After her first birth experience, Yolanda knew that she wanted to do something different to support her body and her baby in trying for a different outcome. 

 

"I wanted to do everything possible to ensure a successful VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesearean). My first birth resulted in a cesarean after 7 hours of trying to push. Though I dilated fully on my own, the baby never cleared the pelvis. Furthermore, I experienced prodromal labor four days prior to active labor. In some VBAC blogs and groups I followed online, I read about how some women sought chiropractic care in their pregnancies. I didn’t know anything about chiropractors except that in my first pregnancy my provider said that it wasn’t provided, and that they actually encouraged against it during pregnancy. However, I learned that there are chiropractors who specialize in prenatal care, like Dr. Morgan."

 

Yolanda trusted her gut and the stories of other moms and decided to utilize prenatal chiropractic as a way to help her body throughout pregnancy as well as help with giving herself the best chance for a VBAC.

 

"I received chiropractic care starting in my second semester, and increased it once I got to the third. Not only was my early labor much shorter, so was my active labor, and I was able to successfully have an unmedicated VBAC birth. I understood the importance of the pelvis in the birthing process and how chiropractic care would ensure my pelvis was balanced and ready for birth. After each adjustment, I felt like I walked out a little more straighter, and as I grew, my pregnancy belly didn’t feel as much of a burden. In addition, I slept much better. I didn’t have much of the aches, particularly around my hips when I slept, that I had with my first pregnancy."

 

With her body feeling balanced and her mind set on a vaginal birth, Yolanda focused on what she could control!

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"I was expecting my child a week after his due date. Early Friday morning I woke up with cramps. I figured they were Braxton hicks and went about my day. I had a doctor’s appointment that morning and when I mentioned them to my OB she said it was unlikely I’d have a baby soon since I was barely 1 cm dilated. As the day progressed, they got stronger, but I didn’t want to focus on that because I was all too familiar with false labor. On Saturday morning, I went to see Dr. Morgan first thing in the morning. I told her that I was having false labor. I figured I’d come back on Monday to get me ready for the real thing. I remember that towards the end of my adjustment Dr. Morgan said my hips felt flexible and ready. Saturday my contractions only got stronger, and it was to the point where I had to close my eyes and breathe through it. I still hadn’t seen the mucus plug or the bloody show so I figured it was false labor once again.

 

Saturday night I could not sleep through the contractions and a couple hours past midnight one hit me so hard that when I got up, I vomited and popped out a bloody mucus plug all at once. Now I knew this was real, it was show time. I called the hospital and they said since I was a VBAC trial I should come in so they could start monitoring my labor. I decided to take my time. I showered, packed my hospital bag, packed my toddler’s bag, and dropped my toddler off at my parent’s. When I was admitted, I was 6cm dilated. Our doula showed up to help me through active labor. I wanted an intervention free birth, and she kept me active to keep the contractions coming. I stood, bounced, and lunged for most of my labor. At one point I was swaying through the contractions and my doula said, my hips felt open and flexible. I smiled knowing that all the chiropractic visits paid off.

 

All of a sudden, the contractions stopped, I sat on my birth ball and fell asleep on the bed. While I was nodding off I thought “well, that’s it, I’m going to sleep, I don’t know how the rest of labor is going to happen because all I need is a nap right now.” Then I woke up with a crazy need to push. My water burst, and then I felt tremendous pressure in my pelvic area. A nurse asked me if she could check me and I barked at her that no, she could not check me. My bed was sat up all the way, and I immediately climbed on the bed, and buried my face into the head of the bed, while on my knees because something had taken over my body and physically I had no idea what was happening. My body started bearing down on its own, and I was along for the ride. As I kept bearing down, I felt my baby’s hot body slide down through me and all of a sudden, I heard cheering from the labor room. When I turned around, I scooped up my baby who had landed safely on the bed thanks to a nurse who caught his head and guided him unto the bed. I had done it!

 

My doula later told me I experienced Fetal Ejection Reflex. I’d never heard of this but it’s the “uncontrollable expulsion of the baby, which happens when nerves in the pelvis are stimulated as the baby descends through the birth canal… The baby is born quickly and easily without voluntary pushing from the mother.” I didn’t even know about this, but after understanding the biomechanics, I can appreciate the importance of my pelvis and body being balanced and ready. Chiropractic care ensured my body was ready to handle this grueling process and I’m so grateful to Dr. Morgan for helping me achieve this birth."

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