Before my pregnancy, I never understood birth stories. Why is everyone sharing their birth story? Aren’t they all pretty similar? And why would anyone want to read it?
But then E came along, and I found myself reading story after story, learning, finding resources, looking for support, trying to figure out what to expect, and imagining ours.
Since I found it so helpful, I thought I would share our birth story as well. If this is helpful to even one momma, it would be worth sharing!
The one thing that absolutely changed my whole experience was The Positive Birth Company. I took a virtual hypnobirthing course through them, and I cannot recommend it enough. It has nothing to do with hypnosis, FYI! I don’t know why they call it that. All it did was teach me the science behind what is happening in my body (muscles, hormones, etc.) and taught me breathing and relaxation techniques so that I can help my body do what it already knows. Most importantly, it reframed what I thought labor had to look like (i.e. NOTHING like the fear, pain, and dramatics as it is depicted in the media).
How It All Started
It was 11 days before her due date. Due dates are estimates, and 11 days is pretty close, so I don’t know why I didn’t even think about the possibility of her arrival. At that point, it just felt like I was going to be pregnant forever and ever. We had a dinner with our extended family that night, and everything felt totally normal.
I had trouble sleeping that night. I kept feeling like I needed to use the bathroom, which is nothing new at that point when I had a child kicking me in the bladder 24/7. But that night was different – it felt like I really had to poop (am I allowed to talk about poop on a photography blog?). It was 4am, and I still couldn’t sleep so I texted my MIL and she said “That might not be poop trying to come out, I think it might be your daughter!”.
I’ve read a lot of stories about moms being sent home from the hospital because they weren’t far enough in the labor process, so I really didn’t want to go early. But I called my OB and she told me to go get checked out, so off we went!
When I arrived at the hospital at around 7:30am, I was starting to feel some pressure, but not really any pain. I walked up a flight of stairs by myself to go to triage, and was fully ready to be sent home. The nurse who checked me out told me that it was likely too, seeing that I was just walking around and chatting with her. But imagine our surprise when she told us we were 5cm dilated and ready to go!
She’s Almost Here!
By the time we got settled in an L&D room, I was starting to feel some contractions. I decided NOT to use any pain medication. But I used my breathing techniques that I practiced, and John could not even tell when I was getting a contraction. It hurt, but it was bearable, kind of like cramps. I quietly listened to my Rod Stewart playlist while I breathed through the next couple hours of contractions. (Please don’t judge me for my music choice, I chose it because I used to listen to it with my dad, and it always makes me feel safe and calm!) It was really comical when I watched the video of this time (thanks to my FIL), because it was almost just like we were all awkwardly hanging out in a quiet elevator.
A few things surprised me during labor:
- The breaks in between! After each contraction which felt like a wave, the pain completely went away. That break made it so much easier to handle.
- I wasn’t scared (which also surprised me), but my arms and legs were shaking uncontrollably. Apparently that is quite common, maybe it is hormonal?
- How calm it was! Nothing like the movies/shows!
- HOW MUCH WATER THERE WAS WHEN MY WATER BROKE. Omg!
Hello Little One!
There was one VERY brief moment when the pain was unbearable and I wondered if I could do it. Then, she was ready to meet her parents. It took me half an hour to push her out. It hurt a lot, but again, it was surprisingly bearable. To be honest, I was more tired than anything at that point. I did not sleep all night. Her heartrate slowed, and so we had to get her out. I used every ounce of strength I had left at that point. And a little past 11am, she was here! I did it! All by myself without any pain medication. I was in awe of my own strength and what my body could do. I guess the end of E’s birth story is when I got some Pitocin to help with the afterbirth and getting stitched up. But I barely noticed. I was too busy staring at E!
What surprised me during delivery:
- The doctor had to stick a thing in her scalp to monitor her heartrate. That scared me a little.
- I felt pain in the general area, but nothing specific, which is how I imagined it
- How much it felt like pooping (sorry again, lol)
- I didn’t feel this gush of love for E right away. I think I was in shock and just stared at her.
PS.
Yes, my FIL and MIL were in the room too. I know that seems kind of weird, but my own family doesn’t live in the Twin Cities, my FIL was a doctor, and my MIL had 4 kiddos. They were amazing and it made me feel safe knowing that they were there. And yes, my FIL filmed the whole thing from a respectful angle. That wouldn’t have been my preference if you asked me ahead of time but I am forever grateful he did. I watch the video often!
I know I didn’t mention my husband much in E’s birth story. Honestly he was just in shock the whole time. LOL. He was very quiet and just held my hand, which really, was all I needed!
And if you wanted to see what a 4’11” woman looks like with a baby in her belly, click here!
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