Alissa's birth story

Saturday, July 17, 2010 at 9:44am
A few more details for those who were curious...and a few more details than some might want to know!

This birth experience was very different from my first. I had many days of false labor and pre-labor symptoms...lots of stop and go. I was beginning to think I was never going to have this baby! We were doing everything to try and get labor going consistently. Then on Tuesday everything continued and slowly began to build. I was having mild contractions in the late afternoon and decided to drive to Orange County to my chiropractor to get adjusted to see if that would speed things up. The car ride got things going for sure and the adjustment was exactly what I needed to get speed things up. By the time we got back my contractions were building in intensity and finally beginning to get closer together.



We labored at home as long as we could. This time around I wasn't as scared of the pain as the first time so I moved around a lot more. I alternated from the tub, to walking around, to leaning over the bathroom counter, to laboring on the toilet (this is a great labor place)! It helped immensely in dealing with the pain and I felt so much more in control. My mom arrived about 10:30 pm and things were moving very fast so Tim and my mom got me in the car to head to the hospital. At this point I just wanted to stay home and was already showing signs of transition....shaking nonstop, feelings of doubt, etc. We live about 45 minutes from the hospital so Tim sped there, blowing through stop signs and everything!

By the time I got checked into the hospital it was about 11:30 pm. I was already at 7 cm and 90 effaced. The nurses were great about leaving us alone and I continued to use freedom of movement to labor. By 2 am I was feeling ready to push. In flew the doctor and she checked...I was at 9 1/2 cm and I went ahead and let her break my waters. I immediately began to push and by 2:33 pm Owen was here!! Pushing was by far the hardest part...I wasn't in a very good position and the doctor I had wasn't very patient (my doctor didn't make it). But here is when I really felt God's presence and he helped me get Owen out! Thankfully Owen was positioned right and I didn't have to have an episiotomy! I had a minor tear which I would take any day over an episiotomy!!

Seeing Owen laying on my tummy was one of the greatest moments of my life. It is amazing how you can have so much love for someone. I praise God for the wonderful birth experience and for how healthy Owen is. I'm so thankful for my husband and my mother who were both essential to my positive birth experience.