Easy Pregnancy, Long Labor

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We were fortunate and got pregnant quickly, and easily. Despite a few migraine-like headaches, the first trimester went well. The second trimester was a real pleasure and the third only became challenging because this past summer in New York temperatures exceeded 90+ degrees almost every day. Overall, it was the most magical nine months of my life.

Halfway into my pregnancy when it was clear I was considered "low-risk," I switched from using an OBGYN to a midwife. My husband and I wanted a liberal birth experience with minimal-to-no-intervention. It was the best decision I had ever made because I am convinced that my 30-hour labor under the care of a doctor would have warranted a Cesarean section, something I wanted to avoid.

I went into labor on my due date, August 8 th , at 3:15 in the morning. Contractions were short and far apart and lasted this way for the bulk of the day so I went food shopping, packed my bags took a nap and even ate dinner (big mistake). I labored at home for a full 24 hours, going to the hospital about an hour after my water broke, my mucus plug dropped, I vomited profusely and could no longer talk through contractions. It was 3:00 in the morning the next day when I had finally moved from the latent phase of labor to the active phase of labor.

One of the main reasons we switched to a midwife halfway through my pregnancy was because I knew our wishes to go at it drug-free would be more respected and embraced, and because I wanted the liberty to move around in between contractions. I was about seven centimeters dilated when I arrived at the hospital. It would take a grueling four more hours to get to 10. I had two positions during that time: leaning over the hospital bed with my head down, the upper half of my body in a yoga child's pose, and lying down on my back. So much for freedom of movement!

I remember feeling many things during that time. I was scared for one. The pain was so extreme from behind that I thought I was going to deliver the baby from my rear. I also thought at one point that I was going to deliver an alien. If I was told that cutting off all my hair would help with the pain, I would have done it. I swore off having more children with my husband, telling him we would only adopt going forward. I even threatened to leave, saying I would jump out the window and into the Hudson River which was right outside. At my worst I begged for drugs but was told it was too late. I even pleaded for a doctor to cut me open, which was what I had been striving to avoid all along.

When I was told I had finally reached 10 centimeters I blurted out "HALLELUJAH" with the f-bomb smack-dab in the middle of it. That apparently set everyone in the room - my husband, mom, midwife and nurse - into a fit of laughter, although making anyone laugh at that point was the furthest thing from my mind.

I wish I had known that the pain endured while waiting to dilate to 10 centimeters was an entirely different type of pain than pushing. Pushing, while tough, was at least productive and made me realize there was indeed going to be light at the end of the long, dark tunnel (no pun intended).

I pushed with all my might for two hours. For the final pushes I was on my side with my mom holding my left knee back and my husband pushing against my right heel. My midwife advised me at that to do a small, half push and to roll onto my back. She then told me to reach down and grab hold of my child. I told her I couldn't. She repeated the order once more so I leaned forward and put my hands under the baby's arms. They were slippery and I was shaking as I literally felt the baby leave my body. I saw a butt and underneath that, a perfect set of balls dangling in mid-air before I brought him to my chest and screamed, "IT'S A BOY!" Delivering my own baby was the single greatest and most selfless gift someone had ever given me.

It was a profound moment, meeting my newborn baby for the very first time. I was elated yet also fraught with emotion. I went into the hospital a daughter, sister and wife and in one fell swoop became a mother. Nothing could have prepared me for that life-defining moment, but I am so grateful it came, and that I did it.

Additional information:

MedCalc: Pregnancy Due Dates Calculator
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