Embracing the Journey: Welcoming Baby Anna Lynn with Doula Support

"Wednesday, 10/1 at 9pm I finally started to feel a different type of cramp. Before this I was feeling dull, constant, cramping that is similar to the ones I get during my menstrual cycle. This new type of cramp was like a short wave, less than 30 seconds, and would come every 15-20 minutes. I went to bed around 11pm, excited for the new possibility of labor starting.

At 4:30am I was woken up by sharper contractions that were ranging between 7-9 minutes apart, but still around only 30 seconds. I finally was able to get myself to fall asleep again by 6am, but woke up again at 7:05am to 8 minutes apart contractions and this time I was too excited to fall back asleep. From here I started doing all the recommendations my amazing doula Tara gave me - miles circuit, ate a good breakfast, took a warm bath, and did some stretches. I had a chiropractor appointment at 11:45am that I was planning on going to, but to my surprise my contractions didn’t slow up as the sun rose, and by that time, they were in the 3-5 minutes apart range lasting 1 minute and the back pain was getting intense. 

Tara arrived at our house by 2pm and helped put me in different positions on the couch and around the house to help with the back pain and continue to help my contractions progress. Just after 3pm I started to feel the urge/pressure to poop and that’s when we headed the 20 minutes to the hospital. I had to ride in the backseat on my hands and knees to deal with the pain. Half way there I immediately got nauseous and started getting sick a couple times, but then the nausea immediately went away.

We got to the hospital by 3:30pm and finally got into our room by 4:30pm. The hour it took to check in and go through triage felt like the longest hour of my life. I couldn’t stand up long enough to make it to the triage room, so I had my first ever cervical check on the toilet in the bathroom as I was trying to change into the delivery gown. The nurse said I was just about 8cm dilated. 

Once I got into my hospital bed Tara helped place me into positions on my side since I didn’t feel like I could stand up. 

I declined an epidural or pitocin/IV hook up, but decided to get the nitrous oxide to help get through the remaining transition and pushing phases, and I am SO glad I did! I believe since it helped take the edge off I was able to relax my body more than before which resulted in me being able to start pushing just after 5pm. I got on my knees at the edge of the bed and leaned over a peanut ball the entire time I pushed. After a few pushes in, I felt my water break like a little balloon that popped inside of me. I thought the pushing was progressing at a good rate, but then the nurses and midwife started talking about meconium being present in the amniotic fluid and calling in NICU nurses “just in case”. I felt absolutely terrified at this point and just wanted to get my baby out as quickly as possible. Every contraction I had I pushed and beared down with everything in me. Feeling her crown and then her head coming out shortly after was the second best feeling, after hearing her cry immediately after birth, healthy. She came into the world at 6:14pm.

It wasn’t until I had her on my chest that I was told I had a 1st degree tear (which was one of my biggest fears going into labor) from her shoulders coming out in an unfavorable position. As disappointed as I was in the tear delaying my recovery, I was way more proud of myself for sticking with my natural, unmedicated birth plan and delivering my perfect, 8lb baby girl in such a short amount of time for my first birth."

Congratulations to first time parents Cassidy and Gino!

Our doula best,

Tara + The Mindful Birth Doulas

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