R's Birth Story

Around 11 pm on Friday 8/28 I started having some waves (contractions) that were different than the other waves I had been experiencing throughout pregnancy. I mentioned to Charlie before he fell asleep that these could be the real thing. I laid in bed and just kinda followed the waves and breathed with them. I started one of my Hypnobabies sound tracks for self-hypnosis to ease my mind.

Finally around 1 AM I called labor and delivery to let them know I was having waves and we would most likely be coming in. I kept having to run to the bathroom as my body was preparing me for birth and clearing my bowls out. In between the bathroom trips - I would walk around, get on my hands and knees to shift around, drink water, or eat a little something. I continued to be comfortable at home but once the waves were about 3 minutes apart - I woke Charlie up and said we should probably go to the hospital. We were admitted around 4 AM.

I had my birth plan all ready to go and gave it to the nurse, it asked to be assigned a nurse that has experience with natural birth. My original birth plan was to do a water birth. The nurse checks my dilation. I ask not to know so I don’t get hung up on a number as it can change in an instance. I wanted to focus on breathing with my self-hypnosis. They routine test me for Covid. Around 6 AM I had gone to the bathroom and noticed I lost my mucus plug. I call the nurse in to let her know.

The nurse comes in shortly after and reports I tested positive. I am no longer able to get into the tub as it’s against hospital policy. I was very distraught as I had my mind set on being able to have the warm water help with the intensity. The waves were getting more intense - I was experiencing back labor from the way Reese was positioned. To help, I had Charlie start to read a script the Hypnobabies manual had on changes in birth plans to create a new mindset. I honestly don’t remember him reading it to me but believe it helped in the moment. With the positive test result everyone that enters the room has to wear the full PPE gear (hazmat suite), we are unable to leave the room, and we were assigned one nurse to us for her whole shift.

Around 8 AM, I let the nurse know my body wanted to involuntarily push (fetal ejection reflex). She wanted to midwife in the room ASAP. This is the point in time where mentally I was almost ready to cave from the intensity so I just asked Charlie to keep encouraging me. Then all of the sudden Reese must have flipped because the FER became more comfortable to deal with than the waves. Luckily the midwife was here and getting ready to come into the room. Although, the reason she was entering the room was not because my body was pushing. Instead, the hospital wanted her to assess me to send me to a hospital an hour away. Apparently, I was the first ever Covid positive patient to stay in the hospital in my county and they didn’t want to deal with me or rather know how to yet. The midwife comes in and explains the situation but assures me we will not be going anywhere as Reese is ready to come.

For about 2 hours maybe a little less.. I worked with my body and pushed when it wanted to and rested when it didn’t. A slow gradual process of birthing. She came earth side with her little arms down by her side at 10:16 AM. She was given to me for skin to skin immediately and I held her while Charlie wiped her off. She was born with her amniotic sac still partially on her - it never broke during birth until the last couple pushes but I had to pull it off of her head.

She was so peaceful and calm on my chest. We did skin to skin for about an hour before the midwife suggested we try to birth the placenta. So the placenta was birthed with a small tug from the midwife. We continued skin to skin and started breastfeeding shortly after the umbilical cord was cut by Charlie. The midwife was in awe of the umbilical cord. If I could go back, I would have pictures taken of the whole birth process. So, that is my plan for the next birth.