You’re Pregnant?!?
At 18 years old, I was taken aback to learn that I was pregnant with my first child. Despite the initial shock, excitement grew as the weeks passed. My boyfriend and now husband, Brandon, and I began to prepare for our new arrival. We found a home and started making plans for our future together.
An uneventful Pregnancy
After getting past the morning sickness, my pregnancy was relatively smooth. I attended a birthing class and was surprised to find that my partner and I were the youngest couples there. Four months after my 19th birthday, I went into labor early, two weeks before my due date.
The Labor of Love
I don’t recall who suggested a natural birth without pain medication, but I remember each contraction’s intense discomfort. Brandon and several family members were there to support me as I labored through the day and into the evening. Finally, at 10 PM, I gave birth to our perfect baby boy, who weighed 7 pounds and 12 ounces with ten fingers and ten toes.
A Traumatic Experience
The final stage of my delivery did not go as planned. I had a retained placenta, which meant it was not delivering as it should have due to being stuck to the uterine wall. The pressure from the PA trying to deliver the placenta inverted my uterus, causing me to hemorrhage. The room became chaotic as doctors and nurses rushed to help. My family was removed from the room as they prepared for an emergency hysterectomy. Two nurses held me down as a gynecologist worked to get my uterus back into position. He was successful just in time, and I could avoid the hysterectomy, though I required two blood transfusions and a significant recovery period.
Three Years Later: More Adventures in Motherhood
As I approached the end of my pregnancy with our second baby boy, I felt both eager and excited. Despite minor discomforts, the journey was smooth sailing, and I was ready for the next chapter.
The Arrival of Baby #2
The weeks leading up to my due date were filled with false alarms and restless nights. Despite walking and trying every remedy in the book, labor was slow. But persistence pays off, and at 40 weeks, I finally felt the first pangs of real contractions. I quickly made my way to the hospital, where I was admitted, and began my journey towards delivering our newest bundle of joy.
The Labor of Love
I was again determined to have a natural birth with no pain medication. I labored in bed, rolling from side to side, trying to find the most comfortable position. Hours passed, but I was ready to start pushing. The delivery was intense, but with the help of the nurses, when his shoulders became lodged, I was able to push our little one into the world. At 3:45 PM, our baby boy arrived, weighing in at 9 pounds and 10 ounces, with broad shoulders and a full head of hair.
The Aftermath of Delivery
Although I was nervous about the delivery of the placenta, I had complete faith in my doctor. I reminded her of my previous experience, and she reassured me, taking her time to ensure safe and gentle delivery. And with her love and care, everything went smoothly, and I started the next chapter of motherhood with a healthy baby in my arms.
Five Months later and maybe the loss of my sanity
Life has a funny way of throwing surprises our way. I struggled to breastfeed our second son and found myself in tears in the bathroom one day while Brandon showered after work. I confided in him, expressing my frustration and exhaustion with breastfeeding. I felt I just couldn’t do it anymore. Questions were raised that made me think about taking a pregnancy test. Imagine our surprise when we learned that I was pregnant!
A New Arrival on the Horizon
The news of our third pregnancy elicited a mixture of reactions from those around us, with some thinking we were crazy and others excited for our growing family. My pregnancy was uneventful and went smoothly, much like my first two. At 36 weeks, my doctor raised some concerns about the baby’s size and ordered an ultrasound to check. To our surprise, they estimated the baby was close to 9 pounds. I was scheduled to be induced at 38 weeks. As a petite 5’3″ and 100lb woman, I was intimidated by the prospect of delivering yet another 9lb baby.
Preparation for Labor #3
Arriving at the hospital before nightfall, not in labor, was a significant change from the last two births. The doctor placed a pill next to my cervix to induce labor, and within a few hours, I was in full-blown labor. This time, I chose to have an epidural. I could rest while laboring, pretty much sleeping through all the contractions, and by 5 A.M., I felt the urge to push.
Bringing a New Life into the World
As I informed Brandon to get the nurse, she came in and checked, announcing that my baby’s head was visible. Pushing was effortless, and the doctor arrived just in time to deliver my 8-pound, 8-ounce baby girl.
Raising kids
Having three children so close in age was busy and hectic, but each day was filled with love, joy, yelling, and fighting:) Brandon and I had differing views on having another baby, but ultimately, we decided it was best to focus on the three extraordinary little ones we already had. With our youngest being eight years old, we were content with our family size and had a doctor’s name ready to ensure that we would only have these three.
The Unanticipated Blessing
Brandon and I had made plans to schedule his vasectomy after he completed his fire academy training, but the week after he finished, we received some surprising news. We were pregnant! Telling everyone was a blast as no one saw it coming.
Fourth Pregnancy
My morning sickness was unparalleled! I spent the first three and a half months on the couch, trying to get through each day. I was also plagued with anxiety about losing the baby or having something wrong with her physically. However, as the months went by, the pregnancy improved, and I was able to put some of my fears to rest. By month eight, I was huge and couldn’t imagine getting any bigger…but I did. For another four weeks:/
Labor Number Four
I started having contractions on and off at 38 weeks. I spent many hours dancing and sitting on a yoga ball, but the labor never picked up in intensity and always subsided. At my 39-week check-up, I was 2 cm dilated and in pre-labor. When I reached 40 weeks, I was 4.5, cm and the doctor said, “Go have that baby!” I was thrilled to call Brandon and tell him, But the hospital sent us home because I wasn’t having consistent contractions. The next day, we thought I was leaking amniotic fluid, so we returned to the hospital. However, I still wasn’t in active labor.
A Sleepy Baby
The doctor referred to her as a sleepy baby while watching her on the monitors. After having a glass of apple juice and a granola bar, her movements did pick up. They recommended a small dose of Pitocin to induce labor. I was uneasy about this, but after two weeks of slow labor, I understood why she was so sleepy. I reluctantly agreed to the induction.
Birth Time
After receiving less than a half hour of Pitocin at its lowest dose, I was in full labor. The contractions were powerful and intense. I opted for an epidural, which helped, but not as much as I would have liked. A few hours later, I started pushing and gave birth to a 9-pound, 12-ounce bundle of sweetness.
Post-Delivery Concerns
The time came to deliver the placenta, and I started to bleed heavily and had large blood clots. I had prepared Brandon for months ahead of the birth, telling him not to leave our baby or let anyone touch her if I had to leave the room. I would call it moms intuition. I even had him sing to her daily while pregnant so she would recognize his voice. I was rushed off for an emergency D&C because of a nerve that attached from the uterine wall back to itself, instead of to the placenta.
A Happy Ending
All four of our children are amazing! Our three eldest have become young adults and bring us so much joy. Our youngest is no longer a baby but a young lady full of light and love. We truly feel blessed!
Finding My Calling as a Doula
Reading about my birthing experiences, you can see why I deeply love the birthing process. It’s a big part of who I am, and I use my own experiences to become a better doula for others. I believe my births would have been different if I had the knowledge I have now, but I embrace my past to fuel my passion and love for my career as a doula!