All About Babies- My Second Birth Experience

I'm currently five weeks out from delivering our second baby, and I can gladly say, if you are an expecting mama reading this to have a wider scope of knowledge in regards to what can be waiting for you in the delivery room, trust the saying that goes around, that "every pregnancy and delivery is unique."I was petrified that I would have to be induced for a second time. We were planning for a natural birth at a birthing center this time around, something I vowed to do after our first not so pleasant experience at a hospital. However, God and little girl had different plans, because I carried our second baby as long as I could, to 42 weeks gestation, before we scheduled an induction, yet again. Because I was so far, I had to have my care transferred to a hospital and couldn't deliver at the birth center like I had been wishing to for 9.5 months. I was so incredibly anxious but fought to trust God in the circumstance and after having my day of disappointment and anger, went about writing down my hospital birth plan to ensure I could at least have the delivery I desired and felt comfortable with in this new setting.In the week before I delivered, since I was past 41 weeks, we had two biophysical exams done to make sure our baby was growing and thriving, still practicing her breathing, had healthy muscle tone, and that my placenta was still functioning to ensure that it'd be safe for us to continue onto 42 weeks. It was very reassuring to me, and since we didn't partake in frequent ultrasounds using a midwife, it was so sweet to see our baby on the screen so close to her arrival. We learned that she had a TON of hair, was chubby, and so perfectly healthy. We were incredibly blessed amidst the circumstance of not having the birth we anticipated.We were scheduled for our induction Friday morning, July 5th at a hospital 45 minutes away from us, under the care of a physician I had never met in a hospital we'd only toured for the first time a few days earlier. I was nervous, but luckily our midwife came with us, and she trusted the physician my care had been turned over to. Upfront, she warned me that he practiced more "traditionally," which made me a little wary, but she coached Hunter and me on how to clearly state our preferences while under his care. Once we were checked in and showed our room, we got to work setting up a few pictures I bought from home to focus on during the labor, and some birth affirmations I designed. Once we were settled into our room and I was evaluated I was told I was 3cm dilated and about 70% effaced. When the Pitocin drip started, we asked when we could have the drip slowed down, and made it very clear an epidural wasn't wanted, that we didn't want it mentioned again, and that our goal was to have a natural birth. The morning nurse was accommodating to our preferences, though I could tell natural birth probably wasn't her specialty, and when we met our physician for the first time, he mentioned that an epidural could be needed, but we asked him again to not offer it nor any other pain medications again unless it truly came down to the wire. He complied!My Pitocin drip was elevated a little quickly for my liking, every 15 or so minutes, starting at 8:15am, until I was at 20 drops per minute, which is quite high. My contractions were picking up, steady and strong, but I wasn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, since this was my second rodeo, I took a nap while I could bear them comfortably since we, unfortunately, had a later than anticipated bedtime from packing the car the night before, and I knew I would need as much rest and energy as I could get to avoid any medical interventions. I slept for at least an hour, waking up around noon when the nurse came in to ask me to switch sides and introduce the nurse for the midday shift. My cervix was also checked again, and I was 4cm dilated and almost fully effaced.Our second nurse was my favorite. She had such an incredble character, and when our first nurse explained the short version of our birth plan, she was super supportive, sharing, " Of course! We were made to birth naturally. You go this!" I was floored! I had never received a response like that from a labor and delivery nurse. Which honestly is sad to me, but to keep it positive, you can imagine how awesome this nurse was. She was so friendly, motherly and experienced, both in her profession and personally.It was not long after this time that my contractions started getting uncomfortable, and I asked my midwife to help me with pain management by getting in good positions and adding movement. I got on the yoga ball, plugged in my essential oils diffuser, turned on some "Christian Indie" music, the three of us (Hunter, the midwife and I) engaged in great conversation, and soon my nurse even allowed me to have a popsicle and liquids. Yay! I was already so hungry and bitter that I wasn't supposed to eat. Not long after this, I needed the music stopped and during my contractions, my midwife started doing hip squeezes and sacral pressure to help ease the pain. She also rubbed a soothing oil onto my lower back, as well as on my upper legs, and she and hunter stroked them when I had contractions, which helped keep me comfortable and my muscles relaxed.By about 2:15 pm, two hours after I woke from my nap, I suggested to Hunter to get in touch with our doula for her to make her way to the hospital because I felt like this labor was about to pick up and I was going to start having more pain to manage and check out. She was also about 45 minutes away from the hospital, but not wanting to stress myself out, I anticipated that we were going to be laboring for a while before the baby was born. I knew I had 6cm to go, and since I'd only been in active labor for two hours, probably had a couple hours left to go. We then realized it had been over two hours since my cervix had been checked, and I was laboring pretty hard by this point. The nurse checked me again, and to my disbelief, I was 9.5cm. Hunter tells me that this was such a funny moment because, for the past hour, my eyes had been closed while I was laboring, but when she said that number, they sprang open wide. In my head, I was thinking, "WOW, what the heck okay I'm really about to have this baby!" but at this point in the labor, I couldn't make out words to communicate.The nurse alerted the doctor and had a bassinet bought in for the baby, along with beginning having the room prepped for delivery. I can't remember as much at this point, because I was so in the zone, but what I do remember is that I was truly fed up by this point. My water hadn't broken yet, and I didn't want it manually broken, but I was willing for someone, anyone, to break it at this point. I also was already feeling the urge to push, and so I did! The nurse told me that my waters were bulging and the baby's head wasn't far behind, so when my water broke, there wasn't going to be much time before the baby was fully delivered-- and she was right! I remember seeing a gloved hand frantically pushing the remote to contact the nurse's station to get the doctor in the room and covered up to catch the baby, but that he wasn't coming fast enough. I remember someone closed my legs so I wouldn't push before the doctor got in but I kept on anyway! I would learn afterward that our awesome nurse wasn't really going to make me stop pushing because she knew that was impossible.My water finally broke, and things really picked up! The baby was coming and she was coming FAST. Exactly 7 minutes after that in fact. By the time the doctor got in and was ready at the end of the table, her head was already out, and I was asked to get in the "traditional" birth position, on your back with legs in stirrups. I had been on my side at this point, and I specifically didn't want to deliver that way. I also did NOT want to move and wasn't physically able, but the doctor shared that he didn't feel comfortable or know how to deliver differently. According to Hunter, he was very kind and genuine when he shared this information, and Hunter carefully told me that we were going to comply with the doctor so he could deliver our baby. He and our midwife, who had been stationed by my legs, helping me get through the contractions, then picked me up by my legs, holding my back, moving me down the bed and putting my feet up. It was the weirdest experience, but the extreme intensity of delivering had all of my attention and I was there, but then I really wasn't.It was mere moments after they had to move me that I delivered our baby! The doctor was encouraging my work, ensuring me that I was using great control over my body and doing a great job pushing and heeding to his instruction. I honestly didn't even realize when the baby came out for a minute since I was so in the zone and because she was so quiet! She gave a quick little cry, then settled down just as fast, and they placed her on my belly. I had a short umbilical cord, that was as high as they could bring her to me, and we were given 30 seconds to keep the cord attached before it was cut. I delivered the placenta quickly and had a small tear that was stitched up. But as quickly as the labor began, it seemed, it was over! I couldn't believe it, I was only in active labor for 3 hours! Our doula didn't even make it, it was so fast!I was so surprised how our labor turned out, but so incredibly happy. I wasn't all that I'd requested it to be, but I thankful to have experienced a med-free birth like I wanted for so long. It left me with newfound confidence and fascination for the female body God designed, seeing and experiencing its capability to bring a human into the world. It restored my trust some in hospitals and provided a sense of healing from my prior birthing experience, something I definitely couldn't have planned nor anticipated. The best, of course, was the beautiful, healthy and petite little girl that came from the pain. We couldn't have been more blessed.