Story's Birth Story
I woke up on September 9th to very light cramping. After about an hour, I realized they were contractions and they were about 20 minutes apart. When Doug woke up, I told him that today was the day. So I went back to timing contractions and began sewing for my final for my Monday class. I spent most of the morning and afternoon sewing a purse while contracting about ever 8 to 10 minutes. I tried to sit still so that I could space them out and not get them closer until I was done sewing. When I finally finished my project, I got up to take a shower and immediately, as if my body knew, my contractions got closer to every 5 to 7 minutes. So I finished packing, made arrangements for the boys to stay with their grandma and left for Target and then the hospital.
In the car, the contractions were about every 4 or 5 minutes. We went to Target to get some last minute things. The cashier was so freaked out that I was there in labor. I told her I was fine just needed to breathe through them but she looked so scared for me. Haha. Afterwards, we arrived at the hospital around 8pm and met up with my photographer, Roberta. I was taken back to triage first where I was contracting every 2 to 3 minutes. I told the nurse I didn't want to change into a gown though because I didn't think I was that far along yet since it didn't really hurt yet. When my midwife checked me though I was already 100% thinned out and I was already at 8cm! That was surprising to me, the midwife and the nurse who couldn't believe that I was already that far along since I was still walking around and joking. So I was admitted and taken to a labor room.
I immediately gave my nurse my birth plan and explained that I did not want any interventions unless it was an emergency. She was excited to have an easy patient so she left me alone. My midwife asked if I wanted an IV which I said no so she asked if I would take a Hep Loc and I said no to that as well so she said okay make sure you drink plenty of liquids and I told her that I had made Labor Aid and she said perfect. Doug set up my diffuser with Clary Sage and Lavender and I got to walking around the room. I honestly didn't want to lay down or sit almost the entire time so the nurse would just check Story's heartbeat once an hour for like 5 minutes while I stood. I walked and walked for a couple hours. I joked around with Doug and Roberta and told Roberta about my past births and so on. She was so impressed with how well I was laboring. Just before midnight or so, I was finally starting to feel really intense pressure and I finally couldn't speak through the contractions so I asked the midwife to check me. She did and I was still an 8 but she was really low so I got back up and continued walking. They got really intense and I was hanging onto Doug during a contraction when I realized I was pushing without thinking, I knew this was it so we had the nurse come in and she got me onto the bed and I had a huge contraction that broke my water. I always thought when I saw movies where the water splash across the room by the gallons, that was some kind of exaggeration but it's not!! My water flew across the floor, easily 4 to 5 feet and almost got the nurse wet. It spilled over the bed though and got her legs and feet wet. She ended up taking a shower. Once my water broke, I felt her immdiately descending. I didn't want to birth on my back but I couldn't turn around onto all fours because she was so low and in the canal so I got to my side and pushed that way instead. Within 15 minutes, I felt the ring of fire and she was out! Her cord was wrapped around her neck twice so the midwife had me hold off pushing and she unwrapped the cord twice and then prompted me to push and Story came right out. I couldn't believe how fast things progressed this time!! My first took 2 and half hours of pushing and my second son was quicker at 45 minutes but this was insanely short! Story Luna Amelia was born at 00:46 weighing 8lbs 7oz and long like her brother at 21 inches. She was also covered in the most vernix I have ever seen!!! She was completely white and cheesy!! I told the nurses I wanted to rub it all in so I rubbed most of it in and even got some on my face, so I rubbed that in as well.
While she was on my chest, my midwife waited for her cord to turn stark white before having Doug cut the cord. Within 30 minutes with the help of no medications whatsoever, I birthed the placenta intact. Then Doug got my placenta boxed up and iced for the Placenta lady, Amanda. Story stayed with me while I got a couple stitches. I got another very light 2nd degree tear just like Hurricane. Hurt a little getting stitched up but other than that, I never had any real pain with these stitches or healing. I'm two weeks post partum and I would never have known if my midwife didn't tell me. After about 90 minutes, Story passed her first bowel movement on me so we both got cleaned up and she was weighed and measured. I then got up and into the wheelchair to transfer over to the recovery unit. It was surprisingly easy to get up and walked after birth this time. We got settled into our room and spent the day welcoming family and loving our little girl. The nurse offered me motrin once but I declined and she said I was the most laid back, easy patient she ever had. I was discharged the very next morning and I was back at class the next morning for Finals. Story came into this world with no drugs or medications and she left the hospital with any vaccines, Vitamin K, eye ointment or the heel prick. She picked up breastfeeding easy peasy, no latch issues, no pain and my milk came in on day 2. I've already begun to pump to stash milk away for her and my friend who may need milk to supplement for her son when he gets here in November. Story has gained weight beautifully and barely makes a peep. She is the perfect baby to end my pregnant years. Recovery has been a breeze, I've been up and about since she got here finishing my school work and she sleeps throught he night easily 90% of the time. I am very blessed and I am very proud to say that I have had three beautiful medication free births. Each one was different but I'm damn proud of them all.
In the car, the contractions were about every 4 or 5 minutes. We went to Target to get some last minute things. The cashier was so freaked out that I was there in labor. I told her I was fine just needed to breathe through them but she looked so scared for me. Haha. Afterwards, we arrived at the hospital around 8pm and met up with my photographer, Roberta. I was taken back to triage first where I was contracting every 2 to 3 minutes. I told the nurse I didn't want to change into a gown though because I didn't think I was that far along yet since it didn't really hurt yet. When my midwife checked me though I was already 100% thinned out and I was already at 8cm! That was surprising to me, the midwife and the nurse who couldn't believe that I was already that far along since I was still walking around and joking. So I was admitted and taken to a labor room.
I immediately gave my nurse my birth plan and explained that I did not want any interventions unless it was an emergency. She was excited to have an easy patient so she left me alone. My midwife asked if I wanted an IV which I said no so she asked if I would take a Hep Loc and I said no to that as well so she said okay make sure you drink plenty of liquids and I told her that I had made Labor Aid and she said perfect. Doug set up my diffuser with Clary Sage and Lavender and I got to walking around the room. I honestly didn't want to lay down or sit almost the entire time so the nurse would just check Story's heartbeat once an hour for like 5 minutes while I stood. I walked and walked for a couple hours. I joked around with Doug and Roberta and told Roberta about my past births and so on. She was so impressed with how well I was laboring. Just before midnight or so, I was finally starting to feel really intense pressure and I finally couldn't speak through the contractions so I asked the midwife to check me. She did and I was still an 8 but she was really low so I got back up and continued walking. They got really intense and I was hanging onto Doug during a contraction when I realized I was pushing without thinking, I knew this was it so we had the nurse come in and she got me onto the bed and I had a huge contraction that broke my water. I always thought when I saw movies where the water splash across the room by the gallons, that was some kind of exaggeration but it's not!! My water flew across the floor, easily 4 to 5 feet and almost got the nurse wet. It spilled over the bed though and got her legs and feet wet. She ended up taking a shower. Once my water broke, I felt her immdiately descending. I didn't want to birth on my back but I couldn't turn around onto all fours because she was so low and in the canal so I got to my side and pushed that way instead. Within 15 minutes, I felt the ring of fire and she was out! Her cord was wrapped around her neck twice so the midwife had me hold off pushing and she unwrapped the cord twice and then prompted me to push and Story came right out. I couldn't believe how fast things progressed this time!! My first took 2 and half hours of pushing and my second son was quicker at 45 minutes but this was insanely short! Story Luna Amelia was born at 00:46 weighing 8lbs 7oz and long like her brother at 21 inches. She was also covered in the most vernix I have ever seen!!! She was completely white and cheesy!! I told the nurses I wanted to rub it all in so I rubbed most of it in and even got some on my face, so I rubbed that in as well.
While she was on my chest, my midwife waited for her cord to turn stark white before having Doug cut the cord. Within 30 minutes with the help of no medications whatsoever, I birthed the placenta intact. Then Doug got my placenta boxed up and iced for the Placenta lady, Amanda. Story stayed with me while I got a couple stitches. I got another very light 2nd degree tear just like Hurricane. Hurt a little getting stitched up but other than that, I never had any real pain with these stitches or healing. I'm two weeks post partum and I would never have known if my midwife didn't tell me. After about 90 minutes, Story passed her first bowel movement on me so we both got cleaned up and she was weighed and measured. I then got up and into the wheelchair to transfer over to the recovery unit. It was surprisingly easy to get up and walked after birth this time. We got settled into our room and spent the day welcoming family and loving our little girl. The nurse offered me motrin once but I declined and she said I was the most laid back, easy patient she ever had. I was discharged the very next morning and I was back at class the next morning for Finals. Story came into this world with no drugs or medications and she left the hospital with any vaccines, Vitamin K, eye ointment or the heel prick. She picked up breastfeeding easy peasy, no latch issues, no pain and my milk came in on day 2. I've already begun to pump to stash milk away for her and my friend who may need milk to supplement for her son when he gets here in November. Story has gained weight beautifully and barely makes a peep. She is the perfect baby to end my pregnant years. Recovery has been a breeze, I've been up and about since she got here finishing my school work and she sleeps throught he night easily 90% of the time. I am very blessed and I am very proud to say that I have had three beautiful medication free births. Each one was different but I'm damn proud of them all.
