MY Birth Stories

Since this is my first blog post, I figured this topic would be a great introductory story. I enjoy hearing others’ birth stories. Please write your story in the comments if you would like to share!

For context, I was 20 years old for my first labor and 25 for my second. Both of my daughters were born in a hospital. I had no birth education before birthing my first. My lack of knowledge and the surprise of what my body experienced during labor and postnatally is what inspired my interest in the role a doula plays. So I often re-analyze my labors, especially my first, to understand the interventions that I experienced. When I gave birth 8 months after my doula training, I felt empowered during labor compared to my first labor. I used what I had learned to facilitate my own birth. I greatly reduced my stress, anxiety, questions, push time, and tearing.

Here is a breakdown of my first and second labor…

My first labor (2019, 20yrs old): I got a membrane sweep at 39 weeks and 3 days for no reason other than I had been dilated 3 cm for the past 3 weeks before that appointment. My body seemed ready. My doctor offered a sweep. My husband (then boyfriend) and I thought, why not? I was swept at 3 pm on a Friday. I immediately felt off. The rest of the night, I skipped dinner and slept for 5 hours instead. When I woke up at 9 pm, I decided to take a bath because I was uncomfortable. I stayed in the bath until midnight (no idea why, I think I was just feeling that bad). An hour after I got out of the bath, I began to feel cramps as I was trying to sleep. The pain strengthened until I woke up my partner at 2 am with my crying. We called the night nurse. She gave me advice and reminded me what signs meant to head to the hospital. An hour later, my husband called it and started packing our bags for the hospital. We arrived at the hospital around 4 am.

I received the epidural around 10 am. I was told we were ready to push at noon. My baby was born at 12:18 pm that Saturday, just under 24 hours after my sweep. I pushed for 18 minutes. I believe I was ready to push when I did. I ended up with a second-degree natural tear, but I was fine with that. I labored on my back the entire time and pushed that way too. I had an epidural. I had no idea how to push so we tried so many different methods before my midwife suggested tug-o-war. She and I pulled at opposite ends of a bed sheet rolled up. That method made my body push the way they were trying to get me to do before. Looking back now with my doula knowledge, I wonder if I was made to push faster than I should have. I probably wouldn’t have torn at all if I had been told to relax, used proper breathing techniques, and let my baby naturally descend the birth canal in a different position. If I was pushing lying on my side, my pelvis more open, would I have torn as much?

My second labor (2024, 25yrs old): My last 6 weeks of pregnancy kept my entire family on the edge of our seats. At 32 weeks, I began to feel contractions while at work. The pregnancy was healthy and we had no indications of this happening. My OB told me to come into the office immediately. I was 3 cm dilated and about 50% effaced. I was shocked. She sent me straight to the hospital. Suddenly, after I was admitted, my contractions ended. This was a frustrating experience. I didn’t understand what triggered this and why it naturally ended conveniently after I was admitted into the hospital. The doctor suspected dehydration might’ve triggered contractions. They gave me steroids to quickly develop my daughter’s lungs in case she came early, gave me 1 bag of IV fluids, monitored me for a few more hours, then sent us home with an order to drink a ton of water and unofficial bed rest so as to not trigger labor any other way. From then on, I drank water like a fish and tried not to lift anything or walk much. I felt a lot better in general.

A week later, I was back in the hospital. My blood pressure suddenly dropped and I almost lost consciousness at work. After being evaluated, they figured this was most likely due to my diet! I ate a pop tart that morning. No protein. This was normal for me, but for some reason, that day it was not okay. I had no further contractions after that blip the week before and my cervix had not progressed further. So I was once again sent home with better diet suggestions.

These two weeks set me and my family on edge and everyone was convinced I would not make it to my due date. Luckily, nothing else happened. My cervix stayed at 3 cm until my 40th week when it became 4 cm dilated and about 70% effaced. At 39 weeks, I did accept another membrane sweep. Only because it worked last time! But it did not work the second time. I only had some spotting with period-like cramps.

I was annoyed that I walked into my OB office the next week, the day before my due date. Even with my doula training, knowing it was great and healthy that I was still pregnant, I was over the waiting. I just wanted to hold my baby in my arms. My baby was so far down in my pelvis that I was seriously waddling like a penguin. Everyone texted me every day, all day with the classic, “Did the baby come yet?”. I scheduled an induction for that Friday, the day after my due date. This was against my better judgment. But with my body showing all the signs that it was ready, I was convinced I just needed a little push (or more like my baby did!).

7 am, Friday morning, I was in the women’s hospital waiting room waiting to be admitted. Everything went calmly and smoothly. I got my IV, started pitocin, my body responded immediately. I labored with no pain until noon. My doctor came in to discuss my options. She told me she would like to break my water to get things really started. None of the women in my family have ever had their amniotic sacs naturally rupture, so this is an intervention I knew was going to happen. The main decision I needed to make was what to do first: rupture my sac or get the epidural. I was confident that I did not want to experience natural labor pains. Since my body historically progresses quickly, I decided to receive the epidural before breaking my water because if my body goes too quickly, I may not be able to get my epidural in time. My epidural was in, the doctor came back to break my water, and just as expected, my body was barreling towards the end! I think it was after that I asked my nurse to help me get the peanut ball in between my legs. I learned this combined with laying on my side could help speed things up by opening my pelvis during training.

Around 4:30 pm, someone must have checked me, but I don’t remember who. My nurse stayed in the room and we were told it was time to start pushing! I started labor on my back. I feel like I didn’t push right once again, so I think this is when I asked them to help me onto my left side so I could push that way. Only a few minutes later, my nurse told me to stop pushing, and called the doctor in over her headset. While we were waiting, my husband started up his dad jokes. I am a sucker for my husband’s goofy humor, so I was laughing. This is a 10/10 recommendation for laboring! Laughing does the same job as pushing. My laughs were helping the baby descend more so my nurse told me to try not to laugh until the doctor was there to catch the baby. The doctor ran in, we told her the dad joke, I giggled and my baby was born at 4:58 pm. I pushed for 13 minutes. I barely tore, she gave me one stitch just cause it was barely bleeding.

Fun facts: My baby was born on September, Friday the 13th, my labor room was #13, I got my IV at 9:13 am (9/13/24), I pushed for 13 minutes (yes, my nurse calculated this after the birth because she was here for the theme), my birthday is in April and 4+9=13. These were all the 13s we could find, but this tickled us and made it feel meant to be, even though it was a scheduled induction.

That was my experience! I love the labor process. I think birth is very beautiful. I am excited to continue my doula education, facilitate more births, advocate for first-time birthers, and help my clients make informed decisions about their labor so they can laugh out a baby too!