I gave birth on 6/27 at 40w4d with my 4th baby, second son.
Tried to be patient and enjoyed everyday after my due date by sleeping late and playing with my kids.
At around 5am I began having contractions in bed. My husband and I play Diablo 4 so I kept having dreams that my “mana bubble” would deplete through each contraction then refill at the end, only to deplete again through the next contraction. Labor dreams are weird.
By 7:30am I was up and getting ready for the day then lost my mucus plug. Continued to have contractions more intense and closer together. Told my husband to get up and start getting ready. I told him I would have my tea, do yoga, put on makeup and then we would leave for the birth center. He says ok and goes back to sleep.
I make tea, do my yoga, then do my makeup and finally ready to go. I’m having trouble ignoring the contractions at this point. They’re 45 seconds long and less than 5 minutes apart.
I tell him we need to go. Thankfully his mom is here but he’s still cooking bacon and nothing is in the car. So I start bringing our stuff to the door and he finally realizes “oh she’s serious”.
I keep my hand held fan on my face and my waterproof birth comb around my wrist continuously breathing through contractions.
San Diego traffic was terrible at 9 am
It takes nearly an hour in traffic to get to the birth center. I keep my headphones in with my rain sleep meditation podcast on. Trying to stay relaxed and calm and let my body do it’s thing. Fan on the face and comb in my hand.
We get there around 10am and I have to ask the valet to wait to open the door to finish the contraction. They’re a little over a minute long and less than 3 minutes apart.
They offer a wheelchair but I decline. I know I need to keep moving if I don’t want to stall the labor. I’m nearly in spirit world when I check in. I literally just give them my whole wallet because I couldn’t focus on pulling out my ID lol
When I walk back to my room I ask if the tub works and they say yes would you like to use it? I say “yes please right now” so it starts getting filled. I take off my dress and put on my swim top ditching bottoms all together. Then I empty my bladder before they ask to check me.
I’m 5cm but I’m not worried about that. I know what I feel. Sounds are low like a cow and I make a blowing with my lips. No high pitched noises, I know that tenses up my body.
I get into the tub and labor a bit with my belly up
and then remember the hammock principle and flip over so my belly hangs in the water.
Within 5 minutes of moving I feel my water break like a water balloon of pressure releasing. The water is clear and I tell the nurse “my water just broke -standby!” I know things are about to get intense.
They get me out of the tub.
It’s 11:15 and I’m 9cm. Feeling the heat down there. I squat on the birth stool my husband supporting me from behind (he literally just air squatted the whole time haha) ring of Fire is literal 🔥 but I know this is the end so I refuse to give up. I just take it slow. Breathing and low moans only. I ask them politely not to tell me to push, my body will push when it’s ready.
The midwife uses a warm compress on my perineum while the nurse reminds me that it’s called the ring of fire. That’s when I have my first outburst. “I know what it’s called MAM! Please stop talking!” Lol
Don’t worry I remember to apologize at the end.
By 11:25am baby boy is out and on my chest. I get off the birth stool and they allow the placenta to be pushed out with his cord still attached.
No rips, no tears, no scratches. Roughly 6 hours start to finish.
I decline the routine pitocin as I’ve had it every time before and I wanted to avoid the intense after birth pains this time around. Well- ended up not being the best choice as I began to hemorrhage and clot.
It went from a nurse and midwife in a calm no lights environment to suddenly a room filled with scrubs, bright lights and machines. An ultrasound machine shows a few big clots so a doctor literally gloves up and puts a full arm up in me to sweep my uterus. It’s painful but I don’t scream. I try to breath and keep baby safe on my chest. They sweep 4 times each time a gush comes out when she removes her arm.
They put in an IV missing my vein a few times first. I get pitocin AND antibiotics since there was literally just an arm inside me.
Recovery was still quick and I’ve had less after birth bleeding than ever before, probably because it was physically removed from me lol
We were home in less than 24 hours.
If I do it again, I won’t decline the after birth pitocin.
Baby was 7lb 12oz and 19 inches.
The nurse said with tears in her eyes that she’s never seen a more beautiful peaceful birth. Granted it felt like I just walked through fire my husband said I made it look easy.
I credit it to breathing, staying calm, knowing the only way out is through, my birth comb, the fan on my face and the grace of God.
“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request which I asked of Him. Therefore I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And they worshiped the Lord there.”
1 Samuel 1:27-28 AMP
