Some of our clients enjoy sharing their birth stories or photography in order to encourage and inspire others. We hope you enjoy this amazing birth story from one our clients. We love her family and their story!
The day Louis was born was the most incredible day of my life.
My water broke at 9 am two days before he arrived. I was excited but tried to relax and assumed labor would start soon. We had an appointment with my midwife scheduled that day anyway, so we went to see her, and then started trying to get labor going. For two whole days we tried everything. Jacob (my husband) and I walked for miles, I lunged, walked curbs, drank red raspberry leaf tea, rubbed clary sage on my belly, bounced on a birth ball, used a breast pump, had multiple chiropractic adjustments, and went to see an acupuncturist. We tried everything my team could think of.
Coming up on 36 hours after my water had broken we decided to do my first cervical check. I was dilated to a 2. A two! I felt so incredibly defeated. If my midwife (under supervision) Susan started to sweat at that point she hid it well and was positive and encouraging. As soon as she left I flopped down on my bed and told Jacob I was done. He coaxed me into the bathtub, tried to get me to relax, and I cried. I told him my body didn’t work. He listened, and I saw his internal struggle between giving me what I was asking for and taking me to the hospital then, or fighting for what he knew I wanted and not letting me give up. He didn’t let me give up. I’m forever grateful.
That night I slept between painful contractions, and woke up still pregnant, knowing that 48 hours with my water broken would mean a change of plans. We’d be going to the hospital that morning.
On the way to the birth center to talk to my midwife we were swiped by a car that came across two lanes of traffic and hit us. I labored through contractions as I called 911, and my husband had to convince multiple officers and an ambulance not to take me, and after exchanging info and giving a police report we drove away and finally made it to the birth center.
We talked with my midwife, and decided that the plan for an out of hospital birth would have to change now, we’d be going to the hospital. I tried not to dwell in that thought too much, because it was the hospital where I’d had a cesarean 18 months before. I’m so grateful for amazing providers, and Katie Hopkins is one of the best. She was so patient and flexible with me.
Once we were settled in we discussed how to get labor moving forward, and decided to try a foley bulb, but when she went to place it she discovered I was dilated to a 6! I was shocked. My body was actually working! We decided to walk the halls for a little bit, try to see if labor would naturally pick up. I kept asking my doula Maria “what do I need to do? What do we do now?” and she encouraged me so much. A few hours later there was no progress.
We were hitting 54 hours after my water was broken. We decided to start a low dose of pitocin, what Katie called “just a whiff” to try to kick things into gear. My birth team stepped out to break for lunch, assuming when they got back we’d be in for a long haul. I felt my body change almost instantly. The contractions started picking up in intensity, and were right on top of each other. Twenty minutes later when my team came back I’m sure they were surprised to see me white knuckled clutching the side of the hospital bed. Before this the atmosphere was light hearted, I was up and about, lots of laughter and joking, but things were serious now.
I felt like moving and speaking were efforts I didn’t want to make at this point. Katie rubbed my hair and told me it was ok to cry, and I didn’t realize I had been. Every contraction Maria had to remind me to breathe and make low noises, I wanted to scream and cry and crawl up out of the sensations, but I had to sink into them, vocalize through them, move them down through my body, allow them to open my body up. I started to shake and shiver. I remembered that this was a sign of transition, but I didn’t want to ask if I was in transition, I’d only been on pitocin around an hour or so, and before that I was dilated to a 6. I didn’t want to be discouraged if this wasn’t the real deal.
It was.
I suddenly felt my body push. It was the most incredible feeling for my body to take over like that. I had the thought that I should tell someone I was pushing, but I couldn’t speak. Then I felt the instant urge to poop. Not push, poop. Let’s just say I’d eaten a lot of Torchy’s breakfast tacos over the last several days, and nothing had come out, so now that I felt I could I wanted to get up and go to the bathroom right then. I opened my eyes and looked at Susan and said “I need to poop!” but she was looking at Maria. I wanted to say “hello? Look at me! Unhook me so I can go to the bathroom!” but instead she rushed out of the room to get Katie. Then I knew the baby was coming.
I ripped off my underwear as Katie rushed in, and I heard her say I was complete and the baby was coming and call for a delivery table and gear. My whole body was forcing energy down, down to bring me my son. The sensation was so insanely intense, I knew I couldn’t do it for long, but I just thought if I can get him out I will be done. I wanted to be done! I pulled on Jacob for leverage and pushed with my whole being. Someone told me to reach down. There was his head! He was coming, I was giving birth! I cried out in disbelief. Feeling him there gave me a sense of urgency, I wanted him out NOW. I felt like an animal, primal urges taking over. I pushed him out and reached down to pull him up to my chest.
I did it.
I had done it.
I had a natural birth. A vaginal birth. After a cesarean. After 56 hours with my water broken. After less than 2 hours on pitocin. After 10 minutes of pushing. After feeling that my body was broken from heart surgery and a c-section and everything else we as women carry about our bodies. I gave birth to a beautiful little boy.
I did it. And it was incredible.
