Lucas's Birth Story

Birth story of Lucas..

Friday morning 2/5, I began having mild contractions. They weren’t too strong and were about every ten minutes. This continued all day and night into Saturday. Saturday morning we went for a long walk and then out to grab smoothies. By noon my contractions started getting a bit stronger. By the evening they were still only around 7 min apart. We went up to bed around 1030 and as soon as my head hit the pillow, bam super strong contractions and now every three minutes. We called our doula and she said to get in the tub. This really helped with the pain. Things kept going like this so we left for the hospital at 1am. We arrived at 130 and they checked me in. I was 4cm dilated and my water had broken at some point prior to our arrival, I think in the tub. I was then admitted into the birth center. Contractions were still 2-3 min apart and very strong. I got in the tub in our room, labored in there a while. I got checked again at 5am and had only progressed to 5cm.. after that things stalled out. My contractions were still so strong but now 5 min apart. At this point I was frustrated and beyond exhausted. I told derek I didn’t think I could do it, that we might have to transfer to labor and delivery for pain support (there is nothing wrong with that, it just wasn’t what we had “planned”) he encouraged me to get through a few more contractions in some comfort measure positions our doula taught us. I kept going through them.. at 1030 the midwife checked me again, had made some progress but she noticed a forebag, which is when there is still a pocket of fluid and it can block the cervix. She believed this was keeping baby Lucas from shifting down and putting the needed pressure on my cervix to dilate it more. She asked if she could pop it and I said yes. She used a long crochet like needle and popped it. The pressure I felt after this was unbelievable I had never felt pain like that before. From that things picked up fast. At 1130 I was in the tub and the urge to push came so strong. I can’t even describe what it feels like but you can’t not push. Each surge of pain I would try and push for three breaths. You bear down basically like you’re trying to poop. The pressure of him was so much each time I just screamed out in pain. I tried pushing in bed after the tub and it just wasn’t working. I was exhausting myself and he wasn’t moving out. I need gravity for help. The midwife had me get on a birth stool on the ground, leaning back against derek for support. She had nurses helping hold my legs up as I pushed. At this point I didn’t think I could keep going. I had been experiencing such pain for over 14 hours at that point. I was screaming and crying. Derek was being the best partner, helping to calm me between surges and pushing. I’d take a deep breath and slow my breathing. Finally agree 2 hrs of pushing I was so close. His head was out and I just needed to find that final strength to keep going. From somewhere deep inside me I found the strength, gave 4 final pushes and Lucas was out into the world. He was immediately put onto my chest and my life changed forever. We did skin to skin with him for about two hours after before having them take him for any measurements. Derek cut the umbilical cord and I helped him find my breast for his first feed. It’s truly incredible what the female body can do. I never even realized how powerful and strong I truly was. Even after not sleeping for over 30 hrs my body was able to birth this beautiful almost 9 pound bundle of pure love. It makes me wonder how I ever could have not appreciated my body. And now as I sit here writing this, that same body is feeding my son. I’ve never been more proud to be a woman. This little man has truly changed my life and I’m so grateful I get to be his mom.