Birth Story
Ana Sierra Lockhart T. was born at 3:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 25. She was 7 lbs. 4 oz. and 18 inches long. Labor started the previous night. I had gone to the midwife on Friday at 41 weeks, exhausted and disgruntled. I had convinced myself that if I did yoga and walked during my entire pregnancy that I wouldn't have an "overdue" baby. I know that 41 weeks is not really considered to be "overdue" but she was to me! I had done everything to try and get labor started once I hit 39 weeks, I walked longer, cleaned house, and did a number of other things. I had contractions pretty much the entire 40+ week. They would come and go and never get regular, as my midwife told me, my body was warming up. Billy and I tried not to get our hopes up too much because I had so many contractions over the last week that never went anywhere, we finally accepted that she was going to come when she was ready (I believe an early lesson from God that we no longer have any control when it comes to our daughter!).
We went to the midwife on Friday at 41 weeks; I was 6 cm dilated and 75% effaced. She recommended stripping my membranes to try and get labor started. I figured if it didn't work I had nothing to lose, and if it did great. It was not that terribly painful. I figured if I can't take that pain that natural childbirth was never going to work! Within a couple of hours I was really crampy and having contractions here and there. I went on a late afternoon walk and then Billy and I went out for dinner. By the time we left dinner I was getting more and more contractions. Around 9 I noticed that more and more contractions were coming and starting to get a little patterned. My mom was arriving from Florida at 10, by the time Billy got back from the airport I was convinced that I was in labor. We labored at home and decided to try and lay down at 1:45 am. As soon as I did contractions started coming 10 minutes apart and getting more and more painful. We got back up and started timing. At 5 am I called the midwife and my doula and was told to head in to the hospital.
Once we got to the hospital labor slowed down a bit, but ramped back up with walking and sitting on the ball. What I call "real labor" started around 11 (i.e. I no longer was talking between contractions). I immediately got in the tub to try and deal with the contractions. After being in the tub what seemed like hours to me the midwife decided to check me. I was 6cm dilated when I arrived at the hospital. By 1 pm I was 8 cm and exhausted (I highly recommend trying to get some sleep if you can when labor starts). The midwife suggested breaking my water because the bag was stuck in the birth canal and preventing me from dilating further. I agreed, once the water broke my contractions were even more intense and painful. I got back in the tub and at that point was the first time I thought that I might not make it. But I just did not let myself go there, it was too late to do anything but breathe and believe in myself and my body. Right then I got the urge to push, it had only been about 15 minutes since my water was broken. Most amazing thing ever. My body just started pushing. I got out of the bath, a birthing stool was brought into the bathroom (never imagined delivering my child in the bathroom, but no way I was walking to the bed!), and I pushed little Ana Sierra out in 30 minutes. I pulled her up and on to my chest and watched her take her first few breaths. It was the most precious and empowering moment of my life. I never knew how strong I was until that moment, and no one can ever take that knowledge away from me.
I highly recommend the midwives at St. Francis, hiring a doula and taking Leslie and Maura's birthing class. My midwife Nicole and doula Rachel were absolutely amazing and their support enabled me to have the birth experience that I hoped for and that all women deserve. Leslie and Maura's birthing class really prepared both me and my husband for natural childbirth, we entered labor so educated about the process and knowledgeable about interventions that might take place at the hospital.
I think the best part of my birth experience is that I know it brought Billy and I closer and made our marriage even stronger. There is nothing that I would change.
Mandy T