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Would you consider having a homebirth with twins? Read Rhiannon’s story to see how she handled this!
Katelyn Fusco 0:03
Welcome to the happy home birth podcast. Your source for positive natural childbirth stories in your community of support, education and encouragement and all things home birth and motherhood will hey there happy home birthers and welcome to Episode 41 of the happy home birth podcast. I’m your host, Katelyn Fusco. And I want to start out with a question. So under what circumstances would you decide to give birth at home? What about in the hospital. So today’s episode is going to explore this idea as we delve into reactions, birth stories, Rianna experienced to lackluster births in the hospital, one of which was very aggressive in nature. And so it was at this point that she decided to learn more about birth, and after finding out she was pregnant with her third ran and reached out to a midwife. She was so excited to begin care until she found out some unexpected news. So stick with us, I I’m sure the title gave it away anyway, but we’ll just Delve on into this story. And you can see where it goes. Before we do that, I do want to give a quick shout out to one of our listeners. And this is a younger listener, Maya Sebald, she is a 10 year old who listens to the happy home birth podcast with her mother Amber, who we will be hearing from later on this coming year. So Maya, thank you so much for listening to the podcast. And amber actually, if you will just send me a message with your address, I will send you guys a happy home birth sticker. So guys, I appreciate all of the reviews on iTunes, you know that they really help with the show. So please keep those up. I’m super appreciative. Also, if you would take a screenshot or a selfie of you listening to this live Episode Episode, and post it to your Instagram stories, then I will be sure to share it on mine. The other thing that I did want to mention is I have started doing some Facebook Lives. So that that happened this past Friday, that was the first time and we’re going to continue that on delving into originally we started talking about pain management and how we do that outside of the hospital without medication. So we’re going to be discussing that there are a few other topics that I know people are really interested in, in discussing. So I also would love for you to join my email list, you can do that on the website, my happy home birth calm. And that way, you can just reply to me and tell me exactly what it is that you want to discuss. And we will make that happen. So all of that being said, I’m please remember as we hop on into this interview that the opinions of myself and my guest do not necessarily reflect one another. Does that make any sense. And also, neither one of us are medical providers. So this does not take place of your doctor or your midwife. Or if you’re like me, your chiropractor. So let’s sit back and enjoy this interview with Brianna. Brianna. And thank you so much for coming on happy home birth.
Rhiannon Edwards 3:20
Yeah, thanks so much for having me. I’m so excited to share my stories and stories.
Katelyn Fusco 3:26
Yeah, I’m so excited to hear them. If you wouldn’t mind. Would you start off by just introducing yourself to the listeners?
Rhiannon Edwards 3:32
Yeah. So I’m Rhiannon Edwards, I have five children. I’m a home birth mom, and a doula in the Kansas City area. I have had kind of like I want to say like almost every kind of birth you can possibly have of just having like my, like the typical story of I had like hospital birds, and then got a little bit more educated from those experiences and moved on to do something a little bit different friend. And so here I am. Now I kind of share that with you.
Katelyn Fusco 4:03
Wow, that’s amazing. And so you said that you also are a birth worker. So what came first for you? Did you start giving birth and then kind of fall into that birth worker? life? Or were you already working in this area?
Rhiannon Edwards 4:18
Yeah, so after the birth of my second baby, which was actually very healing from my first one, I then decided that I was going to attend like childbirth education classes a little bit late, but I wanted to, I had the experience of my body taking over and pushing with my first with my second and being told you need to stop pushing. And so that made me say, Okay, why was my body doing that? Like, why couldn’t I stop pushing? And so I kind of got into childbirth, education and learning more. And then I was I was pretty young. I mean, I was 17 18 when my first two were born, and I just kind of came out of it. Like, why is there no one around to help moms have babies like why was there no one there with me telling me what’s going on and, and helping me get through this? And like to say in that moment, I grew the heart of a doula. And later on, I realized like, that’s the thing I can do that I can be that person. And there are dealers out there that do exactly what I want to do.
Katelyn Fusco 5:28
Oh, that’s so cool. I love how that ties together. Well, if you don’t mind you, you talk about how you were relatively young when you had your first. What was that? Like? Could you tell us about your pregnancy and birth experience with your first?
Rhiannon Edwards 5:42
Yeah, so it’s my first I was I decided to come see or to see a midwife. And this was in hospital. I, I mean, really, I was happy with the care. I didn’t know what not to be happy with. I really felt like now looking back, I’m just thinking, like, I wish that she had spent more time educating me on diet things. And, you know, she asked me, you know, what’s here? So what’s your diet? Like? What do you eat for breakfast? And I told her, Well, I drink orange juice and eat eggs and have some toast and she says, Well, don’t drink orange juice, it has too much sugar on it. So then the next morning, I woke up and had I had apple juice instead. Oh, and then yeah. And so I didn’t have really any good counseling on my diet and and I really thought that I should just eat whatever I wanted. And like this was I was supposed to do and I would eat to the point of being uncomfortable because I thought like in pregnancy, you’re supposed to just eat a lot like you’re eating for two, this is so important. And so that’s what I did. And I gained quite a bit of weight in that pregnancy. And I was induced at 42 weeks with with us and our first said was maybe a six pound baby. So the at 42 weeks, I went into the hospital that evening, and they started. See what do they do first. First we did some serve Adele and fully bowled after the volleyball and serve until the next morning they came in and we kind of started the Towson and my midwife brought my water and I cannot remember what I was dilated to or like those little particulars. I just, I didn’t even know to care or ask or whatever. I was just trying to be a good patient and do whatever I was told to do. So that’s what we did. And I labored for it was a full 24 hours. And finally she started to come down. One little funny quirk that happened was that I had been laying on my back for so long and like my back was sore. And I just felt like, like everywhere that was touching the bed was hurting. So I kind of like sat the bed up. And this nurse comes in and says you need to lay down, you’re like in the birthing position.
Well, yeah, so I was just like, Oh, yeah, I need to lay back down. Oh, yeah.
Right. Yeah. So I lay down. And anyway, so I start pushing. And I was just so exhausted. And I was aware of like blood pressure stuff and noticing that my blood pressure was really dropping and, and, you know, being coached to push and I am and it just seems like so long. And by with pushing, and I didn’t really feel like I was doing anything, I did get an epidural. So that’s probably why I didn’t I couldn’t really feel it was going on. But so what I did feel was right in the middle, I said, The head is out, I started. I mean, she started like pulling on the baby pulling on the baby. And I had no idea what was going on me I’m in, I’m already flat on my back, she throws my legs up in the stirrups and she starts pulling on the baby. And I really kind of blacked out I don’t have a great memory of what happened. It seems like so much time went by. And so many people just kind of flooded the room. And the nurses were like pushing on my belly. Like it looks like they’re punching my belly. And I didn’t understand and I’m completely alone. I do see like my husband is standing on the other side of the room. And he has like his hands on his head and this scared look on his face and my sister’s like crying. It was really obviously scary for everyone. And I’m I hear them like snip snip and a PZ automate. And doctor comes in. And he’s he’s shaking, because he’s pulling so hard on my baby. And she comes out and everyone just is like so coolly. Like, oh, look at this baby and look at these big hands. And oh, she’s a big one. And just, you know, talking and I’m like, but what happened to me, right? heck just happened to me. What did I just go through? And I mean, no one asked me how I was doing or what? I had nothing. I just really, I kind of thought that well. Yeah, that’s what birth is. Right. Like I was my life. I was screaming. I did it. Right. Gosh, I know what I thought until. I mean,
that was that was a really hard delivery.
Katelyn Fusco 10:33
Gosh, and what was the What was your recovery? Like? And did you realize as you were recovering, like, Hey, I think I have some trauma from this, or did that come later on? with education? Hmm,
Rhiannon Edwards 10:49
I can’t say honestly that I took much trauma away from it. Like I kind of went through the experience. And I don’t know if I’m just I kind of got over it. And like, well, that’s just what it was. And later on like i three months later, I was pregnant again. It’s like, oh, man, I can’t do that again. This time, I’m going to a better hospital, I’m going to have a male doctor. And I’m going to have the best anesthesiologist. And he’s going to help me I did understand that I had gestational diabetes. And so he’s going to help me with that we’re going to get this under control. I mean, I’m a smaller baby. And that’s not going to happen again. And that’s just kind of the attitude I had. And that’s pretty much what happened. My second baby came. He was 37 week, six days, my water broke and I when I was laying in bed, and that morning, just kind of, I don’t know, I think I had like one of those brand new smartphones that didn’t even have like Facebook app on it yet. But I’m like laying in the bed and my water breaks and I go, oh my god, I need to get to the hospital. And so we go rushing like we’re flying down the road, like 80 miles an hour to get to the hospital, because my water is broken. And I get there and I slammed my hands on the desk and I’m looking at the receptionist. So my my water has broken. And she’s like sorry, having contractions. No, but my shoes are squishy. It’s time to have my baby. And what happened after that. So a little bit before that we did do like exactly what I said I was very happy with my doctor. His name is Dr. Schwartz and Kansas City. He is unfortunately retired but he I have found out later like if you want to have if you want to be respected and have your best chances at a vaginal birth is what Dr. Schwartz and she would like kind of backup the home birth midwives who was very friendly. If you if a home birth midwife did kind of transfer transfer with a mom for whatever reason he was very kind and would actually discuss the situation with them and just kind of like, Oh, you think you did a good job with this and next time, if this happens, do this. I just kind of being friendly with them. So
Katelyn Fusco 13:00
Oh, nice to have.
Rhiannon Edwards 13:03
But he’s gone now. And that’s just other politics of, you know, the day that he had to resign. There were like all the doulas and midwives and moms, they were like rallying outside of like protesting outside of the hospital. They were so upset that he was gone. But I think that I just kind of lucked out with that one. I found Dr. Schwartz and I was like, well, that’s the one. And he did help me with my diet. And apparently he thinks all moms have gestational diabetes. So it just worked out.
Yeah.
Katelyn Fusco 13:34
Well, and it’s also interesting that you’re so first off the fact that you had a 42 weaker and then a 37 weaker. Holy cow. That’s a huge difference. And sit on the ultrasound they thought the baby your first baby was going to be six pounds and and she ended up being how how much does she weigh? Oh, sorry,
nine, six, yeah,
Rhiannon Edwards 13:55
nine, which isn’t crazy. Like I’ve actually I moved I went on to have other business babies, but it just had to be like, she wasn’t really a healthy nine, six. And this was like sugar and, and she was like she was posterior and not really in the best position to come out. And, and I was a private. I mean, we had some work to do. So. Yeah, it’s hard. And then I always have to question like, what if that was a discussion at home? Would it have been as wild
of an event? You know, I understand you’re based off of
Katelyn Fusco 14:28
you were on your back this whole time? Yeah. And that’s so you know that the pelvis is so flat in that position. Yeah.
Rhiannon Edwards 14:38
Yeah. So I, I do wonder like maybe if I had been able to be on my hands and knees and had someone there to that was trained in resolving shoulder to socials and moving the mom, there’s actually a funny little song that I heard my homework that was thing later on. She’s like, yo, the shoulder to Sasha. If you can’t move the baby, move the mama. Can’t do the baby move the mama. So just kind of a fun thing. They were moving the baby out me. Yeah, yeah. Well, let’s see. So, yeah, second baby’s born. He was I mean, he came pretty quickly. I mean, we started the toasting, so I wasn’t having contractions. And then when it was time, I was just kind of time like, I felt his head down there. And I did get an epidural, but it did not take. So this kind of is what started this, you know, spiral of being where I’m at now. The epidural did not take I had a lot of pain in my back. We ended up just taking it out and saying, forget it. And I really felt him to send I felt his head, like, come down. I told the nurse I was like, he’s down there. And she’s like, she was like, oh, okay, I’ll check. And like she picked up the blanket. She put it back down. She called its doctor. And they all came in and he was born fairly quickly. But she was telling me the whole time. Don’t push, do not push do not push and I like, like guy like I am spontaneously pushing. Right? As I made my friend says, you know, if you’re throwing up and someone’s sitting there saying don’t throw up, stop throwing up. You have to stop throwing out. Yeah. Good luck with all that.
Katelyn Fusco 16:21
Now, still, she was wanting you not to push because the doctors weren’t in the room yet.
Rhiannon Edwards 16:25
Right. Right.
Katelyn Fusco 16:26
Gotcha. Just making sure.
Rhiannon Edwards 16:28
Yeah, that’s exactly at some. And he was born beautiful. I was so happy with that birth, had a great recovery. And then two years later, I mean, after he was born, I started studying learning more. I watched like the business of being born. And I just started like loving birth and doing exactly what I said. I did of looking into how I can help moms having babies and yeah, so when I found out I was pregnant Two years later, I contacted Oh, I did a doula workshop actually, in St. Louis, which isn’t far from Kansas City. I did a doula workshop. I met a girl there that was from Kansas City. And, and she like posted on Facebook. I have I met this girl from Kansas City, and she’s at the doula workshop with me. And this midwife was like, Well tell her to send me a friend request. And so that’s what I did. I sent her a friend request and I like followed this home birth midwife, and I was thought it was so cool. All of her posts on Facebook have like these birds that she’s doing. And I just thought like, she’s the coolest person like she delivers babies at home. This is awesome. If I ever get pregnant, she’s gonna be my midwife. And so yeah, I contacted her and I was like, I’m gonna have a baby. And I want to have my baby at home with you. And and she, she said, Well, I’ll see you at 12 weeks mine offices here and we scheduled that appointment. And so after that, I was so excited to have a home birth, but I was feeling really sick and just like extra tired, I even like, I kind of have like a real dizzy spell and needed to like sit down and kind of blacked out for a minute. So I went to the hospital had an ultrasound. And there was
twins.
Katelyn Fusco 18:16
Oh my word.
Rhiannon Edwards 18:17
Yeah.
Katelyn Fusco 18:19
This is so this is pregnancy. Number three was twins.
Rhiannon Edwards 18:23
twins. Wow. Yeah. Just from what I knew. My I really I mean, I did. I did need to step back for a minute. And I talked to this midwife and kind of consulted with her about things. And we just, I mean, it was really up to me to decide how to move on and, and then hoping I actually didn’t think that was having plans for like, who in the area would take me now that I was going to have twins? And do I even want to have twins at home? Is this the safest option? And she really did a good job prenatally of talking to me about you know what kind of twins I’m having just telling me like the next steps. Let’s get an ultrasound. Let first let’s see what kind of twins you’re having. And we did that. And they were die twin. So two placentas two sacks. And we just kind of decided to take it like, almost like week by week, let’s see how things are going. And if I end up with a home birth in the end, that’d be great. But at any point that I needed to do something different than we would need to consider that right
now.
Katelyn Fusco 19:33
So okay, so you’re doing your prenatal care with this midwife? Were you also seeing an OB at the same time? Or did you just do prenatal care with the midwife and think, Okay, well, if I need to go in for you know, if I need to transfer care, then I’ll do that at that time.
Rhiannon Edwards 19:49
Yeah, I actually did go and consult with an OB and that just gave me even more confidence in my decision to have a home birth because he told me that it is a matter of the position of the baby, it doesn’t matter. Nothing really matters, except that we get you in here for an induction at that 36 weeks and Oh, okay. And that was that. So, so yeah, after that meeting with him, I was just like, Well, that’s it, you’re not gonna I mean, he was like, if the first day of both babies aren’t had down as a C section, and I’m just thinking like, well, you’re not gonna cut into my perfectly good uterus. We’re not doing this. Yeah, so I actually had like, the best pregnancy it was, I felt amazing the whole time. Both babies were head down on. I was I mean, I really consider it a low risk twin pregnancy and my, I mean, we all know that with twin like with a twin birth, like there are risks associated with that. And I really had to weigh all of those risks and understand that the biggest risk is to the second baby and you know, just kind of went down the line of all the different situations that could happen and what how that would affect the outcome.
Katelyn Fusco 21:09
Some of the situations that your midwife spoke with you about that she said, You know, like okay, and this could be this could be a risk this could be a risk and this is what we would do in these situations like what what were your concerns that you were weighing out?
Rhiannon Edwards 21:24
Well definitely would twin be we knew that baby that a was head down and down. They’re not moving twin be we knew could be with twin be we had once the first baby’s born, you just kind of run the risk of the second baby not being in a good of a in a good position and maybe coming you know footling and and if that happened, just to pay like cord prolapse. cord. I mean, if the babies I mean if the water breaks, your babies could get Come on the cords entangled or that’s not a big risk at all really with died I twins of having two placentas and and two separate sacks. But right. But yeah, just my understanding of that time was just like, whatever is going to happen, my midwife can handle it. And, you know, we can get to the hospital and and really, like I said, with the fact that they were in their own sacks, that I mean, cord entanglement was not really a big issue. If the second baby, if there was like a cord prolapse even then I wasn’t so concerned, just because I’ve already had one baby come through, we can do a breech extraction like there’s other there’s an option here. Right for that second baby and.
And ultimately, I mean, I carried them to 41 weeks. Oh, wow.
Katelyn Fusco 22:50
That’s amazing.
Rhiannon Edwards 22:52
Yeah, they did amazing. I did have several biophysical profiles, and everyone was doing fine. And so yeah, we moved on to 41 weeks. And everyone I mean, I definitely gave my midwife gray hair on that one. But I was determined, like, I did not want to do anything else. And she wasn’t concerned and I was having, like I said, these regular biophysical profile. So we moved on the night that or the morning that I went into labor was really fun. It was not uncommon for me to wake up during the night and just like have some time, being uncomfortable and going to sit in the living room and kind of watching TV. And you know, just relaxing for a little bit. So I get up one night, or one morning and get out of bed and kind of go in there and do that. And it’s like 3am and I’m watching TV, and I’m just feeling so uncomfortable. And I’m like, gosh, this is so weird. Like, I am just so like tight everywhere. But it didn’t really feel like labor.
I am I
did have to
might remember that my first two births were induced. So I’m kind of waiting around for some Pitocin contractions. And those did not come. was like going in sitting on the toilet like I really needed to, like I just needed to. And my back is hurting. And so I did call my midwife. I’m like, I’m 41 weeks. If I call her out here for false labor, she’ll forgive me. So she headed my way. And I headed to the bathroom to like, I guess labor on the toilet. It just didn’t feel like what I was expecting. And so I’m like getting in the shower. My bag was hurting so bad. So I just really wanted that, like water to, I thought that it would help with the back labor a little bit. And that wasn’t uncommon. I had had that with my first two labors. And so there was a little bit of a hint that I was in labor. But yeah, so I’m in the shower. And suddenly, I realized that there’s like a baby coming like the head is right there. And I need to get down, I need to turn this water off and like get down and I like yell out for help. And my mom was spending the night with us that night to help with the children. Unless I went in case I went to labor. And she was in the room right next to the bathroom. So I’m on the other side of the house from my bedroom where my husband All My Children are. And I’m on the other side of the house and my mom comes and she’s like, what’s going on? Have you called your midwife? And she’s just like yelling at me. And I’m like, there’s a baby coming. And so she like she’s like, yelling for my husband. She’s like, shot. There’s a baby coming. There’s a baby kept Sean like she’s yelling for help. And she comes in the bathroom like right when the baby is so she actually caught my first baby and my back. And she reaches down like she feels the head and she’s like, okay, here comes here. Here’s comes your baby. And so the baby came out, and I have jumped up on my chest. And thankfully, my mom had called my midwife and she’s on the phone with their on speakerphone. I didn’t even know that. But the next thing I hear is, okay, so backup little bit. baby’s born, my mom kind of helps me pick her up to my chest, and I sit back in the time, and she starts screaming immediately.
And so my midwife is just like, Is it a boy or a girl? Like, what else are you gonna say baby?
And she was just like pulling up in the driveway. So she’s like, Is it a boy or a girl? And I don’t know, I don’t know. And I reached down and felt that I had a little girl. And let’s see. So my husband bathroom at this point. Not yet. Okay, go. He comes out of the room. And he thinks like someone’s breaking in the house. He doesn’t know what’s going on. He’s just like days and he comes in. He’s like, the baby’s here. I’ll get the tub ready. Like, no, you’re kidding. Ready?
Katelyn Fusco 27:06
You missed that part? No, no. Yeah.
Rhiannon Edwards 27:09
So yeah. So then my midwife comes in a few minutes later. And like, she’s kind of checking me out she’s, and she’s just like, I hear her going over this checklist in her mind. And it’s really cool. And they kind of take the first baby for me and help me get out of the tub. And she wanted to feel with a second baby was and I knew that that was something that we were going to need to do. I was just having like really strong contractions though in the bathtub, and I couldn’t handle it. And so we needed to get me out and get me to the bed. And I’m trying like to crawl to my bedroom and I can’t sign up going into the children’s room. And there’s like a little twin bed in there. And I make it in the room. Just like enough to get like my head and like my forearm on the bed and I’m on my hands and knees. And I stopped pushing. And like right when I start pushing, I’m Dr. says, I can see feet. So yeah, that got kind of interesting. All of a sudden, and still I’m just pushing like, I don’t care what’s coming out. It doesn’t matter. I’m pushing the baby out. And I guess she felt the same way because there wasn’t I mean, no one really said much just like I sci fi Good work. And this is great. Everything looks good. You’re in the perfect position. And so there was on my hands and knees. I pushed out my footling breech baby in her sack. Whoa, yeah. Yeah, she came out and I remember like, sitting up and looking down. She’s like, pick up your baby. And she’s screaming and I looked down and there she is like, I can still see it absolutely perfect today like the checks pad and everything. I see little Zoya is her name. She’s baby. I had him I was first and then Zoya and looked down and I see that baby and I pick her up and just like Whoa, that was crazy. That was so cool. Like, that was amazing. I can’t believe I just said that.
Katelyn Fusco 29:03
Oh, my word. Okay, so when you’re pushing out, baby, you said you’ve got your your were you kind of kneeling at the bed.
Rhiannon Edwards 29:12
Yeah, like one arm. My left arm was on the floor, and then my right forearm was on the bed, and then I’m on my knees.
Katelyn Fusco 29:19
Okay. And so footling breach, the baby’s coming out what happened as what did did she just kind of come out in one push? Or was it more of a like, Body Body comes out? And then your midwife? Did she do any maneuvers? What was that? Like?
Rhiannon Edwards 29:35
Nope, she said that everything was perfect. And I actually thought that she was turning the baby. I thought that I felt her light turning day, but she just did it all on her own perfectly, came out and had came out. She probably did. You know, I should have asked her? Did she kind of like when the head was there? Like what did she do? I didn’t even think about asking her that. And I probably should.
Katelyn Fusco 29:56
But a lot of times, midwives You know, when it’s a breech of it’s like the whole thing is like hands off like, hands off the breech. Let the baby do its own thing. So
there really might not have been in that she did.
But um, wow. So it was a was it was a pretty quick like one or two contractions or it was it wasn’t like a long pushing phase with her.
Rhiannon Edwards 30:17
No, no, it was just kind of one on top of another. I don’t even know that there was a break. She was commenting. I’m like pushing and pushing. And yeah.
Katelyn Fusco 30:25
That was so amazing. Okay, so what what did they weigh at? 41 weeks?
Rhiannon Edwards 30:30
Yeah, they were 710 and 712.
Katelyn Fusco 30:33
so incredible. When good, healthy, robust babies. They were. They’re amazing.
Elizabeth Bauer 30:39
They’re four years old now. Wow,
Katelyn Fusco 30:42
what a cool story. So what was your postpartum experience like that? What happened after the twins were born any complications? Or was it smooth sailing?
Rhiannon Edwards 30:52
I mean, I bled quite a bit afterwards. And I did understand that that was going to be a risk to and bled quite a bit. So but the we manage that all at home and got the placentas out got my uterus clamping down, stop that bleeding. And you know, nursing the babies. Yeah, that are really well. So the only real obstacle put Well, there are a lot of obstacles postpartum, like newborn twins, just like after you lose quite a bit of blood, you’re kind of weak and not not your best, it doesn’t feel great. You’re really weak afterwards. And so being like a mom of twins was very hard. I would say that postpartum, like the first two weeks were like, two very busy. It was very busy. And not hard in the sense of like, Oh, I never do that again. But challenging. It worked, though. It was just like a lot of hard, busy work. But once we all got really good at nursing and figuring this whole thing out. It’s like we became a little team and figured it out. But there were many times where I was like, I wish that there was just someone here like I’d be sitting in a bed nursing one baby. And I was like if there was just someone here to hand me that one over there. I would be fine. And trying to get both babies latched on and going and then you know because of one I’m latches and you have to unlock the other one to get that one back on. And yeah, so postpartum was like that.
Katelyn Fusco 32:26
Yeah, that I mean nursing one baby postpartum can be exhausting. Doubling that. And wow, yeah, you are a superstar, for sure.
man. Gosh, that is such an incredible story Rhiannon. And so what? What happened next? Did you have your next baby? Right? You there’s one more birth story after this? Correct?
Rhiannon Edwards 32:49
Yeah, one that just kind of ties into it of like, you know, the wild things about, you know, your birthing location, like where your planned birthing location is and you know, really, you know, making the best decision for you. And maybe not having the outcome you want. And even though like I had been such a guy, I mean, I just felt very triumphant, like, I’m a great birth, or I had twins at home after two very wild hospital birds. And I can do anything. Oh, now I’m pregnant with a singleton baby. And how old are the twins they were, they were about two years old. And I found out that I was pregnant with my fifth. Who was a huge surprise. I mean, she just really came out of nowhere. And of course, I was like, I’m gonna have another home birth, there’s, and this time, I’m gonna have a water birth, we’re going to get that tub ready. And I’m going to get in at this time. And, and I’m ready for this. And by this point, I had been going I had been doing lots of doula work and actually, kind of studying as a student midwife quite a bit. So I was very familiar with the birth with the birth process, son, and just had no question like, I’m a home birth mom, now. I’m doing this. And so we got did normal preparations and had normal prenatal care. Great, healthy pregnancy, I ate well, and did. I mean, I did everything that I could do, that I knew how to do correctly. With number five, she, I carried her to 41 weeks. And I was so ready to have her. She’s so ready to have this, this baby that we knew was going to be our last. Hmm, let’s see, I don’t think there’s anything else I can say about, you know, the prenatal care or what I was doing, but I wouldn’t so for a little while I had been having night. So kind of waking up, like, Oh, I’m in labor, they’re like seven minutes or five minutes apart. And then like, they just fizzle out. And they would even get pretty strong and still just as loud. That happened for several weeks. And then one day, I was having contractions all day, 10 minutes apart. They were coming they were getting stronger, longer, closer together. And by that evening, I I mean, they stopped I couldn’t believe it that they stopped because that was absolutely early labor. But they did. So I went to bed at 10 o’clock. And I woke up at like 2am and felt a big gush of water and was having, you know, pretty strong. While I kind of like sporadic still, contractions were pretty sporadic and more like in the lower segment of my uterus. It wasn’t like my whole uterus like it had been like sitting up clamping down. And you know, doing what it’s supposed to be doing. This was like in my low like a period cramp. And so I I get up and I’m so excited like okay, I’m calling my midwives and I’m like trying to call my Okay, wait, I’m going to get out go to the bathroom. See what color the fluid is. And I get up I go in the bathroom and I could not believe my eyes when I saw lots of bright red blood just like totally so saturated there, my underwear dripping on the floor, down my legs. And I just called my midwife and I was like I’m bleeding a lot. I knew exactly what it was. I was like, I’m really scared. I can’t move and I’m I just can’t move and they lived very close to me and came right over. And I didn’t I didn’t want to go in yet. I was very hopeful that okay, maybe I’m like, almost complete maybe babies right there and I can just push this baby out and get this over with and I didn’t really discuss that with my midwives, but that was kind of like, my hopes and dreams. My plan when I saw that and but I did come into the room and I was like, Shauna, I’m I’m bleeding talking my husband. I’m bleeding a lot. And he was like, so should I get the tub ready? Yeah, like the first baby was born. You know, like with the twins. He’s like get the tub read. I know. Sean,
Katelyn Fusco 37:14
That is such a dad thing though. Like, totally my husband.
Rhiannon Edwards 37:19
Well, and he said that I’m like, No, Sean, I’m going to have a C section. I’m going this isn’t going to be what I want it to be. I’m bleeding. It’s like what does this mean? I’m like, just just wait and so the first my wife came and got me on my bed got me on my bed, like did imaginable exam and, and here I am just thinking like, okay, please be right there. Come on, baby. Just be right there. And she’s like hero five, and babies really high. And the second midwife comes in and I have a contraction and I’m just like, be isolate start, like kind of pouring blood. Yeah. So like up to the hospital, my husband got left behind the twins welcome. And he had to like go take care of them. And so he kind of got left behind. But we were out the door and on the way to the hospital and just kind of like with every time I have a contraction, I can feel all this blood running down my leg, legs and just filling my pad. And I had to just kind of step back for a minute and tried my best to just like okay, you know what’s happening here? It’s time to surrender. This is what is this is what’s going to happen. I’m going you’re going to have a C section and you’re going to have an opiate your baby is going to be okay. We get to the hospital and still blushes point in my life like we’re going to the ER absolutely Brynn delivery and it’s just seemed to happen, you know, pretty quickly of getting up there. The doctor comes in right away and then puts the ultrasound on is like yes, you’re having an abruption. So in abruption is when your placenta is releasing, before the baby’s born, when really should be like baby first than the plane center, and hopefully very minimal bleeding, right. But I was I was just like, stay hemorrhaging. And I lost, like 600 cc’s of blood before I got there, or else I’m also blood before I got there. And I hemorrhage is like considered at about 500. You got a hemorrhage, or really how moms responding to it. I am someone that I guess can handle quite a bit of blood loss. Because I was still like alert and I’m awake. I’m not had I don’t feel faint at all. I’m walking around and I’m just like, ready to do this. I’m just thinking like, I’m so grateful that I have this option. Yeah, because there’s lots of places that don’t have that option to I mean, lots of other places around the world where you don’t have the option to go in and have you know, this life saving procedure done and have a healthy baby. So, that’s where I was in that moment. And I I knew that I might not feel that way later. But that’s what was keeping me Okay, then. Just being grateful. And, you know, grieving a home birth is one thing but grieving the loss of your baby. It’s completely different. Absolutely. So yeah, she came out I thought I was having a boy the whole time, the whole pregnancy.
Katelyn Fusco 40:20
Welcome to my world.
Rhiannon Edwards 40:24
That is exactly what I thought with mine. The ultrasound said like, you’re gonna have a boy. So that’s what I thought. And then like, Oh my gosh, the ultrasound said yes, yes.
So yeah, they’re like, Well, me for my C section. And like, and this one. She’s like, Oh, she’s beautiful. She’s great. And I just woke up and I was like, when I Oh, general anesthesia. So I was out. And I do have so just one little thing that I even like, kind of tell my doula clients is to are like anyone that’s going to have need to have a C section. Especially if you’re a 10 or whatever, you’re going back and you know, and this is something that they’re obviously not wanting, ask to be checked one more time, because I felt so so pushy. When I when I was on the table, and they’re getting ready to put me out. And I My only regret. Why didn’t I ask to just be checked one more time? Because what if I mean, there’s a million what ifs attached? Of course, like, what if I had done this and pregnancy? What if I had done that but ultimately, for abruption, there are no tried and true risk factors for it. Yep. Anyone can have one.
It can happen during pregnancy. It can happen in labor. And it’s it’s very rare.
Katelyn Fusco 41:43
Yeah, but yeah, but yeah, it’s the the, the knowledge of like, oh, is it’s not like you can say oh, well, you have this symptom and this symptom and this symptom, so an abruption is more likely, you know,
Rhiannon Edwards 41:56
yeah, and you can even have like a partial abruption and it closes, you know, and it heals, and it’s no big deal. But yeah, there’s many I, the doctor said that I was about 70% abrupt did. So most of the battle center had released and she would not have been okay, had we continued on? Yeah, that is, yeah, that’s my big, like, my big takeaway of all of this. I mean, I aggrieved that birth, like, it was hard for me as a birth worker. And I follow all of these, like, accounts on Instagram, and Facebook, and just all these beautiful birth videos. And I was like, truly angry, that I mean, I was angry, like, are jealous is the word. I mean, the first time I live that have ever felt like, that I had ever felt like true envy was seeing someone have a beautiful birth yet, I would have been devastated for them if they had had a C section. So it’s just part of the grieving process, I think to under like, this is my, this is what I’m feeling. I’m being honest with myself. And, you know, here I am, later on, I’m totally able to talk about it. And even you know, if I ever had to support them on that might be going through that I’d feel good about that and ready to educate them and help them make decisions along the way. That’s good for them. So
up there it is.
Katelyn Fusco 43:13
Yeah, that’s amazing. Granted, and, and, you know, that’s something that I feel like is so important for for moms to hear and understand, especially if they’ve had something similar happened to them. I have a family member that had a placental abruption. And she was planning for a birth center birth. And you know, of course, of course, it didn’t happen that way. But you are allowed to grieve, you know, you can be so happy that your baby is here and your baby is healthy. And yes, thank God that is the number one thing on everybody’s mind is that you’re healthy and your baby is healthy. But if you lost something that you wanted, you’re allowed to grieve, and that is totally
Rhiannon Edwards 43:53
reasonable. And you need to and if you’re not start grieving, it’s the it’s the way to get through things if you’re not grieving. Wow, that’s,
Katelyn Fusco 44:05
that’s such a great point. Well, so so that was that was final baby.
Rhiannon Edwards 44:10
Mm hmm. Final baby. And yeah, and I used to be a little bit insecure about it. But now I’m happy to say that we’re, we’re done.
Katelyn Fusco 44:18
Oh, no, yeah. When when you’re done, you’re done. And that’s great. And you’ve got a beautiful family that that you’ve experienced so many different types of birth with that’s so incredible. Wow. What a story and and well, thank you so much for coming on. And I I love the fact like I said that you have experienced so many types of births. I know that just makes you such an asset as as a doula.
Rhiannon Edwards 44:44
Yeah. Well, thank you so much. Yeah, I definitely feel that way. I’m feel. Yeah, thanks so much for having me.
Katelyn Fusco 44:50
What an incredible interview, man. So as we head into this episode Roundup, I am really thinking about one very clear aspect. And that is how Rhian was really able to determine as a grown adult woman autonomously, what was a true emergency and what was not. So in the medical community, oftentimes, twin birth is perceived as a true emergency. Whereas certainly, you know, there can be more complications when it comes to having a twin birth. But Rhian felt comfortable with it and felt that that was something that her body was going to be able to do, she found a midwife who had been trained and was able to perform twin births. So she decided to do that at home. And then with her next birth, she truly recognized Yep, this is the time that I go in, this is the time that I need a C section. And thank goodness for obstetricians, you know, thank goodness for the hospital at a moment like this. So her ability to determine true true time for help. Really rings clear and and that is just incredible to see. So if you guys have ever experienced anything like that, I do want to, to extend my sympathies to you. Because I know that it doesn’t always work out perfectly, it doesn’t always work out the way that we want it to. And sometimes, you know, things just happen. And that’s when it’s so amazing that there are healthcare professionals that are able to really help with with dire situations. So remember that it’s something that does need to be processed. And that is a traumatic experience, or it can be and if you have experienced that, please, please work through that with a therapist or, you know, if you feel comfortable doing it on your own, you know, just make sure that you are really, really working through all of what happened in that you can really process it. So that’s just my two cents on that. But what a great episode, Brianna, and thank you so much for sharing everything with us. I know you guys had to have loved it just like I did. And if you are loving the show and would like to support it, head on over to patreon. com forward slash happy home birth. It’s not free to produce this show. So any help is really tremendous for me. And I am really looking forward to extending more and more offerings for you guys, and giving you more free content as well as I you know, began posting more on Facebook and through email and on Instagram. You can kind of catch me anywhere. So thank you all so much. I hope you have a wonderful week and I will see you back here next week.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
