Baby J’s Birth Story

Well earlier that week I realized if my first born was 11 days postdate it was very likely my kids would all enjoy some extra time in the womb. At least that’s what I concluded.

Pregnancy insomnia at this point didn’t let me sleep until about midnight, and Thursday night (day before J’s due date) I was also in the middle of an impromptu Q&A for a postpartum class I was finishing up. I finally laid down around midnight and was awakened around 3:30 by the same annoying “contractions” I had around 37 weeks. I was annoyed because I couldn’t lay in bed, so I decided to draw a bath. While in the bath they didn’t stop, so I thought this might actually be something. Well while I timed them they were sporadic and inconsistent so I gave up and decided to clean since I was wide awake. I listened to the Hamilton soundtrack and deep cleaned the kitchen. And the bathroom. And took the trash out. And ran 2 loads of laundry. Finally around 6:40 I decided I’d go back to bed before my husband, Ryan, and S woke up.

Eventually I laid in bed, sent my contractions report to my midwife, Bethany, and explained the night I had. I also texted Ryan to tell him about the night I had, just so he wouldn’t wake me up and ask for my assistance and getting S ready for the day. Once 8am hit, I woke up with more contractions and decided to call my midwife and ask about getting checked. We decided to meet at the birth center since I was already going to be there for a cranial-sacral therapy appointment.

Thinking to myself I’ve hyped myself up, and knowing women rarely give birth on their due date, I decided to keep my hopes and expectations low. I asked Ryan where he thought I was and he predicted 3cm. So we get to the appointment around 10am and guess what? I was 3cm. However, I still didn’t care because I knew it could be a while until things really started happening. Most women labor and give birth at night, like I did with my first born, so the idea that I could be in labor during the day never crossed my mind. I told my midwife I didn’t believe labor was going to start until I lost my mucous plug or had bloody show, since that’s how it started with Samara, but she informed me that wouldn’t be the case with me this time.

I went to my CST appointment and kept having contractions and my doctor even felt baby drop even further! I was thankful for this session, because my pubic bone pain was getting quite unbearable. 

After the appointment we picked up lunch and called my birth photographer. She seemed to be under the impression I was having this baby today, and I just let her think that because I was still in denial that I could have a baby 11 days sooner than my first born AND it be on their exact due date! Listening to her get excited made me excited, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around our child coming into the world on that exact day.

When we got home, we ate lunch, watch Parks &  Rec and I went to take a nap. While napping I got a FaceTime from my sister, talked to her, then finally try to nap, only for my contractions to become more intense; so I call Ryan from his office to come support me. He decided to time my contractions while he communicated with Bethany. I start to lose bits of my mucous plug, so I started thinking this must actually be something. Ryan left to get S and I called him with more intense contractions. When he returned, my midwife decided it was time to come and we called our friend, Lexi, to come over and keep S company. 

While waiting for everyone to arrive, Ryan followed me as I bounced from the toilet, yoga ball, squatting, and the bed trying to find a comfortable spot. The toilet was most comfortable, but in return brought the most intense contractions (hence the nickname dilation station). Ryan would hug me during the contractions and then help me back up as I attempted another position. 

Once Bethany arrived around 5:30, she checked me and confirmed I was in active labor teetering between 5-6cm. We finally called my birth photographer to head on over. 

At this time I started trying to make a game plan with Ryan. I was talking to Ryan thinking if I dilated a centimeter an hour I still had more time, so I needed to get comfortable. I pulled out my TENS machine and sat on the yoga ball while Ryan read some birth affirmations to me so I could get ready for the next 4-5 hours. However, the contractions continued to get more intense and I resulted to standing or sitting on the toilet. Around 6:30, I decided to get in the bath tub. It was very short lived (if you know the story of my first born, you know I’m bitter towards water). I had one contraction in the bathtub and had to get out. I ended up just standing in the bathtub while contractions came faster and even stronger. 

After a while, I looked at the clock and saw it was after 7pm. I was growing weary because I just didn’t believe I could do this for several more hours, so I told myself (or Ryan, can’t remember) that I was having this baby before 8pm. I was over it. While I wasn’t in ‘pain’ I was uncomfortable and ready to feel more productive. Nothing felt like my first labor, so I just felt like things couldn’t be as far, or ‘right’.

At this point everything intensified and I became weepy, wondering how I could do this any longer because nothing felt comfortable; all I could do was pace my bedroom, keep my jaw loose, and deeply groan through each contraction. Finally I felt baby drop even lower and had a ligament pull that required me to lean back. So Ryan sat in a chair and I leaned back on him while on my knees. I felt relief but my legs fell asleep, so I lifted on leg up while leaning into Ryan. Before I knew it I felt urges to push. The feeling of pushing was so satisfying it calmed me down and in less than ten minutes, and in four pushes, I had my baby girl at 7:51pm! They pulled me to the bed and I bursted into tears with the most relief I’ve ever felt in my life. I cried realizing my rainbow baby was indeed earthside. I cried knowing God was so gracious to allow us to have this baby, and I was holding her. Me and baby J laid in bed while she nursed for two hours before we did any weighing, burning of the cord, or anything! 

Again, I must shout out the best doula dad out there, Ryan. Thanks to this being such a short labor, he never left my side and kept me focused when I was even losing my cool. 

It was a fast and furious ride and I am so thankful for this wonderful gift God blessed us with. 

Looking back at my birth, I spent a lot of it in denial that I could have her ‘on time’ and birth could be so different from the first, but so many things were different from the first! I am just thankful that I surrendered to the process instead of fighting it.

Baby J // July 31 // 7:51pm // 8 pounds // 21 inches