Birth Action Coalition Our Bodies, Our Babies, Our Births

I was a patient of Dr. Thomas VanGeem (a great VBAC supprter) in 2007.  I was due to have my baby July 9th 2007.  On July 9th I had my weekly OB check up and exam and went home.  that evening I began having intermittent contractions.  The following evening (1oth) the surges were stronger and more cosistant andbegame very irregular by the next morning.  The next evening (11th)  the surges came back consisitantly (10min apart or so)  and again disspatated the next  morning.  I called VanGeem’s offie to see if I could come in to chech the baby’s heart beat to make sure everything was going okay for baby (my eldest son had a cord prolapse when I labored with him) and wanted to make sure this baby was doing well.  the nurse said that the OB was out of town in Nebraska visiting his dying mother-in-law and he would be back till Monday (today was Friday).  She asked me to go over to Los Robles and have the nurses check baby’s heart beat for me.  I went over they checked the heart beat and everything looked great.  They contacted back up OB for VanGeem (Dr. Gladys Negron) and she asked the nurses to keep mw there until she could come and see me.  Low and behold she made me wait for her until 7pm that evening while everything with me and baby was perfectly normal and healthy with intermittent contractions.  The funny thing is that Dr. Negron is the OB I left after having my first son and realized that my personal birthing philosophy did not mathc her’s whatsoever.  She seemed to very highly prefer and encourage epidurals and wated to know why I wanted to have a VBAC for the next baby.  I little odd I thought.

So it was her that was there.  Once she made it to the hospital she told me that she no longer does VBACs in her practice and tried to urge me that night just to have the baby and just get the c-section over with.  I thought she was nuts!  I refused and stayed the night at the hospital.  Knowing that she was planning to break my water the next mrning.  I used my hypnobirthing techniques and lots of prayer to break my own water through my inner thoughts and God’s provision.  Low and behold when I woke up it had been done. I sat up and felt wet.  The nurse check and confirtmed that true labor had begun.  Then Dr Negron came in and saw lots of fluids coming out following her exam.  She left and said that she would let me labor and we would "do it by the book." and she would return at lunch time,  She returned at 12:30. I was having a beautiful labor with the lights low, soft hypnonirthing music, my husband sitting dedside, me on a birthing ball and my doula rubbibg my low back with every back-labor contraction.  In the midst of that Dr Negron cheecked my cervix for dilation and said that i had not dilated enough in the amount of time that she had been gone (5 hours) and that I needed a c-section.  I looked at her with a blank face and no response.  Again I knew she was nuts!  I did not want to consent to such a thing as things were going well with baby and I.  We just needed much more time to progress.  So i finally responded by saying "can my husband, doula and I have a moment to discuss this?"  She looked at me and said, "There is nothing to discusss."  and left the room.  Of course I was in shcok and in tears and had to wait 2.5 hours in acitve back labor for the OR to be freed up, since other’s were having planned C"s that day.  I know that those 2.5 hours were the longest of my life since I was still having great surges but baby was going to be taken from my body and they were pointless.  They were no longer a means to an end but a great pain in my back and abdomen with no hope.

So while I waited I prayed and I cried and talked to my baby.  In the OR was my huband, doula and a wonderfully supprotive nurse who knew how adly I wanted my unmedicated VBAC.

IN the OR I had them play my relaxation music as I layed on the table just me and baby as people were getting prepped I taked to him in my thought s and told him not to be scared but some people are about to take you out and you’ll see some very bright lights and that mommy is right here and will be ready to hold you and can’t wait to see you :)  I know he heard me because he barely cried when he was delivered.  My husband even said that the nurses were so surprised that he did not cry during his fist bath.  i though it was amazing how much peace he had even though I could not be with him right after surgery. 

So know I am looking for a new plan and hope for a VBA2C to be done.

Cynthia and Camble (now 14 months) Ray