Birth Story a Decade in the Making (LONG w/pics)

JB

Here’s a long one— buckle up!

After almost a decade of reading other birth stories, it feels so surreal to be writing my own. While the birth of my first didn’t go as preferred, I feel extremely lucky to have had the experience I did with absolutely no complications or scares.

Baby girl was due July 4th and as the day approached, it looked like she wasn’t planning to come on time. On the night of the 3rd I noticed I dropped throughout the day and started to lose my mucous plug.

The 4th was uneventful with no other signs of labor. So my husband and I took the opportunity to do every chore we could think of, mow the lawn, and make finishing touches to the nursery. I stayed up late with my husband and brother just chatting when I noticed cramps setting in.

July 5th

•1:30am after going to bed, I realized the cramps weren’t going away.

•4:30am I finally fell asleep.

•7:30am I woke up and started timing contractions. By then contractions were lasting one minute and were four minutes apart. This lasted for an hour, so I woke my husband up and told him we needed to get ready.

•10:30am I’m put into a room at L&D and checked. I’m 90% at 2cm.

•12:30pm I’m checked again with no change.

•2:30pm Checked a third time at 90% and 3cm. I’m told to go home and labor more there.

•3:30pm I’m home and things pick up quickly! A shower helps, but only so much.

•7:30pm I’m back in L&D with strong contractions I’m needing to moan through.

•10:00pm I start laboring in the birthing tub, got my COVID test (it was a breeze compared to the contractions— I hardly felt it), and try to hydrate and snack, but contractions are strong and coming in threes which impressed the nurses. Me, not so much...

•11:30pm I discuss diverting from an unmedicated water birth with my husband to get an epidural. I was exhausted and not making much progress as I was at 100% and 6cm 22 hours in.

July 6th

•12:00am I start the epidural process. It took 6 tries but it was VERY worth it. I was able to relax and enjoy the prospect of becoming a mom soon. My husband even took a nap.

•1:00am They break my water.

•3:30am I’m woken up and checked. It was time to push! I asked for an extra half hour to wake up my husband and make the room comfortable.

•4:00am I start coached pushing and it was way easier and natural than I imagined!

•4:30am Our little Sunny Esther is born! Her dad watched her torpedo out without me even pushing and I got to pull her onto my chest. Because she came so fast I got a second degree tear and two stitches, but healing has been great.

Becoming a mom has been incredible and something I was afraid of, but I’m more than pleasantly surprised at how natural things seem to have come. After almost a decade of struggling with fertility, mental health, and other life traumas getting in the way, welcoming our Sunny and seeing my husband become a dad has made my soul happy ☀️