Our 4th of July was uneventful at first, we weren’t able to really plan anything just in case I went into labor. Well, just before we lit some sparklers around 8:30 pm I started timing my contractions. 10:00 pm came and we headed into the hospital, surprisingly I thought the emergency room was very quiet for it being the 4th. Was checked in and brought up to the labor and delivery floor, even that floor was quiet.
The nurse checked me and I was 3 cm and 50% effaced. We were told to walk for an hour to see how things progress, after the hour only at 4 cm. She called the midwife to ask if I should get checked into a room and off we went into a room. I labored in the room for the next few hours with 1 or 2 checks from the nurse, contractions came very quickly and intense.
It was finally time to call in for an epidural, I couldn’t handle the pain anymore and my platelet count was good. After I was almost done with the fluid iv(needed that before I could get the epidural), was told he was 2 minutes away and she walked out the door. The second she walked out the door I looked at my husband and said(okay maybe yelled), “I’m pushing” and off my body went squating. He rushed out the door to yell for her and she peeks in the door and asks if it was serious and there I went again the urge to squat and push. Next thing I know her and 2 other nurses run in and yell for me to get back on the bed. And sure enough, baby girl was coming. It was all pretty rushed after that.
I just remember asking begging them for some kind of pain killer. I pushed for less than 15 minutes, pushed only 5 times there was no time for any pain meds. There wasn’t even time for the midwife or a doctor to come in. Piper was coming right then and there! I just remember the look on everyone’s faces, my husband looked so scared at first from how quickly everything was coming. With Mason I had an epidural and just remember the feeling of pressure, with Piper I could literally feel her head come out and then her shoulders. Still painful but oddly enough those last contractions were WAY more painful then the actual pushing a baby out my V. She was placed on my chest and everything was complete, utterly and completely in love. 6 hours of labor love!
Midwife arrived minutes afterward, delivered the placenta and stitched me up, 2nd degree tear.
The coolest thing about the birth. Piper was born in her sac, which I guess is called birth with a en-caul and is extremely rare fewer than 1 in 80,000 births. Sadly with how quickly everything went there was no time to get a picture or video, which would have been very awesome!
We both were checked out of the hospital after 1 night, very quick stay which I was very grateful.
PS. I am still in awe that I delivered completely pain med free (& absolutely nothing wrong with getting pain meds, I did with Mason). I just still can’t believe I managed to do it, and the feeling of my body knowing naturally what to do. I am still in shock! And proud and amazed with myself!
Piper Mae
July 5, 2017
7 lbs 9 oz 19 in
Congratulations on the new little one!!
[…] you realize how quickly time flies. I can’t even believe Piper is already a month old, that I gave birth to a baby girl over a month […]
Wow that’s amazing!! I have always wanted to photograph an en-caul birth! I bet it was beautiful. Congrats!!! You did awesome and I LOVE her name. Hope I can meet her next time I’m in the PNW.
I love the story Tabitha, Piper is one blessed baby girl for you as her mom and Levi as her dad….Also Mason as her big brother….