birth center or hospital Archives – Simplified Motherhood

3 Positive Birth Stories from Real Women to Read…

September 29, 2020December 11, 2024
by Jessica Whitney

This post is part of several birth stories submitted by REAL women looking to share their experiences with other women. If you’re interested in submitting a birth story, please visit my contact page. As a reminder, these are experiences and opinions of real women, but you should always consult your physician or midwife for your particular situation.

From natural labor in a birthing tub to pitocin to a C-section, three women share their incredible personal birth stories that uniquely reflect the miracle of giving birth to their sons and daughters. I love sharing positive birth stories (no matter the type) with others because I believe they offer hope when you are nervous or scared about the unknown.

Birth stories make me cry every time, what about you? Why do I do this to myself and read them? hahaha.

Oh wait, it’s because I LOVE ishy-squishy babies. Also, I’m overwhelmed with emotion as I think of all the hopes and fears and dreams that overflow in that tiny moment in between when a new mom takes a labored breath followed by the cries of a newborn.

Grab your tissues and enjoy these amazing birth stories shared by real women. I am so inspired by the strength of these women and mamas!

There are affiliate links in this post. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I might receive a commission at no additional charge to you! Thanks for supporting the blog.

3 Unique Labor and Delivery Stories from Real Women for First Time Moms

A Second Natural Hospital Birth with Pitocin and a Doula

Thanks Liz for sharing your birth story and all the deets!

Ok, I know they say that each birth is different and man, can I say that this rings SO TRUE to my story? My second daughter had a due date of December 18, 2019.

Because my first baby was two weeks overdue, I really was not expecting to be due on time, let alone early. Well, the week before her due date I started doing this 7 minute exercise I found on YouTube of squats and hip shaking to help move baby into place. I honestly didn’t think it would work, considering the first time around I tried EVERYTHING to go into labor.

Well, I couldn’t be more wrong.

December 16 is my husband’s birthday, and since that was a Monday we decided to celebrate with family the Sunday prior (the 15^th). I was feeling weird all day, super tired, sorta “off” but honestly I didn’t think much of it.

By that time in pregnancy you feel all sorts of things, so I just wrote it off as an “I’m almost due hence the discomfort” feeling. Well, my body was actually trying to tell me something.

That evening, at 2 am I woke up with heartburn (my nemesis the whole pregnancy) and rolled over to use the restroom and get a tums. Eric popped awake and said “Is everything OK?!” I said, “yes, just heartburn, ugh.”

Well, then as I stood up out of bed I felt that famous warm feeling of water running down my leg. I said, “Uh, I think my water just broke.”

I proceeded to the toilet, where, yes indeed it was my waters breaking, as it was super clear and odorless (phew, I did not pee myself!).

I didn’t know what to do at this point, honestly. I did not expect my water to break first, as that did not happen with my first labor. I also was bummed because I knew the 24-hour clock started ticking and I wouldn’t be able to labor in my warm bath at home. Bummers aside, I needed to call my doula because I needed help deciding what to do! She calmed my fears and told me to feel for contractions and movement with the baby.

What is the evidence for inducing labor if your water breaks at term?

Well, contractions officially started at 3 am and were mild but regular. Eric was awake, all giddy because we didn’t think the baby would come early, let alone on his birthday! I tried to get some rest because I was thinking I’d be in this for the long haul. So, I didn’t sleep much but was able to close my eyes until Maddison woke up, about 6 am. We got her ready for daycare and let her know her baby sister was on the way!

We took our sweet time getting to the hospital. At around 9 am, we arrived and the nurses were NOT happy I waited 6 hours to arrive, but my doctor called in direct admit orders so they couldn’t stay mad.

Once we got settled in my labor room, that’s what I did…labor, walk, labor, bounce on the ball, labor, inhale clary sage, labor more. Around 12pm my progress was checked and I was only dilated 3-4 cm. I was totally deflated knowing that I was on a 24 hour timeline per hospital policy.

We were faced with the decision to start Pitocin to get things moving. Now, I am doing this labor thing without pain killers and I had not heard very many positive things about Pitocin. My nurse was super sweet and promised we would start at the absolute lowest dose and increase as slowly as possible.

After laboring for a couple more hours, I only dilated to about 5 cm. I had to make the decision to go for Pitocin. At about 4 pm, they started the drip. Man, contractions DID change. They were HARD.

I was able to rest in between (which I was worried would not happen with Pitocin), but once they came they came on strong. After a couple hours of intense focus to get through each painful contraction those invasive thoughts of “I don’t know if I can do this” crept in my mind.

My doula was right there, coaching me with, “Yes, you have done this before and you can do it now.” It’s just what I needed to get me through. Another difference between this labor and the first was that I experienced nausea. Ugh, that was terrible. This essential oil helped a TON though.

So, through this time I was laboring, I would take a few contractions on the toilet, as that opens up the hips more and progresses things. Well, at about 7 pm I decided to sit on that porcelain throne again and 3 HARD HARD contractions came.

I walked back to the bed, facing the back of it, one leg on the floor and verbalized “I don’t know if I can do this for another two hours” (thinking I still had that much time).

Well, the Big Man upstairs must have heard me, because then my next thought was, “Man, I feel like I have to $**t!” (pardon the explicative)

So, baby decided she was coming. No time to waste.

I was facing the back of the bed with my hands on the guardrails, on my knees yelling “She’s coming! She’s coming!” Now, back up one sec, it was 7 pm at this point. For those in healthcare, we know this is “shift change” and that is exactly what was happening.

The nurse coming on duty said, “Well, let me check you.,” and I think at this point I said, “NO, I’m a 10. SHE IS COMING”. It was sort of a blur because she was coming FAST.

So, with me kneeling on the bed, my husband ripped my panties off and they were wheeling me 20 feet away into the delivery room. Right as they got me into that room, I couldn’t stop myself, I pushed all of two times and baby girl came out!

Eric tells me she came so fast the nurse almost didn’t get there to catch her. Also, the doctor never arrived in time to deliver. My doula says she texted the doctor at 7:21 that I was ready to push, and by 7:26 MacKenzie Avery was here, all 8 lbs and 20.75 inches of her!

I have never felt such a sense of relief as I did holding that baby girl in my arms that evening. Its an odd feeling, birth is. So much pain, so much suffering, but so much sweetness.

Even more sweet, though, getting to watch her big sister fall in love.

Wyatt’s Birth Story: A Grateful C-Section

Thanks Teara for sharing Wyatt’s unique birth story!

I truly think everything happens for a reason. And well Wyatt decided that he would take after his own mother and provide me with a great birthing story.

I was told by my OB and a specialist that Wyatt was measuring big and that for my safety it would be best to be induced. I went in on Sunday night thinking that soon I would be holding my baby boy. Both my doctors and nurses warned me that being induced would not allow for my body’s natural endorphins to be produced and it would hurt a little more (and being a stereotypical redhead I knew my options for birth were natural or with an epidural).

So after the initial pain of labor I opted for an epidural (also might have puked my brains out a lot).

Well, my progress was slowed because of the epidural. But after almost 26 hours Wyatt was in my pelvis, and well it was time to push. And push I did, for 4 hours. (Now this is the part of the story where he takes after me).

After 4 hours and two epidurals, I asked my nurse if what I was doing was working. I felt the need to push, but my son had a LARGE head. And when asked my nurse laughed and told me no.

If I could have jumped off the bed I would have. It had been almost 32 hours since I was admitted into the hospital. I wanted to hold my son, and I was tired.

So we called for my OB and she came in and saw me and saw me push and agreed that Wyatt was being stubborn and that he would not fit through my pelvis. So it was time for a C-section.

Finally after 33 hours of being induced, labor, and major surgery, I finally got to see my son. And it is a good thing that we had the C-Section because he had somehow wrapped his umbilical cord around his neck.

If I had given birth to him vaginally it would have harmed him more.

So I do think everything happens for a reason.

Learn the #1 Way to Prevent Unecessary Visits to Labor and Delivery

An Overdue Mama Shares Her Birthing Tub Labor and Delivery

Thanks Marissa for sharing this beautiful story!

On 3/6/2020 I was 41+2 weeks. At 1:15 am I woke up to go to the bathroom and saw that I had my bloody show. I laid back down in bed but started having a contraction. I went to the bathroom and then had another contraction so I decided to get in the shower to help with the pain.

The contractions were intense, lasting about 30 seconds and coming every 3 minutes. I didn’t want to get out of the shower but knew this was it and needed to wake up Chris.

As we were getting everything ready for the hospital I was continuing to have contractions for 30 seconds 2-3 minutes apart. We load up the car, drop Wyatt off at my cousins’ and headed to the hospital. We got to triage around 3 am.

My blood pressure was good so I was cleared for the birthing suite. The midwife I was hoping for was on call that night. She checked me and we were all shocked that I was 8 cm, almost completely effaced, and -2 station.

They rushed to get the birthing suite ready and started filling up the tub. I got in the tub as soon as I could and it helped a lot with the contractions. The midwife also showed Chris how to do counter pressure on my hips and he did that with each contraction which was a lifesaver.

The contractions stayed the same 30 seconds long 2-3 min apart until about 5:30 am. Then they started getting more intense and more frequent. I was feeling more pressure and the midwife did a quick check and I was 9 cm, completely effaced, and my water bag was bulging.

About 20-30 minutes later my water broke in the tub. The contractions became more intense, and I had the urge to push. I pushed for about 30 seconds with each contraction. Hospital policy was that I couldn’t have her in the water so as I was crowning I had to stand up.

Her arm was in front of her face so the midwife delivered her hand next to her face (nuchal hand), then shoulder then head. She was born completely at 6:29 am.

The midwife gave her to me between my legs and then I sat in the tub with her for a few minutes taking in her precious face. She started crying right away.

Then I got out of the tub and laid on the bed with her. We let the placenta finish pulsating and then Chris cut the cord. The placenta was beautiful and her cord was a beautiful spiral. The placenta was delivered a few minutes later.

The midwife checked and I didn’t have any tears. Ada took to the breast quickly and had a beautiful pink coloration. Ada’s birth was everything I imagined it would be. I am so thankful for my wonderful midwife Rebecca and the labor and delivery nurses.

Birth Center Story: Natural Birth Story First Baby

September 16, 2020December 11, 2024
by Jessica Whitney

Reading about others’ birth stories can often help us modify our expectations, but also realize, that all of our experiences are different, and that’s okay.

I love the idea of birth centers that are NOT connected to a hospital because it is a middle ground between a hospital birth and a home birth. I know many women wonder if birth centers are as safe as hospitals.

In a 2013 study, it was found that in over 15,000 planned birth center births, both mom and baby were safely taken care of. The study shows the safety of the midwifery-led birth centers model.

That being said, read on to learn about Laura’s experience in the birth center!

Birth Center Story: Reuben’s Natural Unmedicated Birth

There are affiliate links in this post. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog!

When I got pregnant with my first, we started our prenatal care at a busy OB practice that would have had us delivering at the local hospital. Our first experience was very impersonal and cold, with my husband being relegated to the corner rather than being allowed to support me, when I was obviously nervous.

The entire system felt like a factory assembly line, and I knew there had to be a better model of care. Ina May’s book “Guide to Childbirth” is what really shaped my views on birth and I can say changed my life.

Growing up, I think the only message I ever got about birth was that it is the most painful thing in the history of the world, so hurry up and get the epidural. Naturally, I had a lot of fear and anxiety associated with this great unknown called labor and birth. Nobody had taught me that yes it hurts and is hard work, but women are strong and fierce, we can do this, and our bodies were made to do it.

3 Positive Birth Stories from Real Women Before Labor

As I began third trimester, I had accumulated enough hospital anxiety that I gladly switched to the birth center and midwife model of care, and instantly fell in love with the whole thing.

There was so much more peace from the moment you walk in the door, everyone was warm and personal. They actually informed me of things from my charts that I had always wondered, but which no one at the OB had ever bothered to tell me (presumably because it’s their job to know, not mine).

But in my heart, I knew I wanted to be an informed mama, not just a patient. I wasn’t sick – I was a client, not a patient.

With my second pregnancy, I returned to the birth center and midwife care without a second thought. It already felt like my home away from home. Now I am pregnant with our third, but the birth center has since closed – which is devastating news, as women aren’t left with many other options in this area.

As a result, this time we are planning for a home birth, God willing! I can’t think of anything more appealing than going into labor and not having to rush off at a moment’s notice for a hospital stay. I can be in the comfort of my home, in my own clothes, eating whatever I want, with my other children under the same roof as me, recovering in my own bed.

I have many stigmas in my mind about hospital birth, true or not. In my mind, hospital birth is too surgical, too over-medicalized (I know, I’m making up words), and not especially conducive to natural birth.

A few things I’ve found essential in my natural births: peace, quiet, darkness, freedom of movement, no interruptions, no one directing you to do anything – just following your own instincts, undisturbed.

In my mind, hospitals are the opposite of that – noisy, bustling, many interruptions, you are subjected to many protocols over which you have no control.

All that being said, here is the birth story for my first born – Reuben!

As a first-time mom, I didn’t know what to expect labor to feel like, but I woke up to what felt like menstrual cramps. It took me till mid-morning to realize they were running like clockwork – and gradually becoming stronger.

We went to my regular check-up at the birth center that afternoon, where they informed me that I would be having a baby that day or the next. I wasn’t far enough along to be admitted, so rather than make the long drive back and forth to home, we ate dinner, walked around a park, and checked into a hotel.

Finally, my instincts knew I needed to lay down in a comfortable bed in a dark, quiet room – so that is how I labored through the night. I never slept, I know because I clocked every contraction, but I was so deeply relaxed that I got up in the morning feeling surprisingly rested.

24 hours into labor, my water broke. Evidently the midwife still hadn’t expected to admit me, based on how calm I sounded on the phone, so she was surprised when I walked into the birth center at around 7cm. I remember feeling so relieved to finally be admitted and stop feeling in limbo, which couldn’t have been conducive to effective labor.

Learn the most common birth fears (you are NOT alone) and crush them!

I tried the tub for a bit, but had trouble getting comfortable. My position of choice for active labor ended up being child’s pose on the bed.

My sense of time got a little weird at that point, but I must have spent a couple hours like that. I did learn a fun piece of trivia they don’t teach you in birth classes. When you are fully dilated, the black stripe from your belly runs up your bum – being in child’s pose this must have been very apparent to everyone.

However, I wasn’t feeling the urge to push – so the midwife did what was probably the most valid cervical check I had gotten, and discovered that while yes I was fully dilated, there was a lip of cervix over the baby’s head. She had to move that out of the way while I pushed through several contractions, and then the pushing stage began in earnest.

She also gently suggested that I try the birth stool, as it might be the most effective way to get this baby out. She was right of course, it was effective – hence why I hated it. But the contractions were much stronger and gravity did its job to help the baby descend.

I didn’t like pushing all that much. It hurt and there was less relief between contractions, with all the increasing pressure.

I went from deep, relaxed breaths to shallow ones and holding my breath to push – which was not helpful and made me very light headed so I had to get oxygen.

Lesson learned – learn how to breathe better while pushing…

At one point shortly before crowning, the midwife asked my husband if he wanted to come around from holding me and see the baby come out. I responded “NO.” “Do you need him there?” (behind me supporting me). “YES.” So there he stayed.

The baby’s head took a bit of work, but once that was done the rest of him came slithering out in one big push, because I was so ready to be done. This did result in me needing stitches, from his shoulders coming out so fast. We had waited to find out the gender of the baby, so I got to hear my husband’s voice in my ear whisper “it’s a boy”.

My husband had also wanted to be the one to pass the baby to me, which was made harder by him being behind me – but the midwife honored that wish by making sure his hands were on our son as he was passed up to my chest. First words as soon as your baby are born are often a little funny, mine were “he’s perfect! He’s perfect!” over and over.

All 8lbs 15oz of him, and 30 hours of labor, with only the last 5 spent at the birth center. Then 6 hours later we took him home!

This is a guest post submission of a natural birth story by Laura P. Laura is a mom of 2 expecting her third little one. To read her second birth center birth story, go here. These are her opinions, experiences, and thoughts and do not reflect professional medical advice.

3 Positive Birth Stories from Real Women to Read…

3 Unique Labor and Delivery Stories from Real Women for First Time Moms

A Second Natural Hospital Birth with Pitocin and a Doula

Wyatt’s Birth Story: A Grateful C-Section

An Overdue Mama Shares Her Birthing Tub Labor and Delivery

Other posts you might like:

Birth Center Story: Natural Birth Story First Baby

Birth Center Story: Reuben’s Natural Unmedicated Birth

3 Positive Birth Stories from Real Women Before Labor

All that being said, here is the birth story for my first born – Reuben!

Other posts you may like:

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