Alisa and Mark came to me first as students in my 7-week Birth Essentials class, and then over time became my clients. Their pregnancy journey is an odyssey in and of itself. After many years of trying and of loss, they were expecting a baby! A fun fact about their baby is that s/he is a donor embryo and is half Indian and half Peruvian. The gender was a surprise but so would the appearance! Another fun fact, Alisa and Mark are full of so many, the embryo transfer happened in the middle of pyrotechnics training, so the pregnancy started with a bang, literally and figuratively!

Alisa and Mark were overjoyed and a little cautiously optimistic based on their history. But it was soon clear that the pregnancy and their baby was growing well and very healthy. Alisa embraced the pregnancy discomforts as blessings and by her account really didn’t have many complaints to speak of. She was thrilled to carry her baby to term, even when some risk factors loomed larger in conversation the closer her due date came.

Throne position was Alisa’s preferred position

There were a few risk factors, but the most compelling was Alisa’s blood pressure and how it had been creeping up. She had some good readings in the last weeks, but she also had some not-so-good ones. Considering all risk factors, and their journey to get to the end of a healthy pregnancy, they felt the best decision was to agree to induction. Alisa’s due date was February 3, and Alisa was admitted for induction on January 27.

Mark putting the flying pig socks on Alisa since “baby will be born when pigs fly”

Spirits were high and Alisa was very patient, as was Mark. The process can be grueling and so very gradual, especially for a first birth and with hardly any dilation. Cervical ripeners were carefully and wisely used to help coax Alisa’s cervix to a more ready place. Medication was given for her blood pressure, and they started with two rounds of Cytotec the first night. Then extended three more doses into the first full day. Alisa even got a break to eat real food which was nice.

By 2:00 am the second night, Alisa was feeling the contractions more and unable to sleep. She didn’t sleep all that great the first night either, truth be told. So, she was starting her labor journey exhausted. Her discomfort was getting her somewhere though, because by 6:00 am she was dilated 3 cm. This was a great change from her previous check of 1.5 cm. Knowing she had a long road ahead of her, Alisa chose an epidural for the promise of rest. Her back was also giving her a lot of pain, probably as much from the bed as from the contractions. Soon after the epidural she was dilated 4 cm. It was encouraging to see the dilation increase so soon.

While the blood pressure medication kept Alisa’s blood pressure within normal parameters, after the epidural she experienced a low drop that had her feeling awful. Once they got her balanced out and could resume Pitocin, her contractions were steady at 4 minutes apart. Alisa did a great job of keeping herself calm when things went awry and stayed the course to meeting her baby. She was no stranger to slow and steady with the eye on the prize, as had been her journey to motherhood so far.

We shifted Alisa into a myriad of positions to encourage her to dilate further as well as to bring her baby deeper into her pelvis. The Pitocin was gradually raised, with a close eye on her blood pressure and her baby’s heart rate. It had dipped on occasion and had her providers wondering if her baby would have the stamina for the many hours of labor remaining. After spending the day shiting her position into side-lying, hands and knees, flying cowgirl, and more, Alisa was dilated 5 cm. It was an incremental change, but it was a change. We put her bed into a throne position in the hopes it would bring her baby down upon her cervix and open things further. Alisa really liked that position too since she had spent so much time laying down. How invigorating it was to be upright after so long!

Mark’s careful attention to Alisa shone over the course of the labor. He was always there with empathy and love, and Alisa’s willing task master. For example, at Alisa’s request, and after much digging in bags, he placed Alisa’s flying pig socks on her feet, “since baby will be born when pigs fly.” Their sense of humor was refreshing and a big part of what kept them sane and patient throughout the process.

But by 6:00 pm, their baby’s heart rate had dipped again, several times, bringing their doctor in to assess. Alisa was dilated the same, 5 cm, and he strongly recommended a c-section. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Alisa needed more powerful contractions to dilate her cervix, but her baby was not responding well to the increased Pitocin. And keeping things as they were would not produce labor. Alisa and Mark advocated for more time. They wanted to be sure they were doing the right thing. And their doctor stepped away so they could process the situation.

But after seven contractions on her left side, Alisa and Mark’s baby’s heart rate dipped through every single one. Alisa’s doctor returned and said with sincerity that he strongly recommended a c-section. He was growing worried for their baby. At this point, Alisa and Mark were prepared to move forward, but Alisa just needed some quiet to process it. The Pitocin was turned off and after a short while, they mobilized to the OR.

Alisa and Mark welcomed their precious baby, a girl!, Fyfe Greta, at 8:55 pm on January 29. The doctor had music playing during the birth and Fyfe was born to Faith Hill singing “Wild One”. She came into the world with her own theme song! Fyfe weighed 7 lb. 14 oz. and had so much dark hair, just as we suspected, considering her genes. She had the cutest fuzz on her shoulders and back, and her eyelashes were incredibly long, gracing the tops of her cheeks when she closed her eyes.

After an induction process that spanned more than 70 hours, I wish I could say that the worst was over at that point. But I can’t. Alisa continued to have struggles with the immediate postpartum recovery. She hardly slept the first night and had waves of nausea that interfered with eating. Her blood pressure was not quite where it needed to be postpartum either, and required additional medical attention when it was all said and done.

However, at our postpartum visit, I was greeted by Alisa and Mark knee-deep in newborn care. They were grateful to be home, and working their way through the struggles of milk supply and making sure their baby was growing well. I could already see that Fyfe was chunking up so they were well on their way. The journey to meet their baby did not resemble the one they had expected, but the end result was always what they had dreamed of. Alisa and Mark have their healthy baby and a bright future full of promise as they watch her grow and become who she is meant to be in this world. With their loving guidance, I have no doubt she’ll have every opportunity to do just that!

The Birth of Fyfe Greta 1/29/23