Birth Story: What it’s like to have a scheduled…

October 8, 2020December 11, 2024
by Jessica Whitney

A lot of people are excited about the prospect of sharing their child’s birth story. Yet, considering the idea of birth and the sheer definition of it, always leaves me feeling a bit unsure about the story to share.

You see, I didn’t have to birth my child. I was never officially in labor.

My first born came via a pre-scheduled C-section. It wasn’t an elect a day out of convenience sort of situation. It was a mandated eviction by my OBGYN. You see, I had a high risk pregnancy.

Birth Story: What it’s like to have a scheduled C-Section because of Hypertension

Reminder that these are personal experiences and do not substitute the medical advice of your physician. Always talk to your doctor about your unique situation!

I was a 29 year old with hypertension. I’d been on medication for hypertension since before I was married, so it wasn’t a situation brought about by pregnancy. But having hypertension can definitely throw a wrench in the development of a baby.

Having high blood pressure is definitely a challenge for pregnant mommies who face preeclampsia. I was put in the high risk category early on in my pregnancy and charged to go to weekly appointments early on. I had to visit the hospital each week in addition to my OBGYN for weight checks, heart rate monitoring of my baby girl, extra sonograms to check grown, and stress tests.

So although some people share memories of where their water breaks and being in labor at home for hours/days, I don’t have those memories to recall. I have memories of sitting in the hospital recounting anything I’d eaten pre-appointment, sharing how much fluids I’d had that day while working on a tight school schedule, and feeling guilty for any stress I was under from balancing a teaching career with taking time to go to appointments multiple times a week.

My first born was supposed to be an early June b-day. Doctors had different plans based on my body and out of concern for my health. Baby girl was breech with no hope of shifting into position. She was literally stuck with her hips between mine.

So a plan was set up to deliver her via c-section for everyone’s safety at 37 weeks and 3 days.

The idea of surgery was scary.
– Kimberley

I’ve only had surgery for wisdom teeth removal. I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of blood or needles, but I also don’t jump at the chance to go to a hospital for minor injuries. Willingly signing up to be drugged and cut open is not something I preferred.

I remember not sleeping well the night before her birth. I woke up at one point to go to the bathroom and thought my water had broken. We called the OBGYN and headed to the hospital to get checked. It was a false alarm.

Rather than let me stay until my scheduled surgery, they sent us home to “rest”. When it was finally time to get ready for the hospital, I showered and changed. My mother in law, father in law, and my mom met my husband and I at the hospital to be there for our daughter’s birth.

Learn About When Is the Right Time to Go to the Hospital from a Labor and Delivery Nurse

With a pre-scheduled c-section, we had a hospital suite to wait in before surgery. I was hooked up to machines to track contractions (wasn’t having them), fetal movements, and fetal heart rate. I also had blood pressure monitoring.

Doctors checked in on us. The anesthesiologist explained the procedures to us before entering the operating room. The nurses explained who would be with us in the operating room and what the timeframes would likely be. Everyone was extremely kind and respectful.

To prepare for the surgery, an epidural was administered to numb everything below my waist.

To get this epidural, I had to sit in the operating room on the edge of the bed/table leaning forward to the point of almost falling off the surface with the support of a nurse I’d just met.

Tom had to wait until everything was ready for surgery before joining me in the operating room. The feeling of the epidural needle was described as pinching a bit like a bee sting, with the requirement to not flinch or move while it’s in your spinal column. It felt like being stung by a wasp with a burning sensation around the entry point. Then, the feelings all faded away.

I was assisted into the bed by the nurses. Then they prepped everything – from placing my arms in certain positions near me with warm blankets to sterilizing and testing my stomach for numbness. Once prepped and before any incisions occurred, they fetched my husband to join me.

I had a blue hospital shield in from of me, so I couldn’t see anything. I could hear everything happening around me, but the actual delivery was just happening to me. Suctioning of fluids, tugging at my abdomen, the OB propped up trying to get her out.

When she was tugged/lifted out, Tom focused on what they were doing with her. I couldn’t see her at all. She didn’t breathe right away. She wasn’t reactive right away. They took her into a separate little area to suction her and check her Apgar levels.

When she finally cried, relief passed over us.

Ryleigh was born at 5lbs 12oz.

Hospital Stay Post C-Section

We were in the hospital for the next couple of nights. Family visited us, bringing snacks, coming to snuggle her, and checking in on us.

Staying at the hospital was exhausting. My milk didn’t come. She lost weight. There was a chance she would have to stay in the NICU because of her weight loss. I didn’t sleep because I was in such awe of the tiny human I now held…

She latched, but it wasn’t enough.

We made the decision to supplement with formula to try to help her. A lactation specialist worked with us to attempt to get her to latch while simultaneously getting formula. We had to use this insane tubing system to drip formula into her mouth while she was latched to my breast. It sucked!

Tom and my dad helped me feed her. They had to hold the formula dispenser up in the air while I attended to her latch and ensured the tube stayed in her mouth.

When we finally got approval to go home, we left with tubing to continue the insane feeding regimen at home. We also had to do extra weight checks with the pediatrician to ensure she gained back the lost birth weight.

She was at 5lbs 2oz when we headed home.

Ryleigh is now a healthy kindergartener.

We are incredibly thankful to those who helped deliver her safely and helped us in our first adventure into parenthood.

I can’t tell a labor story of natural birth methods, but I can share that her birth was incredible.

This is a guest post submission by Kimberley W. Kimberley is a mom of 2 beautiful girls.

These are her opinions, experiences, and thoughts and do not reflect professional medical advice. Always consult your physician about your own medical situation!

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.

My 4th Natural Birth: Charlotte’s Natural Hospital Birth Story

September 15, 2020December 11, 2024
by Jessica Whitney

This is the natural birth story of my fourth baby, who was born in the hospital after a relatively short labor on a beautiful, early Sunday morning.

I love sharing birth stories and reading them. Each birth is beautiful and unique, and I love to see the power and beauty of the human body. At the bottom of this post you will see several links to other natural births that other brave beautiful mamas have shared!

My 4th Natural Birth: Charlotte’s Natural Hospital Birth Story

If you’d like to share your birth story, just check out my contact page to let me know!

FYI, much of this timeline is estimated but some of the specific times were relayed from my husband after the fact.

Let’s start with some things I’ve learned from 4 natural births!

As a reminder, these are my experiences and things I’ve learned, but I am not a doctor and you should always defer to their judgement!

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 cost to you.

4th Natural hospital birth story: How I love to labor

Things I learned from labor and delivery (from my first 3 natural births!)

As I mentioned above, this was my FOURTH natural birth. I will definitely NOT call myself an expert because pregnancies and babies are all different. However, I did learn a few things with my first pregnancies and labor specifically in a hospital that I want to share with you!

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

Why a hospital natural birth?

Between a combination of a few factors, we decided on a hospital birth because we were more familiar with the hospital system, we wanted access to the medical facilities just in case of an emergency, and our insurance! This is of course a very personal decision, but those were the reasons for us!

Tips for natural hospital birth:

Talk about your birth plan with your doctor. To make a hospital birth work, you need to make sure your doctor is on the same page with your desires! Otherwise, you might want to consider a birthing center, home birth, or even just another OBGYN.

There is research that low-risk women have had safe home births or experiences at a birthing center with similar results than at the hospital.

We had a super supportive and awesome doctor in Colorado (for my first two children). While in Texas, I’m not sure my doctor wholeheartedly supported me, but she agreed to stick with my plan and support me and that’s what matters!

While touring the hospital, ask about what resources they have. Here are a few questions to ask:

Are they able to provide intermittent monitoring?
Are they able to provide remote monitoring?
Do they have any tubs for you to labor in?
Do they provide birthing balls?
Can I walk and move around during labor?
What positions do you suggest for birth?
Besides pain meds, how do you help moms be as comfortable as possible?
How do you support mothers who want to breastfeed?

Create a relaxing environment. I will say we were an expert on THIS by the last trip to the hospital. We pretty much only brought this list of items in our hospital bag, but the most important was a speaker to play music to set the mood! We loved our portable Bluetooth shower speaker that was easy to stick to a wall or place somewhere out of the way.

Stick to your guns in the hospital. Use your spouse to help you stick to your birth plan. Sometimes during the strong contractions, it’s hard to think straight, but you can rely on your spouse to say no.

The nurses are the best! From every single birthing experience, I will have to say that the nurses made the labor! They were always so supportive and responsive to my needs. THIS is why I didn’t worry too much about my OBGYN. The labor and delivery nurses are the ones that spend the most time with you during the labor anyway!

Okay, time to talk about my birth story!

Exercising was a priority during this pregnancy. With access to a gym and childcare throughout the majority of my pregnancy, lifting light weights or walking on the treadmill offered a great reprieve from the monotony of stay at home mom life.

Stripping my membranes did NOT induce my labor.

Due to the 2020 COVID-19 restrictions, unfortunately, my access to the gym disappeared around 7 months of pregnancy, but walks were still a great way for us to get out of the house. The night before my fourth child joined our family, I walked around my parents’ neighborhood on a hot, Texas Saturday night.

I was 39 weeks and a hand full of days pregnant and stripping my membranes didn’t induce labor at my appointment earlier in the week. I was soooo ready to be done being pregnant and disappointment by the lack of contractions. My first two pregnancies I went into labor within 5 hours of having my membranes stripped.

(I will mention here that my doctor asked me at my appointment “So, are you done being pregnant yet?” And she was implying she would schedule me an induction if I wanted. But, I believe in letting the baby cook for as long as medically able – especially since due dates aren’t always accurate! So, we settled on the stripping of membranes instead)

What we did while we waited for labor to progress

I prayed for peace with God’s timing during my walk and felt an overall calm that He knew the arrival date of our littlest sweet one. After my walk, I floated around in the pool which felt great on the prego belly! My husband and I brought the kids’ home right before bedtime, and once they were in bed around 8, we started The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Party movie on Netflix (which is awesome by the way!)

During the movie, I started feeling a few contractions. I wasn’t entirely sure if this was early labor or false labor and didn’t really want to get my hopes up! The contractions began around 15 min apart but were relatively faint for the first hour.

By 10:30 though, they had consistently moved to 8-10 min. We decided to call my parents to have them come spend the night just in case we needed to leave for the hospital in the middle of the night!

After we called them, my husband said, so I should probably pack my bag? Husbands!

If you can sleep, are you really in labor? Should you go to the hospital?

My parents got to the house around 11:20, as they only live about 20 minutes away. Tom and I laid down to try and sleep for a while.

The first thing I learned about labor is if you can sleep, you’re still probably in early labor and you should rest as much as possible! It is probably NOT time to go to the hospital, especially if you want a natural birth (but of course always consult your doctor). I woke up around 3 a.m. because the contractions were strong enough to wake me up. Using my BabyCenter app, I timed the contractions at 3 min apart, and 30 sec long! Yay!

We called the doctor on the way to the hospital

I woke up Tom around 3:30 to say that it was go time! Between collecting last minute items, and having a quick snack, we left at 4:15 for the hospital. I called the doctor on the way to the hospital and explained the timeline, and she approved us heading to the hospital!

Yes, we kind of did this backwards because you probably SHOULD make sure your doctor approves before you leave the house, but we could have turned around, right?

We checked in at the ER, masks on, and waited patiently for the nurses to come downstairs. I didn’t have to wait too long for the nurse to come down with the wheelchair, thankfully!

While talking to the labor nurse, I tried to emphasize 3 things:

1) this is my fourth baby,

2) I have fast labors, and

3) did I mention this is my fourth baby? Oh, and my other three births were natural so I know what labor feels like, and please don’t send me home!!!

We checked into the room around 4:30. Disappointingly, I was checked for dilation at 5 a.m. and was only 3 cm. Boo! But, I wasn’t too discouraged as my contractions were still 3-4 min apart 30 seconds… slightly disappointing but I still knew this was the real thing!

They decided to in-process me (thank goodness!), and I got a heplock put in my arm. This was a drastic improvement from my experience with my third delivery. With that birth, they didn’t believe I was in labor, and I didn’t even sign any papers before I gave birth! I “checked in” as I was delivering the placenta haha. I guess that’s a story for another time!

Do you have to have an IV during labor?

During a natural birth at a hospital, my doctors always preferred I have a heplock in just in case they needed an IV for hydration or in case of emergency.

For me, they also used it for the Pitocin to help deliver the placenta after birth. Having a needle in your vain and then taped on tightly isn’t the most comfortable, but I think it’s a precaution that comes with delivering in the hospital that is worth it.

I didn’t want to be fully attached to an IV because I wanted the ability to walk around.

My birth plan was so helpful!

I communicated my desire for only a heplock on my birth plan, so I didn’t have to explain myself while I was in labor.

The nurses at this hospital don’t see too many planned natural births, so they had to “check with the doctor” to make sure this was okay. I wasn’t worried though because I had already pre-checked this with my doctor!

Once the heplock was in, they unhooked the fetal heart monitor and contraction monitor and let me start walking around to begin intermittent monitoring… thank goodness because I really had to go to the bathroom! They also brought me a birthing ball at my request!

How I used a birthing ball during my natural labor

I fell in love with the birthing ball during my second natural hospital birth. It’s super comfy to sit on and then I can lean onto the bed during a contraction which relieves pressure in my lower back.

Below photo is a no joke picture of me in a contraction and (not pictured) is me yelling at my husband to stop taking pictures while I was in labor hahaha. I’m super grateful he took it though after the fact!

It also put me in a position that allowed gravity to assist with labor. For me, laying down was the hardest position to labor in to relax during contractions. It was much easier for me to relax my body through contractions and to control my breathing while sitting on the ball.

What I learned about the Bradley method and husband coached birthing

In the Bradley method, which encourages husband coached birthing, I learned about the importance of relaxing the body during a contraction rather than tensing it, how to work with your body not against it, helpful breathing exercises and positions. (I read a super old 80s book but this one is very similar to the one I read. Lots of useful information, but there are strong opinions in there too.)

The contraction is the big bag of muscle (the uterus), pulling the cervix open and then preparing to push the baby out. Relaxing the rest of my muscles reduced the stress I was already putting on my body during the birthing process.

Low-key and relaxed atmosphere was key

All that being said, Tom and I took some pictures of the room in the early hours of the morning as the sun was coming up.

But mostly I just sat on the ball and talked to him in between contractions while he played on his phone… can you say fourth baby? In all seriousness, he knew from experience that if I needed help from him, I would ask!

Stick to your birth plan

Between night shift and day shift change at the hospital, basically right after we arrived at the hospital, my doctor offered to complete an AROM aka an Artificial Rupture of Membranes aka break my water.

This CAN speed up labor (if you’re ready), but it also puts a timer on when the baby needs to be born and increases the chance of infection and increases the chances of a C-section (from what I’ve read). I politely stuck to my birth plan and declined the offer.

The nurses loved being in our room during checks because we had all the bright lights off, natural light streaming in, and worship music playing! They chatted with us as they double checked my vitals and the baby’s heartbeat.

As the sun was coming up, the worship music on our Bluetooth speaker filled the room beautifully. We loved having a speaker that was small and that we could stick anywhere.

God has always taken care of us with the sweetest nurses. Our labor and delivery nurse was pregnant and loved the Christian music. She said it felt like church (that she was missing out on that day because of work)!

My labors were fast, but this one seemed to drag on

Not gunna lie, around 6:30 the contractions still seemed about the same length and still didn’t seem like they were too much stronger. I was starting to wonder, were we going to be having this baby this morning or not?

Since the hospital didn’t have a wireless fetal monitoring system, my doctor approved intermittent monitoring off and on. What is intermittent monitoring do you ask? Great question. Intermittent monitoring is when they put on the monitoring straps for 15-20 min each hour.

Around 7:45 the nurse put a monitor on again after a 45 min break. During that time contractions started slowly getting longer at 45 seconds to 1 min long but still 2-4 min apart!

Around 8, unbeknownst to me, my husband texted the family that the baby was probably coming soon because the contractions were getting stronger.

He could tell how intense they were by my ability (or inability) to handle them quietly. Through all my labors, I’ve used different breathing techniques during the different stages.

And during the transition phase, I found making noises like “oooo” helped me keep my breathing under control (even though it sounds kind of ridiculous haha. But who cares when you’re in labor, do what you have to do!)

The pain was definitely getting more intense… and I was starting to pray that it be over soon!

Ironically, the nurse removed the monitors around 8:15. Even though I could tell the contractions were getting stronger, the nurse didn’t really say anything, so I thought I would wait a little longer before asking to be checked again.

My nurses knew I wanted a natural birth, and during any birth, it’s normally better to not have your cervix checked too often because:

a) there’s a chance of increased infection the more often they check, and

b) it’s harder on your mental state if you don’t see progress during labor like you feel you should.

So my nurse told me she wouldn’t check me until I asked!

About 5 minutes later, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I felt like I needed to poop. TMI? Nope, that is the classic sign of your body being ready to push, that you’re either fully dilated or almost dilated, and that the baby is ready!

I asked Tom to call the nurses at 8:20 to be checked because the urge to push was becoming overwhelming! Tom grabbed the bed call button, and asked my nurse to come check me. We later we found out the charge nurse told my nurse, “I bet she’s complete…otherwise, she wouldn’t ask!”

Sure enough. After I slowly stood-up and climbed in the bed (oh, so painful as I had an attack of contractions as I stood up), the nurse said she could feel my daughter’s head as soon as she checked. She double-checked the cervix was out of the way, and said, “Yes, you’re ready! Let me call the doctor.,” and she ran out of the room. From 3 cm to 10 cm dilation in a little over 3 hours!

We were ready for the baby!! This is about the point where I grabbed Tom’s hand and probably squeezed the feeling out of it while we waited for the nursing staff and doctors to come into the room. It felt like an eternity.

The sweet nurse ran out of the room to call my doctor and started prepping the room. I could hear people coming in and out but the contractions were super strong, and I was trying to not push even though I really wanted to… that is the worst by the way! For anyone who’s had a baby before, they know that waiting to push is much harder than the actual pushing! It’s a relief to push during the contractions when you’re ready.

As we waited, I tried not to push… kinda sorta. During one of the contractions, I pushed a little bit and yelped when my water broke… it was 8:29. In every other pregnancy, the doctor broke my bag of water for me when I was 9 cm to gain the last cm.

I asked Tom where the heck everyone was because I seriously needed to push and could you please call and tell them my water broke because this baby wanted to come and no one was in there!

At 8:31 (this 2 minutes felt like an eternity), Tom called to tell them my water broke (because still nobody in the room). I seriously was afraid he was going to have to catch the baby!

When he called to tell them, all the nurses rushed back-in and the on-call hospital doctor (not mine) came with them! I heard my nurse updating this doctor about my natural birth plan and my intermittent monitoring.

The nurse threw on the monitors… put a few mats on the bed, and then I heard the doctor say the magical words, “Just do what your body needs to, my dear!” Sweetest words ever!

On the next contraction, I pushed and after a few quick pushes…she was born at 8:36… yup for those doing math… 5 min later! They didn’t set up the bed, get out the stirrups, change the lights or even move me to another position, a beautiful baby girl was born naturally all on her own! She was ready to meet the world!

My actual real doctor came in as I was doing skin-to-skin and offered to get me a refreshment of sprite, apple juice, and cranberry juice… yum! 😋 So glad she made it to the delivery room 😆