Pregnancy
My first pregnancy with my daughter Lily was pretty uneventful. I had no complications during my pregnancy and was fairly low stress minus having to work full-time as an army nurse. But I believe you should hear the wohle story so, here is Lily’s birth story.
My husband was deployed starting early on in my pregnancy for a six month deployment overseas. We knew he was going to be gone for this deployment and we had planned our pregnancy around it!
His deployment schedule was he was gone for 6 months but was home for 1 year at least in between. We decided we wanted him to be home for the birth and first year of her life over having him home for the pregnancy! Thankfully we were able to get pregnant before he left and he was able to come back a few weeks early!
He got home when I was 36 weeks pregnant. I had no worries that I was going to have my baby early, but with this being our first baby, we wanted to be on the safe side. We also wanted to get ready together before she made her big entrance!
When he came home, we did plan to take maternity photos where we got married. about three hours from our home. My husband was so worried that I was going to go into labor that he had packed a go bag with so much stuff just in case I went into labor, and we had to rush back.
Not surprisingly I did not have my baby at 37 weeks pregnant, shocking, I know. We got out maternity photos and were able to spend out anniversary together in the mountains.
I didn’t end up going into labor until up when I was 40 weeks and one day. So we had lots of times to get prepared.
Birth Anxiety
Leading up to my birth I was getting a little anxious because I had had a lot of SPD pain during my pregnancy that was pretty painful and uncomfortable that limited to how comfortable I was able to sleep and do certain movements. This made me worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle the pain associated with labor. My friends reassured me that I would be fine and that SPD thing is nothing like labor. the day before I ended up going into labor, I had a bit of a cry session about my SPD pain. My friend told me to take a warm bath, listen to some guided meditation, and try to get some good sleep.
Labor Begins!!!
Early Early Labor
To my surprise, I woke up at around 230-3AM having some contractions and I was so excited. I was unable to continue to sleep, all not sure if it was related to just me being very excited, or if it was the discomfort of the contractions.
Hi got into the bath and I started listening to my Hypnobirthing tapes and started texting my family. My dad was working night shift as a Security guard at our local veteran hospital and texted my mom to go check on me. my mom stopped in to see how I was doing and made me a snack.
During this time, I texted my friend who I knew it was working and she advised me to take some Tylenol and Benadryl and try to go back to sleep. She did not think it was time and advice that I try to get some rest before labor send it to progress. Gina was asleep during this time and I did not want to wake her up because I didn’t think i was far enough along. I told my husband that he might have to skip work that day as we might be having a baby. didn’t think it was going to happen that day, but I didn’t want him to go to work and then have to come back and get us. So, My husband decided to stay home from work.
After taking the Tylenol & Benadryl and laying back down, I napped for about five hours, and woke up to no more contractions.
After I woke up from my nap, we went and got lunch and then we went for a walk after I ate it. the contractions started to Increase during the walk, but it was never super bad.
As the day progressed on, my contractions slowly started to pick up throughout the evening. We started to make dinner to help me remain distracted, and while we were making dinner, my dog decided to have her first seizure. Understandably so, my labor stopped as I freaked out over her having a seizure. We called the local emergency vet and they told us to just continue to monitor her. After she seemed to be herself again, my contractions started to pick up a lot more and I got back into the shower.
After being in the shower until my hot water ran out, this was probably around one or 2 AM at this point. My husband decided maybe we should think about going to the hospital just in case because he didn’t want to drive 45 minutes after being awake for over 24 hours.
Triage Visit #1: Sadness
When we arrived at the hospital, they told me that I was a whole one centimeters and I was devastated. Afterwards, they told me I was 100% effaced and all of the work that I have been doing over the past 24 hours did all of that. It still did not help me feel better about it. My midwife offered a membrane stripping and I went from 1 cm to 3 cm just from that membrane strip.
They advised me to walk around the hospital for an hour or two and then come back and be checked if things progress, if not to come back to the hospital later in the day.
Early Labor Continues...
We walked around the hospital for maybe 30 minutes to an hour before I decided I really wanted to try to take a nap because I was exhausted. so we walk to the car to try to take a nap. Surprisingly I did not take a nap, but my husband and Gina did.
After a few hours of attempting to take a nap, I realized it was going to be unsuccessful. At this point the sun was up, so Patrick, my husband and Gina were awake and we made the plan to go up to labor and delivery just to be rechecked and if I was far enough along to be admitted to do that or just go home.
My mother had came to the hospital, but she did not walk around with us or come back to the car with us. She was upstairs in the labor and delivery waiting room, taking a nap in a room that the lights do not turn off. Which was pretty hilarious to walk up to.
As we were walking to go, check back into labor and delivery. We ran into Gina’s birth Doula from her first birth, who told us that labor and delivery was still very busy. She did not think that I was far enough along from how I was acting and advised me to go home. So we went home.
Back Home to Labor
We probably got home around seven 7:30 AM and I tried to take the Tylenol and Benadryl again to see if I can take a nap. I got into the bath because that was really helpful before but the contractions started to pick up as I was in the back and I was unable to take a nap. I remember being very sad when the contraction would start.
After a while of being in the bathtub, I decided that it’s probably best to get out and try another position. Gina had came to check on me in the bath and help me move into the bed, and I really supported position with a ton of pillows. My husband then came and lay next to me to help provide support while Gina went to go check on the gym, because I still seemed like I was in early labor.
After Gina left, my contractions started to pick back up. After getting out of the bathtub I never put the tens unit back on, which was really helpful for my back labor. I sent my husband running to get the tens unit. It was only able to continue laying in the bed for one more contraction after he put it back on.
Panic...active labor hit
At this point, I started to freak out a bit. I got onto the toilet for a few contractions because it was very comfortable. I attempted to check myself, but it meant nothing because my brain cannot process how far dilated I was.
My husband calls my sister, Gina, to come back because he’s unsure how to support me at this time.
I start pacing around my house in circles unsure what to do until Gina gets back a few mins later.
Transition...
Gina comes running back and sees me walking circles around our house and I tell her that I feel this pressure in my butt but not like I have to poop.
I get onto the toilet because that was comfortable before and feel something coming out. I’m not sure what it is. I asked Gina to look but she has zero idea what she’s looking at.
In hindsight, when I think about this moment, I know that it was my amniotic sac bulging, and it was probably a good idea to go to the hospital at this time.
I do not vocalizes or mentally process this, because I do not wanna get into that car and drive the 45 minutes to the hospital. In my mind I had convinced myself, I could just have the baby here because it is seemed like a better idea than getting into the car while in labor.
My husband and Gina were frantically getting the car prepared with all of our stuff again while I panic walked in circles in our front lawn. This was around 930 and I only know this because we have a video from our ring camera with the timestamp.
Gina and my husband eventually throw me into the car and start the drive.
Car Ride to the Hospital
During the car ride to the hospital I started to bear down uncontrollably from the pressure that I was feeling. I had no idea what was happening to my body and it felt very overwhelming. This might have been around 10/15mins into the drive.
Gina asks me “Are you pushing??!!” which I then respond with “I don’t know, I have no idea what is even happening right now!!!”
Gina then texts my friend who I was suppose to be working with in Triage, “On our way back in, she’s definitely in labor. Feels her bag of water bulging” To let them know we were coming. Thankfully we did this though because they got a triage bed ready for me!
After a few contractions of me panicking, Gina grabs me and helps me focus on my breathing to help me focus and not add to the pushes…so we do not have a car baby!!
We had our baby in a military hospital because I was active duty military, so we have to go through a security gate where they make sure we belong there.
Sometimes they do security checks where they inspect your car to make sure you aren’t bringing in anything you shouldn’t be. I was SOOO worried the whole drive that we were gonna get to the gate and we would be picked for an inspection and I was going to have my baby at the gate. THANKFULLY, they did not need to one and we go to the hospital quickly!
Hospital Arrival!
Once we pulled up to the front doors of the hospital, Gina ran out of the car to grab a wheelchair. While I slowly moved towards the door to start walking up to Labor and Delivery.
When she came back my husband was helping me out of the car and she said “get in!” and directed my husband to push me up to labor and delivery. I respond with “I can walk, I am fine” Forgetting that I was JUST bearing down in the car. I was convinced I was fine and could walk, I didn’t want to be the person who showed up the LND in a wheelchair and end up being like 5cm.
Gina refused and said it was for speed purposes, not because I was incapable. Begrudgingly I get into the wheelchair and we start the quick trip to LND.
I could not sit in the wheelchair normally, because of the pressure I had in my perineum. I had to sit on one butt cheek, which as a labor nurse I know is a good sign baby is close!
Once we go to LND, I remember being greeted by the charge nurse and told they have a triage bed 5 ready for me! I JUMP and speed walk to triage bed 5. She joked later, have never seen someone walk so fast for being 10cm dilated.
Triage Visit #2
Once I was in triage walking to bed 5, I remember saying to my friend “I better not be 5cm” to which she responded “You are definitely not 5cm!”
The midwife came into the room to check my cervix and happily exclaims that “You have a bulging bag and I feel no cervix!” Everyone then started getting everything ready for me to be admitted to the hospital. She asks if I wanted my midwife at the birth and I nodded. She went to call her to tell her I was 10cm!
My husband texts Gina, “They say she’s ready” To which gina responds “Complete?! 10cm???”
As they were getting a gown and all the stuff ready to get me admitted, a contraction hits and my water breaks everywhere. The nurse calmly says, “meconium” to which I panic internally! My husband then responds to Gina’s panic texts with “The just said she’s completely there and the water just broke?” Gina thinking of my want for birth photos responds “Can we come take photos?” because priorities!
At this time they decide to just get me into a room so they weren’t having a baby in triage. The roll me in the triage bed to Labor room 5! At this time Gina, my mom, and our birth photographer joins us in the labor room…I then begin to actively push!
Pushing
I try pushing in a few different positions but nothing feels rights. My midwife asks when the last time I went to the bathroom was and I said I felt like I needed to pee. So she said I can go sit on the toilet to push and try to pee!
I think i sat on the toilet for a few contractions before I started to feel a difference in Lilys position in my pelvis. At this time is when my midwife advised getting back into the bed.
Once on the bed, she offered to check to see how I was doing. She noticed that I had an anterior lip that she could try holding back while I pushed. I pushed a few contractions before the anterior lip disappeared. That was when Lily really started to descend with pushes!
Lily finally started to crown and we could see her head with pushes but it was still quite a few more pushes before she was finally born. I swear she crowned for like 10 mins, but im sure it was less than that in actuality.
Lily FINALLY arrives!!!
After around 45mins- 1 hour of pushing Lily finally joined us!! I felt SUCH a relief to see her beautiful chunky face in my arms!
She was placed directly skin to skin with me and we left the cord attached for as long as the cord was pulsating! My husband got to cut the cord, and I always joke with him that I saw him wipe away a tear when she joined us. My husband is not an emotional man, and does not like to show his emotions around others. So it was very heartwarming to see and know this moment was just as big for him as it was for me!
We did have a respiratory therapist come to check her out to make sure that she was okay with the meconium present and because she was making certain sounds that alerted me that maybe something was wrong. They took her to the warmer while they did my laceration repair (I had a 2nd degree tear). He said she was fine and looked great! I was very appreciative that he came to look at her though!
After she was done with the respiratory therapist they gave her to Patrick to hold for the first time while my midwife finished up the repair. It was so amazing to see him hold our daughter for the first time. His face just light up and it was just so amazing to see.
After they finished with my repair, My husband handed Lily back to me to do her first feed! This is when everything calmed down and everyone left the room for it to just me my family and I to bond with Lily!
Thoughts
The main protagonist of my daughter’s birth story is me, even though she is the main hero. My birth experience was so amazing and more than I ever could have thought! My birth team was amazing, my midwife was able to come because it was her lunch hour. I loved my nurse, and the day I delivered it was the team of nurses I normally worked with! It couldn’t have been more perfect!
My family team of my husband, Gina, and my mom was soo helpful to have there to support me! They all did everything I needed from them to help support me and comfort me during labor.
We learned so much over the previous 2 years since Gina’s birth that I think we were able to implement in my birth to make it different. I felt so empowered but also heard by everyone!
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