By Victoria Palmer
On October 5th, my husband (Josiah) and I headed to Navicent Birthing Center in Macon Georgia. I was 40 weeks plus three days and had been scheduled for a “social induction” that morning. However, the labor ward had been full all day. We were told to show up at 11pm even if we didn’t hear back. When we arrived, we were quickly told to go home and not return till they called. Needless to say, we were embarrassed, frustrated and disheartened. Mostly impatient for the birth of our first child. We trekked the hour and a half trip back home and collapsed into bed after a tiring day of the waiting game. As I was falling asleep, I felt a new of pain but I dismissed it.
I awoke early October 6th with the urge to pee only to discover a watery, bright-pink discharge. I hadn’t been expecting bloody show to look quite like that, so rather than thinking labor had started, I was concerned there was an issue. My gentle birth training came into play as I centered myself and spent some time in prayer. At peace, I decided to head to Walmart because we were out of toilet paper. I almost left by myself, but Josiah stopped me and came. As we were walking out of the house at 9:30am, I had to stop and lean over the counter as I was hit with a slow and building pain that shocked me. Josiah immediately took notice while I was doubtful it was the real thing.
Walking around Walmart it only seemed to increase in frequency. Soon I was contracting for 25-30 seconds about every 10 minutes. We ended up never making it back home. Instead, tentatively realizing this was it, we went to the Legacy Centre (where we both work) and waited for my mom to meet us. I labored there about three hours on a couch until my midwife actually called and caught me mid-contraction. Hearing me, she told us to go ahead and come to the Birthing Center. The Center’s Covid-19 policies allowed only one other person in with you in labor, but because we had been there the night before, we had noted a couple walking in to visit their “grandbaby”. When we noticed this, we checked their website and discovered the policy had been changed just that previous Tuesday to allow “a partner and a birthing coach”. My mother has had 4 homebirths and had been acting as a part of my birth support team. It was by God’s grace that she was able to go with us. Josiah piled me in a car, put on my “Birthing Playlist” and broke more speed limits than I’m comfortable with.
At this point I began to experience something I wasn’t prepared for. I had been told by others that you have small breaks between your contractions. My contractions began to increase in frequency but not length. Every 3 minutes I would have a 45 sec contraction. And it only increased in frequency from there. At 2 we arrived at the Birth Center. I was led to OB Assessment alone as Josiah was taken to another room to fill out paperwork (They wouldn’t let my Mom in until we were in a room). I was 4-5 centimeters. I was so relieved when the RN said, “We are gonna have a baby today!” I had built it up in my head that I wasn’t in “real labor” yet and didn’t want to get my hopes up. My midwife joked I was too happy to be in labor. Josiah and I were stuck in the assessment room for three hours until a room was ready. He was an incredible support sitting with me and always asking “What’s your focus? What’s important right now?” He truly labored with me. At one point I fell into a light sleep while Josiah sat with me on the bed. He felt our baby move against his side and asked if that was her. I responded with “Yeah, she is bringing me soup.” I was dreaming that that was true.
Eventually we were moved to a room, and my mom was able to join us. She and Josiah encouraged me to walk the halls, but at this point (about 6:30pm) I was already hungry and tired from lack of sleep the night before. My contractions were increasing in intensity and frequency, every 45 seconds for 45-50 seconds. I labored holding onto Josiah, “humming” out my breaths. At 7-8cm, sitting down and leaning over felt better than standing. Aside from installing an IV port, they honored our birthing preferences: intermediate monitoring, low lighting, birthing ball, among other things. My sense of time got pretty loose as my contractions just seemed constant, coming with no breaks. There are moments that stick out to me though. Josiah holding my hand, forehead to mine, singing to me. My mom on the other side encouraging me that I could do it every time I voiced that it was too much. Josiah asking me “What’s the focus?” and just never letting go of me. Me telling him, “Okay, I think it’s real (labor)”.
At 9pm, my midwife asked if we would consider breaking my water. We asked them if I or baby was in danger and they said “no” so we asked to give it a little more time. After another hour without any additional progress, we chose to use that intervention and they soon broke my water. I was encouraged onto my side to try and shift her to the right position. Labor picked up in intensity, almost overwhelming me for a moment, but Josiah firmly reminded me that I was in control, that this was something happening with me not to me, and I could do this. It really felt like I was screaming, but I was told later that I never did. Only loud “humming” apparently. The nurses said it was the quietest natural birth they had ever seen. Jerri, my midwife, told me if I felt like pushing I could. So I did. The last hour, Josiah breathed through every wave with me. Every wave broke over me, and I just wanted it to end.
Then I felt something emerge. “I think she crowned!” I exclaimed. The nurse came in to check, finding nothing. She decided to try a “practice push”. Her tone immediately shifted as I felt it again and she told me to stop. She ordered someone to get the midwife (who we found out later had accidentally fallen asleep). As they ran to get Jerri, I couldn’t stop the urge to push. The nurse tried to tell me to wait, but my body knew what was happening. This baby was coming and she was coming now. Thankfully, Jerri walked in and got right to business. In two pushes, Indigo Jax made her entrance. The moment I heard her cry, it was like a switch was flipped and suddenly I felt great. My weariness and exhaustion melted away. Jerri leap-frogged Indigo onto my chest and all was perfect. Everything seemed to fade as the warm, damp bundle on my chest consumed my attention. At 11:12pm October 6th, we welcomed Indigo Jax into the world at 7.10lbs and 21inches.
The rest went by quickly. She stayed on my chest until it was time to cut her cord. Then we breastfeed for the first time, and she latched easily. I was sewn up and prepared to move rooms. For the first time in 9 hours, Josiah moved away from my side, got some dinner, and went to the bathroom. We had accomplished our dream natural birth and were ready for well-deserved rest as a family.
