During my last postpartum doctor's appointment, my OB described me as his "unicorn" patient. While not necessarily the description you'd expect (or want) from the guy examining your ladybits, I knew what he meant. I have four children, all of whom entered the world in very different ways. Number one was an emergency C-section, number two was a scheduled C-section, number three was a surprise VBAC (vaginal birth after C-section) with no pain medication, and number four was an induced VBAC with an epidural. My situation is unique because VBACs are not standard protocol after one C-section and even more sparsely performed after the second. To have two VBACs after two C-sections is, apparently, extremely rare.
While becoming a footnote in medical textbooks was never part of my birth plan, I've learned a thing or two from my wide-ranging experiences that I hope someone out there can benefit from. Giving birth can be a scary and uncertain time in a woman's life, but it's also so rewarding. My Mr. Toad's Wild Ride version of childbirth is proof of that.
Upon checking in at the hospital, I pulled one of the nurses aside and explained to her that, while the health of my baby was my first priority, I had already discussed the possibility of a VBAC with my regular OB and, if possible, would prefer any other doctor, including Scholl's and Seuss, to the one currently glaring at me from the desk. She gave me a knowing smile, then after a brief discussion with the doctor, told me that I was free to walk around the labor and delivery unit to get labor progressing, and if I kept moving until 7, the doctor taking over the next shift was more amenable to VBACs. Nurses. Are. Awesome.
My third son, a child who spreads joy in every room he enters the same way he spreads crayon on the walls of said room, was worth every agonizing minute. That being said, ladies, when your husband passes a kidney stone and tells you he can relate to the pain of childbirth, you have my blessing to punch him in the biscuits. Heck, give me your address and I'll do it for you.