TANNER’S BIRTH STORY

Many of you know that after Beck, we miscarried our second. That angel baby will forever be in my heart. I couldn’t write Tanner’s birth story without mentioning the struggle of conceiving a second time. After the miscarriage, we once again went through tough times (it took quite sometime with Beck as well) but this time I was armed with knowledge of natural family planning. I understood my cycles better and what was happening with my body. I can’t stress tracking everything you do, notice, eat and feel (it really made all the difference in figuring out what was happening).
After the miscarriage, my cycles began to get longer every other month. I noticed a slight dull pain when I would ovulate on one side but never felt it on the other on the month that kept getting longer (those months turned into a 60 day cycle) while the other side stayed at a normal 30 day interval. I tracked and took down detailed notes. I started talking with my chiropractor about my cycles and he suggested that an adhesion between my Fallopian tube and the body of my uterus had occurred, stopping a full ovulation. Dr. Ruppel did a myofacial release by pulling the tube away from my uterus and thus allowing ovulation to happen. That month, we conceived Tanner. Our entire family sees Dr. Ruppel at Thirty3 Chiropractic and we have loved the care and attention he gives to not only my husband and I, but also the love he has for Beck and Tanner.
My pregnancy was relatively easy compared to Beck’s pregnancy (he was a misdiagnosed molar pregnancy), although it was still physically difficult. I was once again diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, put on modified bed-rest and then at the end of the pregnancy, a travel restriction. I was convinced he would arrive early but none-the-less, he arrived late.

Tanner was born in September, almost two weeks past his due date. Because of his stubbornness, I was induced, although we tried everything possible to get him to come naturally. My first was an induction and the labor was fast, painful and unmanageable. Looking back now, we didn’t have a team that put our needs and wants first. This time, I ended up going to Lone Tree OBGYN and had Amy as my midwife. She listened to my wants and stood by my “less is more” belief when it came to intervention. We also did a different hospital where the nurses are used to working with midwives, which made a huge difference in the check-ins and care I received.
The best choice we made was having Jill, of Doula Baby!, be our doula. I regret not having one for Beck’s pregnancy and delivery and I really can’t stress how much she made a difference. Jill became a friend, someone to talk to (complain, laugh, bond and seek advice) and made sure our “birthing plan” was kept as best as possible. Jill will forever be a lifetime friend of ours and I’ll never be able to thank her enough for making my dream labor possible. I would do it again in a heartbeat because of her.
Real labor didn’t start for me until we broke my water. After that, it was a quick 2.5 hours and I’m so proud to have done this labor without any pain medication. Brent and Jill were amazing support systems; Brenton let me squeeze his hand, sat by me the entire time and gave words of encouragement while I rested my head on his shoulder. Jill kept me grounded and reminded me of my breaths during the more painful contractions. I had a few tears but remained calm and I couldn’t have had a more peaceful labor without both of them working as a team. Delivering Tanner into this world was breathtaking and I tear up to this day at how happy I am with how everything went.