Birth story - Isabel and baby Zoey

⚠️ Warning: mention of contractions/surges, epidural, tearing, Group B Strep positive (GBS+), COVID-19 pandemic delivery

I can't believe that I'm sitting here writing the birth story for our daughter, Zoey! I can't believe that I got to have an amazing and extremely positive birthing experience that was even better than my planned birth! Enjoy!

Let me just begin by saying that I'm a nurse in both Labor & Delivery, and the Emergency Department, so I was trying to prepare for the worst birthing experience, thinking that the "nurse curse" would hit me. For those of you who don't know what a "nurse curse" is, it's a superstition that healthcare workers end up being the most difficult patients, especially medically with all sorts of complications (A horribly negative mindset, I know). Because of the nurse curse, I was convinced early in the pregnancy that I'd be one of the nurses that would suffer in childbirth/pregnancy as a result. But then I found PBC digital pack online and decided to learn more and try a more positive and different approach. Hypnobirthing appealed to me, especially because in my original birthing plan, I wanted to use Nitrous Oxide gas, but due to the covid-19 pandemic, the hospital that I was at wasn't giving mothers Nitrous Oxide, so I had to consider alternative forms of pain relief.

Okay...moving on to the good stuff...

My due date of August 27th passes, and I began to feel somewhat discouraged, but hopeful that I'd go into spontaneous labor. My pregnancy was overall uncomplicated other than hyperemesis gravidarum during the first trimester, and being diagnosed with Group B Strep (GBS) at 36 weeks gestation. Baby and I remained healthy throughout the pregnancy. Due to the GBS, my OB recommended scheduling an induction between 41 and 42 weeks, however, at this hospital, they don't do inductions over the weekend, and labor day was that Monday, so I couldn't pick dates between September 5-7, which would've been ideal dates to pick. As a result, we settled for a scheduled induction on September 3rd at 2PM (14:00), at 41 weeks gestation.

On August 31st, they checked me in the office, and I was 2cm/50% effaced/-3 station. I was hopeful that I'd go into spontaneous labor soon, hopefully before September 3rd.

Fast forward to my birthday (September 2), and I felt perfectly fine...no pain, occasional Braxton Hicks since about 34 weeks that just felt like tightness rather than pain or discomfort. I started to accept that I'd be induced after all. My parents came over in the evening to visit and wish me a happy birthday, along with my husband Chris, and we ate a nice dinner and had ice cream cake together.

Suddenly, at 9:45pm (21:45) on September 2, I had my first "real contraction". It had very mild pain, more like a period cramp-like sensation. I was able to do the suggested up breathing, swaying hips side to side, and put one of my favorite seasonal Disney movies (Hocus Pocus) to help distract me. My husband also rubbed my back and hair and swayed with me in a slow-dance position, and all of that helped keep me calm, as the surges from the start were 7 minutes apart and regular within the first hour. I decided to call my midwife since we live 30 minutes from the hospital, and I knew that I was progressing faster than I expected, and wanted to tell her that I'd likely be coming to the hospital within the next few hours. We agreed that I'd continue to labor at home, and call her in an hour or so with updates. I took a shower, drank some water and Gatorade, and had a small snack (I wasn't very hungry since we had dinner and cake about 2 hours before this, but I knew I'd need an energy boost since I had already been up all day). In less than an hour, the surges got closer together, with a few less than 5 minutes apart. My husband and I grabbed our bags and started driving to the hospital. We arrived to the hospital just before 1AM on September 3rd (the day that we were supposed to have an induction). I was immediately checked in, and I was 2cm, but fully effaced, and 0 station (meaning that baby moved down 3 inches lower into my pelvis), and I had a bulging bag (waters hadn't broken). Suddenly, the surges were literally on top of each other and I began having trouble managing, NOT due to pain, but because my uterus was not relaxing, and there was literally no break between surges. My uterus remained in a constant state of being contracted, and I used my BRAIN and decided to get an epidural at 3AM after two hours of my uterus being in this state, to both relieve my discomfort and make sure that baby didn't become distressed. I knew (because of my background) that this was an unhealthy labor pattern, and did not want narcotics, and I wanted to get an epidural to hopefully relax my body and mind, which could help me maintain control. I had progressed to 4cm dilation at this point, and I was very happy with that progression. I received my first dose of antibiotics for the GBS, and went to sleep with the plan to be rechecked in the morning around 6am. I got my epidural within minutes of asking for it, tolerated the procedure very well, and asked for the lowest dose possible to just take the edge off. I didn't want to be "completely numbed". I slept for a few hours, and woke up on my own around 5:30am and texted my friend and fellow nurse, Sarah, to let her know that I was at the hospital earlier than expected, and to let her know what room I was in so that she could be my nurse once she arrived to work at 7am. (She had agreed to be my delivery nurse from the beginning of the pregnancy).

Fast forward to 6am, and my midwife (Jeannine) came in and checked me. She then said "well that's interesting!" I was surprised by this statement and said "what's interesting?! What does that mean?!" 😂 Jeannine replied with "well you're fully dilated. You're 10cm dilated, fully effaced, and she's nice and low, and your water is still intact!" I was absolutely mind blown 🤯 "WHAT?! 10CM?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!" I was so excited. I texted Sarah again saying that she'd better clock in early because this baby is coming sooner than expected! She texted back, offered to grab me and my husband a drink, and said "OKAY I'M COMING! I'M ON MY WAY NOW! TRY TO HOLD ON! HOLY CRAP I LOVE YOU!" The midwife and I agreed to hold off on breaking my waters for a number of reasons...we wanted to try and get one more dose of antibiotics to protect the baby from getting the GBS, and I didn't have an urge to push yet anyways. I repositioned myself with the help of my other amazing nurse that I had had throughout the night, Pamela, into an upright "throne" position to help the baby decend further into my pelvis in order to get the urge to push naturally. I also called & texted my family and friends with updates, everyone was so excited. I could only have 1 support person (Chris) because of COVID-19, so I called my Mom on video chat so she could be my additional support person, even at a distance. My Mom, Dad, and brother were all there together on video chat cheering me on, along with my husband Chris (who was there in person, obviously), my nurse Pamela, and midwife Jeannine. It was very calm for me (despite how it sounds). Lights were kept down. We decided to attempt an "en caul" birth (birthing the baby with the amniotic sac still intact).
I got my second dose of antibiotics, protecting the baby from the infection, Sarah the nurse arrived, the day shift midwife Samantha, and I began pushing at 9AM with some pressure. It actually felt AMAZING to push. My contractions had spaced out a bit after I started pushing, but I pushed very effectively, and calmly. I was even laughing and talking pretty normally between surges, having full blown conversations! 😂

As I began pushing, my water was broken, and I felt her descend lower into my pelvis/birth canal.

8 contractions of pushing later, at 9:49AM on September 3rd, our little Zoey (Zoey means "life" in Greek, which I am Greek) came into the world without complication, pink, perfect, and beautiful! Immediate skin to skin, Chris cut the cord (delayed cord clamping). Placenta delivered 12 minutes later, and I had a very very small 1st degree tear (the mildest type of tear), got 2 stitches (didn't hurt at all..I honestly barely remember even getting them I was so elated and bawling tears of joy and pride).

" I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID IT! WE DID THIS?!?! I LOVE HER! OH MY GOD!" are just a few of the things I said within minutes of the birth 😂 I was back to normal within 3 hours with no pain or other issues, and we went home the next day with our new little bundle.

Honestly, this was the best experience ever! Thank you PBC for the tools and support to me and my husband! Even an over-knowledgeable nurse like me benefited from PBC, and as a result, I wasn't affected by that dreaded "nurse curse" and actually had a better birth experience than the best case scenario that I had in my mind!!!

I recommended this to my friend who will be having her own baby in December, and she's loving it already!

Thank you so much for everything PBC!

We did it! And you can do it too! ❤️