Home / Community / Birth Stories

My perfect 2 push birth 🌈 ❤️ - raw uncensored photos included

Sophie • Mon, Apr 08 • Mom of a beautiful Angel 3/08/12 • 🌈 born 10/10/18 ♥️

It’s been 6 months since my perfect little girl made her appearance but I still love sharing my birth story!

After much discussion with my OB/GYN doctor and because of my son being an unexplained full term (40 week) stillbirth - the decision was made to induce me at 38 weeks!

I arrived to the hospital at 0530 (with my mom who was to be my birth photographer and of course my boyfriend) for my induction and was actually already in labor - my contractions weren’t super strong yet so my doc started my pitocin at 0700...I was already 6cm dilated and 90% effaced so we predicted that I wouldn’t be in labor for long..YAY! The anesthesiologist came in at 0900 and started my epidural (the nurse then immediately ruptured my membranes)...which was amazing because my contractions weren’t even that painful yet so I was happy to have a relatively completely pain free birthing experience. Which is something that was highly important for me. (My birthing experience with my son was so traumatic that I don’t remember much of it...so not being in pain and being able to be fully consciously aware during the birth of my daughter was incredibly important to me!)

So from 0900 until 1145 I just hung out in bed with a peanut ball between my legs and chatting with my mom & boyfriend. I called for my nurse at 1147 because I was starting to experience breakthrough pain and my anesthesiologist told me she would give me a bolus if I experienced breakthrough!

WELL. my nurse came in my room and told me that because I was experiencing breakthrough pain it is likely that I was progressing so she wanted to check my cervix while we waited for Dr H to come bolus me.

So my nurse rolls me on to my back and gets me in position to check and she kind of giggles and says...”Sophie, I need you to not cough, laugh, sneeze, and most importantly...don’t push!!” Them she looks at my boyfriend and says “hey dad, would you like to see your daughters head? Because Sophie, you are essentially crowning already!”

Everyone in the room immediately jumps in to gear and the nurse pages my OB (Dr S). Dr H walks in and I tell her that she doesn’t need to bolus me because I am already crowning but she told me she would be more comfortable blousing me so I am in no discomfort at all...to which I agree!

Dr H also asked if she could stay present for the birth because she wanted to share in my joy of meeting my perfectly healthy baby...she knew of my son’s stillbirth so she understood how unbelievably magical meeting my daughter was going to be. I of course agreed happily for her to stay!

Dr S arrived to my hospital room at 1155 and started to get me prepared to push!

I began pushing at 1159!

My poor mother in her excitement dropped her camera right as I began pushing and was so flustered that she couldn’t compose herself to get her camera fixed hahaha

THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART OF MY STORY - the anesthesiologist, Dr H, yelled at my mom “Elizabeth hand me your phone!!!” And Dr H proceeded to take all birth pictures for us!!

Back to me pushing.

I gave my first push at 1159 and immediately Dr S goes “haha Sophie don’t push so hard! Slow down!” I look at the mirror that they had placed for me and immediately saw my daughters head crowning beautifully!! After taking a 20 second break to breathe and allow my vagina to relax and naturally stretch, Dr S told me to give one more slowly composed push! So with my eyes fixed on that mirror, I took a breath and gave a very calm and slow building push....and she was born!

Kinley Belle Everette Maxwell was born at 1201 after just 2 pushes! And she was BEAUTIFUL - 7lbs7oz & 18.5in. The nurse immediately placed her on my chest and the rest of the world melted away. Everyone in my room was in tears and celebrating and I did nothing but cry & hold my daughter against me and melt at the sounds of her beautiful cries...I didn’t even notice that she had peed on me! Dr S delivered my placenta and was happy to agree to my request of delayed cord clamping! And then, within 10 min of being on my chest, Kinley had wiggled and rooted until she successfully latched without any assistance from me - I was amazed and my heart was more full than I could have ever imagined was possible.

6.5 years earlier, Dr S had held my hand as I delivered my stillborn son...and this day...she held my hand as she brought my perfectly healthy baby girl in to this world. Having Dr S deliver Kinley was so incredibly meaningful to me!!

But truly one of my favorite parts of my experience was Dr H jumping in and taking my birth pictures for me!! I have some once in a lifetime textbook worthy pictures of my daughter coming in to this world!! I love them so much!!!