Our Ideal Birth Essay

For our Bradley Method birthing class, one of the exercises was to write your ideal birth story. I thought I would share it here, for the sake of memory, and in case anyone else was interested in it as a reference for their ideal birth story essay. Of course, I'm completely sure the REAL birth story won't be the same- the time of day, pace of contractions, ect... But it will be interesting to look back and see after the fact. So I'm putting it up here. Please, no birth horror story comments. This is just the best way that it could happen for us, though we know things will turn out in their own unique way. Three and a half weeks to go before we can write the REAL birth story.

            After a typical Friday night of relaxing with a movie and some cuddling, we crawl into bed around 10:00 PM. In the wee hours of the morning, I awaken to some light contractions, much like the Braxton-Hicks contractions I had been experiencing occasionally over the past few months. But my due date is here, so I pay attention and notice that they are definitely coming regularly, though they are still 20- 30 minutes apart. Since it’s only 3:00 AM, I change positions and try to relax and rest, hoping that the contractions pick up and today is the day to meet our baby boy! Around 6:00 AM, the contractions are coming steady at 15 minutes apart, and I go ahead and get up. Justin makes some scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast with orange juice for me.

                Since I’m still feeling good enough to move around, Justin and I go for an early morning walk around the block to help the baby get into position. We get back to the house around 7:30 AM and I decided to get in the shower. The warm water relaxes me as the contractions are now closer together, about 10 minutes apart. As I finish getting ready, Justin begins to check through the bags we are going to take to the birthing center, to make sure we have everything on the checklist, from clothes  to snacks to copies of our birth plan. I eat some fruit, and continue to time contractions, walking around the yard, and the house. Justin stays with me and rubs my back and shoulders to help me relax.

                By this time, it’s about 9:30 AM, and my contractions are about 5 minutes apart. We call the midwife to let her know, as we previously discussed, and decided to go ahead and go to the birth center and get settled. After getting checked in and situated in the room around 10:30 AM, I have to rest more between contractions, but am able to still walk some, pausing to lean on Justin and sway when the contractions come. I focus on letting my body do its work, and Justin gently reminds me to drink and use the restroom each hour. Around noon, I try to snack a little, and lay on my side to see if I can get more comfortable. Justin knows I need privacy to focus, and he asks the nurse to give us time alone to do some relaxation and snuggling while he rubs my back. My contractions are closer now, about 2 minutes apart, and Justin calls the nurse to see if we could try the tub since my contractions are well established.

                As the nurse gets the tub ready, Justin is doing such a great job at helping me focus through some of the pain as the contractions get stronger. He reminds me that we are getting close, and will be able to meet our baby soon. This really helps me focus on the end result. I think back to running the half-marathon last fall, and how those last three miles were so tough, but I pushed through and made it. I can do this too!

                When I get into the tub around 1:00 PM, I feel some tension leave right away. Justin climbs in behind me and supports my back and I try to rest in the minute between contractions. Then the pain increases, and I feel like maybe this is real progress. I realize this might be transition, and sure enough, around 1:30 PM, I begin to feel the urge to push. At this point, the midwife checks and I am indeed fully dilated. The midwife tells me to follow my body’s instinct. Justin reminds me that my body is made to do this, and that I am doing great. I push with the next contraction, and feel the baby moving down. In a few more pushes, the midwife can see the baby crowning, and I know it too because I feel a slight burning sensation as I stretch. I’m so glad I’ve been practicing my exercises and that we did perineal massage to prepare though, because I feel like I can handle it, though it is overwhelming at times. But I am so close!!

                I relax between the next contractions, but I am so excited to see my baby. I know he will come in the next few pushes. After just a few more, his head comes out, and his body soon follows. The midwife gently brings him above the water, and he takes his first breath around 2:00 PM. Though I am tired, nothing could stop me from holding my baby now, and he is put right on my stomach. In just a few minutes, he crawls right up to and finds my breast to nurse. He is a precious, wonderful gift from God. Justin is smiling behind me, and kisses me on the cheek. “You did it!” he says, but I know I needed him here the whole time- I couldn’t have done it without his support. “We did it,” I reply.

                As the cord stops pulsing, it is clamped and Justin does the honors of cutting it. He holds our baby for a moment so I can stand and get out of the tub. I walk with my little boy in my arms to the bed, and have some sweet moments of cuddle time as the uterus continues to contract and expels the placenta, about 20 minutes after my baby is born. Since our baby is breathing well, we ask for some time alone, and bask in this wonderful moment. Justin brings me some orange juice, which gives me energy. Our baby boy is already nursing and quite alert. A half hour later, around 3:00 PM, the nurse returns to weigh the baby, and we give him his first bath. We are so happy to be holding our baby boy! What a blessing.