Brodie’s Birth Story
**The only reason this story is longer than Lila’s is the fact that it’s more recent 🤪
Quick details:
Gestation: 37+1
Delivery: VBAC
Total time in labor/ delivery: 3.5 hrs
Pain management: nada
Birth weight: 5 lbs 13 oz
When I was preparing for my first birth, I meticulously organized a colored-coded birth plan which included everything from delayed cord clamping to the type of music I wanted in the delivery room.
The second time around, my life had come to the mercy of a rambunctious and spirited toddler. At this point, I figured “Who cares, let’s just have a healthy baby.” I jokingly recorded a reel about my first vs. second time around the birth plan. A stark contrast between detailed plans and a piece of paper with large text that read:
Laura Harrison Birth Plan
Get an epidural
Have a baby
Little did I know, that joke would be on me because that epidural didn’t happen 😳
Around 36 weeks I said my Alec, “Okay, I guess we should start getting things together for when we leave for the hospital. The last part of our list was asking our neighbor for “emergency care” for Lila in the event we had to leave quickly. So on Monday at 37 weeks, I wrote a note to our neighbor leaving details and our phone numbers just in case. It was quite serendipitous since I ended up going into labor the next day.
On Tuesday, I had my “bloody show” around 1:30 pm. Of course, like any pregnant person, I googled “labor after bloody show” and was surprised to see a timeframe that ranged from immediately to the next day. In a panic, I jumped in the shower “just in case” and texted Alec and our doula. I called my OB and explained the situation. They reassured me to just take it easy and monitor my progress. After that, I started to feel a low dull backache but tried to downplay it as I got Lila up from her nap. At around 3:00 pm, my back was really starting to bother me and I was having contractions every three minutes right from the beginning. I texted Alec “Are you almost done with work?” He knew right then and there it was pretty urgent. We packed the car, put on a show, and gave Lila a snack while we called our neighbor. We then drove to the hospital where my contractions were still happening every three minutes lasting a minute. We gave our doula and the hospital a call, updating them on the situation and both were surprised we were already on our way.
When we arrived at the hospital I was still having contractions at the same intervals/duration while registering at the desk. Once we got to the triage room, I changed into the hospital gown, used the bathroom, and could have sworn my water broke but I wasn’t 100% sure. When I returned to the bed, they did an AmniSure to confirm my water broke, an ultrasound to see if the baby was still head down, took my vitals, and checked my cervix. I was 5 cm at admittance. Minutes later, our doula arrived and I was so relieved to see another familiar face. In the triage room, I was able to focus on my breathing during the contractions and go back to friendly conversation. But the mood quickly shifted once I was transferred to the actual room I would deliver in. I remember walking to my new room and stopping for a contraction. Bent over with my hands on my knees thinking “Oof that was pretty rough.”
Once I got to the room, everything was kind of a blur. I went from 5 to 10 cm in 1.5 hours and truly felt like I was hit by a bus and was being dragged under by the current barely making it up for air. Whoever said “A fast birth sounds great and easy” doesn’t understand how out of control and overwhelming it feels. I mostly labored on my hands and knees with my arms over the top of the bed. I kept thinking “How much of this can I possibly take?” My plan was to endure what I could and then get an epidural when it became unbearable. My doula said, “Let’s do five more contractions and then you can get an epidural.” “That’s four,” I said breathlessly, counting down each minute until I could have relief. At this point, I barely had any time in between contractions, maybe 30 seconds or less and they were lasting 60-90 seconds. In between, they had to reinsert my IV and do my Covid swab as fast as they could. I was offered nitrous oxide but had to wait an hour for my Covid result to come back. Well, we didn’t really have an hour, so that went out the window 🙃
By this point, I was mentally fatigued and begging for an epidural. They checked my cervix and I was 10 cm and had the urge to push. Apparently, they ended up calling it off due to my contractions being so close together and I was unable to sit still. When I heard I was unable to get any pain relief I fell into despair. I mean this was the ONE thing I wanted and needed. I felt trapped, overwhelmed, and frustrated.
I started pushing on my back at 5:30 pm and was barely making any progress. I couldn’t get into a groove bearing down and felt I needed some resistance. So they got the squat bar out and I ended up kneeling and hanging over the top of the bar. I focused all my energy and strength on each contraction, taking breaths and sips of water in between. Alec was incredible, wiping my forehead with a damp cloth and reassuring me I could do it.
After a while, the exhaustion started to set in and I kept saying “I’m so done, I’m tired, I can’t do this.” And then I realized the only way this whole thing was going to be over was if I changed my mindset. It was up to ME to push my baby out and no one could do it for me. That’s when I decided I had to rally and get with the program. A few pushes later he was born and I was able to hold him on my chest and breathe in a deep sigh of relief.
Having an unmedicated birth was one of the hardest but most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It showed me I can do anything I set my mind to. That the walls I’ve built in my mind are the only thing standing in my way. Nothing compares to the feeling of my body pushing out my baby, riding the wave of a contraction, and meeting our son for the first time.
Birth is weird. It can be the best day of your life, worst day of your life, absolutely exhilarating, traumatic, stressful, and life changing. No matter where you are in the process of reflecting on your birth story, it’s a significant step into your journey of motherhood and something to be proud of!
Wondering what to pack? Check out my hospital shopping guide HERE.
