To begin with, my pregnancy was perfectly normal, with no complications or major stressors. I was blessed with great health and so was our baby. I planned to have the most natural birth possible (the goal statement of my written birth plan) and was able to achieve it!

My due date was March 25th, I went in for a routine exam and got checked-my cervix was at 2cm, 60% effaced. We left the appointment excited that it could happen (duh) any day now. When i got to the car, I felt a gush... Checked myself and saw bright red blood. Long story short they checked me at the L&D ward and said baby was fine and so was I, must have just been bloody show. We went to the store for supplies (just in case 😉) and went home.

Around 2 am I started to feel light contractions about 15 minutes apart. I waited until my husband woke up for work at 530 to tell him... They were getting slightly closer together. I called my mother to let her know I was probably in early labor and not to rush, of course she was at the house within 2 hours. I also called my best friend and doula and talked to her about the strength and frequency of my contractions - by around noon they were starting to get even closer (about 3 min apart) but still not too strong to handle... I could still walk and talk through them. About 2 my doula came over and that's about when the contractions started needing my attention- deep breathing and a bit of hip compressions.

By 4pm we decided it wasn't going to slow down or space out any more so we left for the hospital. The car ride sucked! When we got there I was checked and they said I was 4cm and 100% effaced, so we were checked in. I labored in the room for about 2 more hours, the shower felt amazing and so did hip compressions from my doula. I did a lot of hands and knees positioning and sat on the birth stool a good bit (the ball put too much pressure on my pelvis). At about 7pm I asked to be checked so I could try to get in the tub (they said you needed to be at least 6 cm), I was only dialted to 5. I continued to labor, starting to get a bit nauseous over the next 2 hours. At about 930 I threw up (mostly just liquid) and promptly my water broke. We called the nurse, she checked me and said I was 10cm (with a little rim of cervix left) but baby was still stationed very high. I got moving! I started "dancing" between contractions, shaking my thighs and hips and bouncing up and down. That's when the contractions really started hurting. I found the best method for coping was to squat/kneel with somone pushing on my hips while I rocked back and forth (I rocked really hard). I groaned and moaned and made some deep and angry sounds. At one point I asked for gas and air (the only intervention I had considered) but when they told me that I would have to stay in bed I changed my mind and told the anesthetist never mind and to get out (sorry lady!).

I started to feel the urge to push and did with every few contractions. Baby moved down to where I could just feel her head with my pointer finger. I got on my left side and started to push. Over the course of about 6 or 8 contractions Baby Willow crowned. The midwife gave her shoulders a tug and she slipped out, and was immediately given to me for skin to skin. It was heavenly and her gender was a wonderful surprise. She was 9lbs, 2 oz, 21 inches long, born at 12:14 am on March 27th.

Soon after, they said i had a bad tear (3rd degree) and needed stitches. The OB came in to do them while I held our baby and loved on her. I started to hemorrhage and they put me on pitocin and did a bunch of fundal massage (super painful 😬) but I felt fine- she was here and healthy. I lost a lot of blood but my bloodwork came back so great that they said it didn't even look like I had hemorrhaged!

There's so much more I could write, but overall I was so happy to have the birth I wanted with so few issues. God is good!

Stitching time 😬