Magnolia Harper Prevatt: A Birth Story

Meet Maggie!

September 17, 2015
1:19 pm
8lbs, 11oz
21 inches

As (potentially) my final pregnancy, I wanted to do it the "right" way. I wanted a natural birth, and I pictured myself laboring at home and heading to the hospital ready to push (possibly even giving birth on the floor of my new minivan). Because I have had longer labors and poorly positioned babies, I decided I needed to hire a doula to help me during labor. With Maren, I just hit the wall hard, and the epidural caused my labor to stall, not progress. I used the same OB/midwife group as I had with my VBAC. My plan was in place.

My blood pressure this pregnancy was well-controlled throughout. I passed all my NSTs at my regular office. Everything looked great, and then everyone started getting twitchy as I passed my due date. Then I passed one week overdue. OBs don't like overdue moms, especially ones with high BP who are VBACs and AMA. I had very few contractions despite a membrane sweep and an hour of "baby come out" acupressure/massage. Then I had an ultrasound at 8 days overdue and it showed my fluid was low (4.5). It had been on the low side the week before as well. Off to the hospital for an induction. I felt okay, but it was not starting out like I had hoped.

We checked in to the hospital around 3:30 and the midwife came to break my water around 4:15pm. She told me that she was "sure" breaking my water would put me right over the edge, as I was 3+ cm dilated and 75% effaced. I was told I could decide when I felt like I was ready to augment my labor; they would make me augment after my water had been ruptured for 24 hours.

It did not put me over the edge.

I had very few contractions, and I was now stuck in the hospital. I had to be monitored for 10 minutes out of every hour. The rest of the time I was free to move and walk. It was a long night. I was a million months pregnant in an uncomfortable bed, on a clear liquid diet only, and getting up to the bathroom at least every hour. Sometimes I tried to be positive but I mostly was not, crying occasionally and just picturing my future cesarean around 11pm Thursday night. My attitude was terrible. They wanted to start pitocin around 6am and I told them I was going to take a shower and a walk and they could start it after day shift came.

Pitocin was started around 7:30 and contractions started right away. The nurse upped it every 30ish minutes from 2 up to maybe 14? The contractions were close together, allowing little rest, and they peaked early. They were short, though, lasting only 30-45 seconds. The labor was all in my back. As it got more intense, Chris called Christy (the doula). My mom came at some point too. When they checked me around 11:30-12, I was 6cm dilated, almost completely effaced (pitocin off around this time). Christy did some counter pressure on my back and gave me some peppermint oil to breathe to help the nausea. She did just as I had hoped and gave me the extra push I needed to avoid the epidural. I leaned on Chris and had a lot of trouble switching positions because I had such a short time between contractions. My body felt very hot and stiff, almost frozen. Shortly after I was found to be 6 cm, I felt Maggie change position and come down. I needed to push. The nurse came to check on me, told me it was time, and called Dr. Adams (whom I just adore!). I couldn't stop pushing and only pushed a couple times (on my side). I pushed too fast, I guess, because I did end up with a second degree tear and stitches.

I felt pretty great right after, and recovery has been relatively easy. There isn't time for a relaxing recovery when you have two big girls who have places to be! Our family and friends have been amazing. We are lucky.

Maggie is spectacular, sweet and gentle and peaceful. This pregnancy was hard, with its constant nausea, and it made me state nearly continuously that THIS IS IT. But holding this tiny girl makes me think, I have to do this again: meet a new person for our family. We are all so in love.

Final note: I have given birth three different ways. This one was the best, but they are ALL. HARD.

About 41 weeks pregnant:

 Family of Five:

The torturing of poor Mags begins:

The sweetest little face (don't you LOVE newborns?!):

Dear Mike,

How to start?

I miss you so much. You are constantly on my mind and in my heart.
or how about
Can you believe you are dead? Gone? Where are you?

Mom and Dad are doing better. It has been just as terrible as you could imagine.

I hope you know how much I loved you. I am pretty sure that you did, but when you don't get to say good-bye...

Your FIT friends are so nice. Your apartment was so nice. Chris hasn't dove (dived? who the hell knows?) without you. We just miss you so much.

Annie and Maren have taken your loss hard. Remember when we were kids and everyone was still alive? Annie started sucking her thumb like crazy after we lost you, but it is actually almost a broken habit (once you start losing teeth, you are too busy wiggling to suck). We have also bribed her to stay in her bed. $1/night. I think you would appreciate that. Maren cries and cries over you - but most of this is when she is in trouble. As in, "I am crying because I am so sad about Michael." (As opposed to terribly sad because Mom was disciplining her.) HA! I know you would appreciate that. But the way she wails and screams, "MICHAEL, MICHAEL, MICHAEL!!!!" It is how I want to yell and howl too.

Can you believe the Gators this year?

We had another baby girl. Did you know her before she came to us? I try to tell her about her uncle, but it is very hard to talk about you and not cry. I was glad she was a girl because I couldn't stand having the same family we had. If she had been a boy, I would not have even been able to breathe his entire 27th year.

Any Christmas gift ideas for Mom and Dad this year?

Love you and miss you.

Michael: Myth vs. Man

This is written for Annie, Maren, Woody, Tohi, Baby, etc. To those of you who won't remember Michael, per se, but who will know the myth:




First of all, this is what happened to Michael: he was coming home for his birthday to go to a concert on Friday, September 19, 2014. He had a friend with him in the car, and they were driving north on 95, listening to music and looking forward to a fun weekend. In a horrible, random, freak accident, a wheel flew off a semi heading south on 95, crashing through Michael's window and crushing him. They tried to revive him but there was no way he could have made it. He officially died later at Flagler Hospital.






So Michael is gone. We talk about him regularly, but he can't help but obtain some sort of legend status. I am here to set the record straight. This is what Michael was like:




He was fun. He was a guy who liked to "do stuff," for lack of a better expression. "Hey Mike, do you want to...?" "Sure!" or he would say, "we should...." He was an explorer and a traveler, easy-going, agreeable, and (again) fun.




He was generous and kind. He was the.best.gift.giver. Seriously thoughtful. He had good ideas that he thought about months ahead of time and planned.




He was a nut for sports. He loved the Gators and the Jaguars, but he knew everything about every sport. He also loved the Boston teams, the Red Sox and Bruins. He loved organizing the family fantasy football league and played various sports. He was more than a decent athlete, and he was competitive. That competitiveness extended to any game ever played with him, and he loved playing games, cards, etc. He liked the rules to be followed, and he liked to win.


He was passionate about cooking, music, and scuba diving. He didn't develop his sophisticated palate until later in life, but, once he did, he was really into trying new things. He loved listening to and making music. And he loved being underwater. He also loved his program at FIT and loved the project he worked on..


Michael, the man, was, in many ways, larger than life. He was taller than most people, with a bigger smile and a louder voice. He was unlike most men in that he talked a lot and was also open with his emotions. He was the kind of guy who could talk to anyone and made friends easily. He was the kind of brother who would call his sister with girlfriend woes. He was the kind of boyfriend who fell in love easily. Don't let these statements lead you to believe, however, that he was anything less than a man's man.


Michael really, truly loved his family. He spoke almost daily to Grammie and Pops, and he was always available to hang out. He liked to spend time with us, and with you. He loved being an uncle.


So that is Michael, briefly. You would have loved him! I hope his spirit continues to bring light to our family.