m so thankful to have had my redemptive VBAC and a lovely postpartum experience with baby #2!"

Authored by Brittany Acevedo, mother of two

Join us in our congratulations for this sweet family of four!

-Kelly + The Mindful Birth Doulas

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