This Is My Birth Story

My Birth Story

Being pregnant and giving birth are both unexplainable experiences. No matter how many pregnant people I knew or heard about birth from, it couldn’t begin to prepare me for the miracle that happens to a woman’s body. Growing a life, being connected to another human, bringing a baby into this world is the most beautiful life experience.

This is my birth story.

(Photos at the end of this story may be considered NSFW)

Related Article: After the Birth: My Postpartum Hospital Stay Story

Sunday: February 26^th, 2017

My due date was four days away (March 2^nd), but I knew in my heart Baby T was going to arrive in February. From the day I learned her due date I said “She will be born the end of February”. I even had the date circled at work.

Something felt off that Sunday night. I kept getting up to use the bathroom, but nothing was happening. Later I found out that it was the start of contractions.

Monday: February 27^th, 2017

The next morning I woke up feeling groggy from a lack of sleep that night. I was scheduled to work for 4 hours that morning. Once I arrived at work I finally started to understand what was happening. I realized I didn’t have to go to the bathroom at all (contraction push on your rectum and it feels like you are constipated). The tension in my body was coming in consistent waves. It was around 10 am that I decided I was having contractions! I timed them, and they were coming about every 7 minutes. My husband was the first person I told. He thought they were just Braxton hicks, since most first pregnancy go past their due dates. I knew that if they were coming consistently I was going to have Baby T that night.

Multiple people told me they couldn’t believe I went to work. Honestly, I’m glad I could go through the early stages of labor while being busy because those contractions were nothing compared to what was to come.

My husband and I got into an argument when I got home. He did not believe that we were going to have a baby that night and that I just wanted her born in February because that is what I had been saying my whole pregnancy. I can’t explain it, there were so many aspects during pregnancy that I was sure of. I knew I was pregnant at two weeks, I knew we were having a girl and I also knew she was going to be born in February. God put those things on my heart and they all ended up being true.

My husband had to be at work so my best friend to came over to keep me distracted while my contractions got closer together. Around 7 pm I decided it was time for my husband to come home. An hour later my contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart and we headed to the birthing center.

The Alaska Family Health & Birth Center was amazing. The room we were in was set up just like a bedroom with a bathroom, shower, tub and bed. I set up lime and lavender in the diffuser while my husband turned on Sam Smith.

4 CM Dilated

The midwives checked my dilation and then left us to continue birth together. I really appreciated this solitude. My husband was the only person I wanted close. Our birth plan had already been reviewed at previous appointments and they knew exactly what I wanted. They came to check in on us every 30 minutes. During those check ups they would take my blood pressure, check Baby T’s heartbeat, ask about my contractions and time them.

Time was going by pretty fast. Eating was extremely difficult so I drink coconut water and kefir. I took each contraction as it came. Our atmosphere was peaceful and my husband was the biggest support. As the contractions got more difficult, I spent a lot of time in the shower with the hot water streaming down my back. A couple of hours had gone by and I climbed into the birthing pool. My contractions weren’t being timed and I had no idea how close I was to giving birth.  Our midwife started laying out plastic so I thought Baby T could be coming soon. In my mind this meant it was time to start pushing, but I was way off (My contractions would get much worse).

Tuesday February 28^th, 2017

At this time, it was about midnight and our midwife had come in with a couple more midwives. She had just taken Baby T’s heartbeat, and something was wrong. Baby T’s heart was skipping a beat. They suggested that we should drive to the hospital (4 blocks away) so that way they could monitor Baby T consistently. I laid down, so they could check my dilation.

7 CM Dilated

I hadn’t laid down or even sat down since my contractions had started. Because of the pressure being put on my stomach and the uncomfortable position, I started throwing up. After the third heave my water burst. Everything started to speed up (my husband remembers it differently, but this went by very fast for me). We got in our car with a midwife and headed to the hospital. Two more midwives met us there. Once upstairs we were placed in a tiny corner room. I had met with a doctor once during my pregnancy so I knew she or one of her people would be delivering Baby T.

Once we got to the hospital everything was kind of a blur. There was 7 or 8 of us crammed into this small room. They had me change into a hospital gown and use the restroom. Using the bathroom at that point was the worst thing possible because I preferred to stand up during my contractions. I felt in the most control that way, plus they took me away from my husband. Even though it was only a minute or two I was not happy at all. After using the restroom they hooked my belly up to a monitor. Baby T’s heart was beating perfectly and it never skipped a beat again.

There were so many of us in the room because three midwives came with us and I am so thankful they did. They filled in the hospital staff of our birthing plan, held one of my hands, cheered me on and consistently gave me water through a straw. My husband was even more of a rock star at this point. He did whatever I asked and stayed by my side, rubbing my back, holding my hand, and encouraging the crap out of me.

My contractions were getting so intense. I was to the point where I thought I couldn’t do it. I wanted to give up. In my mind I kept saying “Don’t ask for drugs” and “If they offer any drugs you have to say no”. My husband and our midwives just kept encouraging me. I stood at the side of the hospital bed. It was time to start pushing. Every contraction I would crouch down, push, put my face into a pillow and screamed my lungs out. Every break I would stand up, breath and drink some water. Another contraction happened, and the doctor told me that she could see the head and it was full of hair. Another contraction and Baby T popped out. The doctor grabbed my hand and put them around Baby T as she started to come out. I pulled her up to my chest.

February 28, 2017, 3:45 am

She was here. She was here! It was so calm, having her in my arms. The hard part was over, and my baby girl was here.

This is my birth story.

Was your birth anything like you expected it to be? Did you have any surprises?