Positive Birth Story- Adryanna & Liam

At 41 weeks and 1 day I got a biophysical ultrasound to ensure everything was still going well with baby and my placenta was still providing all the nutrients to baby. Thankfully everything was going as it should be and it was safe to still be pregnant. I really wanted to give birth at the birth center as I was very comfortable and felt very safe with my birth team. As the week went on there were some signs of labor progressing but as the week went my husband and I decided at 41 and 3 I would go ahead and have my midwife insert a balloon catheter in hopes it would kick start contractions and labor. Once the balloon was in I did have about 6 hours of consistent contractions between 5-8 minutes apart, but towards the end of the day at 41 and 3, contractions subsided. As you can only have a balloon catheter inserted for only 24 hours we went back to the birth center on 41 and 4 to remove the balloon and talk next steps. Once the balloon was removed I was 6 centimeters dilated and I felt confident and at peace to go ahead and get my water broken. Once my midwife broke my water at around 11am contractions restarted pretty immediately and were much more intense. My midwife monitored me and baby for about two hours and we felt it was okay for me to go home to continue laboring there until we got more intense contractions.

I went back home to labor for about 13 hours and contractions were gradually getting more intense as the day went on. I went on walks up and down the street and my husband would use a rebozo around my belly to help me find some relief during contractions. Around 4pm we called our doula to come over to help me as I was nervous of contractions slowing down and I wanted help with some spinning babies stretches and some Christian hypno-birth techniques to help keep me focus and get baby down to have contractions intensify. From 5pm and into the night, my doula and husband helped me into various labor positions including forward leaning inversion, slide lying release, squatting on the floor and sitting backwards on the toilet, changing positions about every 30 minutes. Around 2am it felt like there was never a break between contractions and I knew that I was progressing as I found it harder to stay low and control my breathing.

At 2:30am we called my midwife and she quickly heard me contracting and told us to head to the birth center. Once we arrived to the birth center at 3am my midwife did a cervical check and told me I was ready to begin pushing, she did some counter pressure on my cervix to help dilate me further. After a few minutes of pushing I got up and continued to walk and labor throughout the birth center. After many contractions for about an hour and a half, I felt lots of pressure and felt like the baby was crowning. I went back to the bed and laid on my side and my midwife came in and coached me through pushing and breathing and after 10 minutes of active pushing baby was born at 5am. Immediately Liam was on my chest and my midwife did a wonderful job talking through and showing my husband and I that Liam was safe and breathing well and the rest of the birth team did a wonderful job helping make sure I was taken care of and helping get Liam to latch and start breastfeeding. After my placenta was born and I was evaluated and cleaned up, dad got to do some skin to skin while I cleaned up in the shower and once the newborn wellness check was completed, we were released to go home at 9am. My midwife checked on me later that evening and a nurse from the birth center visited us at home 24 hours after birth to make sure me and Liam were doing good.

Adryanna felt safe and secure during birth by… I felt very secure and safe with the birth team that I had chosen and was confident in the care I would receive. As well after many hours in birth classes, books read and meetings with my midwife and doula throughout my pregnancy it definitely helped my husband and I learn a lot and feel secure in how to handle birth. During birth my husband never showed an ounce of worry, I felt his confidence in the support and care he was giving me at home and it helped me feel safe. My doula and midwife were amazing, as this was our first baby they both helped assure me that I was doing a great job and made me feel secure to be as vulnerable as I needed to be during laboring.

Adryanna felt in control and empowered during birth by… Everyone who was a part of my birth team did a great job letting me decide what positions I wanted to labor in and how I wanted to receive support through contractions based on what I felt was comfortable for my body. I felt empowered through allowing my body to feel contractions and tell myself it is good for them intensify as it was progress to get closer to meeting my baby. I felt strong and in control by breathing slow and keeping my body loose and voice low to get through contractions and telling my husband and birth team how they can support me physically through each surge.

Adryanna felt respected and listened to during birth by… As I was going into 41 weeks my birth team never pushed me towards any interventions they respected my desire for a spontaneous labor at the birth center. As I was getting closer to the end of 41 weeks closer to 42 weeks my midwife was very respectful to not push any interventions but to keep me aware of my options of natural interventions to help ensure I could deliver at the birth center. My midwife allowed me to decide what I wanted to do and never pushed anything on me and I never felt rushed to make a decision. My birth team at home and at the birth center were very helpful to put me into positions that were good to progress labor but always listened to me if I wanted to move or switch positions. My midwife was very respectful by communicating to me prior to any belly or cervical checks that if I was not comfortable during or it felt painful to say "stop", "no" or "out" if I wanted anything to stop. During my entire birth I felt that I was respected and listed to very well which helped me feel comfortable and safe.

A challenge that Adryanna overcame during birth was… There was a moment around 1am were I felt nervous that I would have a long labor because at the time I was not feeling any big pressure. I shared with my husband that I was scared I would get too tired to keep riding through each contraction if I ended up going over 24 hours of labor. My husband suggested I take a shower to allow my body to feel some relief with the warm water. While in the shower he spoke affirmations over me and helped me get passed my worry of a long labor and trust that my body was doing everything it needed do. Shortly after I got out of the shower and laid in bed my contractions began to get more intense. With the help from my husband and his guidance to help calm my thoughts, I felt it put me in a better mindset to ride through these intense contractions and feel progress in labor.

When Adryanna first met her baby she felt… I felt much relief that contractions were over and I made it through labor actually did everything I did to meet my baby. I felt so much joy as I held my baby and saw the tears of joy and relief on my husband's face. I just remember feeling so at peace and felt like time stood still when Liam was born and that our baby was finally here.

Adryanna would tell you… You are strong and capable to do this. Your birth team matters, put together a team that you trust, feel safe with and confident in, it makes all the difference.

In her experience she felt… strong, confident, lots of peace.