So we had a baby! To be honest it’s all been a blur in this post partum haze from everything physically and mentally changing! He is literally the most precious thing ever and I am obsessed with him. But before he entered the world, let’s talk about the process of him getting here aka my labor!

If you follow my insta or talked to me the last few weeks of my pregnancy, you’ll know I was doing everything in my power to prepare my body and prepare myself mentally for labor. I was eating dates and pineapple juice (to soften the cervix), drinking raspberry leaf tea (to help blood flow and the uterus), eating oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (help with lactation) and continued to do at least 30 minutes of cardio – mostly walking on incline on the treadmill with the occasional curbside walking. Oh and I was doing a circuit routine to help strengthen the pelvis and inversions to help get baby in the right position to evacuate. I was doing everything in my power to have baby boy come out naturally as I wasn’t planning for an epidural and heard getting induced usually does lead to an epidural.

Well as my due date approached, I was feeling bigger and more uncomfortable and I was worried that we would need an induction. Two days before my due date, I had a doctor’s appointment and got my cervix checked – I was at 3.5 cm dilated and 70% effaced AND she said she could feel his head. She asked if I wanted a membrane sweep and I said might as well since you’re in there! To be honest, cervix checks and membrane sweeps are not the most comfortable, but if you try and relax, it’s easier – still not comfortable, but easier. Also please note a membrane sweep can help labor along if the body is ready, but will not force labor.

So then we waited, I felt mild cramping on and off and that was about it. Two nights passed and I thought okay, he’s gonna take his time coming out. The due date came and I went to the gym as usual. I started walking on the treadmill and 15 minutes I felt a gush…did I just pee myself??? I touched my pants and was like welp I either just peed myself or my water broke so I power walked back to my apartment! My husband called the hospital who said I could come in now so he double checked our hospital bag and set up the car seat. We also called our doula who said since I tested negative for GBS, we could labor at home till the contractions got closer. We chose the latter as home seem more comfortable and I know at the hospital we’re just waiting around so might as well wait at home (and we could watch Netflix!) It took about 6 hours till the contractions came. I was on my birthing ball doing laboring exercises and doing the circuit training to help my pelvis. Then I started to have to breath through the contractions as the pain started. The rule is 5-1-1: 5 minutes between 1 minute contractions for 1 hour before you head to the hospital. My contractions went from a pain scale of 4-8 as I labored at home for the next 6 hours. My husband helped do counter pressure on my hips and/or massage my shoulders and back as each contraction wave came. It got to the point where my contractions were longer than a minute and varied between 2-4 minutes apart and the pain was getting worse – time to go to the hospital!

When we arrived, the pain jumped a bit to where I had to stop talking to breath through the pain. We checked in and they brought me to the labor room immediately since my water had broken earlier. If it hadn’t, I would have been put in a triage room first. When we got to the labor room they hooked up a machine to my belly to monitor baby’s heart rate and monitor my contractions and this is where things got painful. When I was laying down, I struggled to breath through the pain as I think walking or moving around was easier for me. The contractions jumped to a 12 on the pain scale for me as I death gripped the bed rail each time. I like to think I have a decently high pain tolerance, but this wiped me out. I was shaking and my legs would cramp with each contractions. At this point, I asked for a cervix check – if I was 7cm or beyond, I would continue without the epidural, but under that, I am not trying to be a martyr so give me the drugs! The doc checked me and I was 6cm so epidural please!!! Also I was at station -1 and baby needs to get to 0 before it’s time to push so I knew I was still waiting for a bit. I didn’t realize you needed to get a blood test for the epidural and that was rough – waiting for them to draw my blood and get results and then have the anesthesiologist come was the LONGEST HOUR OF MY LIFE!

Finally got the results and doc came and sitting up was a pain. Oh and trying to stay still as he inserted a needle in the spine while having contractions was no walk in the park. The doc had a hard time finding space for my epidural as “my spine is very boney”…. Anyways after the longest 15 minutes ever, epidural was in and FINALLY I could breath again. At this point we just would wait till it was time to push and deliver. I was lucky that the epidural numbed the pain, but I could feel the pressure of the contractions – it feels like you need to poop. Our doula arrived and my husband took a nap as it was 4am by this point and we both hadn’t slept (note: husband and I say looking back we should have napped between my water breaking and contractions starting…but we didn’t know!). I tried to nap on and off as my doula (honestly she is a godsend and I think everyone should have one) helped me drink water and/or gave advisement. Then 7:20am rolls around and the nurse said “I think you’re ready to push. Shall we check your cervix?” It was go time! She said the “head is here, let’s push and have the baby out before my shift ends at 8am!” And literally everyone jumped into place – I had 3 amazing nurses, the obgyn, doula and husband all got into position. Every time I felt like I needed to poop, I said contraction? They said yes, I would push and tada 3 contractions, 9 pushes and 7 minutes later, baby boy was here! My husband caught him and then next thing I knew baby boy was on my chest and he is the best thing ever!

And that was my labor story! Did it go according to how I visualized it? No, I planned for an unmedicated labor because to be honest, I was terrified of recovery and I had heard that if you went unmedicated you probably would tear less since you could feel things more. But I also was told to go in with a birth plan with open hands aka be open to change and I’m so glad I did because getting the epidural allowed me a chance to rest to push later. But also I’m so glad we labored at home and got to where I was for dilation etc. I honestly believe getting to 6cm before epidural was the reason I was able to push quickly to birth. Also so thankful to the husband, doula and to the Kaiser team! I will write another post about postpartum which is a whole other ballgame in itself! But for now, I end this with, women are freaking superheros and thank you for modern medicine and most of all, thank you for my beautiful son for choosing me to be his mama xo