K and J started care with me in the first trimester of their third pregnancy. I have had the privilege of being their midwife for all their journey’s. You can read about their previous journey’s here and here.
K never had super easy pregnancies, especially when related to nausea and vomiting, but nothing could have prepared for the difficulties this pregnancy delivered.
At five weeks, just with previous pregnancies, K began vomiting, her first time happening in her front yard where she sent me a humorous text to document. With previous pregnancies, medication worked. This pregnancy very quickly showed that nothing would work, and very quickly K was thrown into a viscious pregnancy complicated by hyperemesis gravidarum.
By the end of the first trimester, K had visited urgent care a few times for IV fluids for dehydration. Once the second trimester started, K started IV bag therapy, which seemed to help some at giving K some better days.
The pregnancy was bumpy, with one big hospital visit around the start of the third trimester for severe vomiting and dehydration, where they couldn’t even get her in the car for the longest time, she was so sick.
K came to her 38.1 week appointment, and we found she was having some edema, and her blood pressure had taken a leap for her, but still in the normal range. We discussed signs and symptoms of what to look for, blood pressure monitoring, and a homeopathy protocol to help prepare her body to want to go into labor.
Four days passed, and K sent me a text with abnormal blood pressures. I had her come in, and not pleased with her blood pressure or how her urine dipped, we began labor encouragement. K’s cervix was 3cm dilated, 50% effaced, and baby at a -2 station. I did a membrane sweep, and sent K with homeopathy. We discussed taking it easy and resting through out the day, focus on hydration and nourishment, and plan to come back later that afternoon for a follow up.
K arrived at 650pm on July 2nd, 2019 for a second sweep. She had seen her chiropractor beforehand, and was ready to see if a second sweep would get things going. K was 4cm dilated, 50% effaced, and -2 station, with baby’s head much better applied to the cervix. I recommended K go for a walk and a swim if she wanted, and planned for her to come in the morning if nothing started, where we would try to find a way to get herbs in her and not have her throw them up.
When K and J left, k began experiencing some mild, irregular contractions. At 943pm, contractions became tremendously stronger, and knowing K’s history, J requested us to come a little after 10pm.
I arrived at 1033pm, and found K laboring on the toilet, moaning with contractions, and stating she felt pressure in her butt. Her water broke a couple contractions later, and the pressure dramatically increased. We helped K move into the birth pool at 1045pm, where she positioned in a semi reclining position as she had birthed her last child.
K began to spontaneously push at 1049pm, and everything moved fast. At 1052, Jensen came barreling earthside, not allowing more than seconds between crowning, head, and body. K cried, while exclaiming over and over a powerful, “I am done,” because although most women mean it in regards to just the labor, for K, the almost 34 weeks of her 38.5 week hellish pregnancy were over, and magically, she felt so much better on the other side.
Welcome to the world, Jensen! Born earthside on July 2nd, 2019 at 10:52pm, weighing 7lbs 8ozs, 19.5 in long, and just over an hour of labor!
It was a blessing to get to serve this family for all three of their birthing times. I look forward to watching these three special boys grow, and happy that their sweet mama never has to endure another pregnancy again!
#sacredjourneymidwifery
Photos by Stacy Fitzmorris Photography.
