David and I joked the night of the 20th that it would be funny for Ezra to come the next day since it is Kira's birthday and the day before our anniversary and mentioned he should pack his hospital bag. Lo and behold the next morning I woke up around 7am and felt what I assumed was Braxton-Hicks contractions, since I had been having them on and off for a few weeks. Our doula, Abby, wasn't on call until the next day when I would be 38 weeks and was headed up to Girl's Camp just for the day.
I began to feel the contractions come closer together as the morning went on. Since I had a few instances of false labor with Everett, I decided to go to my doctor's office before heading to the hospital. I packed a bag for Everett, texted my mom to let her know I was heading to the doctor and called David to tell him the same. At that time, I told him not to come home from work and that I would let him know what they said. Luckily, he didn't listen to me and ended up heading back to our house to pack his bag and prepare to come to the hospital. I went to the hospital around 10:00am when my contractions were 5-6 minutes apart and lasting for 30-45 seconds. They started to feel much different than the Braxton-Hicks and I figured that maybe things were getting real.
The doctor did an exam and confirmed I was 5cm dilated and 75% effaced and recommended I head to the hospital at that point since I was in active labor. I had texted Abby to let her know the series of events as they were happening and she was headed back to Huntersville. Everett and I headed to my mom's work to drop him there and I drove myself the rest of the way to the hospital while I ate snacks out of the diaper bag since I didn't get to eat hardly anything while I labored with Everett.
I arrived at the hospital right before 12pm and was met by my awesome back-up doula, Lauren. Contractions were about 4-5 minutes at this point and building in intensity, but still manageable with breathing techniques and movement. David arrived to the hospital around 12:30. Dr. Bell did another exam around 2:25pm where I was 6.5cm dilated and 100% effaced with a "bulging bag of waters." I was offered the option of having my water broken at this time, but decided to wait an hour and see if gravity and contractions would cause it to break naturally. I was feeling great with minimal interventions and wanted to continue that as I tried for my VBAC.
Lauren and David were absolutely amazing birth partners in those few hours I labored to help me focus and keep going. Abby arrived around 2:40pm and was able to give some relief to the other members of my birth team. It was such an amazing group effort and special feeling in the room to feel so safe and calm throughout the process. I was able to use a bunch of different comfort measures including sitting on the birth ball, swaying, standing, leaning, rocking and being on the bed at times. Around this time I did have them break my water as I felt it would move the process along and had waited an hour at that point with no change.
After they broke my water it felt as though Ezra's head had slammed down into my pelvis causing a lot of pressure and the urge to push. At 3:49pm, Dr. Bell did another exam where I was 8.5cm dilated and unable to push until fully dilated to 10cm. Throughout the entire unmedicated birth, the hardest part was having the urge to push and not being able to. Apparently, you can rip your cervix if you do that, something I had never heard before. At this point, I did say something to Abby about being mad I didn't get the epidural because it hurt, but I think I was just manifesting my frustration. I was supported by my birth team a ton during this time and receiving counter-pressure to help through the contractions.
At 4:19 I was fully dilated and bearing down to push. I remember them telling me to scoot down and taking the bed apart to get ready for delivery but the bed wouldn't come apart for some reason. I don't know why, but at the time I thought it was funny that they couldn't get the bed apart and I was pushing and ready to deliver. At 4:29pm, I gave several pushes and felt I was doing well and making progress when all of sudden he was on my chest and I couldn't believe I had delivered him. I just kept looking and David and my birth team and saying "I did it. I really did it!" David cut the cord, I delivered the placenta and I received some stitches post-episiotomy, which was the worst part since it took a minute for the lidocaine to kick-in and the positioning is uncomfortable.
I had immediate skin-to-skin contact with him for an hour after he was born and hardly knew of anything else going on around me. He latched and nursed around 5:20pm and we snuggled and enjoyed some quiet time. My awesome doulas had ordered me food so it was ready for me shortly after I was all cleaned up. After a while, the nurses came and measured him at 8 pounds even and 19 inches long. Shortly after, he got to meet his big brother and grandparents. We were in the hospital for just barely 24 hours and couldn't wait to get back to our home and have our space.
I am forever grateful for my beautiful baby boy and for the amazing experience of achieving a VBAC with the help and support of my awesome birth team. It was such an honor to work with them.
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