Positive Birth Story- Leanna & Declan

I labored at home for as long as possible, by my contractions were consistently getting closer and more intense, and my husband felt more comfortable if we were already at the hospital. Once there, I was admitted due to high blood pressure, but was only at a 1 cm dilation. I labored all night and the following day, but only was at a 4 cm the next afternoon. I ended up ordering an epidural in the afternoon and my water broke right before I received it. I was able to get some sleep at that point, but was only at a 6 later that evening. I started Pitocin then, and then went from a 6 to a 10, 100% effaced in 45 minutes. I started pushing a little before midnight, then pushed for 4 hours but my son was stuck on my pelvic bone. My doctor said I could either push for 30 more minutes or have forceps then. I pushed bud didn’t have any more progress, so had to have forceps then. After that, deliver was very fast! Declan was born at 5:11 AM!

Leanna felt safe and secure during her birth by… I felt secure in the knowledge that I was in a hospital, and if anything were to go wrong with my first baby, I was already in a place where intervention was available to me quickly. I felt safe and supported with my husband and Emily (my doula) there to guide me and be my voice with doctors and nurses.

Leanna felt respected and listened to during birth by… When I was pregnant and thinking about labor and delivery, I wanted to have an intervention free experience, but went into it knowing that if I needed pain intervention, I would get it. I was worried, thought, that I would be judged or looked down on if I did end up needing it. When we were having discussions about getting the epidural, my husband and Emily supported me in whatever decision I made, and offered advice and opinions when I asked for them. I never felt judged or like I was weak for needing intervention.

Leanna received impactful support by… My birth team was my husband and doula, Emily. My labor was very long, but they supported me through every contraction by offering counter support, swaying with me, and fanning and feeding me. They took turns supporting me, so when my husband needed to rest, Emily stepped into his role and I felt just as comfortable with her as I did him. At the same time, Emily let my husband be my primary support, and took the role of secondary support/supporting him. They both were my advocates between myself and the hospital, and when I got to the point where speech was difficult, they took the reins and acted in accordance to our birth plan.

Leanna overcame the challenge of… I learned to be patient in the process. I went 12 hours without progressing past a 4 cm dilation, and that is very frustrating when you’re laboring all day and expecting to be further along than you are. I had to remind myself (and be reminded) that I was still progressing in labor even though the numbers weren’t reflecting that.

When Leanna first met her baby she felt… relief and whole the first time I met my baby. Instantly, I had no more pain, and felt so complete with his weight on my chest for the first time. The sun rising when I met him, both a new day and a new life!

Leanna would tell you… to not be afraid of the pain. I spent all of my pregnancy dreading giving birth, to the point where the fear of the pain was overshadowing the excitement of meeting my baby. It’s true that it’s the best day of your life, not just because you meet this new life you already love so much, but because of the feeling of pride in yourself for completing something so challenging. I did a hard thing that I was unsure I was capable of doing, proving to myself I’m stronger than I think. No birth goes exactly according to plan, and you can only control how you think. Emily helped me to keep my mind focused on the positive, and helped me to be patient and present.

Her experience was… empowering, fulfilling, awe-inspiring