Before I was even pregnant, I knew I wanted to try to have a natural delivery (no epidural, minimal interventions). Not even try, I was DETERMINED to have a natural delivery. Spoiler alert, it didn’t happen. I read every single book on the market about natural delivery. My favorites were here, here, and here. I scoured the internet for clues as to why someone’s natural birth plan did not work out. I wanted to know where other people messed up so I could avoid those “mistakes.” Now, I know why I could not find those kinds of posts. I wouldn’t change anything about my birth story. It’s what made me a mama and it was perfect in every way.

But, for the next time around, there are lessons I take away with me. So, here are my six lessons learned.

I worked out 6 days a week up until the day I delivered, to make sure I was in the best shape possible for delivery. By the end of my pregnancy, I could beat the yogiest of yogis in a malasana pose standoff. I drank red raspberry leaf tea every.single.day throughout my third trimester. I did just about every other thing I could find to prepare in advance for a natural labor. We chose a practice group with both OBs and midwives and had access to both, which was great, and we hired a doula. I will share more thoughts about our choice to hire a doula in a later post.

Lesson #1: Sleep during the “easy” contractions

Well, you know what they say about best-made plans… BB had some ideas of her own. She, apparently, had decided that a fashionably late appearance was the most fabulous way to enter the world. The doctors were pushing for an induction, but I wanted SO BADLY to go into labor myself. When I was pushing the two-weeks-past-due expiration date, my doc said she would not let me go any longer. They insisted that I schedule an induction for the next day and that I really would have to be induced that time (I had already no-showed for a handful of scheduled inductions). I was having prodromal contractions during the middle of the night for about 7 days, so at that point, I was exhausted. The contractions would happen every 2 minutes from 2am-6am and then like clockwork, they would stop.

The night before our induction, I was having SERIOUS contractions and they kept going the next morning. I was finally in labor! I woke Blake at 8am and we got to business. I was so excited to get things moving. We brought out the birthing ball, walked miles and miles, did countless flights of stairs, and fueled up on the best pre-birth food (pizza and pb&j, bring on the carbs).

Lesson #2, Don’t go to the hospital too soon

After laboring at home for about 10 hours we headed into the hospital. The contractions were still very manageable, but I was so nervous that I could not feel the baby moving anymore. Even in hindsight, I don’t think I could ever change this decision. I wanted to know my baby was safe.

Lesson #3: If you do go too soon, it’s ok to go back home

We checked into triage and, welp, I was a whopping 1cm dilated. The doctor said I could go back home or labor in triage for a couple hours. Cue major feelings of disappointment and hours and hours of walking the halls in triage. 6 hours later, I was 1.5cms dilated. At that point, I had been awake 20 hours and on my feet the entire time, I was exhausted. The doctors said I was “stalled” and wanted to admit me and break my water. The doula, Blake and I agreed to be admitted but we wanted to give it a couple more hours before any interventions started. I was so afraid of the cascade of interventions that I knew would follow.

 

Several hours later, I agreed to get checked again and if I had not made significant progress I would let them break my water. I was 2cms, and the doctor said that as being “generous”. So, they broke my water.

Lesson #4: Pitocin, the kiss of death

The contractions picked up to a whole new level. After a couple more hours of battling through, I was losing my resolve. For the first time, visions of epidurals danced in my head. I asked to be checked again, and I was 3 cms. The midwife looked at me and told me that baby was not coming for at least another 10 hours. But, if they started Pitocin, it might move things along. So, began that cascade of interventions. I agreed to Pitocin and made it about 3 Pitocin contractions before I politely screamed for the epidural.

All smiles after the epidural. Yep, it was daytime again.

Lesson #5: That amazing L&D playlist was time well spent

Fast forward another 12 hours and I was FINALLY at 10cms. It was time to push, and as luck would have it, my epidural pump had been malfunctioning all night. It kept wearing off and it had worn off right before it was time to push, so I could feel my contractions and push with them. That, combined with an epic delivery playlist composed by Blake, 15 minutes and 5 pushes later, Blake Madison Geoffrion came roaring into this world.

Lesson #6: Some things are outside your control, and that is just one of the amazing things about childbirth

It was not the delivery I wanted or planned for, but I would not change a single thing about it. It is the story of how I became a mama. My “mistakes” I would make over and over again because that brought me a healthy baby girl. Now, almost 12 months later, I know her 36 hour delivery was just a preview of life with BB. She has the biggest and best personality and adds just the perfect amount of drama to our lives. Keep it comin, BB!