I am 3 months late to post this, but here is my natural birth story!!
I was due November 4th, 2012...but 8 days later....
I gave birth to our gorgeous little girl, Katelyn, on November 12th, 2012 at 3:41 p.m.!
I noticed dull period pains around 11:30 p.m. on the 11th, and they were every 10 minutes. I used a heating pad during the night on my abdomen, because I really didn't know what was going on.
By 5:30 a.m. they were stronger and I knew that this was early labour. I woke up my boyfriend, and because of the intense pressure I was feeling down there, and the strength/frequency of the contractions, we went to the hospital at 10:30 a.m.
Our doula arrived shortly thereafter, and we walked. I had to lean against the wall every time a contraction hit, and our doula would rub my back.
I was 3 cm and 90% effaced when we arrived.
A couple hours later, they checked me and I was already 5-6 cm! It was much more painful, but as I had been planning a natural birth, I started using my support team, a birthing ball, and a tennis ball on my back to relieve the pain.
Around 2 pm I got into the bathtub, and my urge to push came. i could not control it!! The contractions were getting more intense and I would breathe in really deeply as they began, then let out this low, guttural moan. In the tub, my water broke (felt like I was peeing in the tub).
Our doula ran to tell the nursing station I was pushing strong, and they got me into the bed to check me. I was 7 cm and because I was already pushing and couldn't help it, I was developing a cervical lip.
I had a death grip on my boyfriend's shirt, and I had entered transition. I felt such intense pressure and quite frankly, as though there was a boulder coming through my pelvis.
The nurse had to hold back the cervical lip and I went to 10 cm instantly. I started to get scared, and had a brief moment of "please help me", but the pushing consumed my body and within seconds our baby's head popped out, with one arm against her head like a superman pose.
I pushed again and her shoulders popped out and then the rest of her "shot out" according to my boyfriend.
She was born at 3:41 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs, 5 1/2 oz. Strangely, her placenta had already drained into her and the cord was already white and stopped pulsing, so my boyfriend cut it (I don't remember that part!). I delivered the placenta within 15 minutes, and she was breastfeeding within the hour.
I had been Strep B positive, and they had only given me the first dose of antibiotics at 2 pm. So the antibiotics never had a chance to work.
They took her to the NICU and my boyfriend went with her to run some tests. I took a shower, which was the most glorious thing in the world.
Unfortunately, only a day later, we learned our baby girl was showing signs of infection and she had to spend 2 days in the NICU on antibiotics We were devastated, but she was a trooper, and the NICU would call me whenever she needed a feed as they knew how important breastfeeding was to me.
On Thursday, her bloodwork came back normal and she was given a clean bill of health. We had our baby girl back in our arms! We came home on Friday, 5 days after she was born.
I was up, walking, squatting, twisting, turning, etc, within minutes of birth. I really felt great, no issues at all! In fact, I've been able to muck out horse stalls and carry water buckets and do pretty much everything I could in the same way as in early pregnancy!
So I did achieve a natural birth, it was so crazy and powerful but I wouldn't have it any other way
Our little girl is 9 days old today, has gained 3 oz since Friday discharge, and we love her to death. We are cloth diapering as well, which is going awesome.
Our 3 dogs love her, and are all so protective of her. She is fitting in 'at the farm' with no issues, though she does get fussy every night from 10-2 am depending, but we are handling it all right. The sleep deprivation is not fun
But, I did it And we have such a beautiful little girl to be rewarded with. Her name is Katelyn.
thank you ladies!
