the crawford family

If you already read Rose’s Birth Story: Part 1, you probably noticed a pattern: I’m complaining. A lot. I realized this, and the irony of it, after I’d published the post.

Who really actually thought that bringing a child into this world was supposed to be not all that painful? Not easy, but at least not excruciating? Well, I guess I did. I’m a big ‘ole dummy. But truly, as I said in Part 1, I didn’t really think much about labor at all. I just didn’t see a VBAC happening for me, so I failed to research. I feel sure a lot of women are in the same boat.

With that said, it sounds awfully honorable to be a person who never complained about a contraction, or who never begged for an epidural, or who never asked, “Can I have my repeat C-section now?” (Yep. Sorry. I did do that.) But I don’t want to beat myself up too much. Truth is, it was hard. And it hurt. A lot. I do wish I would have handled labor better, both emotionally and physically, and I hope I will next time.

But instead, you’re just going to get the true story about a baby. And that baby is me, a whiny baby. At least it’s a good true story! (more…)

In the OR soon after Jane Darby was born via emergency “crash” C-section, my doctor informed me that I’d be a great candidate for a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean.) I always thought it was strange that she mentioned it then, and wondered what about me, or my body, or my situation, made her know right away that a VBAC may work for me. Later I learned it was because I hardly labored at all with Jane Darby, since she was rescued within three hours of my medically necessary induction, and that trying a VBAC would really be like trying labor for the first time. (more…)