Luna's Birth Story

I never wrote Boston's birth story.  I was so happy to have my son, but the experience was traumatic and not something I felt I wanted to relive. Because of his birth, I knew for the next one I wanted something different. Now that I have had that, I feel more able to talk about and remember his birth. In short, with Boston I labored naturally until I was 8 cm dilated before I got an epidural. After that I was told he was stuck on my tailbone and would probably need a c section. They agreed to try vacuum extraction first and on the last vacuum attempt he was finally born (episiotomy aided). After that I was told I'd have c sections because he was only 5 lbs 6 oz and it was such a difficult delivery.
After doing some research, I became convinced the reason his birth became difficult was because I started the slippery slope of interventions with the epidural.  When they told me to push with Boston (about 10 minutes after they started the epidural) I was completely numb... with no urge to push.

Fast forward almost 2 years. When we found out we were expecting again, I decided to prepare as much as I could to have the birth I wanted. I knew there was still a chance it would end in a c-section, but I had to know that I tried. I did a lot of reading (Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth is a fave) and began the Hypnobabies home study course.  Hypnobabies is hypnosis for childbirth. You listen to tracks each day that hope to rewire your subconscious into believing childbirth is not this horrible, painful thing our society paints it as. There is also reading and daily affirmations. The course is pretty intensive, but I was dedicated to giving it my best shot and had heard great things/ watched amazing hypnbabies birth videos.

Alright, on to Luna's birth. My little sister, Hayley, had come to visit on July 3rd. I thought baby would come that day, too, because it was a full moon. No such luck. In fact, I had about four different "pre" labor scares with intense, regular contractions that would just stop. I'll admit, I REALLY thought I was in labor on July 9 when Hayley, my sister in law Nina, and my niece Ashley went to see Magic Mike. Must have been a little too exciting! Hayley and I spent the first week and a half of her visit waiting and trying to entice baby out. We ate spicy food and took constant walks. Finally on Thursday, July 12, I was disheartened. My doctor, Dr. Landry, was leaving town the next day and would be gone until July 17 (my due date). I couldn't believe baby hadn't arrived yet. I always figured she'd be early.  I loved Dr. Landry and really felt that he would be able to help me have the birth I dreamed of.  Without him, we would be subject to the Dr. on call, which could be the Dr. we ditched for Dr. Landry (awkward and obviously I didn't want her delivering the baby-hence the switch!).   We went to IHOP for breakfast, as we had done a lot during the month. Hayley, Boston and I went for a walk and got back around 8:20pm, when the contractions started again. I wasn't going to get my hopes up, though, because I had done that too many times already. I put Boston to bed at 9:30 and bounced a little on the birth ball and filled up the bath. I was pretty sure it was the real thing so Hayley called Flip to come home from work at 10:00, an hour before he gets off. He said "this is it? Let's do this!" I texted my doula, Ashley, to tell her I was pretty sure I was in labor. She responded that she had just given birth to her son. GREAT- so now my doctor and doula would not be attending my birth. Everything I had planned to have the birth experience I wanted was falling apart! Ashley said the back-up doula, Kristian, was with her and could come to my house if I needed her. I told her to send Kristian.

Flip got home at 11 and I got into the tub. The contractions started becoming more intense and long (a minute 15 seconds) but not closer together. Kristian arrived around 12:30 and we decided I should get out of the tub. I remember worrying that i was not really in labor and would feel bad for calling Kristian. I told them i needed to poop but Kristian said that was the baby moving down. She wouldn't let me sit on the toilet and push so i was convinced i would poop later in labor (i didnt). The water helped but it wasn't deep enough and I didn't like how I had to have my legs folded under me during contractions. Kristian learned quickly that I liked everyone to be quiet during contractions and we could all chat in between. She had never attended a hypnobabies birth (me neither!) but during a contraction you kind of turn your entire body "off" and go limp so you aren't fighting what your body is trying to do (have a baby!).

Once I got out I realized quickly I needed to be on the floor so I could go limp during contractions, no standing or sitting positions would work because they'd require some muscles to be "on".  I started having contractions while on my knees with my arms and head on the birth ball.  I was having a ton of back pressure so Kristian started doing hip squeezes- she would put her palms on my hips and push them together as hard as she could.  She taught Flip and they began switching off. It helped so much. When a contraction would start and someone hadn't begun a hip squeeze I would get really scared. I needed that for every contraction! I remember saying i was so scared. I wasn't feeling all of the pain because of hypnobabies but i knew the pain was there. Does that make sense? I knew if i didn't use my tools it would be too much. I felt at one point that I was going through transition because I felt like I couldn't do it anymore.  Flip told me "you already are doing it" and I knew it was true. I had read so much that I knew the fact that I felt like giving up meant it was almost over. So I said we should go to the hospital. I didn't want Hayley to miss out on the birth so Flip called his sister, Nelly, to come watch Boston. Hayley asked if she should text or call anyone (we had told friends and family we would let them know) but i said no. I was too in the zone to even think of all of the people i wanted to inform. Nelly arrived at 2:00am and we left in my car. I was in the backseat between the bucket seats with Kristian next to me, Flip drove and Hayley was in front. I had a few contractions in the car- not as bad as I'd read about- but I did have Kristian doing hip squeezes and my hypnobabies track playing. I said "she's coming out" and Kristian said "no she's not". She later told me she believed me, but was trying to convince me not to push. Flip and Hayley later told me the moon (la luna) was big and beautiful on the drive.

Once at the hospital I had a contraction in the hallway, one on the elevator, and one in the labor and delivery waiting room. They were getting really close together. Each one I stopped, got on my knees and laid over the birthing ball. Hayley parked the car and ran in- telling the ER nurse "my sister is pregnant! I mean, she's in labor!" We checked in at Slidell Memorial Hospital at 2:27am and were put in delivery room 1. It was a big room and I was able to walk in and stay in my clothes while they put the portable monitors on me. Our nurses were Brandi and Justine. They were both great and I especially liked Brandi.  I was on the floor having a contraction when we all heard a "pop!". The nurse said "there goes your water!" all over Flip's shoes. He was so excited, he had wanted my water to break in a dramatic way the whole pregnancy (weird?).  Brandi immediately said "I need you on the bed NOW" because after my water broke baby's heart rate dropped and she thought she may be coming out on the floor.  I jumped on the bed and she went to check me for the first time. It took her a little bit and she was looking at me kind of confused then said "You are complete (10 cm). We are about to have a baby! We need another table and call the Doctor now!" Someone came in and told me "Dr. Landry will be here in 6 minutes". Flip and I looked at each other thinking "did they really say Dr. Landry!?" I figured since his vacation started Friday, he was out of contact starting Thursday at 5 pm (it was now after 2 am on Friday morning).  Hayley asked Flip if he was really coming and she started crying she was so happy.

He really did get there in 6 minutes. He said I could start pushing whenever I felt like it. I didn't feel much of an urge but I DID feel the urge for the contractions to be over and I knew the only way this would end was if I got baby out. I tried pushing on my hands and knees. I had read this would help my curved tailbone be out of the way for baby to come out. However, the pushes were not productive. I didn't feel that resistance or anything to push against. At some point they put an oxygen mask on me. I didn't know why but nobody seemed worried. I laid down on my side and tried to push that way, which was more productive. They could see her hair every time I pushed, but she still kept going back in. Dr. Landry was honest with me and said there is a reason she isn't coming down, she is stuck and he was worried about her shoulders considering she was so much bigger than Boston. He said as long and me and baby are doing ok he will let me keep trying, but that she just may not come this way (which I knew meant we may end up with a c section).  I asked him for more ideas. He said he would like to see me try laying on my back, but with my body curved up around the baby and holding my legs back. Kind of like a squat position but with my butt on the bed. He then had me hold the inside of my thighs to open my pelvis completely. It was with these pushes that her head started coming down and stayed down.  They brought the mirror over so I could see all of her hair. It took about 5 contractions but she was finally coming out and Dr. Landry said "Stop! If you push her head out all at once you'll tear badly." He started massaging and using lotions to stretch me while I could see her head halfway out. This made me freak out a little. All I wanted at this point was her out of me and I could feel her just sitting there! The nurses and Dr. Landry were so good at making eye contact with me to calm me down. I'm so grateful that he did this, while most Dr.s would have given me an episiotomy at that point. He finally said I could push her head the rest of the way out (hello, ring of fire!), then pushed more for her shoulders and at 3:54am on Friday the 13th of July she was here! 6 lbs 14 oz and 18.5 inches long (I found out later).

They handed her straight to me for skin to skin and she was hollering! I kept telling her to stop crying but the nurses said it is good so she gets fluid out of her lungs. She was SO beautiful and perfect already. I couldn't believe it. I REALLY couldn't believe that I had done it all without any medical interventions! It actually took me a few days to realize that I had. There wasn't even time for an iv or heplock. I wasn't even checked in at the hospital yet when she was born!

At this point, I was still in a lot of pain which I didn't expect. The after pains and the nurses pushing on my uterus were not comfy. I had torn in 4 places (small ones thanks to Dr.) and the stitches were painful even with the lidocaine shots. I was shaking and waiting for that "high" I had read about in other natural birth stories. It did come.. just a little later for me :) The nurse gave me a shot in my leg to stop the bleeding (not pitocin). We called Marnie in Africa to tell her first, and sent my parents a picture of Luna and me. Nobody even knew we were in labor! There just wasn't time, it all happened so quickly. Once I knew I was in labor for sure, I was already in transition and felt the baby "coming out".

I had read a lot of stories where moms said the pushing was a relief and the easiest part of labor. This was not true for me. It was the most painful and hardest for me, but that makes sense just because of the size of my baby and my anatomy. I had hoped she would just slide on out :) I was still able to keep it together and not be that screaming mother you hear about. Even with these two things being different than I had hoped- I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I think everything lined up perfectly to give us the birth we needed. I couldn't be happier that all of my preparation paid off! And Luna truly is perfect.