Sawyers Birth story all starts back at 20 weeks pregnant
with him. My OB’s nurse had called me
and said “Dr. Z is retiring as of today.”
Wait WHAT?!? I just saw her
yesterday and she didn’t say anything. She
can’t retire mid pregnancy. That means I
have to find another dr. I was not too
happy with that.
So my journey to find a new dr started. I had always wanted a natural birth. I “tried” with my first but I was induced and
once I got that pitocen it was over. My
mom had always told me that out of her 7 births her natural one was by far the
best. So I went in search of a Midwife
to have a more natural birth. I
interviewed two of them and the one I really wanted my husband Jared wasn’t to fond
of because she was new, so she didn’t have much experience. So I went with the second one. I started to check out books at the library
about different methods of natural
birth. I also started talking to my
friends that had had natural births. Jared's cousin, Shannon had done hypnobabies and said I could borrow and look
at all of her stuff. I read though it
and liked it. She was also in training
to become a Doula so she suggested the Doula that she was working with. She said she was the best. I had
Talya the Doula come over and talk to me about what services she would provide
as a Birth Doula. This got me really
excited and set on Hypnobabies and using her as a Doula. Shannon Jared's cousin would also attend
the meetings and birth. Two for the
price of one. Great deal.
I ordered my Hypnobabies home study course because I was too far along by then to attend the
classes. I started listening and doing
all of the class work. I was skeptical
at first that I would be able to do it.
As I listened and practiced in the next few weeks I felt like I was
getting it and feeling more confident in my abilities.
My previous two births I had gone over 40+4 and 41+1 so I
was really really hoping I would go on my own this time since it was my third
birth. I started using EPO at 38 weeks
and developed a rash on my hands after a few days so I stopped. I was trying all of the natural methods to
induce labor at 39 weeks because I figured it would help me not go too far past
40. I was just prepared to go to 42 so I
wouldn’t be disappointed when I actually would have to go that far. I was bouncing on my birth ball all the
time. I was walking on the
treadmill. I really really wanted this
baby to come on his own because I was going to birth this baby natural. At my 39 week appointment she stripped my
membranes but said they did not really strip well.
I went into my 40 week appointment and
my midwife said he is looking rather large, I don’t want you to go too much
farther. I had previously told her a few
times I am ready to go to 42 weeks before we medically induce. So I said we can schedule a day but not until
41, Earlier than I had originally wanted.
She was starting to scare me with the big baby talk. She stripped my membranes at this
appointment and said they stripped a lot better than last week. She said hopefully we’ll see you in the next
48 hours. I was at a 3 and 80% I just
laughed and said sure.
I was feeling
pretty discouraged at this point. Just
the morning before I had a breakdown talking to Jared about how bad I wanted
this natural birth and how I had worked so hard to get it. I didn’t feel like it was going to
happen. So when I started with some
small short contractions on the way home to pick up the other kids, my hopes
began to pick up. I called and talked to my Doula and she said
that this midwife is known to want to induce early and the ultrasound
measurements can be bigger than the real baby.
So I prayed and really thought about the induction date, I decided I was ok to go to 41+3 so I called
my midwife back up and told her. The
kids played as I bounced on my birth ball and timed my pressure waves they were
all over, not really consistent at all.
Still my hopes were up because I was having some pressure waves I had
never experienced these before. They
were on and off all day. We went to eat
at a local sandwich shop and I felt like people were staring at me thinking “Man
when is that lady going to have her baby…. Or…. Is it twins?” I felt Large.
So during dinner I continued to time the
pressure waves they were 5 min apart but not strong or anything so I was still
hopeful. I said to Jared, “Lets go over to the church so I can walk
around the gym and hopefully get these going somewhere” So we did and after about 15 min of walking
around they totally stopped and went away.
I kept walking for 30 more min in hopes they would come back. They never did. I went to bed feeling very disappointed. I woke
up at about 1 am with terrible pressure waves and I just thought it was a bad
dream. The second one I sat up and
thought I can’t lay here anymore. I came
out to the front room and turned on my hypnobabies tracks and started
relaxing. I started timing the pressure
waves and they started out about 5-6 min apart. I just relaxed through
them. I said if they go an hour
consistently I will wake Jared up. No sense
in him waking up for a false alarm.
After an hour I went in and woke him up and
said “ we are having a baby today dear”
He woke up really quick after that.
We packed the last few things we needed and I called Talya our
Doula. She said whenever you want me to
come over I will. So I said ok and I
continued to labor here in my front room.
They got to be 3 minutes apart and I called her back after only 30 min
and said ok I’m ready for you to come. So we also called my father in law to come and be here when the kids woke up. My father in law got here first and my
daughter came up stairs and wanted me to hold her. I gave her a hug and said
you can go sleep in my bed. It was about
4 am at this point. When Talya got here
she said we can go to the hospital whenever you feel like you need to. So we waited a little bit and then Shannon
showed up and I decided it was time. The
pressure waves were only about 3 min apart at this point. They weren’t painful at all they were just
that, pressure. We drove to the hospital
and they were right when they said any little bump on the road was 100 times
worse than when you’re experiencing a normal pressure wave. I would say to Jared “slow down just a bit” We finally made it and we walked into the
hospital up to L&D. They put me in
triage and checked me I was a 4. Lying down on that bed was so uncomfortable. I
just wanted to stand up. So the nurse said walk around for a bit and we
will call your midwife and let her know you are here. We
walked around for 30 min and during the pressure waves Talya would lift and tuck
where she would “lift” my belly up, it was extremely relieving. It almost took the pressure away.
After walking for a bit they wanted to check
again to see if I could be admitted into the natural room. During all of this the pressure waves were
still 2 min apart we didn’t understand why we couldn’t just get in. These weren’t going to stop they were only
going to get closer and stronger. I was
at a 5. The nurse wanted to get an IV in
my hand just in case we needed it later. I didn’t want it but they said they
needed to. So after three times of
trying my midwife showed up and said no stop she doesn’t need it. Thank goodness because it hurt so much when
she was trying to get it in.
The midwife also said go ahead and go in the room the tub is
full and ready for you. That was music
to my ears, this is the part I had been looking forward to the most. I had wanted a water birth but none of the hospitals
around us allowed them. You can only
labor in them and then get out for the actual delivery part. So to labor in the tub was half of my dream
birth. Once I stepped in the tub I was
so relaxed and in heaven. While I sat in
the tub Talya put a wet towel over my belly and Shannon would poor the warm
water over it . It was so relaxing. I stayed in the tub for about an hour and the
nurse said I was starting to get hot. So
they put cool rags over my forehead and chest.
I didn’t want to get out because it was so relaxing and I could hardly
feel the pressure waves. After about 10
more minutes they had me get out to check me and cool off. I was at a 9.5/10 and fully effaced. My midwife said the bag of water was bulging
and talked to me about breaking my water.
She said he would most likely come quick after we broke the water. So I said ok.
So as I was walking around the bed to get onto it so she could break my
water I was having pressure waves .
The
midwife squeezed my hips together and it felt great it relieved the
pressure. I crawled onto the bed and she
broke the water and she said ok it’s a little bit stained with meconium so she proceeded
to tell me what would happen when he was actually born if he had swallowed some
of the meconium. I had told her I did
not want to labor in the bed but she suggested I turn around and lay over the
back of the bed for a while. It was a
good thing because the pressure waves were much stronger after she broke my
water. I was gripping onto that bed so
hard. I had felt very in control of the
pressure waves until this point. This was
a different kind of pain I could feel
him moving down and it hurt. I had a
hard time trying to relax and let my body do the work. This is where I felt like I lost my
hypnobabies relaxation. I began to think I can’t do this… I would moan in low tones like Talya had
talked about and I was amazed at how my body naturally pushed when I would do
that. There were some where I would go
higher pitched because the pain was so strong.
Talya kept reminding me low tones keep them low. I could feel the baby coming down and it was
a wonderful feeling. I had never felt that with the others due to having the
epidural. I loved feeling it but at the
same time there was so much pressure. After
what only seemed like 10 minutes of hanging onto the bed , the midwife
suggested I turn around so she could see why he wasn’t coming down any further.
So I sat down on the bed, the last way I
wanted to labor. Jared and Talya I
believe grabbed my legs and helped hold them up. I continued to groan, he was right there. I had a few times where I would scream not
really a scream but a high pitched moan if you will. I remember Talya saying Lara look at me…. So I
did…. You can do this! I could feel his head crown and WOW. I had heard the burning ring of fire
sensation but now I knew it was true. I
could feel myself stretching and she said ok slow down. There was just a very very strong urge to
push almost like I couldn’t stop it. I
felt his glorious head come out and it was such a release of pain. I knew I had to get his shoulders out but I knew
that was nothing compared to the head.
So I waited until I felt that urge to push again and I grunted in low
moans. Out came his body and I remember
distinctly the midwife holding him up in the air. He was all sprawled out and I looked over to
Jared who was standing next to me. “I
did it” I couldn’t believe it. I was so
amazed at myself for actually doing it.
My biggest fear is that I wouldn’t be able to do it and I would be disappointed
in myself. I did it. I had birthed my
baby naturally with no pain meds or anything.
I saw Shannon standing there next
to Jared and she was almost in tears. The
midwife placed him on my chest and we tried to get my dress I was wearing open
so he could be fully skin to skin and he had pooped all over me. So we struggled to take off the dress. He just laid there for a bit, the midwife
was suctioning out his mouth. He hadn’t
swallowed any of the meconium so he got to stay with me. 
The next part is kind of a blur. I remember holding my sweet baby and the nurse came up and said I am going to give you this shot and put it into my thigh. I didn’t know what it was and I was not warned of this shot. Apparently it’s when you don’t have pitocen they give you this to help contract your uterus back up and get the placenta out. After I delivered the placenta I felt like the midwife sweeping my uterus like part of it didn’t come out. I am not sure to this day what happened there.
She then
stitched me up I had a 2nd degree tear. I had that also with my previous two children. Then began the pushing of the
uterus and it hurt I guess before I had always had the epidural so I couldn’t
feel it as much. This was almost more
pain the the actual birthing part.
I sat with my baby boy on my chest for about an hour and he
started to root around so we started
trying to nurse him and he latched pretty quick. He has been great ever since. After he nursed they took him and weighed
him 8 lbs 11 oz. and 22 inches long.
I felt so great knowing that I did it all on my own and it
was only 6 hours from the time I woke up with
regular contractions until he was born at 8:28 am. I loved being able to feel it all happen and
be in control. I will for sure be
birthing the rest of my children this way if not in water.
