Taylor's Birth Story

I found out I was pregnant on Father's Day, and the pregnancy was fairly uneventful. This was my second baby but my husband's first child. My first daughter was born 11 years earlier via C-section from failure to progress. We did a lot of research and had decided that we were going to attempt a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). We went to a VBAC birthing class and a regular birthing class (as my husband had no experience with breathing exercises and it had been 11 years for me).

At 38 weeks I came down with a horrendous cold with a cough. I coughed so much I ended up cracking a rib. I was given a support brace to wear around my chest. My doctor was concerned about my ability to push if I went into labor, but we decided to see how things went.

I went in for my check-up a week after my due date and my doctor asked if I had considered having another C-section, seeing as I was overdue and still in pain from my cracked rib. We discussed it and decided that it was for the best, so we scheduled a C-section for the next day. We ended up rescheduling because one of our dogs needed emergency surgery that night and had to be under constant supervision for four days.

Eventually we did make it to the operating room. On January 31, 2002, our daughter Taylor was born. She was seven pounds, ten ounces and 20 inches long. It was a much easier C-section than the first time. I felt ready for it and they are doing things differently than they used to (like putting long-lasting morphine into the IV in the OR), and I felt very comfortable during my recovery at the hospital. I would have liked to try a VBAC, but I am happy just the same because the important thing is my daughter is here and she is a wonderful blessing.