Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Quinn’s Birth Story

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A VBAC, a premature birth, and a perfect baby girl: here’s Quinn’s birth story.

A VBAC, a premature birth, and a perfect baby girl: here's Quinn's birth story.

Several days before Quinn was born, J and I stood in the kitchen as I told him, “I feel like I’m going to have the baby soon.” I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why I felt that way but, even though I was five weeks from my due date, I did.

J and I attended a professional development workshop on Tuesday, June 28. I thought I was going into labor on the way there. My contractions were regular and fairly intense, but once we parked and walked in, they subsided and we went about our day.

On Thursday, June 30, I had a regularly-scheduled OB appointment. I got ready for my 10:30 appointment, all the while suspecting my water had broken. There wasn’t a big gush of fluid like I experienced with G and B, but I thought there was leaking. I brushed that intuition aside, though, convincing myself it was just another layer of the paranoia and anxiety I’d experienced throughout the pregnancy.

A VBAC, a premature birth, and a perfect baby girl: here's Quinn's birth story.

There must have been a small part of my brain that understood what was happening, though, because I took a few minutes to toss some last minute toiletries and clothes in my bag that was packed and sitting in the bedroom, waiting for the we needed it.

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4 Things You Should Know About Having a VBAC

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After my first child was delivered via C-section, my doctor told me I’d never have a vaginal delivery. Here’s how and why I proved her wrong.

After my first child was delivered via C-section, my doctor told me I'd never have a vaginal delivery. Here's how and why I proved her wrong.

I’m so excited to be sharing my story on Scary Mommy today!

My husband and I paid zero attention to the C-section portion of our birthing class. We weren’t having one of those. We were having a good old-fashioned, drugged-up, vaginal birth, so all that other stuff didn’t apply. That was until I was three hours into pushing, epidural wearing off, and the doctor came in to explain I’d need a C-section. It turns out we didn’t really need much instruction on the topic, as the doctors and nurses did most of the work. My husband mastered the Gobsmacked Dad role with minimal direction, and I nailed my part as I Think I Can Feel That No. 3.

Despite being cast in a play we don’t remember auditioning for, the baby and I both made it through surgery fine. The days that followed were rougher than I imagined they’d be though. If you’ve had a C-section, you know the agony that is the first post-surgery shower. You know the hell of recovering from major surgery, riding out a hurricane of postpartum hormones and caring for a new baby.

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