the birth story // poppy ford

this last week has been one of the most special as we welcomed our little poppy ford into the world. as y’all may know, my birth with ryv was wild and unexpected, but i wouldn’t have had it any other way. it resulted in a vacuum-led delivery, a fourth degree tear and an episiotomy so recovery wasn’t the easiest, but i didn’t know it any other way. dr. niku, who works alongside midwives, made sure ryver came out safe and sound and watching his intention, skill and encouragement during the birth made us not even hesitate to want him as the doctor for the next delivery. 

we had the most amazing doula and midwives during the entire pregnancy with ryver; they taught us so much about carrying a baby, the beauty of birth and proper recovery. during this pregnancy with poppy, we started out with our midwife in la but rearranged our care because we spent the summer in idaho. we transferred to the most incredible midwife and ob there for four months and then came home to dr. niku’s care in the last month of carrying this sweet girl to prepare for the birth.

i had extra amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios) show up in the ultrasound when i got home from IDAHO. it is not always something to worry about, but it is something that needs to be watched and that generally encourages an EARLIER delivery for the safety of the baby and mom. because of my severe tear in my first birth and this information, a scheduled c-section was the best decision for us. at 38 WEEKS, it was such a wild feeling just getting in the car and driving to cedars to meet our little girl. 

the c-section went really well, but little POPPY needed some extra care in the nicu because she inhaled fluid, but she healed up so quickly and we were home in two days. it was such a gift to be able to bring her home so quickly and get her extra comfy and settled and snuggly. 

i am so thankful that i could experience both delivery processes; it sounds a bit surprising, but i think i preferred a vaginal delivery. even though i had an epidural when i was pushing, i could still feel and i loved the strong sense of involvement. it was something i will never forget.

with the c-section, i felt a lot of anxiety when i couldn’t feel my lower half, i had intense acid reflux during the procedure, and i overall felt more disconnected from the process amidst my extreme gratefulness for it bringing my sweet angel into the world. and the team was absolutely amazing!

also fun fact: my anesthesiologist was the same as my birth with ryv and his name is dr. gellar –– you guys could probably imagine my excitement.

ryver and bennie have both been so precious with poppy –– stay tuned for updates on instagram.