My wonderful birth happened in December 2007. It was the birth of my second son. It was a VBAC. My first son was born by ceasarean section a couple years earlier due to face presentation. I was determined to try and have my second baby vaginally.

 

So, for my second birth I consulted a chiropractor and had a few spinal adjustments during my pregnancy.

And, I found your site - SpinningBabies.com and just loved it. I loved the little illustrations and I enjoyed thinking and being able to tell in what position my baby was at any time :) I had read all about your patterns of labour as well, and made some short notes for myself so I can have them handy during my labour :)

 

My second labour started slowly. I had contractions on and off from morning to evening that day. They didn't seem to have a regular pattern and they were sometimes closer together and sometimes more intense than others.

 

My midwife came to check me that evening around 8 pm and said that I was only 1.5 cm dilated and that I should preserve my strength because the labour would continue for a while.

 

 

My midwife went home and I thought to myself - resting doesn't make sense to me yet my midwife said to rest. What made more sense to me is to follow some of the exercises on your site to help turn the baby who I thought was posterior. So I remember voicing this to my mom who was with me and she said why don't we do both, we rest and we try some exercises.

 

So, I sent my husband to find my spinningbabies notes and tell me which of those exercises makes sense to do (I felt that I had to concentrate on how I was feeling and didn't want to be going through the notes myself). He ran down to the basement and got my binder with notes and came back saying to try abdominal lift. I already knew how to do that, so for the next 6 contractions I did abdominal lift.

 

You are supposed to do it for 10 but after six I felt that I needed to lie down, so I did that. When the next contraction came I was lying on my side on my bed, and it was so strong that my water broke.

 

Minutes later I was on the phone with my midwife who still believed that I was in early labour despite the water breaking. But I said, I think we should go to the hospital.

 

Good call - because the ride to the hospital was funny. I was lying down in the back of our car and trying to stop myself from pushing my son out - I had already started pushing!

 

That was around 10 that evening, and he was born by midnight. No epidural, no IV, no fetal monitors, nothing. It was beautiful! We were such a great mommy and baby team!

 

 

Alex

Ontario, Canada