The Birth of Cody Stirling 12/4/21
Zoe and Michael welcomed their third child, Cody Stirling, on December 4, 2021! This third baby did not fail to live up to the dubious third baby reputation of being a wild card! And it really goes to show that you can never know what to expect from one birth to the next, even in the same person. Zoe knew what it was like to have a fast and furious labor—her experience with her second—and she hoped to have more of a chance to find her labor rhythm instead of holding on for dear life like last time. So, she kind of paid attention in those last weeks to be sure she had enough of a heads up. But paying attention can be misleading too.
Zoe’s uterus was a contracting machine in the final month especially. She texted me about contractions that were alarmingly strong and consistent but would eventually fizzle out. They would be five minutes apart like clockwork, the uterus can be surprisingly steady with its contraction pattern, and halt after several hours. This happened. And a few days later it happened again. And then five days she had another round of contractions that had her radar up. These contractions seemed stronger and Michael thought Zoe was laboring similarly to how she was before they left for the hospital last time. So, they called the midwife and headed in. And things fizzled out. Again. Zoe kept her spirits high even though she really thought she would meet her baby that night. It was a good dry run, and we had a feeling once the contractions were strong enough to be “real” labor, it would go quickly.
At her 38-week appointment she was 2 cm dilated and baby was -2 station. This was progress from before, so she was encouraged. An induction was scheduled for around her due date since baby was measuring on the larger side. And five days later she thought perhaps her water broke. Surely, this would bring on labor contractions. But it didn’t. She went into the hospital as requested by her midwife, and upon further testing, her amniotic sac did not break. So, she was sent back home. This was the second time she went to the hospital and got sent home. And this was Zoe’s third baby. (See? It can happen to anyone!)
An induction was put on the books for December 6, Zoe’s 40th week, but we all hoped she wouldn’t need it. Her baby was measuring on the big side, so her providers were being cautious by scheduling it. At her 39-week appointment Zoe was dilated 3-4 cm and hopeful for labor before that induction date. Her midwife stripped her membranes for good measure and on good faith that labor would ensue over the next 48 hours. Zoe’s body was on the verge. The only potential hold up was her baby’s position—occiput posterior (OP). We had suspected her baby’s position was off for weeks since her uterus seemed to be trying to go into labor, but not quite doing it.
A couple of hours after her appointment, Zoe was having steady contractions! She also managed to get through as much of the Miles Circuit as she could, optimizing her baby’s chance to reposition. An update came several hours later that the contractions were erratic, then got stable, then would return to erratic. They flip flopped like this for a while but stayed between 3-8 minutes apart and remained the strongest they had been in the pregnancy so far. It was a mystery whether the erratic contractions were due to the sweep, or her baby’s position, or both. So, she did the Miles Circuit the best she could and stayed hydrated. They went to bed at 11:00 that night.
Then this text came through at 3:08 am:
2.5 mins apart 30 sec
Heading to hospital
This was different. She woke up at 2:45 am, and then she went through two contractions and told Michael to get dressed, they were heading to the hospital and would call the midwife from the road. She was walking to the car as Michael hurriedly dressed himself. The midwife called them back halfway to the hospital. Thank goodness they didn’t wait for the call back or their baby would have been born at home or in the car. The plan was for us to meet at the hospital I left with confidence knowing she wouldn’t have me meet her there a second time for a maybe. We had already done a run-through. Zoe had Michael pull up to the entrance and drop her off while he parked. Zoe was ready to get upstairs as fast as possible. I arrived 10 minutes behind them at 3:42 am. When I got to her in triage (they didn’t have any available rooms), Zoe was checked and already dilated 8 cm. It was happening! Thank goodness they left when they did!
The rest was a bit of a blur but somehow, they did a Covid swab and got her admitted. Laboring women have this superpower way of answering questions with such clarity during active labor! Zoe started her labor at the hospital laying on her side holding onto Michael. She was breathing and moaning through very strong contractions. We placed a cold cloth on her neck and Michael did counter pressure on her lower back. Her baby sounded good on the monitor. Since she had just arrived the monitor was still strapped around her belly.
I recommended she rotate to her hands and knees to feel more in control and to better manage the pain. I also remarked that the only thing keeping her baby in was her water. And during the first contraction on her hands and knees over the cub, Zoe’s water broke and spilled over the edge of the bed all over the floor. It was 4:00 am.
Zoe began instinctively pushing after her water broke. Zoe screamed out loudly and she struggled to stay in control. We reminded her to breathe for herself and to push her baby out. She asked for oxygen because she felt lightheaded, and then Michael told her their baby’s head was out and to just push the rest of him out. Zoe pushed again and Cody Stirling was born at 4:05 am! Her midwife who had been there all the while, leaned in and cradled his head as it crowned. And when the rest of him was born seconds later, he was passed into Zoe’s arms.
Cody came into the world a bit stunned. He had sped into it like a cannon ball and sometimes those babies need a little reminder to breathe on their own. Michael cut the cord and Cody went to the warmer for some chest pt and stimulation. In the meantime, Zoe moved from hands and knees back to laying on the bed, and her nurse got busy cleaning up the puddles of amniotic fluid left on the bed and floor. And he was back in his mom’s arms a short time later. Zoe was relieved to have birthed her speedy son without any tears, which is no small feat! All told, she was in active labor for just 1 hour 20 minutes!
She snuggled her newest boy, and she and Michael took in the details of their third baby with all the attention they gave the other two. Cody had the same crimped ears as his daddy, and the same hair as his brother. His brother, by the way, is the one who came up with the name, Cody! Not bad for a 4-year-old! Cody latched in his first hour as well, with the patient and experienced hand of his mother to guide him. We would eventually learn that Zoe’s feat of no tears, and Cody’s lightning-fast birth were even more incredible because Cody weighed 9 lb. 1 oz.! And he was 20.5 in. long.
But Zoe knew she could do it. She welcomed her second, a daughter, in a not so different way. It was a short labor and she weighed 9 lb. There was no worry about birthing a large baby and her body proved it that night, just two days shy of the induction for a suspected big baby. It can be challenging to navigate potential risk while maintaining a trust in one’s body and the process of birth. But this is exactly what Zoe did. And I’m so proud of her for it!