Birth story - Tenia and baby boy

My first son came at 38 weeks 4 days with spontaneous labor that lasted about 20 hours. With this baby, 38 weeks came and went, so I did a couple sessions of acupuncture to help encourage and support labor and also got a prenatal massage all during week 39. I still wasn’t feeling anything but kept telling myself he would come right on time.

Then at around 3:30am Monday morning I started to think I was feeling mild contractions but was able to go back to sleep and get some more rest. Then I got up at 6 to take my son to school, and I was feeling contractions about every 6 minutes. I dropped him off and went back home for a bit, took a bath, and my contractions got closer together and increased in length to about 50 seconds.

At around 10:40 am, I called the midwife to say they were 3 minutes apart, and she told me to come on and head to the birth center! My mom and I arrived at 11:15, and my husband came from work right after. Things felt like they were progressing and getting intense so quickly, but I still asked my doula to come be with me as well. After being at the birth center for a few minutes, they checked me, and I was estimated to be about 4 or 5 cm dilated. I went to the toilet after feeling like my water may have broken and all of a sudden, I could feel pressure like his head would be coming out soon. I asked for the birthing tub to be filled but didn’t even make it to it. I used nitrous oxide to not get worried about the quick intensity and went to all fours on the bed. I barely even pushed, and baby just sort of slid out at 12:39pm.

We waited a bit and then dad cut the umbilical cord. The placenta also came out without much fanfare. Because I had a decent amount of blood loss with my first baby, we opted to proactively administer a shot of pitocin after birth to reduce risk of hemorrhage, and I ended up not having much blood loss this time.

I had minor tearing, but not enough to stitch.

We got discharged at the 12 hour mark and got to sleep in our own bed at home. Recovery has been going smoothly, and I haven’t needed any pain meds and don’t feel discomfort except for the afterbirth cramping while nursing.

I kept telling myself “my birth will be easy because I’m so relaxed!” and it was! I loved using the Freya timer and hypnobirthing affirmations.

Also, in a stroke of serendipity, this baby was born in the same birth suite and with the same nurse as his older brother. They also both weighed 5lbs 11oz give or take like 2 oz.