The Birth We Didn’t Expect: From Planned VBAC to Surprise Preemie Cesarean With Unwavering Doula Support

"When I gave birth to my first daughter 7 years ago, I had a doula. Despite me having a frank breech baby and ultimately having a c-section at that time, I still enjoyed all of the benefits of having a doula by my side for support from antepartum, birth, and postpartum. Because of that positive experience in a previous pregnancy, when my husband and I got pregnant and were planning for a VBAC, I knew that I needed to have a doula by our side to help keep us on track for our goals. That’s when we connected with Mindful Birth Services and spoke to Christine who paired us with Jennifer for our birth experience. 

Jennifer met with us and listened fully and openly to all of our wants and needs and helped answer all of our questions and concerns. Being that my husband and I are both medical professionals, we understood the risks of attempting a VBAC and ultimately decided that our plan would be an unmedicated trial of labor in a hospital setting with as little medical interventions as possible. 

My pregnancy continued to progress very well without any sign of complications until August 26th at 31 weeks pregnant. My day was going normally with my morning gym session and afternoon chiropractor appointment. After getting home and laying down for a nap, I woke up and kept feeling a wet sensation in my underwear. It wasn’t a gush of fluid and it wasn’t all the time, so I wasn’t sure what to think. I continued to have this intermittent leaking of fluid for the next couple of hours and reached out to Jennifer to ask her opinion. We decided to be on the side of caution and to go into OB triage for an evaluation. 

On ultrasound, my fluid levels were within normal limits but my swab tested positive for amniotic fluid. While waiting for the OB to come in to discuss our plan, I felt a larger gush of fluids. I stood up to get the nurse’s attention because they were tending to a rapid labor and delivery in the triage bay next to me. When I stood up my water grossly ruptured on the floor. After that, things started to move very fast. I was terrified but trusted my team to take care of me and baby. The OB and several nurses came to my bedside to start the transfer via ambulance to Health Park to have access to a NICU and to administer a multitude of medications to protect me and our baby girl. 

Within an hour, I was given several antibiotics, a steroid injection and started on a magnesium drip and was on an ambulance to the next hospital. During transport, I began having contractions that were growing in intensity and frequency. By the time we got to Health Park, my contractions slowed down some but were still ongoing and uncomfortable. My husband and I were told that the majority of women who suffer from a preterm premature rupture of membranes will go into full labor and ultimately deliver within 48 hours. We were terrified and had no idea what to expect with a baby this early and things were certainly not going according to plan. I stayed on continuous monitoring and a magnesium drip with around the clock antibiotics for the next two days in hopes to keep baby in as long as possible to let her grow and mature her lungs. We met with MFM and the Neonatologist who all prepared us for all the possible outcomes for a baby this young. 

Thankfully, we were very lucky and my labor stopped and baby remained stable. From then, we stayed admitted to the hospital until delivery. I continued to leak fluid on and off for the next 3 weeks, had daily fetal monitoring and regular ultrasounds to watch our baby. Despite being stuck in the hospital, my husband, daughter, our family and friends made our stay bearable. Our doula regularly checked in on us, came to visit, and gave as much support as she possibly could during our unexpected experience. She guided and encouraged us the whole way. We tried our hardest to make the hospital stay less boring and scary. We even got to do a maternity photoshoot in the gardens at the hospital! 

Every subsequent day after my water broke was such a blessing to allow our baby the best chance for growth and preparation for the big world she was coming into. 

On September 15th, 20 days after my water broke, at just 33 weeks 6 days, I woke up feeling different. My baby didn’t seem as active and something just felt off. I asked the doctors for an additional ultrasound and within 30 mins of my scan being completed, my OB was at my bedside. Baby girl failed her biophysical profile and they were concerned about me continuing further in the pregnancy. She didn’t move at all during the ultrasound and my amniotic fluid levels were at an all time low. They decided to schedule us for a c-section first thing the next morning due to her footling breech presentation. Our hope for a VBAC was completely off the table. I was devastated and heart broken as this is something I prayed for, but I knew I had to do what was safest for both me and our baby. We kept baby girl on continuous monitors for the rest of that day to watch her closely. 

Around 430pm, things rapidly changed and I was again met by my doctor. This time he was no longer ok with me remaining pregnant. I was picking up on having contractions again and baby girl was having constant decelerations in her heart rate that were no longer improving with position changes. It was no longer safe to keep her inside. I called my husband and Jennifer to meet me at the hospital because I was going straight to pre-op. Within 20 minutes I was rolling into the surgical suite and being prepped with my spinal. Shortly after, my husband joined me at my head. We were terrified and had no idea what interventions to expect that our girl would need. We knew she would be going to the NICU no matter what and I had to prepare myself to be separated from my daughter. As much as it hurt, we knew it was what she needed so I had to trust her medical team and mine to keep us both safe. Jennifer was waiting in recovery for me when I was finished so that my husband could go with our baby to the NICU when they were ready to take her. The NICU team was set up right next to my head so that we could watch them work on her when she came into the world. 

My C-section was urgent so there were a lot of people moving very quickly but carefully. I was numb but feeling a lot of movement, tugging and pressure. After what felt like forever, we heard the doctor say “are you ready to see your baby? Look up above the drape!” We were anxiously but excitedly looking for her when we heard another team member announce that I had a very short cord! They weren’t able to bring her above the curtain for us to see. The anesthesiologist moved the curtain down so that we could catch a glimpse of her. There we saw our sweet little tiny girl. 

Our daughter was quickly moved to the NICU team. We anxiously watched as they worked to get her stimulated. After several minutes and some help from CPAP, we heard the tiniest and most relieving cry. Our girl was so small, but she was so mighty. After stabilizing her, they brought her over to us while on CPAP so I could touch her face to face, skin to skin, and kiss her sweet little cheeks. I felt so relieved that she was here and she was ok but was so heartbroken that they would have to take her away from me. My husband followed her to the NICU and I after being closed up, I was transferred to the recovery room where I was met by my doula, Jennifer. I was so very thankful to have a familiar face in the room with me during my most vulnerable state. 

While in recovery, my husband was sending a million pictures and videos and keeping me updated minute by minute. Jennifer helped keep me distracted and comfortable through my nausea and hot flashes. Eventually, I was transported to my hospital room. My doula stayed by my side until my husband felt our daughter was stable enough for him to come back to my room. I remained on bedrest for the next 8 hours until I could feel my legs enough to get up and move to a wheelchair. Then, my husband finally got to take me to the NICU to see our sweet girl. The nurses came to help carefully position her on my chest and I finally felt like I could breathe again. I could finally stare at all of my precious newborn’s fingers and toes, her little eyelashes and big lips. I got to feel her soft wrinkly skin on mine and feel the tiny weight of her little body against my chest. The moment I had thought I wouldn’t have for another 6 weeks was here. I cried and smiled and had such a mix of emotions. Excited to meet the little girl I felt kicking and rolling inside of me for so many months, afraid for how tiny and early she was without knowing what to expect going forward and grieving the loss of the end of my pregnancy and knowing I would have to be pulled between my recovery, my older daughter and husband at home and my little tiny newborn that I would have to love through the wall of an isolette. 

Our daughter proved to us that she is a little fighter and overcame every obstacle she faced. After 13 long days in the NICU filled with daily IV and heal sticks, CPAP, milk through a feeding tube, multiple days not being able to hold her because she needed bili lights, learning how to bottle feed and breastfeed, praying for every gram gained, hospital cafeteria lunches and dinners, waddling the halls recovering from a C-section, and hours of pumping milk for her, we got to bring her home! 

Jennifer continued to check on us frequently as we transitioned to being home as a family of four. She was able to come for a few hours a few times during our initial time at home to help with baby as I got a nap in and to talk and vent and discuss all that we had gone through. I was so thankful to have her by our side, supporting us through such a hard time. Our sweet preemie girl has done so well at home and continued to overcome so much! After weeks of hard breastfeeding challenges and latching issues due to a tongue and lip tie, we are finally fully on the breast!! Jennifer helped guide us to some amazing resources that helped us meet our goals. Christine got me in touch with another mother in need of breast milk that I could donate 1300 ounces to, and I continue to plan to share my extra milk with. I truly couldn’t be more thankful for such an amazing community that Mindful Birth Services lead us to. Our birth may not have gone as we planned, but we truly had the best support and guidance for all the things that we could control and I met some pretty amazing people along the way."

Authored by Courtney, mom of 2

With gratitude, it has been an honor to support this sweet family's journey.

Jennifer + The Mindful Birth Doulas

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