Ep 298: From Birth Center to OR: Navigating An Umbilical Cord Prolapse Emergency

Dr. Nicole Rankins (00:01.462)

Thank you so much, Megan, for agreeing to come onto the podcast. I'm really excited to have you share your story.

Megan McGahuey (00:09.048)

Thank you, I'm really excited to be here.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (00:11.186)

Yeah, so why don't you start off by telling us a bit about yourself and your family.

Megan McGahuey (00:15.234)

Yes. So I am a stay at home mom and I have two little boys, Arrow, who's four and Rhodes is two. And I'm pregnant. Yeah, thank you. I'm pregnant with our third our little rainbow baby girl. And I've been married to my husband for almost seven years now. We live in the greater Seattle area. So we spend a lot of time thrifting, drinking coffee, exploring nature. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (00:22.47)

those names.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (00:34.479)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (00:42.128)

Nice, nice, love it, love it, love So we're on opposite coast. I'm in Richmond, Virginia. So we're truly opposite coast, yes.

Megan McGahuey (00:46.602)

Yes. Yes.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (00:52.144)

I'm going to ask you about your third pregnancy and how you've decided to handle that based on this pregnancy. today, or the pregnancy that we're talking about rather today, which is your second birth. And this for your second birth, you decided to go with a standalone birth center for your birth. What made you decide to do that? And I guess I'm assuming you went with the hospital birth the first time. Okay.

Megan McGahuey (01:14.9)

Yes. So just to give like a short context, my first birth was a 41 week, no signs of labor induction. And I went, I was one centimeter for 14 hours of unmedicated labor on pitocin, which is significant because I also am one centimeter in my other birth story. So, I had lots of IV issues and I ended up choosing the epidural, which was a great tool in that birth.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (01:23.011)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (01:30.575)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (01:42.574)

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (01:43.447)

And yeah, 24 hour induction, I pushed in 50 minutes and it was a great vaginal birth, but just a lot of interventions I wasn't wanting to have. so that kind of led me to making my choice about the standalone birth center. I felt that because I was low risk and it was just down the street from a hospital, I felt safe and I felt like it was a cozier environment and I had done so much preparation that

Dr. Nicole Rankins (01:52.463)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (01:58.865)

Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (02:13.078)

I could do it unmedicated this time. So that was kind of why I made that choice.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (02:15.055)

Okay.

Okay, so it wasn't that your first birth necessarily was bad or anything. You just wanted something different. Okay, got it, got it. So then what was your pregnancy and prenatal care like for your second birth and how did that compare to your first?

Megan McGahuey (02:22.092)

No. Yes, exactly.

Megan McGahuey (02:33.218)

Yeah, both of my boys' pregnancies were really easy. I had no nausea, no, I only had back pain and heartburn towards the end, but no complications. Everything was always good at every appointment. I felt very safe there. I remember I would ask so many questions about safety concerns, just very paranoid about choosing out of hospital. And I always felt like they answered great.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (02:36.069)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (02:51.9)

Mm-hmm. Right.

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (03:02.144)

Yeah, it just felt like a no-brainer to go with there and yeah, just an easy pregnancy.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (03:05.688)

Okay. Interesting. the appointments, were the appointments longer? Do you feel like you got more attention compared to your first pregnancy?

Megan McGahuey (03:14.382)

Yes, I would say yeah, they were longer and I was able to bring my son it was still kind of during COVID. It was, you know, earlier 2022. So it was if I would have been at the hospital, I would have had to find childcare, which I didn't have. So that was another big factor was he was always welcome and got to be a part of that journey with me. So yeah, I was happy with the care. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (03:28.742)

Gotcha.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Nice. Yeah. Okay. Okay. What did you do to prepare for your birth?

Megan McGahuey (03:43.439)

I did with both pregnancies, I did a 12 week Bradley method course. So they let me just do it again since I was friends with the person leading it. So I did that, which was really helpful. And I always go to the chiropractor. I always hire a doula. It was a different doula this time that also worked at the birth center. So I went with her and then I also just watched loss of nap.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (03:47.632)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (03:53.436)

Gotcha.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (04:02.372)

Okay.

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (04:13.28)

natural birth videos and just learn different breathing techniques and walked a lot.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (04:17.49)

Sure. Okay, okay. Did you, was there anything that you didn't like about the first dual experience or you just went with what was at the birth center?

Megan McGahuey (04:29.998)

She was newer and I felt like once I got the epidural there was nothing that she was able to really do for me and so I just felt like, oh let's try something new this time and this one also offered photography which was really big for me so I was like okay perfect.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (04:34.854)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (04:38.854)

Gotcha.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (04:46.722)

right. Yeah, yeah, that is that is nice. OK. And then what were some things that you wanted for your birth this time?

Megan McGahuey (04:52.27)

video.

Megan McGahuey (04:59.47)

I always said no interventions. I wanted low intervention. I wanted dim lighting, limited cervix checks. Those were already hard for me due to some past trauma. And so it was just like less checks, worship music, cozy lights. That was pretty much it. I just wanted to labor and yeah, be at peace. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (05:01.572)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (05:10.866)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (05:20.506)

Okay, all right. Gotcha, gotcha. And then were any of those options for your first birth at all? I'm just really curious about the comparison between the two.

Megan McGahuey (05:31.443)

Yes, I remember the nurses said that this is the coziest room we've ever been in. I always had like my twinkle lights, my diffuser, worship music on and it was really peaceful. But yeah, I mean, there was interventions right away with my first birth and like, immediately they talked to me through a caesarian because like they didn't know if he was handling the pitocin well. So I already had a lot of like, fear.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (05:35.89)

Right. Right.

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (05:47.003)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (05:54.416)

Gotcha, gotcha. Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (05:59.001)

put in me about a c-section. have passed trauma from an appendix surgery that went wrong and it was like a three month recovery second surgery so like I did not want to hear the word c-section and they brought it on within the first couple hours with my first so I was already like yeah yes yeah

Dr. Nicole Rankins (06:00.709)

Okay.

Okay. my God. Okay. Got it. Okay. Like kind of on edge and yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. All right. Was there anything in particular that you were worried about giving birth at the birth center?

Megan McGahuey (06:25.93)

Yes, I remember I had this, I don't know, maybe it was my intuition, but I was just chalking it up to intrusive thoughts and fear, but I was really worried about a rare birth emergency and how they would handle it. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (06:31.11)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (06:39.058)

Lord, have mercy. OK, see, I know what's coming. So that's what I'm like. OK.

Megan McGahuey (06:44.286)

It was like, kind of like a few not impending doom, but like at the end, I had this strong feeling like, I'm a very rare, rare things happen to me. I just had this gut feeling, but I thought it was just fear. And I was like, I'm gonna let lay that fear down. can't make choices off of that. But I asked at several appointments, how long are transfer times, they always said 10 minutes until your baby's out. Because it really is down the road.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (06:48.598)

Uh-huh.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (06:54.598)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (06:58.684)

sure.

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (07:07.598)

Mm-hmm. Okay.

Megan McGahuey (07:10.262)

And I was worried about shoulder dystocia, but they said they've never had one and I don't need to worry about rare emergencies because I'm low risk. So I just kind of talked myself out of it. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (07:12.603)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (07:16.632)

Okay, sure. Okay, okay. All right. Did the did the birth center have a good relationship with the hospital?

Megan McGahuey (07:28.046)

So I assumed, but no, this is something that kind of comes out later. Yeah, yes.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (07:31.973)

Dr. Nicole Rankins (07:35.474)

Okay. Okay. I guess we'll get into that then. Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. All right. So then what so let's talk about what happened. Like did you go into labor? What exactly happened with your birth?

Megan McGahuey (07:50.477)

Yes, so I was 39 weeks and two days when I went into labor at home. And this was exciting because I never went into labor last time. it was really strange the type of contractions I had. I was meal prepping for freezer meals that my grandma just came to town. And I they were like hot flashes. So was like sort of my feet and rise up to my head. And that was like the top of the contraction.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (08:00.786)

Sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (08:17.104)

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (08:17.774)

And I almost wanted to like drop to my knees. They were so intense. And none of my other labor contractions were like this except for the first 10 leading up to my water breaking. So I had those and then my water broke huge gosh, all over the playroom as I was like frantically packing bags. So yeah, that was crazy. My everyone saw it that was in my house and I was like, okay, I'm in labor. So we ended up going straight to the birth center just because those contractions were so

Dr. Nicole Rankins (08:20.658)

Mmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (08:26.513)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (08:30.756)

Okay.

Right. Right. Okay. There you go.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (08:45.378)

Mm-hmm. Sure. Right.

Megan McGahuey (08:46.86)

weird. And I was like, I just want to be checked on. And so I showed up there about 630 at night, my duo was there. And of course, I was one centimeter, which is the same thing as last time. And I was like, great, I'm not going to progress. But I had this weird feeling. Typically, they wouldn't have kept me, I would have gone back home. But I have this feeling that I need to stay there. And I think they kind of picked up on that. And they let me stay the night.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (08:53.426)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (08:57.542)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (09:08.471)

Right? Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (09:16.796)

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (09:17.742)

And so I had contractions, they just weren't consistent and I was handling them really well. But by morning, so 740 the next morning, my husband actually had run to the store because I already went through all of the diapers for postpartum because I had so much fluid. I I was never diagnosed with anything like no polyhedromose or whatever it's called. But I just had a lot of fluid. And so I was like, that's kind of weird.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (09:21.649)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (09:27.537)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (09:37.028)

my goodness. OK. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right.

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (09:47.663)

but they decided to give me castor oil and I did not know any of the risks. I just was like, sure. I'm still one centimeter, 14 hours into labor, which is identical to my first spur. And so I was like, sure. We'll do the castor oil. And so my Dula made me breakfast. I did the castor oil because she also worked at the birth center. So she was able to use their kitchen and stuff. so my contractions went from zero to a thousand.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (09:59.345)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (10:10.777)

Gotcha.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (10:17.04)

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (10:17.374)

And I was using the combs to cope holding my husband's hand and I was breathing through them. Well, it was just clearly they were different. And so within two hours of the castor oil, I thought I was pushing. And so I was like, okay, I was just trying to be intuitive. I'm like, I'm pretty sure I'm pushing, like, maybe you guys should check something's coming out of me. I'm pretty sure it's his head. And so they were like,

Dr. Nicole Rankins (10:21.029)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (10:24.988)

Gotcha.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (10:40.486)

Right.

Right.

Megan McGahuey (10:44.814)

Okay, like that would be crazy, but we'll check. And so really quickly, things changed. They got a second opinion because they weren't sure what they were seeing. They had him that a midwife come in and then I just remember they cord, prep the hospital flip on to all fours. And I was just I remember knowing what a cord prolapses because my first birth they talked me through it when they broke my water. So I knew what it was, but my husband didn't so he was googling it and he was

Dr. Nicole Rankins (10:51.952)

Okay.

huh.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (11:08.848)

Right, right.

Megan McGahuey (11:14.894)

very scared. So I remember, you know, I had to flip onto all fours on a mattress, which is not very easy. And they're like, this is going to be extremely painful, but I didn't know what was really going on. And so they pushed him out of like, he was pretty low, I guess. I don't know, they just had to get his head off the court. So they remember three distinctive, like painful shoves, and then using language I never use screaming.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (11:21.185)

huh. Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (11:32.306)

huh. Sure.

Megan McGahuey (11:43.935)

I felt like I was being tortured and then yeah, my husband said he'll never forget the sounds I made like it was crazy. And so I remember a lot of people were in the room to kind of assist her. And I loved the midwife I had for my emergency. She is not the owner. So that's something that I really loved working with her. So someone whispered in my ear, you need to stay calm for your baby. And I

Dr. Nicole Rankins (11:56.708)

huh. Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (12:06.277)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (12:11.442)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (12:12.014)

that changed everything because I was like, if there's one thing I can control, it's my breathing, his oxygen, you know, that's all I can control. And so I think that was the calmest I've ever been in my entire life. And they called 911. The EMTs were pretty slow moving, but I think it's just because we had to be moved together off the bed onto the gurney and then rolled out. They were still deciding which hospital to take me to, which

Dr. Nicole Rankins (12:18.448)

Yep. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (12:24.388)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (12:38.322)

Mm.

Megan McGahuey (12:41.23)

was crazy because one was 20 minutes away and one was one mile away. So they ended up doing the one further away would have been a better hospital, but we had our own time for that. So we went down the road. I remember.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (12:45.714)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (12:54.446)

Okay. I mean, was it like lights and sirens and

Megan McGahuey (12:58.424)

Yes, I remember that because sirens are still very triggering for me today. So I remember lights and sirens. I remember my best friend had arrived to the birth center to help me labor right when I was being wheeled out. So she saw everything and she was able to take our car so my husband could go with me. They weren't going to let him but he was like, I need to be with her. And so

Dr. Nicole Rankins (13:10.577)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (13:16.057)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (13:20.05)

Sure.

Megan McGahuey (13:23.618)

Yeah, I found out later I was five centimeters. So I mean, she was just holding his head in there. I

Dr. Nicole Rankins (13:26.777)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (13:30.458)

And did the midwife go with you or did they? OK.

Megan McGahuey (13:33.962)

Yes, the midwife did not leave me from the moment she put her head on the baby until my c-section was done. So we were just moving together, which is really complicated position wise, but I ended up having to go between like knees to chest to downward dog depending on if she couldn't feel his head off. So I was like in yoga mode for a full hour.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (13:39.706)

Okay. Mm hmm. Yes, it is. Yes.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (13:51.142)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (13:54.896)

Gotcha. And so that whole time she had her hand in your vagina trying to keep the baby's head off of the cord. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So you, end up going to the closest hospital.

Megan McGahuey (13:58.787)

Yes, yes, yes, exactly. So.

Yes, went to the closest hospital and they had to drive really slow so that we wouldn't be disheveled. They couldn't find his heart rate because they didn't have a baby Doppler. They had some other device in the ambulance. So I in my head, I'm like, okay, this could go either way, like either stillborn or brain damage. But I was just trusting that God was protecting him. I saw a cross like engraved on the metal on the ground from just being like scratched up because I was my head was down the entire time off the gurney.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (14:24.625)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (14:35.931)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (14:37.314)

And they kept checking on me and I'm like, I'm fine. I'm fine. And I was just in my zone. And so we finally got there and I could just see everyone's shoes. They were trying to get me in to the OR, but they couldn't lock the gurney and they wouldn't want the firemen in. So they took them like five to 10 minutes to even just get us over to the other bed. They ha they didn't know where their equipment was. It was a very rural, small hospital.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (14:40.113)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (15:01.458)

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (15:06.996)

And I found out later that their labor and delivery was like shut down for renovations. And now it's like closed permanently today. So it was like kind of in a place of like, I think they were deciding to shut it down or not. So things weren't like attended to as much. And so I found out later that there's no OB there. There's no anesthesia. No one is on site, which I was not told that. So they all had to be called in.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (15:23.003)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (15:34.261)

And so that's why it took a half an hour from when I got in the OR to like start the surgery. So the catheter took like 20 minutes because they couldn't figure it out and I'm unmedicated so I can feel everything. And I just remember like when they flipped us over. It was pretty easy. I was just in some type of mindset where I just figured it out. And so they put her on one side of the drape holding his head and then I'm

Dr. Nicole Rankins (15:38.748)

Dr. Nicole Rankins (15:51.782)

huh.

Megan McGahuey (16:01.91)

obviously laying there and the baby flipped to like breach or transverse. But they didn't know that because he was head down. And then they right before they put me to sleep.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (16:11.378)

Sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (16:17.323)

huh.

Megan McGahuey (16:18.964)

I looked up and I knew the person she was wearing a mask but I knew her from she leads worship at my church and so I was like, I know you I'm like pray for him. His name is Rhodes and so it was really comforting to have her right at my head. She wasn't supposed to be there that day so that was a total miracle. They put me to sleep. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (16:24.996)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (16:32.813)

Sure, sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (16:38.738)

Okay, I'm sorry, this time, had they heard the baby's heartbeat?

Megan McGahuey (16:44.398)

So they did not, but my midwife could feel him moving. And then right as I was about to like get put to sleep, heard heart rate 150. And I was like, what? Like he's alive? And I just put me to sleep. They just couldn't find it. Like the Doppler and the ambulance was not the right kind. And with our position, it was already hard to find it.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (16:58.968)

Okay, and that was the first time that they had checked the heart rate or just

And then in the hospital, they couldn't find it either.

Megan McGahuey (17:13.642)

I don't I was so hectic. I don't even know if they were checking. I think they just wanted to get him out. Yeah. So I really thought like, he's not gonna make it. And

Dr. Nicole Rankins (17:14.994)

Sure. Yeah. But OK, gotcha. OK, Lord, have mercy. Right. Right. OK. So then they put you to sleep. Finally. So it's 30 minutes for the OB and the anesthesiologist to get there. OK.

Megan McGahuey (17:26.036)

Yes, they put me to sleep.

Yeah, just going. Yeah, just going down the road. It was a 50 minute ordeal until they got the baby out. So

Dr. Nicole Rankins (17:36.598)

my God. then they and then the OB. So, mean, I guess the OB just walks in and is like, hey, I'm going to do your C-section. And that was it.

Megan McGahuey (17:44.757)

Yes, she basically said the first thing she said was, my gosh, this one makes me really nervous. I don't have a good feeling about this. And I was like, Okay, I feel really good. let's do this. And so that was my first impression and I can only see her shoes. So I don't know what anyone looks like. I never saw the OR. Nothing. I just was head down the entire time. So yeah, her heart rate 150 and then I was out.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (17:56.707)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (18:08.237)

Sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (18:14.084)

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (18:14.254)

And it's, I found out later, took me about three hours to wake up just longer than normal.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (18:23.122)

It's a lot longer than normal, actually, after general anesthesia. Okay, did they think, did they know why or just?

Megan McGahuey (18:25.492)

Yeah. Yeah, so.

No, they didn't even have any like electric note taking during it. So everything was really confusing in the notes. There was three different times at birth. Don't know what time he was born. Everything was just, it kind of felt like playing telephone. Like this person verbally said this and then I'm sure they took a note, but it was so hectic. They didn't have my name or anything. So they gave me blood during the surgery, which I'm not sure if I hemorrhaged or not. No one could clarify that.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (18:37.148)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (18:48.242)

Sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (18:52.464)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (19:00.77)

but I found out that when they went to pull him out, his hand came out. And so they weren't expecting that. They only had a couple of minutes before the anesthetic got to him and the vacuum didn't work. She had to get like three people to help her try to like pull him out and she couldn't get him out. And so finally, like right before it could have gotten bad, they got him out and they did.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (19:08.28)

OK. Right.

Right, right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (19:26.659)

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (19:27.982)

12 minutes of resuscitation mask on hand like oxygen. They didn't have to do chest compressions.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (19:31.845)

Mm-hmm.

Okay, so he was breathing then, but just uh-huh.

Megan McGahuey (19:36.696)

He was breathing really low Apgar scores, which is expected.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (19:40.44)

OK, what were his Apgar scores? OK. OK.

Megan McGahuey (19:43.671)

I it was a three. Yeah, if I remember right, it was like a three. And then it slowly went up after like an hour maybe. And the only issues he was having was low blood sugar from the traumatic birth. So my husband couldn't be in there because I went under. So my best friend and him were told to stand outside of this wall in this hallway. And if they could hear the baby cry, then he survived.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (19:52.674)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (20:04.498)

Sure.

Megan McGahuey (20:12.122)

and then they would let him know when he could come and hold the baby. So it was like a storage closet where they put the babies after. It was very weird. My husband felt very uncomfortable, but it was like this tiny room and he was just holding Rhodes in there and they did his weight and everything. I just know because of videos I have. and then I woke up a few hours later and I just remember I was really groggy obviously, but

Dr. Nicole Rankins (20:12.134)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (20:16.111)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (20:21.145)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (20:32.732)

sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (20:40.102)

Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (20:41.238)

I remember saying, is he alive? And she said, yes, he's with dad, but I still was skeptical. I thought maybe they weren't going to tell me the news when I'm by myself. And so I asked her probably 10 more times and I just kept saying it and I was like, please get me to my baby. they wheeled me up there and he wasn't in the room. It was just my best friend and my doula. And I was like, I don't think he made it. And so

Dr. Nicole Rankins (20:44.421)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (20:52.4)

Okay.

Right, right, right.

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (21:09.073)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (21:12.024)

Couple of minutes later, my husband was walking in with the baby in his arms and I was like, he survived. I was so happy. It was like the best moment of my life. I don't have any memory of it, just pictures that my doula took. I don't have memory of the first 24 hours, but he nursed really well the first time. So I felt really hopeful about that. And I looked really sad in all the pictures, which it just brings me back to, I was very confused.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (21:19.248)

Right. Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (21:24.91)

Sure, sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (21:32.188)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (21:38.002)

Hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (21:41.488)

Yeah, a lot happened and just, yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. Right, right.

Megan McGahuey (21:42.624)

sad yeah it's very evident in the pictures i did not look happy and i still feel bad about that but he was yeah

Dr. Nicole Rankins (21:54.992)

I mean, it kind of is what it like. That was that was a lot to a lot to experience in such a short period of time. So so then so OK, so you wake up from the server, you do see that he's alive. But then what what happened with him? Because then did he have to get trained? Like how was his course afterwards? And then I guess how was your course afterwards? Mm hmm.

Megan McGahuey (22:00.504)

Yes.

Megan McGahuey (22:04.621)

Yes.

Megan McGahuey (22:17.336)

So we had 24 hours together and they just kept saying that his blood sugars were low and the only thing they could do, they couldn't even do like a sugar IV. I think that's what they usually do. They couldn't do anything there except for force formula down him. And they would say, try to breastfeed. That's best for him. Like right now. And I had a great nursing journey with my first 14 months. I knew what I was doing. I wanted to breastfeed, but they would give me maybe a minute.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (22:29.414)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (22:33.828)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (22:42.971)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (22:46.734)

to get him to latch before they were like, you need to hurry. He's not doing well. Like he's numbers are way below normal. And they were like, I think you just need to get a formula right now. And they just had like cold formula and not a good brand and they would just make me give it to him. And you know, it would work for like a little bit is what you're gonna go up, then it would go back down. And basically the pediatrician came in and he was like,

Dr. Nicole Rankins (22:47.889)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (23:09.051)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (23:14.494)

Maybe starting up everything he eats. I've never seen this before and his numbers aren't improving and we have nothing to do for him here. And so was like, okay, then let's talk about transferring him. Like, why is he still here? And I remember I just was like so panicked. I was convinced me or him was going to die. They barely checked on me. I was left with one pad and I didn't walk for over 24 hours.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (23:29.167)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (23:44.591)

They just kept forgetting I was there. They would say like, you should be over this by now. It's been four hours. You should not have anxiety about this anymore. You will made it. And I was like, okay, like, I guess I'm being dramatic. And they didn't hook up my leg cuffs to prevent blood clots, but they didn't believe me. They were like, had a spinal, you can't feel it. I'm like, I didn't have a spinal. And they were like, oh, you're right. There's no tubes. Let me go look in the basement to find tubes. I'm like,

Dr. Nicole Rankins (24:02.512)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (24:07.301)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (24:14.102)

Okay, we're gonna hopefully survive this. And I was in like such a dark place that I was calling the birth center, begging them to transfer me or like I was asking, can I call 911? Can I take out my stuff and get us out of here AMA? Like, how do I get out of here? And I really thought that was like a logical idea, even though I couldn't walk or anything. But I was so just traumatized from everyone. And so when they started bringing up the transfer,

Dr. Nicole Rankins (24:16.082)

Okay.

huh.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (24:35.442)

Sure.

Megan McGahuey (24:43.968)

I was really relieved. I didn't want him there anymore. I wanted him in good hands. And so the, the nurse was saying, okay, we're at 22 hours. I can either help you walk or I can get your baby's transfer papers done. And I said, do the baby first. And she said, okay, I won't come back in until he's done. And she was already kind of not being nice to me, but they only had one nurse. And so it just was how it was. And so she came back 10 minutes later and I'm like,

Dr. Nicole Rankins (24:47.212)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (25:08.26)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (25:14.86)

Okay, so he's good to go. And she was like, yelling at me calling me disrespectful, like saying I was rushing her and she's like, so do you me to choose you or your baby? And I was like, I'm sorry, I just thought you came back in because you said you wouldn't come back in until you were done. She was like, well, no, I didn't finish it yet. We're really busy. And she's like, was yelling at me, my husband had to like stick up for me. And I just said, do the baby first. I'll walk eventually. So she went back out. She said, I won't be coming back in here.

like you'll have a new nurse when there's a shift change, but I'm not coming back. And I was like, okay. And so she did not come back. And for several hours, no one came back. And then they had Seattle children's come and he got put in a little incubator. They got a feeding tube in. They couldn't get his IVs in just cause he was so small. I guess I don't know why.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (26:08.996)

Okay. how much did he weigh?

Megan McGahuey (26:11.534)

He wasn't small. He was eight pounds, nine and a half ounces and 21 and a half inches long. So he wasn't small, but they just couldn't get his IVs in. Yeah. So they took him to the NICU and I sent my husband to go with, which if I knew how good the NICU was, I probably would have had my husband stay with me, but I didn't know how he would be treated there. And so I was like, go with him. Don't leave him ever.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (26:14.232)

OK. Right.

They couldn't quite gotcha. Okay, okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (26:33.414)

Mm-hmm.

Sure. Okay.

Megan McGahuey (26:39.278)

And so he left me and I was alone for a little bit until my mom and grandma arrived or sorry, my grandma arrived and my best friend, Lexi arrived and they were going to stay with me. My friend, Lexi stayed so my grandma didn't have to sleep on like a chair. So they stayed with me the next 24 hours and the nurses that came on were really sweet and they helped me walk and I would just do laps and laps to try to get out of there quicker. And I remember showering alone.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (26:54.511)

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (27:08.806)

I didn't help me and I just showered by myself and I was really sad. And yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (27:18.331)

This is wow. Was there an option for you to get transferred with him?

Megan McGahuey (27:24.11)

No, they said that that would be going against medical advice since I hadn't walked yet. And they were just like, they won't take you. So I trust me, I tried I almost called 911, which is crazy. But I was like, get me out of here. But everyone was just like, no one will listen to you. Like you have to stay here. We need to get you walking and then you'll be able to go we'll take good care of you. And they really did. They they were a lot better nurses. So yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (27:36.848)

Right. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (27:51.442)

OK, the next after the later things got better in terms of the care at the hospital. OK, OK.

Megan McGahuey (27:55.959)

Yeah. Yeah, I just slept with his picture. They take a picture of him. So I slept with that and his hat and I just I ended up stopping pumping altogether went 24 hours without pumping because it was making me so mad that nothing was coming out. And I was like, you know what, I won't be able to breastfeed. It is what it is. And so I finally got discharged and

Dr. Nicole Rankins (28:07.089)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (28:11.922)

sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (28:19.536)

how many days after the C-section.

Megan McGahuey (28:22.446)

48 hours like exactly Yeah, so I got discharged and I had no clothes or anything so I my grandma went into Target to get me a sweater and then we went straight to the NICU and He was there 20 minutes. It was at the hospital. I had my first son out so I was very familiar with it And they were amazing they welcomed to me with open arms they were so excited that Rhodes mom was there and they were just

Dr. Nicole Rankins (28:24.633)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (28:34.482)

And how far away was that? Okay.

Gotcha, gotcha, okay.

Megan McGahuey (28:50.786)

the best team I could have asked for. They did not even show up a second late for his feedings. They were on top of it. His blood jiggers took like two and a half days to regulate and he got off the feeding tube and I was able to breastfeed him there because they were very patient with me. They really valued breastfeeding there. So they were just like, take your time. I got to like enjoy some meals with my husband because my friends back home like arranged all the childcare for me.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (29:02.098)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (29:13.254)

Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (29:21.326)

Cause we were gone for like four or five days at that point total. And so they told me that I should go home to sleep because there was only a chair and after a C-section that was not comfortable. So I did go home because I felt so safe with them there. And so I would just call in the middle of the night, the NICU and they would answer my calls and tell me how he was doing. And they were so good.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (29:24.592)

Right, right, right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (29:35.708)

Mm-hmm. Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (29:47.047)

Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (29:48.223)

I was up 5 a.m. bright and early ready to go see him again. My husband was like, you're crazy. You need to sleep. So we got all loaded up and my best friend stayed with my son so that we could go back to the NICU and we would just spend all day there and they finally decided that he was ready to be discharged. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (30:11.694)

Okay, so NICU nurses are angels. mean, my daughter was in the NICU. They were just angels. They're special people. So I'm glad you had that good experience. let me back up and say, did anybody question you or say anything about you giving birth at the birth center? At the first hospital, either hospital, I guess.

Megan McGahuey (30:14.977)

Yes.

Megan McGahuey (30:19.148)

Yeah. Yeah.

Megan McGahuey (30:41.042)

Yes, at the one that I my C-section, they immediately were questioning the midwife. They did not understand why I came in in the knee to chest position, even though that's what you're supposed to do. But they were very upset that I wasn't just on my back. And they were questioning that she lied about the position of the baby because he flipped. But she knew he was head down. She could feel his head.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (30:43.804)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (30:51.024)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (31:06.618)

Right, right.

Megan McGahuey (31:08.142)

And but they questioned like her intelligence as a midwife, and I could just tell that they weren't there wasn't a good relationship. And later I found out that they do not view the birth center well, and they get a lot more transfers than I was told. So I was told one transfer a year from the birth center, but that there was like three in the week that I had my baby. And there they had a lot of transfers. So

Dr. Nicole Rankins (31:29.552)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (31:36.908)

Maybe they weren't all emergencies, but they did have transfers. So that was interesting information to find out.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (31:39.9)

Gotcha. Okay. Okay. Okay. So transfers to that, did they always transfer to that specific hospital or did they ever transfer to the other hospital? Okay. The emergency ones. Yes. Okay.

Megan McGahuey (31:50.679)

The emergency ones, yes. And then I found out with my latest pregnancy that the hospital that had the NICU and that I'm using this time, they also don't have a good relationship with that birth center. And they all know the names, everything. So yeah, I felt very validated, but I was just really disappointed that I'll kind of go into when I share my advice, like what I would do differently if I was choosing out of hospital. But yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (32:02.778)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (32:16.209)

Right, right, right, right. Okay, okay. So then how long did your son stay in the NICU you said? Two and a half days, okay, okay. I'm sure that was like a long two and a half days, but in the grant.

Megan McGahuey (32:26.35)

two and half days.

Megan McGahuey (32:32.564)

Yeah, and they're like, this is the biggest baby we've ever had in the NICU. Like, I know. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (32:35.378)

Yeah, think you babies are used to tiny. Yes. And then what were things like when you went home?

Megan McGahuey (32:48.258)

Honestly, awful. I usually love the newborn phase. It's like my favorite. But we came home and no one told me to protect my mental health, but my toddler was like, extremely ill. And so I wanted to keep them separate, my husband, and I both had a mental breakdown, which he never does. So for him to have one, I was like, okay, we are in a really bad situation. So we decided to divide and conquer. And so he slept in our guest room.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (32:49.677)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (33:17.166)

with my toddler. And it was really sad because my toddler, they're exactly two years apart. And he knew from like 16 months on like about baby, he was so excited. And then we had him in a mask to meet him. And it just felt like so sad and not how I wanted it. And then I was recovering in my room, my grandma stayed for a week. And then after that, my son was still sick. So the second week, I was alone taking care of my son.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (33:32.664)

Yeah, right, right.

Megan McGahuey (33:45.857)

and recovering from a C-section. And my husband's leave was only two weeks and the whole two weeks we were apart. And so he got to work from home for a bit, which was really nice. But yeah, so we came home and we were just like, this is crazy. How did we get in this situation? Our son's never been this sick. Why now? And it was a really dark time. No one, couldn't find anyone online that had a cord prolapse out of hospital.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (33:56.452)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (34:01.01)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (34:06.298)

Ray, just, I'm sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (34:14.214)

Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (34:14.838)

And I finally found some moms that had them and I was able to connect with them, but it was very lonely. Like no one knew what I went through. So yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (34:22.93)

Sure, sure.

People say they have an emergency C-section and I'm not dismissing what people say or they have an emergency, but core prolapse is the emergency. Like it is a true, true obstetric emergency. So it's really hard to relay that to people because there's not a whole lot of discussion. It's like we have to get this baby born as quickly as possible before his blood supply gets cut off.

Megan McGahuey (34:38.914)

Yeah.

Megan McGahuey (34:42.467)

Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (34:48.067)

Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (34:56.916)

running down the halls, it's cords ripped out the walls. This is the emergency. And it's not that common. So I can't remember the last time I've seen a cord pro-lax knock on wood. so yeah, I can totally see why it was hard for you to find people who experienced it. And then just, you ever, like, did you go back and see the birth center afterwards or the OB afterwards who did your C-section? Like, what was that care or follow-up like?

Megan McGahuey (34:56.941)

Yeah.

Megan McGahuey (35:07.95)

Yeah.

Megan McGahuey (35:11.796)

Yes. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (35:26.836)

Thank

Megan McGahuey (35:27.598)

So what's interesting and something I didn't know beforehand was that once you have a C-section, they drop you like as a patient at the birth center. Like there's no follow-up. And then the OB doesn't follow up.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (35:37.33)

Excuse me, I'm sorry, they don't even check what like they didn't like they just

Megan McGahuey (35:41.251)

I was the one being like, need someone to come here. I need an appointment. Someone needs to come here because the OB was just my surgeon. I had never seen that person. And I only had one follow up staple removal appointment. And that was it. And so they were like, I mean, you can schedule your six week, but you should see your provider. I'm like, my provider doesn't want to see me. And so I was just like advocating for myself. They did come out to my house. And then I did get the midwife that I love that was with me during the emergency. She was like an angel on earth.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (35:44.88)

Right.

Right. Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (35:55.397)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (36:00.538)

Right.

Megan McGahuey (36:10.572)

best person. She did make an appointment with me and for like my six week and we did so much processing together. And she is the only person that did not abandon me. After the birth, the owner never checked on me and I left a review at nine months postpartum. That was like a respectful review, but it was honest, just ask about transfer times. Ask about all those things. It was just bringing people to make informed consent basically.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (36:19.195)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (36:23.065)

Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (36:32.124)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (36:38.918)

Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (36:39.566)

And she did not like that. And I remember I called to get my medical records because they blocked me from them after I left the review. And I called and I was talking to the front desk and they said they're gonna put me on hold and they'll answer. They put her on the phone. So it was like they made a note in my file like, if Megan calls, only let the owner talk to her type of thing. It was very weird. like, yeah, I was just calling about my medical records. And she was like, I saw you left a review.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (36:58.074)

Right. Right. Right.

Megan McGahuey (37:07.32)

Like the first thing she said to me was about my review and I had several phone calls after that where they were like not happy with me for leaving a review even though I looked in their policy and it said that you can leave a review without any harassment. But I was definitely dealt with. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (37:19.45)

Right, right. Yeah, mean, anybody should be able to leave a review about any services they get. Yeah, you can't keep people from doing that. OK.

Megan McGahuey (37:26.382)

Yes, so I really was hurt by that person. I, you know, all the other midwives said that they were too busy to have coffee with me in process. Even though I wasn't saying like right now I just wanted eventually like, can we get coffee and the only people that met with me was my friend that worked at the hospital and the OR and then the midwife I had in the emergency has been amazing. So I was abandoned. There was no postpartum resources given to me no like

Dr. Nicole Rankins (37:30.3)

sure.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (37:39.867)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (37:50.351)

Okay.

Megan McGahuey (37:55.769)

This is a great counselor. This is a great anything. It was just like, you're on your own. You're not ever center mom. You're not. didn't feel like a C-section mom. I didn't feel like an unmedicated birth mom. I was just in the middle. Like I didn't relate to anyone like that loved C-section. I just was in the middle and I'm like, saved my baby, but it was really hard. So really dark time. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (37:57.97)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (38:06.906)

Yeah, was like this just in limbo. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It just, okay. Okay. Wow. So then did you eventually find a therapist or?

Megan McGahuey (38:26.442)

Yes. So I had a therapist from before pregnant. during my pregnancy. I continued with that therapist and I started EMDR, which was a huge part of the healing process. I did that for probably a year and a half. And then I did pelvic floor therapy, found people online to connect with, which was really healing trauma groups. The V back link podcast was like, finally a year after I was like, okay, I think I could do a V back.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (38:30.866)

huh. Okay. Okay.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (38:47.889)

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (38:55.094)

I was terrified of any risk before that. And I already started interviewing OBs and midwives to do family planning appointments to know like what age gap should I do if I want to be back? How could I have a birth next time? That's trauma informed. So I was doing that like

eight weeks postpartum I interviewed people like I was very set on like, what went wrong in this? How do we change it for next time and it was really healing. And just processing with friends was huge. I had some really close friends that they didn't care how many times I told them. And they would just let me share and I think like a lot of people are scared to do that. But that's like my biggest thing that helps me I think was just having trusted people that

Dr. Nicole Rankins (39:21.307)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (39:31.41)

Right.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (39:35.858)

Mm.

Megan McGahuey (39:41.25)

had unmedicated natural births and they understood like my heartbreak of how my birth turned out.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (39:42.922)

Mm hmm. Yeah. And what you say for you was that like, it's not necessarily that you need people to say anything or do anything in particular, or was it just that you needed someone like, I just need to get this out and I just need to share it.

Megan McGahuey (40:01.59)

I just needed to like be able to share without someone feeling like I was questioning their birthing choices. Cause I don't care where other people give birth. It's just, I was not mad at this option. was angry. I was just sharing and they, they also had births with that birth center and they were so loving and they just let me share and like, I'm sure they would feel the same exact way if it happened to them. So it was just like very healthy to have friends on both sides, see section mom friends and

Dr. Nicole Rankins (40:07.986)

Mm.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (40:25.458)

Sure, sure.

Megan McGahuey (40:31.918)

home birth mom friends that were like, we hear you, we get you. Like, it was really healing. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (40:35.334)

Right, right, right. Well, that's good. That's good. So then when you got pregnant with this baby with your little girl, did you decide that you were going to go back to the place you went the first time?

Megan McGahuey (40:50.57)

Yes, I was like, no questions asked. I'm going back there. I hired a new doula, which I'm really excited about. She was very fiery like me and will advocate with me. And I'm just really excited to work with her. But yeah, I just knew like I loved the midwives there. There was great OBs there if anything arises and they said that they'd put me near the OR. I'd be monitored the whole time like I wanted.

Yeah, they just answered all my questions and I know like there's a chance there'll be more interventions than I would want, but I really feel like they're fighting for me to have a be back also. so, yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (41:19.014)

Gotcha.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (41:27.098)

OK, OK, good, good. That's really, really important. So you're seeing so you're seeing midwives in the hospital setting with physician backup. OK, got it, got it, got it. OK, all right. So that was a lot. I just I like have a whole page of notes on. Yes, yes, yes, this is this is.

Megan McGahuey (41:38.509)

Yes.

Megan McGahuey (41:45.806)

I know I'm like, I'm sure no one's heard a birth story like this, so...

Dr. Nicole Rankins (41:56.07)

But it's really important for people to understand that these things can happen. we need to hear the full gamut of the possibilities for birth. So I'm really grateful that you came and shared your stories. So then what would you say is your one favorite piece of advice or things you would tell someone who's getting ready for their birth?

Megan McGahuey (42:00.322)

Yes.

Megan McGahuey (42:15.874)

Yeah, I would say if you're choosing out of hospital or home birth, that asks the surrounding hospitals how their relationship is with that provider. Sometimes they won't feel comfortable sharing, but if you have any connections to the hospital, ask those people in your life and ask about how often they see transfers. because I think a lot of times midwives want to share their best, right? Like they,

don't want to scare you. They don't want to bring up how many transfers there are, what can happen. But I think that in order to make an informed choice about where you're giving birth, you should know that transfers can take up to an hour, not just 10 minutes. And I think you should know if the hospital even has a labor and delivery. And if they have anesthesia there, that's something I would look for next time would be make sure that they have anesthesia, OBs there, and that they have a great relationship so the transfer is smooth.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (43:13.478)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Megan McGahuey (43:14.734)

Other than that, think birth wherever you want, but I think yeah, you should be informed and be told the truth. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (43:21.534)

1000%, 1000%, yeah, yeah. Well, thank you so much for agreeing to come onto the podcast. Where can women connect with you? Maybe somebody else hears this who's had a rare birth outcome and where can women connect with you?

Megan McGahuey (43:32.045)

Yeah.

Yes, I would love that. my Instagram is just my full name. Megan Marie McGahey. I'm sure we can probably put that in the bottom because it's kind of hard to spell. But yeah, that's my Instagram. So I would love to connect with other moms.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (43:41.914)

In the show notes, yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Rankins (43:48.934)

Yeah, awesome. Again, well, thank you. I really, really appreciate you sharing your story and I'm glad that things are going better now and I cannot wait to hear about your feedback.

Megan McGahuey (43:58.271)

Yes, thank you so much.