A Powerful Gentle Cesarean Birth at Littleton
It’s hard to put together words for this birth story…because in so many ways…this birth story started days and weeks before baby Archer joined the world.
Lindsey messaged me in March to let me know she had a placental abruption…and that her May baby would now likely be coming in April. Her plans for an unmedicated birth at Colorado Birth and Wellness changed quickly and drastically because not only was it unsafe for her to give birth outside of the hospital…but she also needed to stay at the hospital until baby was born.
Many of us go to our birth place preparing to stay anywhere from a few hours to maybe a few days…Lindsey went to Littleton knowing that best case scenario - she would be there for weeks.
Because Lindsey’s abruption happened earlier in her pregnancy…they wanted to keep baby Archer inside as long as they could. But partial placental abruptions can worsen at any point in time…and so it was important for Lindsey to be close to an OR in case baby suddenly needed help.
Somehow - miraculously even - Lindsey made it to 37 weeks. They began an induction to try to ease baby Archer into the world…but after hours and hours…it became evident that a cesarean was likely going to be the safest and calmest way for him to be born.
The staff at Littleton was wonderful. They knew Lindsey and her family so well at this point! They welcomed me back into the OR. They dimmed the lights. They respected Lindsey’s wishes in every way they could. Baby Archer came into the world and then the tears just wouldn’t stop flowing.
Having a high-risk pregnancy can be so hard and scary. You want to hope for the best but you’re also constantly reminded that the worst is also a possibility. When she finally heard Archer cry…she let herself cry too. Such sweet relief and longing.
And baby Archer did SO WELL. He was able to go right to his parents’ arms. No NICU time. Such a triumphant end to a really long and challenging journey.
