The tremendous Tiffany Heater and Elliott (3 months). Tiffany and her husband were able to conceive without issue but she lost her first pregnancy to miscarriage at 5 or 6 weeks along. It was so early along that it seemed she shouldn't be bothered but they were so excited about this baby that they were quite sad.
They continued trying and were able to conceive Elliott soon after. Tiffany was nervous throughout her first trimester but once she settled into her pregnancy things went well. They planned to deliver at a birthing center and hoped to avoid medications and interventions during her birth. Around 35 weeks she learned that he wasn't getting into position so they tried spinning babies, acupuncture, moxibustion, yoga, chiropractic and at 37 weeks he still hadn't turned. They then tried an external version which was painless and fast, Elliot turned head down but didn't engage. At 42 weeks, they decided to induce and prior to induction realized he was breech again. They began to start another external version but before they returned he had turned head down.
Tiffany had a strong reaction to the first drug they used to induce her and went into 8-10 minute long contractions. After an hour of that they went to two minutes apart for 12 hours with no progress. The next morning they started pitocin and then decided to keep Elliott on continual monitoring to monitor for stress even though it wasn't their policy. They ultimately broke her water and she labored through the night again. The following day the grew increasingly concerned about stress on the baby and risk of infection and decided to delivery via cesarean after 50 hours of medically induced labor. Elliot was born that evening posterior and not engaged. At the time, they were so thrilled to just have him here that they didn't care so much things hadn't gone as they'd hoped.
At 14 days, Elliott was admitted to the hospital with MRSA via a swollen abscess on his chest. He had an IV, catheter and spinal tap all which was very scary for Tiffany. They were in the hospital for 8 days on IV antibiotics, then oral antibiotics at home. She says that even though he is doing so well now the experience made her more protective than she ever thought she would be.
Elliot took to breastfeeding very easily and it has been a bonding experience and a relief for Tiffany after all they had been through. Accepting, that part of her birth was out of her control has been a challenge and she initially felt defeated. She hopes that sharing her story will help her to continue to heal and grow.