Emma's Natural Birth Story (long)

irishwife714 · February 2013

My EDD was 2/11/13 and on 2/12 I went in for my 40 week checkup. I decided to have the midwife check and see if I had dilated at all. I was 1cm, 70% effaced and at a -1 station. It really didn?t give me too much information. I went home and my DH went to work. When my DH got home we talked about all the tips people had given us to induce labor. I ate pineapple, we had eggplant parmesan for dinner the night before. I walked on the treadmill two nights in a row. I galloped around the living room, we danced, we had sex. Around 8:30pm I felt contractions but they were similar to ones I had already felt throughout the last week and they were 20 minutes apart from each other. My husband was more optimistic and reassured me we were in labor. Around midnight I agreed. The contractions we much more intense and closer together and we were having to work through them with more effort. My contractions felt like period cramps multiplied by 100 and instead of just being in my back they wrapped around the front as well. I labored the entire time on my knees with my arms and face on the exercise ball. My husband pressed hard on my back at the same time.

We had practiced the Bradley Method and were going by the emotional signposts. Bradley Method says that if I?m still smiling it?s not time to go to the hospital yet. Every few hours he would test me and I?d give him a little smile. By 5:00am, even though I could still smile I knew that I wanted to go the hospital. He was unsure and felt like they would send us home. I knew we had to go.

We got to the hospital and they put us in triage to monitor me before they would admit me. This was the worst part for me. I was contracting very frequently, including in the bathroom while trying to collect a urine sample and change into the gown. I left the sample in the bathroom. I was oblivious to everything other than my contractions. They hooked me up to the monitor and I had to lie on the bed for what felt like forever. I had just labored for hours being able to move around and now I was stuck in bed. It was complete and utter torture. They asked a million questions and I had to sign forms?I didn?t care about any of it. My goal was working through each contraction. My midwife finally appeared and checked to see how far dilated I was. I was 9cm and she said ?I think we?ll admit you now.?

I got to the delivery room and it didn?t take long before I felt like she was on her way and I was ready to push. I labored on my hands and knees but now I didn?t want any help from my husband. Except that he was there reminding me to breathe. Eventually I flipped over and got into a laying squat position. Each time I pushed with the contraction there was no pain but I was so exhausted it took everything I had to push. They gave me an oxygen mask because (as my husband told me later) I was starting to hyperventilate. I pushed for 1.5 hours and by the end I was getting frustrated that I was working so hard and she wasn?t there.

My husband helped catch her and placed her on my stomach. I kept saying, ?She?s here. She?s here.? I held her and gave a couple more pushes to expel the placenta. Then held her some more while the midwife stitched me up. I had a 2nd degree tear and a hemorrhoid pop up.

I labored for 15 hours and had the all natural birth we had planned. Emma was born at 10:40am on 2/13/13. The nurses were blown away that I walked into the hospital at 9cm. I?m still blown away by the entire experience and can still play it back in my mind. I will never forget it and can?t wait to share the story with my beautiful daughter someday.