Before you read my story: My doula is a montrice, we hired her for labor support. My first daughter was born vaginally after a pitocin induced, epidural filled labor. I felt nothing and knew I wanted better. My second daughter was born prematurely at 31 weeks via emergency c-section. I started researching the vbac option with my third daughter but the idea was shot down when she too was delivered by c-section at 31 weeks due to PROM. Fourth daughter I searched high and low for a vbac friendly doctor. He did a bait and switch and I was bullied into a c-section at 34 weeks due to IUGR suspicions. My fifth daughter was my CBAC baby, I tried so hard with her but the epidural doomed me.
On June 12th 2013, I woke up with what I thought were “true contractions”. I had just barely made it to 37 weeks which was a huge thing for me. My previous babies were delivered between 31-35 weeks gestation. We called our doula and asked that she meet us at the hotel. My OB had advised us to “come in pushing” but we lived roughly 35 minutes from our hospital. So we booked a hotel room that evening and waited in anticipation for labor to pick up. After walking, and patiently waiting it was obvious that baby wasn’t ready to come out so we settled down for the night and headed home in the morning.
June 13th came and I was pretty restless with the whole labor thing. I just “knew” that I was in labor but my contractions were not consistent. My husband had suggested we walk some more so we ran some errands. Nothing too wild came about and we were certain again that today was not the day. I had this odd defeated feeling that wouldn’t go away. I felt as though my son wanted to come but something was holding him back. I told my husband I was done and just wanted to go home and sleep. After getting settled into bed, a dear friend sent me a wonderful quote from Ina May Gaskin. In short, it read that “my body wasn’t a lemon”. I cried myself to sleep and informed everyone to give me some space. My nap only lasted for a half an hour when my girls awakened me, I jumped in the shower to clear my head and noticed a few contractions. By the time I had gotten out of the shower it seemed they had started coming every 10 minutes. Not wanting to jinx myself, I continued to do my hair. Things definitely seemed like it was “baby time” but I was so worried that they would go away. I called my doula and explained how I just wasn’t sure and asked that she come to our house to give me her opinion.
It’s 6:00pm now and my doula has arrived. Contractions are still about every 10-12 minutes apart but they are now a pattern and I’m convinced they are the real thing. We laugh, joke around, and work through these waves like a piece of cake. I’m so excited, so hopeful, but a little on the wary side. My last baby was a CBAC after hours of labor. I reached 6 centimeters with her and my body shut down after receiving an epidural. In my mind, I had to get past that stage.
My doula suggests a walk to see if we can get things moving more. It helps, we arrive home and I am begging to get in the shower. The waves are getting pretty rough now and I’m doing my best to breathe my baby down and focus on my Hypnobabies. We move to the shower to have the warm water beat down my back but it feels terrible. I’m a ball of emotions, and for some reason, highly irritated at my husband for getting my hair wet haha! Somehow I manage to hoist my body out of the tub and crawl into my room. I’m still naked and demanding that I get an epidural. I ask my doula to check me and she announces afterwards that I am 5-6 centimeters. I cry, whimper that I want a c-section, and grunt through the pain, she suggests we head to the hospital and my husband runs downstairs to pack the car up. As we are waiting I am half sitting half trying not to put pressure on my butt. The waves are intense and I am grunting loudly. Then it happens, my body takes over and I turn to lay on my hands and knees. I have one leg off the bed and I feel my baby rotate inside of me. The urge to push is automatic and my doula shouts for my husband. By the time he comes back upstairs the baby’s head is visible and my doula runs to grab some gloves. She only gets one on before I push his head out. Two more pushes and Harrison enters the world.
The baby is passed through my legs to me and I hold him close as my husband dials 911. He latched immediately and was perfect, a little bruised due to coming so fast though. The next few hours were pure bliss, I did it. My husband, my amazing husband supported me and gave me so much encouragement. My amazing doula acted fast when needed and delivered my son like a pro.
Harrison weighed 6lbs 14oz and was delivered sometime after midnight on June 14th.
On June 12th 2013, I woke up with what I thought were “true contractions”. I had just barely made it to 37 weeks which was a huge thing for me. My previous babies were delivered between 31-35 weeks gestation. We called our doula and asked that she meet us at the hotel. My OB had advised us to “come in pushing” but we lived roughly 35 minutes from our hospital. So we booked a hotel room that evening and waited in anticipation for labor to pick up. After walking, and patiently waiting it was obvious that baby wasn’t ready to come out so we settled down for the night and headed home in the morning.
June 13th came and I was pretty restless with the whole labor thing. I just “knew” that I was in labor but my contractions were not consistent. My husband had suggested we walk some more so we ran some errands. Nothing too wild came about and we were certain again that today was not the day. I had this odd defeated feeling that wouldn’t go away. I felt as though my son wanted to come but something was holding him back. I told my husband I was done and just wanted to go home and sleep. After getting settled into bed, a dear friend sent me a wonderful quote from Ina May Gaskin. In short, it read that “my body wasn’t a lemon”. I cried myself to sleep and informed everyone to give me some space. My nap only lasted for a half an hour when my girls awakened me, I jumped in the shower to clear my head and noticed a few contractions. By the time I had gotten out of the shower it seemed they had started coming every 10 minutes. Not wanting to jinx myself, I continued to do my hair. Things definitely seemed like it was “baby time” but I was so worried that they would go away. I called my doula and explained how I just wasn’t sure and asked that she come to our house to give me her opinion.
It’s 6:00pm now and my doula has arrived. Contractions are still about every 10-12 minutes apart but they are now a pattern and I’m convinced they are the real thing. We laugh, joke around, and work through these waves like a piece of cake. I’m so excited, so hopeful, but a little on the wary side. My last baby was a CBAC after hours of labor. I reached 6 centimeters with her and my body shut down after receiving an epidural. In my mind, I had to get past that stage.
My doula suggests a walk to see if we can get things moving more. It helps, we arrive home and I am begging to get in the shower. The waves are getting pretty rough now and I’m doing my best to breathe my baby down and focus on my Hypnobabies. We move to the shower to have the warm water beat down my back but it feels terrible. I’m a ball of emotions, and for some reason, highly irritated at my husband for getting my hair wet haha! Somehow I manage to hoist my body out of the tub and crawl into my room. I’m still naked and demanding that I get an epidural. I ask my doula to check me and she announces afterwards that I am 5-6 centimeters. I cry, whimper that I want a c-section, and grunt through the pain, she suggests we head to the hospital and my husband runs downstairs to pack the car up. As we are waiting I am half sitting half trying not to put pressure on my butt. The waves are intense and I am grunting loudly. Then it happens, my body takes over and I turn to lay on my hands and knees. I have one leg off the bed and I feel my baby rotate inside of me. The urge to push is automatic and my doula shouts for my husband. By the time he comes back upstairs the baby’s head is visible and my doula runs to grab some gloves. She only gets one on before I push his head out. Two more pushes and Harrison enters the world.
The baby is passed through my legs to me and I hold him close as my husband dials 911. He latched immediately and was perfect, a little bruised due to coming so fast though. The next few hours were pure bliss, I did it. My husband, my amazing husband supported me and gave me so much encouragement. My amazing doula acted fast when needed and delivered my son like a pro.
Harrison weighed 6lbs 14oz and was delivered sometime after midnight on June 14th.
RSS Feed