Birth story - Susie and baby girl

These are the shoes I was wearing when I gave birth (lol) you can see blood.. And whatever color amniotic fluid is.

I was 39 weeks and two days along on Friday night I felt 'not normal,' it was my first pregnancy everything isn't normal I know but I was so tired as I hadn't been sleeping well in late pregnancy. I went to sleep and I woke up a couple times feeling uncomfortable, which was normal for me, so I went back to sleep.

David and I woke up early and watched two hallmark movies before he was going to leave for the day. I was originally going to stay home to clean my car, do laundry and get ready for the working week stuff. When I realized I still didn't feel normal I thought it would be better if I went with him 'just in case' and I used the Freya app (Positive Birth Company- Hypnobirthing ) while driving to his house. Happily he lives ten minutes from the hospital but it was a thirty five to forty five minute drive to his house first, depending on traffic. I didn't know what a surge/contraction would feel like but I pressed the ‘Surge’ button on the Freya App each time I began to feel something different. Ten minutes into the tremendously trafficky drive the app said I was in established labor and to head to hospital. I didn't tell David because I didn't want to worry him since there was nothing he could do. as the traffic was just that bad! I continued doing the 4/8 breathing exercises with the app and I felt so calm. I told David we should probably head to the hospital to get checked out but we stopped at his house, on the way, to get snacks. Those are important! He had to pop into work for more snacks, during which time I called the hospital from the car.

“Hi, my name is Susie, I think I'm in labor.”

“OK come in,” the nurse said.

She gave me directions to the hospital, unconcerned. We made our way there and parked and went inside. We got stopped by the guard, who didn't even stop eating his lunch, he gave me a patient sticker and David a visitor sticker, I guess waddling with a very pregnant belly he assumed I wasn't the visitor. We got to the check in desk and the receptionist takes my info and asks me if I want to go to the restroom. I told her I did ( when don't I need to go to the restroom) and she said she would ask the nurse if I could go.. We waited and I got approval to go to the restroom. David took a seat near the entrance of the waiting room and I continued on to the restroom at the end of the waiting room area. It was one of those restrooms that's a single room stall. As soon as I sat down I thought, “why did I lock myself in?” David and I were the only people in there at first and only a lady and her daughter had come in. As soon as I sat down on the toilet I had the urge to push! I finished up and got out of there as quickly as possible. At that point I turned off the Freya app, I opened the door and felt relieved to see David sitting there. It was hard to walk and I told him I don't think we're going to make it she's coming. Just then I see the nurse coming with a wheelchair, she tells me to sit down but I told her I couldn't as I felt the need to push again. I could feel a distinctive right angle I just knew was a shoulder and I said she's coming.

The nurse looked at me in disbelief, I was crying, I wasn't in pain I was just unsure of what was happening. The nurse felt the outside of my pants and said “she's crowning!” There were hospital staff all over within seconds! I felt the need to push again and the nurse said, “she's coming!” I said, “she's here!”

I gave birth standing up in the middle of the waiting room!! The nurse said she needed to take off my pants and at that point I didn't care. My water broke just seconds after and crying was coming from within my loose sweat pants! The doctor stood around while the nurses did all the work and gave David a pat on the back and said, "Congratulations Dad," and walked off.

David cut the cord right there in the waiting room! David told me he thought the whole Positive birth thing was "hooey" but he became a believer then. No pain, barely any discomfort. It was an amazingly wonderful experience!