WARNING: This is extremely graphic. Please do not read if this stuff embarrasses you or makes you feel uncomfortable. It is also very long
Bonnie was born on July 18, 2012 at 6:51pm at home in our
bedroom. It was an experience unlike any other, and I feel completely in awe of
God’s glory and faithfulness. Most people thought I was crazy to want to have
Bonnie at home, but Kyle and I had peace with the decision we had made. Then,
when they heard I had a C-section with Brookelyn, the fear settled into their
thoughts and words. I love how God used my husband to speak wisdom and truth
into this decision, and how I was surrounded by a midwife who was a true
believer and prayed over me often, trusted God’s design, and didn’t look at
birth as a disease I needed to be cured of. I had to be diligent, pray,
practice self-control, pray, and pray some more.
The decision to do a home birth was an easy one for us. The
thought of going to the hospital and fighting for our rights again was not an
option and would only hinder labor and take away from the experience of birth.
After we made that choice we asked our Bradley Method teacher, Jan Whitcomb,
and our doctor, Dr. Adema, who they recommended. We interviewed two Christian
midwives because it was important to us that whoever would take care of me
relied on godly wisdom and strength; we wanted their authority to come from
above. After having our initial interview with Celesta Rannisi, I cried and
prayed and knew she would work best for our family. Her knowledge of not just
birth, but nutrition and alternative health was a big factor in our decision.
I woke up around 5:00am to go to the bathroom on July 18 and
noticed blood in my mucous. That was something new and different and I knew
that Bonnie would be coming soon. I had some contractions but they didn’t seem
any stronger than they had been the past week so I didn’t get too excited. My
contractions were about 12 minutes apart and when they didn’t let up after a
few hours, I decided to call my midwife and let her know about the blood which
was increasing with each bathroom break. We went into her office for her to
check me and she said I was dilated 3-4 centimeters. Afterwards we went to the
chiropractor, came home and got the house prepared for birth: changed the
sheets, picked up, blew up the tub, ate lunch, and then laid down to rest.
After lunch my contractions were 6-8 minutes apart but not that strong (or what
I expected to be strong), and I was afraid to call my family since last time
they waited around forever and never got see Brooke born. At around 2 or 3 pm I
thought I would take a shower to see if that would help increase the intensity.
By now they were stronger but I didn’t feel it was painful enough. My
contractions were about 5 minutes apart and maybe a little stronger. We decided
to call our midwife and she suggested that Shari, her assistant, come over and
assess the situation. As my midwife suggested I picked up my belly during
contractions to help the baby move down into the pelvis. I came into the living
room around 5pm to say good-bye to Brookelyn; she was going to ride the
carousel at the mall. As soon as Poppa, Grandma, and Brookelyn walked out the
door, I had a contraction and this time it felt strong and intense. The next
one came about 3 minutes later. Then just like that they were 2-3 minutes apart
and finally the intensity I was expecting. I started crying because they were
close, strong, and so intense I didn’t know how else to handle it. When I felt
the wave of emotion I knew it was time to call Celesta to come over to help me.
I got on the phone and she asked me how I was feeling and I just started
crying. She said she was coming right over. Shari was there and she reminded me
why I was crying; when women hit the transitional stage of labor it comes fast
and hard and the women’s endorphins haven't had a chance to catch up to the
increase of pain. As soon as my endorphins kicked in I would feel a lot better.
This also reminded me that this was the last leg before the final stage of
labor.
After she told me that I remember having a few more
contractions and then the urge to push. I remember telling her that I either
needed to go to the bathroom or it was pushing time. She encouraged me to try
the bathroom first, because Celesta wasn’t there yet. I got on the toilet and
then it started, I had to push. I tried to breathe through some but it felt so
good to push. It is amazing how I could feel everything my body was doing. How
I felt my uterus change the way it contracted; it no longer was contracting
upwards to help dilation, but it was contracting downwards, urging me to push
this baby out.
When Celesta walked in I was still in the bathroom and I
told her I feel like pushing. She gave me a big smile and said then you must be
dilated. She gave me a little peek and said you are definitely ready. I decided
to birth on a birthing chair and officially started pushing at 6:10pm. This was
the hardest part for me mentally. I don’t remember it being really painful, and
I am being honest, I remember feeling scared and apprehensive of the “ring of
fire” or the mental scarring of pushing
4 hours with Brookelyn only to be told I couldn’t do it. I remember Celesta
encouraging me by showing me Bonnie’s head and what I was able to do. I
remember her coaching me to hold my legs up and push less in my face and more
in my butt. Then, after 30 minutes, my baby was right there and Celesta looked
me right in the eyes, knew I was holding back and said, “Lori it is time to
push out this baby, this baby needs to come out, do it now.” And I did. She
came out in the next two pushes at 6:51pm. It was all kind of a blur to be
honest. I remember she came out vocal and beautiful. She was 9lbs 4oz, 20 1/2 inches long. I have never felt so happy and grateful for the opportunity to have a home birth.
I did start bleeding really bad right away and for that
reason I am so glad Brooke didn’t end up being there. I held my baby as they
got me down on the floor and starting working to control the bleeding. My
husband could only describe it as something from a horror movie; the blood just
spurted out of me. My midwife and her team worked diligently and fast as they
first gave me a tincture to help control the bleeding. Kyle was instructed to
keep me constantly drinking, the last thing I wanted was an IV and Celesta knew
that. My placenta was what they call a “Dirty Duncan” placenta and was causing
me to bleed. She needed to get the placenta out fast and I remember Celesta,
who doesn’t have a poker face, looking at Kyle and saying you need to take
charge of this situation. I look back at this now and laugh because he was like
I don’t know what do and she clarified by saying as the man of this house
please pray over this situation. It was a beautiful prayer and shortly after, I
can’t remember what came first the placenta or the two shots of Pitocin, but
either way she got the placenta out, sliced off a piece cleaned and put it
under my tongue. Yes under my tongue. It is highly effective in stopping
hemorrhages; don’t believe me? Look it up. As soon as it went under my tongue
the bleeding subsided. They cleaned up the mess and got me on the bed to rest.
God is good!
I was extremely
swollen so Celesta decided to suture me in the morning after the swelling
decreased. The next five hours consisted of eating, drinking, nursing, weighing
and measuring the baby, controlling the bleeding and trying to get me to pee. Celesta
called our chiropractor and asked him to come over and check the baby because
she came out with her hand by her head and wanted to make sure she didn’t have
shoulder problems. He came over and checked her and she was perfectly fine. At
that time they wanted me to try and pee. I got up, a little dizzy, went to the
bathroom, sat down, and tried to pee. I didn’t have pee running out of me, but
blood. They quickly got me off the toilet and back in a lying position and put
a piece of placenta back under my tongue. Celesta told me that I could have a
catheter or I could pee in my bed, but either way I had to make myself pee
because my uterus could not clamp down when my bladder was so full. They put
chux pads under me and yes people I peed in bed. After I peed the bleeding
stopped, but for the next 8 hours every time I had to pee I started to bleed. I
ended up peeing 6 times by 3am, and I believe they said it was a least a couple
quarts each time, when the bleeding stopped. I guess I should say the trickling
bleeding stopped. J
I was an amazing experience and I am still in awe of the
amazing support and care I had. A big thank you first to my husband, who also
had scars from our last experience and trusted God completely throughout my
pregnancy, labor and recovery and never showed fear, but trusted God. I can
still hear his little burst of sobs as he was completely overwhelmed as Bonnie
came out and was put on my chest. I will never forget how he has cared for me
these last few weeks and never complained.
Thank you so much to Celesta and her team, Shari and Sophia.
Celesta is a true expert in childbirth and I have learned so much from her
about birth, health, nutrition, and she has helped me grow spiritually as I
battled negative thoughts of fear and doubt. It is amazing how much about birth
has been forgotten and I am blessed to be surrounded by women who trust God and
his perfect design, the creation of
human life and birth.
I decided to share all the scary stuff to show that there is more than one way to treat a problem. My experience was wonderful, even with all the other stuff, because if I had been in a hospital I would have not been able to hold my baby that whole time, they would have freaked out, had a blood transfusion and I probably wouldn't being feeling as good as I do right now. I have never had better care in my life.
For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.[a]
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.[a]
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zephaniah 3:17 NLT
