jenna’s birth story

I had the immense honor of serving 6 families in 2020, and when all is said and done in 2021 I will have served 14, for a grand total of 20 families in my doula career so far. I am so thankful for this job that let’s me witness amazing moments like the one you’re about to read through.

Jenna is my first client to have an unmedicated hospital birth. She absolutely killed it and I was in awe of her strength, conviction to keep going, and composed demeanor throughout the entire experience. Now, that’s enough from me, let’s hear from Jenna the amazing story that she has to share!

At my 34 week appointment my blood pressure was 160/105! Eek! I had been batting anxiety my whole pregnancy, but I also had several risk factors for preeclampsia so we were all worried. I was pretty convinced I was going to have my baby right then & there! Luckily my labs came back totally normal we so chalked it up to stress. But I also signed myself up for strict blood pressure monitoring & weekly check ins!

At 37 weeks my BP was high again.. we discussed the risks/benefits of induction now that I was full term. I had been planning an unmedicated birth so I was reeaaallllyyy wanting to avoid an induction & was hoping my body would go into labor spontaneously! Luckily my preeclampsia labs were still normal, although slowly creeping the wrong direction. I started trying ALL the "natural induction methods"

So at my 39 wk appointment we finally called it... my blood pressures had been getting steadily higher and as much as I was wanting a low intervention birth I knew that getting our little boy out safely was ultimately the best choice. I had my midwife check me at the appointment and do a membrane sweep. My initial exam was 1cm/30%effaced/-3. We headed home to enjoy the last few hours to ourselves before heading to the hospital.

3/11 check into the hospital at 5 p.m. the plan to was to get a few doses of cytotec to ripen my cervix then get a cervical balloon placed all in the hopes my body would kickstart itself into labor. After the 1st dose I was having contractions every minutes soo I had to get some IV fluids to slow them down. I ended up with two more as I was barely made me feel anything.

3/12 830a The plan was to get a cooks balloon to manually dilate me but when they checked my exam was pretty much unchanged... 1/50/-3. I was so disappointed & felt like the night was wasted! My midwife wasn't confident she could get the balloon in as I was barely 1cm dilated. We decided that I could do 1 more dose of cytotec and then wait for a doc who's is known for his balloon skills.

So at 6 p.m. I got a balloon placed which frankly was the most awful experience! My cervix was high and posterior making it not easy. The initially tried with a speculum then ended up needing a longer one. When that didn't work the doctor did it old school with his fingers.. aggressive but effective. I was just thankful it was over. He was also able to stretch me to 2cm and said I was 70% effaced so he didn't think the balloon would stay in long.

The balloon made me super crampy. It was an unrelenting ache that was through my whole back, legs, uterus. Every movement reminded me it was there and little babe kept head butting it. We both were not fans. I got in the tub to hopefully relax and took a sleeping pill. The sweet nurse got me a comfier bed and since I was off meds I chose intermittent monitoring! So I was finally able to get some much needed sleep.

3/13
6am rolls around and the balloon is still in. I was really hoping it would fall out on its own and felt like nothing seemed to be going as I'd hoped. I had to be patient with my body. Induction is a slloooww process. We slowly deflated the balloon as I pulled it out and figured it got me to at least 4cm dilated so at least it did something! After the balloon was out it was time to start pitocin. I allowed myself a little break to walk around and shower.

8:30am We start pit at 1 (my midwives and me decided to go super slow and let me body adjust!) My doula also showed up at this point and was grateful for her support. I ate a little breakfast & decided to take a 30min nap before the real fun began!

11:15am After walking the halls we did a little yoga routine and mid yogi squat my water broke! What an odd feeling! Apparently my face showed how shocked I was! Guys I legit thought I had just pooped my pants! My water breaking made contractions really start to pick up! (& I was only on 3 of pit)

12:30pm Contractions were now coming ever 3-4 mins and we're feeling very "productive" so I asked about turning off the pit and my midwife agreed with the understanding that if they died down I would need to restart! But this meant I could do intermittent monitoring!!! Because let's face it, the monitors are the worst part about!

My doula & nurse thought that babe had flipped OP so we did some positions through contractions that were zero fun! It's funny how all the laboring positions I thought I'd love, I hated. Birth ball, nope! Bath, nope! Massage, nope! Toilet, nope! (Ok actually laboring on the toilet wasn't that bad!) but pretty much the only thing that made me feel better was standing in the shower with some hot water on my back! Magical!

My husband was my absolute ROCK. He never left my side, except for when our doula convinced him to go eat dinner! But he was quickly back making sure I had water & a fan & all the emotional support I could need. I knew labor was an intimate experience, but I was surprised just how much it made me fall in love with my husband all over again.

Labor time is a total blur so who knows how long any of this lasted (My doula suggested covering the clocks! Right call as I was starting to obsess over the timeline!) I rode each wave blasting my labor playlist through my headphones. Which was really just my favorite worship songs declaring that Jesus was for me & was going to see us through.

I repeated my mantras:
I can do this!
Hard is not the same thing as bad
God designed me for birth
Luke is coming
This pain has a purpose
Not I, but Christ within me

I continually thanked my body for the work it was doing. I cheered my body on like I was watching some extreme sport!
Thank you uterus for contracting!
Yay cervix, you're dilating so beautifully!
Placenta you are oxygenating that baby so so well!
I reassured Luke with each one that there was goodness on the other side & we were so excited to meet him!

At some point I started feeling "pushy" but I wasn't sure if I had to actually poop or if baby was just real engaged. Classic! My midwife offered to check me but I was pretty against any more foreign things in my vagina after that balloon experience. I tried to check myself and could just barely feel his head. A few contractions later I decided I wanted her to check but only tell me if I was completely dilated or not. Turns out I wasn't..

A few contractions later I changed my mind & I wanted to know the full exam details. I was 6.5/100/0. At first I was really bummed that I wasnt 10 but then my doula so lovingly reminded me that dilation happens quickly at the end and that progress in labor is progress, contractions do more than just dilate. Mindset is so important!

7:30pm (I only know this because it was shift change) I start to really feel the urge to push accompanied by involuntary grunting & I think surely this is either poop or he's really low in my pelvis. My nurse walks back in and is like "woah, baby is close!" That was music to my ears! I was beginning to sound like those birth videos I had watched, grunting and moaning & horse lips through each surge.

For the next hour I used the squat bar/ leaned over the back of the bed with closed knees and could feel him move down the birth canal! Literally felt like I was going to split in half but my body was made for this! I listened to my body and pushed so involuntarily it was like an out of body experience.

The ring of fire is REAL but I just reminded myself that he's stretching and he's almost there! We got the mirror so I could see his head emerge (coolest thing ever) Seeing him crown gave me so much energy to push to the end.

8:42pm I pulled my little guy into the world and I have never felt so much relief!! He was perfect.
I immediately went into nurse mode & cleared his secretions and cried when we let out his first cry.
Apgars 8/9 I announced to the room when the timer went off ;)
Being on the other side was so surreal.
I got to clamp the cord while daddy cut it and just reveled at this new life in my arms

Birthing my placenta was an odd experience but I could only stare at my sweet boy. The labor high is real. I had a small hemorrhage that required more Pitocin, cytotec, & TXA. Soo thankful I was with a team of skilled providers who took care of me. I had a second degree tear that required stitching. It was the only time in the whole experience I wished I had an epidural! Haha

Overall I kept reminding myself that my body was made to birth. It was such an empowering experience to know that I can do hard things. I'm constantly amazed at how God crafted my body with the ability to bring life into this world.