Two years ago, I gave birth to this beautiful baby, Presley. This is her birth story. I started having labor pains around 10 pm the night before. As I’m tucking the kids into bed, it was too painful to sit down, and I knew she’d be coming soon. I labored at home all night because I didn’t want to go to the hospital. The hospital had a huge tub but I wasn’t allowed to birth in it per their rules, no one is allowed to water birth at the hospital. At home I was more comfortable. I could eat and drink if I wanted, take baths and rest. I tossed and turned all night, took two amazing baths, then finally around 5:30 am, I said we needed to go to the hospital because she was about to be earthside.
My boyfriend, Bryan, and I got to the hospital around 6 am and my contractions were lasting about 30 seconds and 2 minutes apart. I remember a nurse wheeling me to the labor and delivery room and another nurse passed us in the hallway who said, “Wow! That’s the real deal!” Meaning I was in full blown labor. Well I could tell the nurse pushing me down the hall didn’t think so cause she kinda mumbled, “Yeaaa” and we made it to the delivery bed. I got in the bed and the delivery nurse asked me how far dilated I was at my appt the day before. I told her I didn’t let him check me because there’s no reason to. She checked me and said “Oh wow! You’re 8 cm with a bulging amniotic sac!” The nurse who pushed me up in the wheelchair just stared at me with the biggest eyes.
My doc showed up and I’m panting heavy. I say, “Hi Dr Moore.” I love him by the way! He was respectful of all my needs, and I will be forever grateful. I said, “I wasn’t feeling this way at the appt yesterday.” And he said, “No you were just fine.”
The nurse tells him I’m 8 cm with a bulging sac and my contractions are two minutes apart. His eyes get really big and he says, “Okay! Let me gown up.” I stayed in my own clothes and almost refused an IV but the night nurse Kayla was so sweet, and I learned she had a daughter named Presley too, so we really hit it off. I’m so glad she was the one to be there for me. She started an IV just in case of future complications like a hemorrhage, but I never let her run anything through it. That IV was a number 20 in my left antecub. Those things HURT! It’s a big gauge of plastic in the bend of the arm, and I’m super sympathetic of my patients now when they tell me it hurts. So here it is 6:45 am and I’m miserable. Dr asked me if I wanted my amniotic sac busted to speed things up so I said ok. I had terrible back labor pain. I tried to walk around, but the baby was too low, the pressure was intense and causing too much pain on my legs.
I always wanted to try the big birthing ball. Well I sat on it and I was just sitting on her head. That was the most uncomfortable thing I could have done. So I got back in bed and I finally let them hook the monitor up to my belly to watch my contractions. She was right there, and all I had to do was push and get her out. The fear was so great I watched the monitor the first couple of times until the contractions started and then they started with intense back pain. I felt I could not do anything but tense up. After the contraction was over I looked around the room and there are 5 people just staring at me.
I start pep-talking myself like, "Ok, ok I can do this." So the next contraction comes, and I finally get the nerve to push, and I push so hard, it literally felt like someone was sawing my legs off with a chainsaw. It was that easy though. She was out with one push by 7:05 am and I was only at the hospital for an hour. They immediately put her on my chest and she latched right on like a champ.
No eye goop.
No synthetic black box warning vitamin K.
No Hep B cause she is not going to be around IV drug users or prostitutes.
Delayed cord clamping until it stopped pulsating for all that extra blood to return to her body.
We did oral vitamin K for the first few days just for piece of mind. The pediatrician did harass me about this option, saying that oral Vitamin K is not absorbable. I stood my ground because I know that Vitamin K is a synthetic clotting agent that carries a black box warning, meaning it can kill. It also causes jaundice and liver failure.
But there was no need to worry because she was absolutely perfect. Everything went wonderful, and I write this all down so I never forget all the details. I had my first all natural and unmedicated delivery.