The Birth Story of Gryphon Frank
Are there really any births that go as planned? As teenagers we were told how easy it was to get pregnant. All it takes is “just one time!” Not so for us.
I started talking to Katarra about a home birth with her as our midwife in the summer of 2016. I remember her exact words were, “usually people don’t call me until after they get pregnant…” 2 years and some change later we were back on the phone with Katarra, but this time we were ready to start planning. Our first born would be due in June and I wanted to have them in the privacy of my own home. I imagined how serene it would be having control over my environment with no beeps or boops of machinery. Diffusing some essential oils and listening to some powerful viking warrior women chanting in the background…our kid had different plans!
At about 32 weeks our journey began trying to get this kid of ours to flip upside-down. It was revealed to us he was in a “Frank Breech” position. We tried chiropractic treatments, lying at an incline, burning my pinky toes with Moxa sticks…it was fun times. Katarra was able to share some great hip positions/extensions, but nothing worked.
Unfortunately, a home birth would be impossible. We began planning for the alternate scenario of a c-section. My worst fear.
I cannot begin to explain how much stress and anxiety followed after my first visit at Enloe hospital with one of their doctors. Or even the anger I felt as they kept me captive running tests on me for 4 HOURS, the day of my baby shower no less, to make sure my breech boy was “safe”. Katarra supported us the whole way. But when you are a soon to be mama (of Scottish and Irish descent) AND feeling backed into a corner, you go into your stubborn
you-will-not-tell-me-how-to-have-this-baby-the-way-I-don’t-want-to mode. I jumped online looking for any glimmer of hope of having a natural and vaginal birth. I could deal with the hospital, but my midwife was going to be there and we were going to do things my way.
May 6th I found Dr. Annette Fineberg down in Davis, CA after reading a breech birth story online. Only 2 doctors in the entire state were mentioned as having permission to deliver a breech baby in the hospital. Luckily for us Davis was only just over an hour from our house. May 7th we were in Davis for the Longest Day. First thing, trying to manually turn that baby with her bare hands. Secondly, more screenings and imaging, pelvic measurements etc. Fortunately, Davis is fun, we were there until 10pm. But we walked away with a plan that had options! I was a perfect natural breech delivery candidate thanks to some wide hips (shout out to my grandmas), and we were set to deliver naturally at Sutter Sacramento anytime before 39 weeks. After that we were set for cesarean in Davis with Dr. Fineberg, who we loved. A win-win for our little family.
May 8th (yeah, the next day!) I started progressing into labor. Talk about last-minute Hail Mary, am I right? I don’t watch football, so I hope I used that appropriately. Anywho, by 11 pm I was having delirious, fever dream cramping and contractions. The next morning Katarra was there, I was only 1cm dilated and she was a boss at coaching me to get into a positive mindset. She suggested we pack up, head down to Sacramento and get a hotel until the contractions got more substantial (HA! They felt substantial to me). We did and I really tested the durability of our passenger side dashboard, head rest, and floorboards every 5 minutes or so as I pushed against them with the strength of a thousand [insert giant mammal here] the whole way to Sacramento. It made for an interesting drive for my husband to say the least. This was happening and there was nothing I could do, I was just the vessel.
Sutter Sacramento is so nice! But the motel across the street we stayed in was a dump. I even noticed it when I started transitioning to active labor, so that says something about how bad it really was. Luckily we weren’t there long before the stuff hit the fan. Katarra was on her way down with her assistant Joy in tow. We got in our car and drove across the street.
OBLIGATORY TEACHABLE MOMENT WARNING: Folks, if you do nothing else to prepare for this moment, do go to the hospital BEFORE you go into labor. Don’t do what we did and “wing it” like in the movies. Scout out the valet parking lot, don’t park in visitor parking and ride the elevator like a schmuck. Don’t stand (or in my case, crouch on all fours) in the visitor line as people gawk at the strange woman moaning on the floor with the kung fu grip on the little rope thingy waiting for someone to notice you are in labor and whisk you away to the maternity ward 2 floors up and in another wing, which took what felt like 30 minutes to happen. END TEACHABLE MOMENT.
So, we’re here and they’re prepping me and my OR for cesarean, which is protocol. Dr.
Fineberg isn’t there, but her colleague who also delivers breech, Dr. Jillman, is ready. The operating room is filled with a million men with masks all having something they think is really important to say at the moment I’m tearing my gown off in discomfort. Modesty left the building screaming the moment I was put on the gurney. Everyone arrives and we get active. I hear only the women cheering and coaching me and the voices in my head telling me this is a “for time” WOD, not an AMRAP and “get it in gear Beshwate!” Labor is weird…
I labored on my back until crowning, then flipped over on all fours, which is a standard breech delivery position and by that time Katarra had made it into the room for the birth. I’m glad I was in expert hands because although I researched and watched breech births, I wouldn’t have had the frame of mind to remember them. In less than an hour the final “pop!” happened and that sweet little wet baby was on my chest snuggling up. The care after was great. The nurses and doctors all shared our preferences on neonatal care. I cannot say enough nice things about our team and experience. I was never worried or scared, just peaceful. Gryphon Frank (both great grandpa’s name and his breech position) was born at 12:18 pm May 9th, 2019 at 36 weeks + 2 days. He was 7 lbs and 20 inches long and the best almost Mother’s Day gift.
Are there really any births that go as planned? As teenagers we were told how easy it was to get pregnant. All it takes is “just one time!” Not so for us.
I started talking to Katarra about a home birth with her as our midwife in the summer of 2016. I remember her exact words were, “usually people don’t call me until after they get pregnant…” 2 years and some change later we were back on the phone with Katarra, but this time we were ready to start planning. Our first born would be due in June and I wanted to have them in the privacy of my own home. I imagined how serene it would be having control over my environment with no beeps or boops of machinery. Diffusing some essential oils and listening to some powerful viking warrior women chanting in the background…our kid had different plans!
At about 32 weeks our journey began trying to get this kid of ours to flip upside-down. It was revealed to us he was in a “Frank Breech” position. We tried chiropractic treatments, lying at an incline, burning my pinky toes with Moxa sticks…it was fun times. Katarra was able to share some great hip positions/extensions, but nothing worked.
Unfortunately, a home birth would be impossible. We began planning for the alternate scenario of a c-section. My worst fear.
I cannot begin to explain how much stress and anxiety followed after my first visit at Enloe hospital with one of their doctors. Or even the anger I felt as they kept me captive running tests on me for 4 HOURS, the day of my baby shower no less, to make sure my breech boy was “safe”. Katarra supported us the whole way. But when you are a soon to be mama (of Scottish and Irish descent) AND feeling backed into a corner, you go into your stubborn
you-will-not-tell-me-how-to-have-this-baby-the-way-I-don’t-want-to mode. I jumped online looking for any glimmer of hope of having a natural and vaginal birth. I could deal with the hospital, but my midwife was going to be there and we were going to do things my way.
May 6th I found Dr. Annette Fineberg down in Davis, CA after reading a breech birth story online. Only 2 doctors in the entire state were mentioned as having permission to deliver a breech baby in the hospital. Luckily for us Davis was only just over an hour from our house. May 7th we were in Davis for the Longest Day. First thing, trying to manually turn that baby with her bare hands. Secondly, more screenings and imaging, pelvic measurements etc. Fortunately, Davis is fun, we were there until 10pm. But we walked away with a plan that had options! I was a perfect natural breech delivery candidate thanks to some wide hips (shout out to my grandmas), and we were set to deliver naturally at Sutter Sacramento anytime before 39 weeks. After that we were set for cesarean in Davis with Dr. Fineberg, who we loved. A win-win for our little family.
May 8th (yeah, the next day!) I started progressing into labor. Talk about last-minute Hail Mary, am I right? I don’t watch football, so I hope I used that appropriately. Anywho, by 11 pm I was having delirious, fever dream cramping and contractions. The next morning Katarra was there, I was only 1cm dilated and she was a boss at coaching me to get into a positive mindset. She suggested we pack up, head down to Sacramento and get a hotel until the contractions got more substantial (HA! They felt substantial to me). We did and I really tested the durability of our passenger side dashboard, head rest, and floorboards every 5 minutes or so as I pushed against them with the strength of a thousand [insert giant mammal here] the whole way to Sacramento. It made for an interesting drive for my husband to say the least. This was happening and there was nothing I could do, I was just the vessel.
Sutter Sacramento is so nice! But the motel across the street we stayed in was a dump. I even noticed it when I started transitioning to active labor, so that says something about how bad it really was. Luckily we weren’t there long before the stuff hit the fan. Katarra was on her way down with her assistant Joy in tow. We got in our car and drove across the street.
OBLIGATORY TEACHABLE MOMENT WARNING: Folks, if you do nothing else to prepare for this moment, do go to the hospital BEFORE you go into labor. Don’t do what we did and “wing it” like in the movies. Scout out the valet parking lot, don’t park in visitor parking and ride the elevator like a schmuck. Don’t stand (or in my case, crouch on all fours) in the visitor line as people gawk at the strange woman moaning on the floor with the kung fu grip on the little rope thingy waiting for someone to notice you are in labor and whisk you away to the maternity ward 2 floors up and in another wing, which took what felt like 30 minutes to happen. END TEACHABLE MOMENT.
So, we’re here and they’re prepping me and my OR for cesarean, which is protocol. Dr.
Fineberg isn’t there, but her colleague who also delivers breech, Dr. Jillman, is ready. The operating room is filled with a million men with masks all having something they think is really important to say at the moment I’m tearing my gown off in discomfort. Modesty left the building screaming the moment I was put on the gurney. Everyone arrives and we get active. I hear only the women cheering and coaching me and the voices in my head telling me this is a “for time” WOD, not an AMRAP and “get it in gear Beshwate!” Labor is weird…
I labored on my back until crowning, then flipped over on all fours, which is a standard breech delivery position and by that time Katarra had made it into the room for the birth. I’m glad I was in expert hands because although I researched and watched breech births, I wouldn’t have had the frame of mind to remember them. In less than an hour the final “pop!” happened and that sweet little wet baby was on my chest snuggling up. The care after was great. The nurses and doctors all shared our preferences on neonatal care. I cannot say enough nice things about our team and experience. I was never worried or scared, just peaceful. Gryphon Frank (both great grandpa’s name and his breech position) was born at 12:18 pm May 9th, 2019 at 36 weeks + 2 days. He was 7 lbs and 20 inches long and the best almost Mother’s Day gift.