birth story

Exactly a month ago I gave birth to Eleni, and as promised here is her birth story:) It's only taken me a month to get it up! I do what I can these days and when I can:) It's kinda long, but here it is.

Eleni’s Birth Story

As my due date of May 2^nd past I grew anxious to meet my baby. On May 3^rd I decided to have my membranes stripped, I was already 4 cm dilated and the Dr said it would most likely put me into labor within 72 hours. I went to my moms house after the stripping and walked around. A couple hours after I got my membranes striped I started getting mild and irregular contractions. I was hopeful something would happen that night but it didn’t. The next day came and I was still having mild and irregular contractions. My mom came over that night to watch American Idol with me. We began watching and my irregular contractions became a bit more regular and closer together. We decided to go for a walk. As I started walking the contractions sarted coming every 5 min. I was in complete denial. My mom insisted I go to the hospital and I kept telling her “this isn’t it, they are just going to send me home”. My mom talked to my husband and the two of them forced me to go to the hospital. So off we went.

We got our bag and I put on my I Pod listening to my hypnobabies birth guide track in the car on the way to the hospital. I was very relaxed, and excited, hoping this was it. Once we got there they brought me in a room where they would determine if I was in active labor-and I was. I wasn’t feeling any pain though from the contractions, just pressure and tightening. Sometimes the tightening and pressure took my breath away a bit, but still no pain. They got me settled in my room and I kept listening to my hypnobabies tracks. I lied there and reseted a while, almost napped working through my contractions. I walked the halls of the hospital for a few hours alternating with my mom and husband. It was such a special experience having my mom and husband there while I was laboring. I was very peaceful. I was the only one there doing a natural child birth so it was very quiet and I had the halls to the hospital all to myself:)

After hours of walking I had them check me. I didn’t want to know how dilated I was but they told my mom I was about 6 ½ cm. I walked again. After a couple more hours I was checked again, no progress. I decided to have my water broken. Right after it was broken my contractions picked up. Much more intense this time. It was so comforting to have Micah right by my side, holding my hand. It gave me great strength. I’ll never forget one contraction that kept building and building and right when I though it couldn’t get more intense it built even more. I used my peace cue that I was taught in hypnobabies and it kept me focused. During these intense contractions I kept repeating in my head “I’m that much closer to seeing my baby”, over and over. It kept me focused and calm.

I finally felt like I had to push, but I still had a lip of my cervix left. The nurse told me to lie down with the next contraction while she pushed the lip of the cervix out of the way. That could have been the most intense moment of my whole birthing process. I still knew I could do it, because I was doing it.

working through a contraction during transition

After I was fully dilated I was ready to push. The most intense urge to push came over me, I couldn’t believe I was there, I was almost ready to meet my baby. I pushed for 20 minutes, the pushing was intense, I don’t think I have ever exerted that much energy into anything, ever in my life and I don’t ever think I will ever again, unless it is at my next birthing time. I was so surprised at the strength I had. During those 20 minutes the nurse said “the sooner we get this baby out the better, her heart rate is dropping”. I don’t think I have ever been more scared in my life. The Dr ended up putting a monitor on her head, after that her heart rate looked fine.

After 20 minutes I asked the Dr how much longer, I didn’t know how much longer I could do it. He told me I had a choice, I would probably have another hour of pushing or else he could do something, I instantly yelled “just cut me!” And so it was. A few contractions latter I gave the biggest push, and then the biggest relief came over me, and I heard a cry. My baby was out, I couldn’t believe it! She was immediately put onto my chest, skin to skin. I grabbed her, wrapped my arms around her, it was the best moment of my life up to that point. It was so surreal, I couldn’t believe what I was experiencing. I looked up at my husband and the look on his face was just as special to see as seeing my baby for the first time. He leaned down and whispered to me how proud he was of me, and how he will do anything for me for the rest of our lives because of what I just did. I’ll keep reminding him that he said that:)

I look back at my Eleni’s birth and I can’t believe that I was able to do it, naturally, with no drugs. It was such and is such an empowering feeling to know that I did it. I had such an adrenaline rush after the birth, it was an amazing feeling. My Eleni was so alert, I am really proud of myself that I followed through with bringing her into this world how I wanted to. I feel through birthing my baby I am so much closer to my husband, and it was very special to have him help me through the birh. I definitely don’t regret doing it natural, and I will absolutely do it again.

Anyone interested in hypnobabies in Utah, and I would highly recommend it, go here