Asher Evert Englund

Asher Evert Englund joined our family May 20, 2015 at 11:52 am. I was due May 13 and really didn’t think I would go over my due date based on my mom’s and my twin sister’s pregnancies.  I had also been having mild contractions here and there that started at about 34 weeks. However, I really can’t complain about my pregnancy.  I had a bit of nausea at the beginning, but aside from that I had no real problems. The baby and I were healthy the entire time and I never really felt that uncomfortable, even at the very end.

I planned on a natural birth pretty much from the beginning, but it was something I didn’t really tell a lot of people.

1- Because everyone has such strong opinions about it, either strongly for going natural or strongly for getting an epidural.  In fact, most people I told were very pro-epidural and maybe thought I was weird/crazy for wanting a natural birth. That’s not to say I didn’t have people who were supportive. I definitely did. And I have a lot of friends who have had natural births that I talked to about their experiences.

2- I wasn’t sure I would be able to reach my goal of a natural birth so I didn’t really want a lot of people to know. When people asked me what my plan was I sort of brushed it off and said, well I’m trying natural but I’m not super set on it. I was actually pretty set on it, but if I didn’t reach my goal I didn’t want to seem like a failure.

I had my last OB appointment on my due date and I knew my doctor was pretty strict about only letting patients go one week over before he induced them. From the very beginning I knew I didn’t want an induction. I had read a lot and inductions can often lead to other kinds of interventions. I really wanted to do most of my laboring at home and with an induction that isn't an option. My doctor checked my cervix and I was still only dilated to a 1 for the 5^th week in a row.  I was definitely disappointed.  My induction date was set for Wednesday, May 20.  

I felt a little bummed, but also thought, well baby boy has one more week to make his appearance. My due date crept closer and closer. The Monday before my induction I called my doctor one more time to see if it were possible to just let me go a few more days before I was induced. He said he could but that he strongly advised against it. I really wanted to trust him so I went with what he said. Induction officially set for Wednesday. At this time I tried looking for some birth stories where women were induced and labored without pain medication. I found a few! It made me feel so much better. I thought if they can do it, so can I. I also have to add that I have the sweetest husband in the world. With my induction just two days away he fasted for me and prayed that the baby would still make his appearance before I was induced.

Leaving home:

We checked into the hospital Tuesday night. Pitocin was scheduled to be given early Wednesday morning. Before Pitocin is given, the nurses gave me a cervical ripening agent. My doctor told me at my last appointment that sometimes that’s all that is needed for labor to start.

After checking in I was chatting with my great nurse, Sheryl. She asked about my birth plan and I told her even though I was getting induced I wanted to go natural. She told me that in one of her pregnancies she had been induced and also labored without pain medication. That made me feel so much better! I loved her instantly. I was a little afraid of having a nurse who wouldn’t be on board with my plan but she was so understanding.

Sheryl checked my cervix again before inserting the ripening agent (such a gross word. Ha). Right after she checked me my water broke!! Jordan and I were so excited. My contractions came on pretty quick. No induction needed after all. We were so grateful. My water broke right at 8 pm. I tried to start watching The Bachelorette between contractions, but that didn’t last long.

Jordan’s mom and Vivian came around 9.  My contractions were getting stronger and closer together so I decided to try out the bathtub for a bit. I haven’t mentioned yet, but I had a wonderful doula, Natasha. My contractions were pretty bearable with just me and Jordan helping me cope until about 9:30. At that point they were much stronger and we decided to call Natasha.

It all feels like a big blur now and I don’t know the exact timing of all the events. My nurse checked me periodically and I was progressing, but not super quick. Once I was at 6 cm I felt like I hit a wall. I didn’t think I could handle it anymore and at the peak of each contraction I definitely voiced it. I was 6 cm for what felt like eternity and finally found something to help me work through each contraction. I just had to slowly count my breaths. I would make myself breath slow and count to 15. I knew that breaths 4-6 were where the pain was most intense, but once I counted to 7 the pain would let up and I would get a couple minutes to have a break. I was even able to fall asleep between contractions.

Again, I’m not sure of the timing of everything. I know I eventually reached 9 cm. It must have been about 5 am because my first nurse was still working with us. 9 cm was where I hit another wall.  My new nurse, Marta came at 6 am. She was the perfect nurse and better than I could have imagined or asked for.

By this point I had the strongest desire to push, but I wasn’t at a 10 yet. 9 cm forever. I’m not sure I ever reached 10 cm. Marta finally said she was calling my doctor. Music to my ears! I knew once he came that the end was near. He finally gave me the go-ahead to push! And I pushed. And pushed. The pain I felt during these contractions was much more intense than I expected.  My counting method to cope flew out the window and I just wanted it all to end.

After I had been pushing for maybe an hour I asked Marta how much longer. She said it should be only 20 minutes. 20 minutes. I can do this. 20 minutes passed. No baby yet. I was definitely reaching my breaking point. I didn’t think I could do it anymore and I didn’t want to do it anymore. After I had been pushing for nearly two hours Marta checked me and found that the baby was posterior. She said that posterior babies can come on their own, they just take much longer. My other option was to have my doctor come in and try forceps or suction to help get the baby out. I asked to try that option.  The doctor came back and said that he wouldn't try those options unless I was given some sort of pain medication.

I really wanted this baby out. I really didn’t want any pain medication. But, I really wanted the baby out. Marta tried a few more things with me to try and get the baby to come. We tried some different pushing positions. We tried to have each of us hold on to the end of a sheet and sort of tug o war. But I was in agony. After trying a few more things, I talked to Jordan (as much as you can have a conversation while in labor) and decided to have the doctor come in and help.

I did have a moment where I felt like I failed. I had made it so far. The anesthesiologist came in shortly after and gave me a spinal block. I think that was the best I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I finally opened my eyes. I hadn’t realized they were closed pretty much the entire time I was in labor. It was daylight! I could see my family’s faces! I smiled!

Post spinal block:

Doctor McCarter came in to try the suction. I still had to continue to push but I was blissfully pain free. He tried for nearly an hour and I could see frustration in his face. He examined me again and found that my sacrum (sort of a part of your tail bone) was positioned toward the birth canal. The baby was stuck behind it. The doctor said he wanted to step out for 15 minutes to think and to get another doctor’s opinion.  Doctor McCarter and the new doctor came back in. The second doctor confirmed what Doctor McCarter was afraid of. Dr. McCarter wanted to try one last time. Suction still wasn’t doing the trick. Now my options were to break my tail bone or get a c-section. I think Dr. McCarter tried to break my tail bone, thankfully he couldn't do it. 

C-section was now the only option. I was very very sad about this. From the very beginning of my pregnancy I felt that the only thing I really don’t want is a c-section! I felt I had come so far. My spinal block had worn off by this point so I was having extremely painful contractions again. 

Jordan decked out:

I was wheeled off to the surgery room, given another spinal block. Again, the best feeling in the world. Jordan was decked out in his surgical gear. After I was all prepped, Jordan got to come in and Judi, Vivian, and Natasha were allowed to watch from a window. I think it took all of 15 minutes to get the baby out.

The nurses took him over to the sink to give him a quick wash and then they put him on my chest for just a short moment. My baby was finally here! I didn’t get to hold him long and he was whisked off to the NICU for some more work.

After 14 hours of un-medicated labor including three un-medicated hours of pushing, two more medicated hours of pushing, multiple suction attemps, and a c-section, Asher Evert came into the world. Once everything was over I felt really good about the whole experience. I didn’t feel like a failure. I made it so far and a c-section was what baby needed to get here healthy and safely. I felt very proud of myself. My nurse was proud of me, my doctor was proud of me. My nurse said to me that I was one of the strongest women she had ever met and that was saying a lot coming from a labor and delivery nurse. I overheard my doctor say I was the posterchild for a natural birth because I coped through the entire thing so well.

I know this is a long post. I just wanted to get all my thoughts out. Congrats if you made it this far. Time to go snuggle my babe.