This is a list of birth stories from women who want to share their experience. I hope these stories are encouraging, inspiring and anything else YOU need them to be :)
- I'll start with my second birthing experience. My daughter Anabelle Hope you enjoy!
- Here is Gavins Story
This story is of my sweet nephew Ty:
- "My first child was born via C-section. She was frank breech with her little bum nestled snuggly in my pelvis and her feet tucked by her ears. My doctor said that it was safer to deliver her Ceasearan and so that's what we did. The surgery went fine and recovery was quick. I spent three days in a hospital (the food wasn't all that bad)and the nurses were helpful. I didn't need any pain medication after I left the hospital and I recovered completely with no side effects.
My son was another story. Conceived 7 years later and after I had learned a lot more about natural child birth I decided to have a home birth, but that's where the problem arose. The hospitals in my area all but refused to deliver V-BAC's (vaginal birth after cesarean). The reasons were mostly unfounded concerns based around uterus rupture. Although I wonder if it was more to do with the price tag that was more than double for a cesarean verses a vaginal delivery. So, I went searching for a mid-wife.
My search led me to a wonderfully experienced lady with more than 300 births under her belt. Through her I learned that mid-wives in our state were forbidden to deliver V-BACS by the health department. Doing so threatened the loss of her license and law suit.
It really upset me that while I had the right to terminate the life inside of me, i didn't have the right to decide how to bring that life into the world. Fortunately, the Mid-wife I worked with was willing to help.
I saw her for the duration of my pregnancy. I got an ultrasound at 6 months and everything looked great. I also did a lot of studying. We decided to opt for a water birth at home, our Mid-wife would be present (despite the health department nonsense) but would not be able to be listed on any of the paperwork. Our birth would be listed as 'unassisted'.
The idea of a homebirth was horrifying to both mine and my husband's families. We received everything from concern to subtle hostility in regards to our decision. However, we were confident in our selves and our mid-wife. In the end, our mid-wife needed all of her confidence and expertise to avert a disaster.
I went into labor at 7:00 am. Long easy contractions coupled with 'leaking' amniotic fluid let us know that it was time. The contractions continued smoothly and with little struggle for several hours. I called my mother to come get our daughter around 4:00 in the afternoon and our Mid-wife and her assistant arrived shortly after. I was comfortable, but having to breath through contractions around 5:00.
Around 6:00 things changed and the intensity grew. By 7:00 pm I wanted to get into the hot tub and asked to be examined before hand. I had a feeling that we hadn't made much progress up to this point and this was confirmed when she announce that I was dilated 2 cm.
Considering that I had been in labor for 12 hours this would be considered 'no progress' in a hospital and I would be prepped for a C-section. However, due to our research I knew that women don't dilute on schedule all the time and I wasn't concerned.
At 7:00 I got into the warm water, and by 7:15 asked my husband to join me as the contractions had doubled and tripled in intensity and duration. The next 2 hours are a fog, but I remember thinking "What was I thinking?" The contractions came in wave after wave with little breaks and a lot of pain.
Suddenly, the contractions felt different. I asked for another exam and she announce with no small measure of surprise that the baby's head was almost through the cervix. I had dilated from a 2 to a 10 in two hours.
The baby's head made it through the cervix and the pushing began. It was in the later stages of pushing that the trouble started.
I had been pushing for an hour and a half in the water. I was in a squat position and I could reach down and feel the top of the baby's fuzzy head. But he wasn't continuing to descend.
With every push I could feel interior of my vagina at the top, near the clitoris, tear. I remember saying, "He's stuck" and "It feels like he's tearing me apart."
Between pushes the Mid-wife would check his heartbeat with an external monitor and everytime it was fine. Then, suddenly, there was nothing.
I remember feeling him turn inside me as he tried to fit through, and then, there was no heartbeat on the monitor.
Without a second's hesitation the mid-wife went from encouraging supporter to exacting professional. She began administering orders.
"I can't get a reading on his heart. It's time to get him out."
To her assistant - "Get the episiotomy tools"
To my husband - "You have to lift her out of hot tub."
Because the baby's head was half out and between my legs it took both the assistant and my husband to get me out of the tub in a 'chair' type of position. We had less than 10' to get to the bed that was prepared for this eventuality.
We made 5'.
The change in position shifted my pelvis just enough.
"He's comming!" I yelled. My husband and the assistant put my feet on the ground and supported me under my arms while I bore down. The mid-wife dove under me and caught the baby as it came out in a rush of amniotic fluid.
I was laid on the floor, the baby and the midwife were on the ground between my legs. He was blue. He wasn't breathing and there was no heartbeat.
"Call 911."
I remember hearing that. I remember hearing the assistant on the phone with the 911 operator. I remember my husband near panic and in tears. And I remember being at peace...I knew the baby would be okay. I just knew it.
I remember saying over and over again, "It will be okay."
The midwife was on the floor with oxygen and performing CPR. She instructed my husband to sit me up. We needed to talk to the baby and cheer him on.
I sat up and looked at my lifeless son. "Come on, Baby!" we yelled and then I saw a breath.
"He just took a breath!" I said.
The Mid-wife began vigorously rubbing his body and suddenly it was flushed with color. Then, there was another breath and then finally a cry.
She passed him to me and as I laid back down on the floor my baby boy bathed us both in sticky, black, modicum. I didn't care. He was breathing, crying, and warm.
As it turns out I may have done one too many Keigle exercises. My perineum was too tight to stretch enough to accommodate his 14 cm head.
Recovery was slower than with the cesarean. I was very bruised and with tears at both the top and bottom of my vaginal opening. But, my boy was healthy and strong.
It stung to urinate for weeks and at my six week check up I still felt like I needed a couple more weeks to feel normal.
Seven months later, much of the pain has faded from my memory, but my husband carries the memories of my struggle and the fear of loosing his son in sharp relief. Even now, he doesn't like to talk about it.
I believe that both of my children came into the world exactly as they should have been, and I am pleased that my son's birth experience is one that very few get to have, but when asked if I would do it again the answer would be no.
Never again do I want to have another child. The sickness, exhaustion, govermential interference, fear, pain, and social pressures associated with both of my children is more than I want to endure another time.
I love my kids and are thankful for them, but two is definitely enough. "
- Here are stories from Momma Malia:
Carson John came to us ON HIS DUE DATE!!! (5% of babies actually do that).... Dustin went off to some driving school, and left me at home with his parents. They then decided to go out and go shopping. I was making the bed around 1030ish and all the sudden I bent over, and I thought to myself " Dang I just peed down my leg".. I hurry off to the potty and sit for a min, nothing more comes.. I then finish with the bed, and go to start some laundry and dang if I dont "pee" again. So I run back to the potty and then I decided to call my friend and ask her if this what what I was starting to think it was. YES GIRL YOUR WATER BROKE!!... In a moment of panic I start rushing around like a crazy person, I call dustin and ask him if hes ready to be a dad, because Carson was on his way! I was in no pain so I felt the need to go ahead and shower put some makeup on and have a snack. I couldnt have my baby coming into the world looking at a scary mama.... I waited for the inlaws to come and we make our way up to BACH.. Of course they try to send my husband down with a wheelchair and all that mess, but I was not trying to be noticed. I say we get to the LD ward about 1145ish they confirm that my water did break and we were having a baby. I had no clue as to a "birthing plan" I just knew I needed to get baby from point a (my belly) to point b ( my arms). I did know one thing that I wanted to have drugs and lots of them or so I tought... I didnt want to feel one bit of pain. the staff had bigger plans for me.. I was not even 2cm when I got into my room at now 1230ish... We did the usual IV. which was a mess I mean blood all over the place.. oops number one. We get past that and start teh pitocin and get me going..( i dont think I really needed any help in this department.) The contractions start pouring in.. One after the next. So I grit and bare down on the side of thebed at this point I was not ready for the epidural (they said I needed to be at least 6cm.. So I labor along for a bit until I cant take it anymore.. I send dustin to find someone to come help me. The midwife came in and informed me that it had only be 2 hours since she had last checked me and that there was no way I would progress that fast so she wasnt going to check me again and risk infection. She agreed to give me stadol, this knocked me out and I was able to sleep through the contractions... I dont know how much time went by but I woke up to some SERIOUS contractions and it felt like carson just moved down a great deal.. So I informed my sweet husband to GO GET SOMEONE NOW!! They come in and i insist they check me.. They do and no worries im like a 7 at this point. So they now tell me I may have my epidural.. They send someone to find the man to put it in.... I am all happy at this point that the pain is going to be over.. The nurse returns to tell me to "hold what you got", the man of the hour is held up in a Csetion and cant leave just yet... Im not alone again laboring along for what seems to be forever and I feel carson slide down again.. I send my poor husband out to find someone.. they all rush back in again to inform me that the baby is right there, and im all asking WHAT ABOUT MY EPIDURAL!!!!! I hear from someone " no time, the baby is here and you will have to do it natural... I asked if I was able to get some more stadol and they gave me a big HECKNO!.. So at taht point i just sucked it up and knew i needed to get this baby from point a to point b very fast.... 3 rounds of pushes and about 15-20 later out came my beautiful 7lb2oz 19in long baby boy... With that being said I went into this wanting every drug under the sun, and coming out feeling like I did the most amazing thing ever.... I know that I did have the one dose of stadol, but I felt my little man make his way down and into this world... I also felt the majority of those mean contractions as well!... Did I forget to mention that I got into my room at about 1230ish and my little man was born at 420.. not bad for a first timer! ;)
I guess I should have added to the the end of this that i was SO GLAD THAT I DIDNT GET THE EPIDURAL.... So I said my next birth would be without any pain medS! It was amazing to be able to get up and walk around after giving birth and go to the bathroom and all that good jazz...
Baby Kennedy.... Unlike Carson Kennedy was late! I was due June 8th and was not in any hurry to get here...I had seen my midwife at the end of my pregnancy as usaul, she told me that she would be in LD that weekend so if I was having ANY contractions at al lthat she could read on a computer she would keep me. She also informed me that the paper said you should have 10 movements every 2hours, but she liked 10 movements every 1 hour at this point... I was still doing my long walks and anything i could do to speed up this process. My family and I had gone out to dinner the night before and I felt a bunch of sharp pains so ithought this might be it... We get through dinner and all was quiet no more sharp pains or anything.. So we go to bed and wake up the next morning.. So all is quiet, thats strange cause my girl was a jumpin jellybean.. I then go for my walk all around the block and come one and still no moving.. so of course i start to freak out, and I just decided to go up to BACH have them check things out.. *I think somewhere in the back of my mind I kinda hoped they would just keep me* So of course I tell them the situation and maybe I play it up just a bit so that it would encourage them to wanna think harder about keeping me, because at this point its the 13th so im 5days late.. then the madness starts... Im all hooked up to the machines and tons of people are flowing in and out reading stuff and chatting and blah blah blah.. the next thing I know they say they wanna just keep me and have a baby! WHOOHOOOO or so I think. Apparently my girls heart rate was alot higher then the y would like so they want to keep me on a close watch. Im not nervous at this point. I get over to my labor room and everyone keeps asking me about my pain mgt... I tell them I would like to go without any, that I had done it one time im a fast laborer (is that a wrod) and that I would be fine.. So they start in on me about her heart rate and that if things turn bad which it was looking like it could that I would have to be rushed to a c section and then it would be harder on everyone and that my husband wouldnt be able to go back. i tell them ok that I would like to just think about it.. All the while im laboring through the contractions in my own world, as my nurse is looking at the contraction chart going DO YOU FEEL THIS? and I said I mean it feel it a little but its not bad why. And she informes me that I am having SERIOUS contractions and they are soooo close. I felt them and they didnt feel good but it wasnt anything to cry over.. So of course the doctors and nurses and midwife and epidural guy all keep coming in and out frantic checking numbers and me and asking me and telling me I need to make up my mind blah and stressing me out to point of crying.. I finally ask the epidural guy ( whos bedside manor was the worst ever) if my baby was in danger, and if she was then I would get the epidural.. He told me yes that it was looking that way that it would be my best bet to have it.. So I agreed.. Still crying because I felt very forced into this!! I had needles, I was scared to death of having that thing in my back, just a mess I was at that point.. either way it was done and over, I wont lie and say it wasnt nice to just sit back and chill and have no stress anymore.. After the epidural Kennedys heart rate leveled out and all was great! Which tells me that they had me WAY TO STRESSED OUT which in turn had my baby stressedout!! NOT COOL BACH!.. I fell asleep I have no idea how long i was out but they came and checked me and said it was time to have a baby.. Again I hated the feeling of not knowing it was time to have a baby... I also am pretty sure the guy gave me WAY to much meds cause I had noooo coontrol over my legs they had a mind of their own.. Either way it was time to push they all had to old my legs I pushed again 3 maybe 4 rounds of pushes and out came my sweet 8lb 20 inch baby girl.. As this is going on my midwife informed me that I should get paid to have babies! As it was over my sweet husband puts my leg down assuming I had control and off I slide to the end of the table.. My poor midwife catches me... I mean I didnt totally fall off but my crazy leg did a mean nosedive!!.. I got to bach at around 11ish they broke my water about about 1230 and Kennedy Anne was more at 435 she was 8lbs 3oz and 20 inlong.. If those numbers sound familar its because Carson was born on a mon at 420 kennedy was born on a mon at 435 carson was 7lb 2oz and 19in long and kennedy was 8lb3oz and 20 in long.. Carson was on his due date and kennedy was a week late so Im convinced that had kennedy been born on her due date they would have been the same size and everything! ;) or its atleast fun to pretend.. It was also fun becuase when my mother in law was pregnant her due date was June 8th same as mine and my husband was born june 10th same as his father.. so we were really hoping that Kennedy be born on june 10th so we could have gma,daddy, baby all on the 10th but it didnt workout so well... she wanted her own day!.. Back to the birthing.. To sum it up I HATED feeling forced into getting the epidural, I hated not being able to feel my baby make her way into the world, and I hated the fact I sat for a million hours after I had that thing taken out because one leg was wayyyy more numb then the other.. thats all I got! OH yea and they informed me that the reason she stopped moving around was because she had no room and was all wrapped up in the cord around her feet! - Here's a link to: Baby Connor's birth story
- This is Baby Story's story :)
My pregnancy was a complete surprise. When I was 19, I was told that children would be unlikely for me due to some issues with my ovaries. Add that to the fact that I was even on birth control at the time to keep my cycles regular, I was stunned to be told at the doctors office that I was going to be a mom.
You know those women who LOVE being pregnant? Those who feel beautiful and say it is the best time of their lives? Sadly, I am not one of those women. I was sick every day all day for almost the whole time. Towards the end I was so sick and hot (It was of course the hottest summer on record and I was due in July) that I was miserable. Although my boyfriend and I had discussed to not induce because we knew several people who were and needed c-sections, when my due date came and went we considered it. I wanted "that moment" when I knew it was time but after another week of losing weight and little one who was residing underneath my ribs and was pushing them outwards, we went ahead and planned for inducement.
We called our family and then headed in to the hospital for the night. They were going to start the medication in the morning, so I am still unsure why I had to go in the night before. I was just so happy to know that soon I was going to hold my daughter in my arms.
In the early hours on the morning, I remember the nurse coming in and putting the Pitocin on the IV line and I went back to sleep. I knew I would need the rest. Shortly after that, family started coming in and out and the nurses were nice enough to not check in too often. Soon a person came in to talk to me about getting the epidural. I am not a fan of using most types of medications so I had decided not to rule it out but I wanted to see how long (if not the whole time) I could last without any pain killers. I was a little miffed when the lady told me that she thought I was crazy.
The next several hours are a little fuzzy. My doctor told me that he wanted to speed things along and break my water. That was probably the most painful part of it all. It worked. I went from contractions being 30 mins apart to 5 mins in the span of an hour. The worse thing about being induced is that it happens so fast that you have no time to learn to deal with the pain. During this time, I bite my boyfriend, called him some very colorful names that my mother had to ask a friend what they meant. It was at this point that I asked for the epidural and WOW what a difference! I remember how odd it was to see those blips on the screen showing I was having a contraction and not being able to feel a thing. Less than 2 hours, the nurse told me that I was fully dilated.
So I took a nap. Seriously. I was told that some women did this in a class that I took on childbirthing but I never believed it would be possible. How crazy it sounded but I told the nurse that I didnt feel the need to push yet and actually was sleepy. She told me to go right ahead. It was probably the best little nap of my life. It was if my body told me that what I was about to do was difficult and I needed a rest. I was only asleep for about 30 mins but when I awoke, I was ready and yelling that I "had that feeling to push now"
This was it, the moment and it hurt! That epidural I had? It seems as though for some women they only last a couple hours and I was not due for another dose for a while. I am actually glad that the meds didn't take. My body knew what to do and it was much easier to push knowing full and well what I was pushing.
The nurse that I had was wonderful. She coached me but allowed my body to tell me what to do. That little butt was still nestled right under my ribs making it difficult to breath in. I literally put my hand on her butt and pushed against her with my hand while I pushed. I rejoiced when I felt her move down. Now that I could breath, the process was much easier. It only took a total of 25 mins of pushing and here she was! I almost missed the doctor who literally came in on the second to last push.
It was the most beautiful moment of my life. I knew then, looking into her eyes for the first time, that every pain I had endured was worth it. For such an unhappy pregnancy, my birth was about as great as I could ask for. I would of liked to been able to do a couple things differently. But she and I made it out healthy (even no stitches for me Huzzah!) and I know that it was really matters.
- Miss Audrey Jane's story:
Having just moved from Tennessee to Louisiana THREE weeks earlier, going in to labor with Audrey three weeks earlier than expected was quite the surprise. I went to my doctor for a regular 37 week check up. It was actually Justin, my boyfriend's birthday. He and his brother had planned on going out that night. And my sister in law was "on call" just in case, since she was preggo too.
I wake up that morning, Justin was already at work. I made cinnamon rolls to eat real quickly and look around at the mess in my house. I had a surprise baby shower thrown for me the night before and all our gifts were spread out in the living room (cause I love to go home and go through everything again!) I eat one cinnamon roll, bathe and hurry to the ob. It's all very routine...weight check, bp check, doppler...then Dr. Morice walks in and asks if I've been having any contractions. Which I hadn't been having, but I was having some horrible heart burn....or so I thought. He tells me he wants to check me just in case. When he looks he quickly says "you're dilated to 4 and your bag of water is buldging. I suggest you go to the hospital right now." WHAT?! It was too early. We thought we had three more weeks. He tells me to get dressed and he'll be back to talk. He comes in and talks and says he's gonna do an u/s to check her size, and that i can either go straight to the hospital or go home and pack first but he was going out of town that weekend and he thought she'd surely be here before then. The u/s says she's at least 7-8 lbs. So I tell him I need to go home first. LOL I didn't have anything ready! I call Justin and he was working at a boat shop. He tells me he can't here me several times. I kept trying to tell him to come home. Finally I just said "I'M HAVING THE BABY!" and he said "OK BYE!" That was it. HAHA. We both get home, making our phone calls as we go. Everyone is freaking out, as are we. I didn't know what to wear to the hospital to have a baby! LOL. We get to the hospital about 3 pm that afternoon. I go straight to my room and they start an IV and pitocin. I'm still at 4 and not feeling anything. The monitor shows mild contractions but nothing uncomfortable. I stayed at 4cm until 7pm when my doctor came to check on me. Still not in too much pain. He tells me he can break my water and that would speed things up so I said ok. As soon as he broke my water it was like a switch flipped and the contractions started immediately. They were quick and painful! I don't remember too much for the next hour. All I could do with hold on to the side rail and put my head in my pillow. The nurse came in and asked if I wanted an epidural. I was planning on it so i quickly said YES! The anthesiologist came in and it wasn't as bad as I had expected. And it was instant relieft. But they had given me something else first to "take the edge off". I don't even know what it was. I'm assuming stadol but it pretty much made me feel out of it. After the epi and the other med, my legs began to itch so bad! But they were numb. It was bizarre. I was allergic to something. So a dose of benadryl and the itching was gone. And so was I lol. I was so loopy! The doctor checked me, still at 4. He swore Audrey wouldn't be here until at least 6 or 7 the next morning...(It's about 8pm right now). So the family leaves and goes home to go to bed. We laid in the bed to try to get some sleep. I quickly passed out from all those medicines! My aunt was insistant that the women in our family have babies really quick and that she'd be here before morning. She kept bugging the nurses to go check me, but I was snoozing away. Finally at 1030pm they came in to check me and the nurse gasped and said "the head is right there!" Justin quickly woke up and things started really moving along. The nurse said I was fully dilated and she wanted to see how I pushed so she would know when to call the dr back. I took a deep breathe in, nervous as heck, and pushed. She said "Whoa whoa whoa!" If you so much as sneeze this baby is coming out. I need to call Dr. Morice. So he comes, as well as the family who had just gotten home and in bed. I had Justin, my mom and his mom in the room with us. I pushed three times with three contractions and she was out. I felt no pain, but I was so out of it that I don't really remember it too much.
She had a head full of red hair and was a perfect 7lbs 5oz, 18.5 in long. Short and fat :) I nursed after they brought her back to me from being cleaned up. It was all so easy it seemed! But I hate that I was so out of it that I don't remember holding her for the first time! Or maybe it was just all so surreal :) Either way, I know a LOT more than I did then. I was just a baby then!! My next child birth will *hopefully* be a different experience! Knowledge is power!
- Elijah Tucker Brent's Story is posted here
