All birth is beautiful! Hospital, home birth, unmedicated, medicated, c-section. However your baby made is earth-side- you did an amazing job!
One of my favorite things about birth is that each story is so unique and every experience is different. I think the one piece of advice to gather from these stories is that no matter what you are planning for- medicated or unmedicated, you need to be prepared for anything.
We hope these stories help you prepare for whatever wonderful birth you have!
#1: Jenna Rae: An Unmedicated Positive Hospital Birth Story
Our sweet baby girl was born on September 21, 2022. At the time of writing this she is six weeks exactly. Time is flying by but boy are we having fun!
I always dreamed of being a mama. Even as a little girl. In my teen years I never really had any dreams or ambitions of a career. The desire of my heart was to be a wife and mother. As amazing as I thought this life would be it does not begin to compare to the reality of a life lived for Jesus and allowing Him to fulfill the desires of your heart! To sum it all up, I feel extremely blessed!
But you are here for a birth story! so back to that.
Jenna’s birth story could be a bit lengthy so I will try to keep as many unnecessary details out as possible.
To fully understand we have to go back a bit further than the beginning of labor to our thirty two week ultrasound where we were told that Jenna was measuring a bit on the small side. Our doctor was not very concerned considering my husband and I were both relatively small babies (in the seven pound range). As well as the fact that I am a small built person.
They had us come back every week for an ultrasound just to make sure things were going well and she was continuing to grow at a steady rate.
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Our Thirty-Eight Week Appointment
Things continued to go well until our thirty-eight week ultrasound. Jenna continued measuring small but maintained a steady growth rate until the week before at thirty-seven weeks. She was not dangerously low, just not gaining as much as the doctor would like. Everything else about her looked great.
When performing a growth scan, the ultrasound technician measures a baby’s head circumference, abdomen, and length of femur. At Jenna’s thirty-eight week appointment they noticed her head and femur were growing consistently but her abdominal measurements were bringing her percentile down. She had dropped from the seventh percentile to less than one percent in just a week.
The reason for this was that my placenta was no longer giving her what she needed to grow (this was likely due to an abnormal placement of the umbilical cord). Instead of her nutrients coming from my body she was having to use her own fat storage to provide for her development. Because of this it was decided that she would be better off out than in and I should be induced as soon as possible (the following morning).
Most people would probably not find this a big deal since voluntary inductions happen all the time at thirty eight weeks. However, I did not want to be induced at all! This was a LOT to process at once. I actually low-key had a mental break down in the doctor’s office!
I think it was mainly due to my lack of preparing for the unexpected. Everything in my pregnancy had gone according to text-book and had been extremely easy up to this point (minus major sleep issues my entire pregnancy!). We knew she was small but everyone kept assuring us that she was likely fine. My plan was to labor at home as long as I could, go to the hospital, and have my child naturally if I could handle the pain. This was a lot of information to take in. I did not realize until this point how secure I was in my own plans.
The doctor was extremely kind and patient. She explained all the reasons for the induction being necessary. She respected my decision to have my child naturally and offered to try breaking my water to let my body go into labor on its own without having to use Pitocin.
By the time we left I had peace in abundance, even though I was still not thrilled with this interruption of my plans!
The Surprises Kept Coming.
This was not the last time Jenna would surprise us that day.
After leaving the doctor’s office, my husband and I called our parents to inform them of what was happening. Both sets said they would just pray I went into labor that evening on my own.
We headed out to Cheddar’s where my husband got us a quiet table in the back and we splurged on one last pre-baby meal. After our mini date we headed home to get prepared to be at the hospital at 6am. We packed hospital bags, set up the carseat, and I stress cleaned a few things then headed to bed.
Once in bed I started having a few contractions. I was used to having Braxton Hick’s contractions throughout pregnancy so I was not too concerned. Except they started coming more strongly and more regularly than before. I figured maybe it was just from the stress of the day and tried to relax.
By around two in the morning things had not changed at all, in fact I was more uncomfortable than when I laid down. Then I heard a strange sound. A few women had told me how they actually heard their water break. I was in denial! I only heard something, I did not feel any fluid. I decided I would get up and use the bathroom. I took a few steps and then came the fluid. It still was not more than a few drops but I was no longer in denial. This was it! Prayer worked!
I woke Jimmy up and began to try timing the contractions that were now much stronger. They were not extremely painful, just uncomfortable and very irregular. I could not even time them because they were so inconsistent. I remembered my mom saying that she could never go by contractions to indicate where she was at for any of her labors.
The doctor had checked my cervix earlier that day at my appointment and I was already dilated to a three. Because of this we decided it would probably be a good idea to go to the hospital instead of waiting it out at home and risk having Jenna in the car. A lot can happen in a twenty minute drive and this kid had been full of surprises already! Again, my plans were interrupted.
Active Labor
We made it to the hospital just fine around 3:30am. We got checked in and the nurse asked us her million questions then left us for a bit to “rest”. (I love how they leave your room in a hospital and tell you to try to get some rest then people keep coming in the room every ten minutes!)
Jimmy was able to sleep some and I just “rested” for a while.
At this point I was dilated at a four and eighty percent effaced. My pain level was around a two for the majority of my labor until transition. Contractions were quite uncomfortable but very manageable.
To be honest, I really enjoy contractions. Each one is a challenge to stay relaxed and in control. When you picture what is going on and how your body is working to bring that little life into the world can be pretty amazing!
The day drug on uneventfully the whole morning and afternoon. My contractions were getting stronger and more intense but the pain was still very manageable. I was GBS positive so by the afternoon they had already been able to administer several bags antibiotics via IV to decrease risk of infection and possible harm to baby. The baby’s heart rate remained great the entire labor and we were sailing along beautifully.
Transition
By around four o’clock in the afternoon I began to switch from active labor to transition. My pain at this point was around a six or seven during contractions and I was finding it much harder to relax through the pain. Breathing became different as well. I had to really change up my whole strategy to remain in control.
Before transition I found that counter pressure was very helpful. My husband would gently press in on my lower back during a contraction. Even at the beginning of transition this was working until I was in full transition. At this point it was no longer relieving.
By around five o’clock I was exhausted. My face, neck, and arms were numb from lack of oxygen due to not breathing correctly. The nurse said I was low-key hyperventilating and needed to try to breathe longer and deeper through my contractions. I was dilated at a seven and at this point I was very much done!
I remember feeling like I was not going to be able to do this. I knew if I was going to make it the rest of the way without medication or just giving up from exhaustion I needed to do something to regain control. I asked my doctor if I could take a shower. I honestly do not know why I thought of this but I am so glad I did! She was hesitantly fine with it. I am pretty sure I was freaking the nurses out. One of them decided to stay in the room and leave the bathroom door cracked in case I started to go into labor.
I made it through the shower just fine and it helped immensely! It was just what I needed to boost my energy and help me refocus during that last leg of the journey.
By around seven the shifts had changed and I got the best nurse! They were all really great but this particular one was a mom of seven who had all of her children naturally/unmedicated. She gave some great tips!
From seven o’clock to nearly eight I remained dilated at a nine. I was so close to a ten but I had just a small piece of cervix that was not fully expanded. Talk about discouraging being that close but not able to just be done!
The pain and pressure were building intensely. My nurse said that when things were ready I should feel a pressure like I had not felt before, almost like the need to poop. While I was waiting on this magical pressure, she prepared the room and my mind for delivery.
This was a big help to keep me focused. It made me feel like I knew what I was doing, even though I had no clue! As she was explaining that I would push for ten seconds three times, then take a break I was wondering if I would have enough air and energy to push ten whole seconds. (You seriously think of the strangest things during labor!) Because I was so concerned that I would not be able to do it I decided I should practice. I waited for a contraction and lightly pushed/held my breath for ten seconds. I could do it!!
After my practice push I felt that unbelievable pressure the nurse described. We called her back into the room and after a final cervical check she said I was complete and it was time to push. I was so energized and relieved!
When the doctor came in I clearly remember her saying, “This could take anywhere from thirty minutes to three hours.”. I just remember looking at the clock (8:02pm) and thinking to myself “There is no way I’m pushing three hours! This baby is out of here by nine o’clock!”.
I pushed for twenty minutes and after eighteen hours of labor our precious girl was born at 8:28pm.
There is nothing like the feeling of a long awaited treasure placed on your chest! Instant love beyond description.
Jenna weighed five pounds eight ounces and was seventeen inches long. She is a healthy baby girl, still tiny but so quickly making up for it!
I can not wait to see where life takes us! Already so many memories have been made and so many lessons have been learned through the blessing of you. Welcome to the world sweet Jenna Rae.
#2 Jackson Keith: An All-Natural Positive Hospital Birth Story
To understand our birth story a little better let me tell you about the weeks leading up to Jackson’s arrival. My pregnancy had been almost seamless up until 35 weeks. I had some pretty severe morning sickness the whole time, but, beyond that things had gone very well.
At 35 weeks my blood pressure suddenly spiked. After visiting with my midwife and some testing, I was informed that I had, with no warning, developed preeclampsia. We weighed through together the benefits and risks of each decision and we decided that it would be best to try and get me to 37 weeks and then we would induce. I was put on bedrest and monitored my blood pressure closely at home. We ended up in the hospital twice before delivering Jackson, due to blood pressure spikes.
PROM (premature rupture of membranes)
Scheduled for induction the following Thursday, I woke up around four o’clock in the morning on that Sunday, to discover my water had broken. Only, I didn’t realize that’s what had happened. For me, it wasn’t like a movie scene where a huge gush of fluid splashes to the floor. It was more like a leaky faucet, and as any mama will tell you that feeling is pretty common those last months of pregnancy. Not realizing what was happening, I later went back to sleep and awoke to the same feeling around seven. By now I was suspicious.
My husband, Philip, had gone to do bus route and church that morning but, I had informed him of what I thought was going on and asked him to keep his phone close. At this point that “faucet” I mentioned earlier had sprung a few more leaks and I was feeling a lot of pressure, making it difficult to sit comfortably. Contractions started around nine and slowly increased in frequency and intensity but still very manageable. I called Philip at ten and suggested he come home. By the time he got there, things were picking up. Let me just pause here and say how thankful I am for my husband. He did amazing and I could not have had the birth experience I did without his support.
We eventually make it to the hospital and they run all of their tests to confirm that I am actually in labor. My triage nurse was phenomenal. She explained everything she was going to do and asked permission for it all. I consented to a cervical exam and we found out I was at three centimeters dilation and eighty percent effaced. You don’t have to have cervical exams if you don’t want to, it’s completely your choice. Just remember, they typically don’t mean much as far as your progress goes. Things can change quickly with your progress or you could stall out. Every person’s body is different and each time can be different so don’t get consumed with your numbers.
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I desired greatly to have a natural, unmedicated delivery and tried my best in prayer and preparation to have the greatest chance of that happening. Once we were in a room, a nurse began bringing in a bag of Pitocin, to which I had not consented at the time. I politely declined and we tried some natural methods to progress my labor. At this time I was having consistent contractions, but they weren’t getting closer together or intensifying anymore. A few hours later, Philip and I discussed the risks versus benefits of beginning the Pitocin and decided it would be best to start the Pitocin to try and progress my labor. I could have delayed it longer, the risk was not high, it’s just what we felt was best for myself and baby at that time.
I had originally planned to be very mobile during labor and also use a birthing tub once at a certain point. Due to the preeclampsia, it was asked that I be monitored constantly which wasn’t a part of my plan, however, at the time I found it easier for me to be calm through my labor while listening to Jackson’s heartbeat, so I agreed. My nurses knew I desired to be up and moving and so kindly brought in a portable monitor since I wasn’t a candidate for wireless monitoring due to Jackson coming early. This allowed me as much mobility as possible, which greatly helped me manage my contractions.
Beginning the Pitocin
My nurse and I decided upping the Pitocin at half the usual rate would work best for my body. Since I was already showing signs of progression, we just wanted to give my body a little boost. Within thirty minutes of starting the Pitocin, things were progressing forward again. Since I couldn’t use the tub due to monitoring, I had to use other things in my arsenal of pain management. I brought several options since I didn’t know what I’d prefer. I ended up using a labor comb, and birthing ball the most. I had also practiced breathing techniques which were such a big part of my pain management. Philip was amazing in helping me achieve the unmedicated birth I desired. He was constantly giving counter pressure (which felt amazing), telling me how proud he was of me, and reminding me to relax my body and breath down.
Transition
After being on the Pitocin for a few hours, I requested a cervical exam again. To my dismay, I had only progressed to 4 cm. This is why I stated previously to not get focused on the numbers. Things can change fast, and they did for me. We pushed the Pitocin up slightly, one more time, and within 30 minutes my contractions were much more intense than they had been before. I was no longer able to speak at all through them and had entered “labor land” as many mamas have called it. Focusing on nothing but breathing and low moaning through each one.
I had been doing well with the mental game of labor but I hit a point of exhaustion and lost some of the control I had worked so hard to keep. My low moans turned into growls and became much louder than before. More like a grizzly bear if I’m being honest. At this point my nurse had come in when the next contraction hit. She saw me bare down and urged me to resist that feeling to push because if my cervix wasn’t dilated enough it would swell and birth would be much more difficult. I told her my body was doing that and I had no control. Stunned she said “Oh! would it be ok for me to check you again?” I agreed and she did a cervical exam. She leaped off the table and told me how proud she was of me and that I was doing it! I had gone from 4cm to 10cm in thirty minutes and we were about to have a baby!
Delivery
Contractions were hitting back to back and at this point Philip was growing uneasy seeing me in so much pain, not knowing how to help ease it anymore. He said he was praying in his heart “Lord, I really wish Anna’s mom was here, she would know what to do”. He looked up and guess who was standing at the door? He said he mouthed “help me” across the room to her. I hate I missed that because it’s still hilarious to me that my husband needed my mommy for my birth.
We had originally planned for it to be just Philip and I, but I’m thankful my mom got to be in there. It was special. During all this, contractions are still hitting back to back and the nurse is calmly but repeatedly calling for the doctor knowing we don’t have long before this baby is here. The doctor made it in the room and barely got his gloves on when Jackson made his appearance. By now, he had triggered the fetal ejection reflex and in two pushes he was here. In Philip’s description it wasn’t a delivery, I launched him.
I heard that perfect little cry and they laid him on my chest while Philip laid above my head and sobbed. That will forever be one of my most precious memories. We did delayed cord clamping and his Daddy cut the cord when it was time. With him being early we weren’t sure what he would need so a NICU team was on stand by in the room. Originally, my plan was an hour of undisturbed skin to skin, however, with him being a preemie we knew he needed to be checked out quickly, especially his breathing. Once the cord was cut, I handed him to the nurses to be checked out and Philip followed to ensure all our wishes were honored. No eye goop, no shots, just checked, measured, weighed, and right back to mama if all was well. Praise The Lord it was, my little early boy was perfect in every way, to all the staff’s amazement and spent the next several hours getting all the snuggles. In fact, he’s still getting all the snuggles.
Although everything about my birth wasn’t exactly how I had planned, I am still so happy with our birth story. Of course all that matters is a healthy baby, but having a no or low intervention birth was extremely important to me. I’m so thankful that The Lord heard that prayer and granted the natural delivery I desired.
#3 Joanna Faith: An Unmedicated Positive Home Birth Story
I’ve been out enjoying all the baby snuggles the past five weeks and can I just say, I LOVE the newborn stage! I’m trying to soak up every minute I can. It goes by way too fast!
If you’ve been here a while you know that I like to document my birth stories here. For two reasons, one being for myself— I always want to remember the details! The other reason is to encourage new mamas to at very least *attempt* a natural, unmediated birth. It’s also just fun to read or hear birth stories!
Whatever brought you to this post, I’m glad you’re here! Thanks for reading. I post a new blog every week about homemaking, real food recipes, and mom life. You can subscribe to the blog for post updates. We’re also on Instagram as @littlewifeinthewoods.
Now let’s get into that birth story!
Why we chose homebirth
I have always wanted to have a homebirth, as much as I have always wanted to be a mom! As a little girl it fascinated me. (I was basically an eight year old granny— I liked growing herbs, baking, and babies…not much has changed!)
In my late teens, due to some chronic health issues caused by a vaccine, then the pandemic in 2020, I have zero faith in the medical system. Don’t get me wrong, I think doctors are great, nurses are fantastic, and hospitals are sometimes necessary! However, I just do not see the need personally if your pregnancy is healthy and things are going well. Especially if you want an environment conducive to a natural laboring/birthing experience.
(TIMEOUT: I am in no way becoming a homebirth advocate! I truly believe the way you have your babies is between you, your husband, and God. And there is NO wrong way to have a baby— medicated, unmedicated. Hospital or home. A healthy baby is all that matters.)
My firstborn was birthed in the hospital and it was a great experience. I just do not enjoy the system. I truly feel unsafe in the hospital/medical environment. I do not know if I can even explain that to someone who doesn’t know what that feels like. The best way I know how is that I just do not trust any of the system or process.
Another huge reason was that financially it just made more sense for our family. I wanted a homebirth with our first but my husband was just very uncomfortable with the idea…until we got that hospital bill back after we had her!!
I had a completely natural labor and delivery in the hospital. Other than being constantly monitored (which I hated!!) I did 90% of all the work involved in getting this child here. So why they were charging more than six months of mortgage payments I’ll never understand! But they did!
Homebirth monitoring
Some would say it’s a completely careless decision. And you’re allowed to feel that way. I have complete confidence in my decision— now more than ever, so these opinions really don’t bother me.
However, I do want to clarify that trained and experienced midwives highly monitor your health and the health of your baby throughout pregnancy. Each visit all vitals are checked, baby’s heart rate, positioning of the baby, and swelling is addressed. Routine checks for protein in the urine, blood pressure, and any abnormalities or discomforts are addressed. I do not have time to explain how much more helpful my midwives were throughout my pregnancy than doctor’s previously! They just had so many more tricks up their sleeve to help make pregnancy as comfortable and natural as possible!
Laboring at Home
I still love those words. At Home.
There is nothing more comforting, peaceful, and natural than laboring at home. I did not get this opportunity with my first. My water broke and I was basically told to come running to the hospital where I labored for about 18 hours.
The home laboring experience was so special. It began around 4:30am Monday morning after another exhausting night of no sleep. If you have had a baby you know about the skepticism surrounding labor…is it really labor? Could be false labor? might be real? You never know until you know!
My contractions did not stop when I changed positions so I figured it was a good sign but decided to get in the bath to make sure they didn’t go away before I woke my husband up. They didn’t! I sat in there a while, then decided to eat something since it would probably be a long day.
I woke Jimmy up around 6 to let him know he wouldn’t be going to work. Then we got busy making sure everything was ready.
I had prepared as much as I could in the weeks leading up to birth. My first came at 38 weeks so I definitely wanted everything ready and organized just in case. The only things we had to do was make our bed and take a few things out of our bedroom to fit the birth tub.
We also let our midwife know when contractions were consistently seven minutes apart for about an hour. She would be aware and close but let us labor undisturbed until they were three minutes apart, lasting one minute or more, consistently for an hour.
With all the things done we just waited!
I was able to get a little rest in the hours of early labor. As things started to ramp up I began to change positions trying to stay comfortable while also making progress. This was so fun! In the hospital my movement was very limited so I did not get to experiment with different positions.
I went from bed, to pacing, to birth ball, to leaning over the bed and each place/position provided relief in different ways!
While I was laboring Jimmy was working! It was Monday and if you’ve been here a while you know my house is so bad on Mondays I do this thing called a Monday reset! This Monday was no exception. He jumped right in there cleaning, taking care of the toddler, and making frequent visits to check on me. He was amazing!!
Transition
Around 1:30 pm things started to really ramp up. I knew from last time that my body had hit transition. I could not get comfortable anywhere but bed and even the slightest movement would bring a contraction, even if I’d just finished one!
I decided it was time to start timing contractions. They were about three to three and a half minutes apart and lasted right at two minutes each. My midwife decided it was time to hit the road!
She got to us around 2:45pm. She checked on me and baby and everything was great! She did such a great job at keeping everything calm and quiet.
The next little while things just kept progressing and getting more intense. I tried to focus on relaxing through each contraction and letting my body do the work. While there definitely was pain, I was still able to keep control of my breathing and mostly relax (although I still couldn’t fully conquer it…guess I’ll have to try again next time!).
As the pressure intensified I had a massive contraction and my water finally broke! This felt so relieving and intense all at the same time.
By now Mrs. Midwife and my husband were very busy getting the birth tub inflated and filled. I had not definitely planned on birthing in water but wanted to try it, mostly out of curiosity. I had heard it really relieved a lot of pain and I was not disappointed!
The only issue was that by the time they set the tub up and started to fill it my body had already said, “Time to push!”. The birth tub has to be filled to a certain point and we were not quite there. My midwife asked if she should keep filling the tub or just leave it. I opted to keep trying for the tub because why not!
Delivery
The tub finally made it to minimum water capacity for a safe delivery so after the next contraction we very carefully transitioned me to the water. It was somewhere close to about 4:00pm this point. I could feel that she was SO CLOSE!
After a few minutes in the tub a contraction hit and I felt that urge to push. My midwife had encouraged me to just listen to my body. If I needed to push, push. If I just felt like I needed a break then do so and just let my body do the work. This was a much different experience from my delivery in the hospital but very much appreciated!
Here’s where it gets interesting…
So maybe around my third or fourth push we START to have a baby! Feet first.
Yep! I looked down and there were two little feet. If you don’t know, babies are supposed to come head first.
Now before you get all distressed about this, let’s remember. My midwife highly monitored baby’s position at the end of pregnancy. At 39 weeks we were very low, head down, and in optimal position to have a baby! It is very unlikely for a baby to completely change position that far in.
Unless you’re Joanna! I truly believe I felt her flip during the morning hours of early labor. She was moving quite a lot and I distinctly remember a big movement that almost hurt. I’m 99% sure this is when she flipped.
So with feet just dangling, we sat there waiting for another contraction for what seemed like forever! Everyone stayed very calm which kept me calm and focused. We just waited, giving my body time to do what it needed to do.
I’m not sure if my uterus just thought it was done but this next contraction took a while to get here! If you’ve ever had a baby you know that once you deliver the head/shoulders the rest of the baby just kind of plops out. This does not happen when your baby is footling breech. My mind went there first. I just remember thinking to myself, “I’m going to have to do this completely backwards.”
As painful as that thought was, I’m so glad I had it! It helped me to mentally visualize and prepare for the situation. I refused to think of the what ifs and just focus.
Another very light contraction came. I tried pushing through it and nothing happened. We decided a change of position would be best. So we very carefully took my from a reclined sitting position to upright, bent over the pool, holding onto Jimmy for stability. (Jimmy later told me that his legs fell asleep but he wasn’t about to move…he a champ!)
Next contraction and some big big pushes later sweet little Joanna finally decided to make her entrance! She was perfect. She weighed in at 7lb 11oz and 20.5 in long at 4:30pm.
The rest of the afternoon was spent nursing baby, showering, checking vitals every so often, introducing Jenna to her new baby sister…all while our amazing midwife’s cleaned everything up!
Closing Thoughts
I could not have asked for a better, calmer, or more satisfying birth experience! At the end of the day a healthy baby is all that matters, good experience or bad, but I’m so glad we got both.
Would you have a homebirth? Answer in the comments! I love chatting with you.
