Our First Spring Calf
So I owe y’all the story of my nephew, Rowan Padgett Von Rody (aka. Henry). It is a story of perseverance. It is a story of surrender. It is a story of pain and of absolute joy. It is truly a farm story.
Rowan started his journey into this world on April 12th, Easter Sunday. By midnight, I was sitting in my sister’s house, filling a pool and waiting to help bring a baby into the world without a hospital or doctors or anything that I was familiar with. I was terrified. My sister and brother-in-law, however, were excited and ready for her journey… at least, that is what they thought.
Shannon labored throughout the night only to watch the sun rise and the timing of her contractions fall. No baby was to be born on the 2nd day of Easter in this family. Contractions continued, goggles were donned and kick ass music was turned on.
In my and my sister’s absence, Krista (our sister) took on the care of our children. As you can see, the littles got their naps…
With the contractions coming too far apart to do any real work (but still intense enough to knock the wind out of Shannon), it was time to turn up the heat. It was time to walk the hills.
After a vigorous walk with the kids and a little fairy magic from Willow, Shannon went back into her birthing chamber to await the inevitable onset of more pain, more waiting and more exhaustion.
This is the birthing pool. It is a rented framework that comes with plastic lining and you have to purchase a second liner that is yours for sanitary purposes. It holds approximately 150 gallons of water and takes 2 hours to fill with a hose from the tap since they had to wait for the hot water to replenish in 15 minute intervals. It can only have water in it for 24 hours, then must be drained, wiped down, and then refilled if used again.
If not for the pool, Shannon would not have been able to withstand the intensity of her contractions. The cruel irony is that getting in the pool slowed down the contractions.
We drained and filled the tub, during Shannon’s labor, four times. Yes, Shannon was in labor for four days. This picture was taken on Day 3.
On Wednesday night, Shannon’s midwives, Heidi and Jennifer (two true saints and magical women) decided that even though Shannon’s body was fully dilated and ready for the birth, the baby needed to turn.
Herbal remedies, acupressure, acupuncture, homeopathy, prayers… thousands of years of wisdom that have somehow slipped into the shadows of mainstream birth practices. It is in our nature, our instinct and woven into the fiber of our souls how to give birth, how to nurture and grow. Factory farms, scheduled c-sections … when and, more importantly, how did we forget?
By 1 AM on April 16th, it was decided that Shannon’s body was too exhausted to sleep and too exhausted to relax enough to let the baby turn. She rode into the hospital with Rowdy, Heidi and Jennifer to get an epidural and a bed to get some sleep in. I lay down to sleep in her bed; nervous, anxious and exhausted.
Shannon’s first birth (Willow) ended after 4 days of labor in a cesarean section. The second birth was planned as a natural home birth. Because she had originally had a c-section, this made for a very high risk situation since extreme pressure was being placed on the uterine scar from the first surgery. Most hospitals will not even let woman attempt a vaginal birth after a c-section (known as a VBAC). In order to attempt this, Shannon had to sign hospital documents prior to the birth stating she was aware of the risks.
Once in the hospital (which took a bit since they were pulled over by a cop on the way. Of course… The Accidental Farm!) Shannon got the epidural and finally slept. After 2 1/2 hours of sleep, she was put in a smidge of pitocin (to increase the contractions) and around noon, she finally, finally, FINALLY started to push.
Standing by were The Original Four (me, Rowdy, Heidi and Jen), Michelle the hospital midwife and a battery of nurses. After 2 hours of pushing (and a very calm and determined Shannon) a doctor came in and announced that there would be no more pushing. The hospital had made a decision and Shannon was going into surgery.
I took this picture while the doctor was telling Shannon that it didn’t matter what her body wanted, it was the hospital’s right to order a cesarean section. Can you feel the energy of the room at this very moment? I will never forget the feeling of helplessness that we all felt, as one, in that instant. And I will never forget the beam of determination and bravery that came from my sister, in that instant.
After being guided by the midwives to understand that, despite the hospital’s inappropriate approach to communicate her need for a c-section, it was in fact the only option left. The baby had turned, but was now face up making it extremely difficult to birth naturally.
We promised to save her the last Boston cream donut as a prize for having actually gone through three births, instead of one.
My heroine.
Rowan Padgett Von Rody was born at 3 PM (ish) on April 16th, 2009. He was 8 pounds and 8 ounces. Shannon said that when they opened her up, he was face up and staring straight at them… eyes wide open.
Willow loves “her baby”, especially when he’s sleeping and she can ambush him with all of her love at once.
Quite the ride, right? But then when is birth ever routine and run-of-the-mill?
