My Spontaneous Labor Story!
Written by Nichole Denny:
I went to sleep with some painful cramping on Monday, March 20th. I didn’t think anything about it considering I had been having some on and off painful crampy “Braxton Hicks” for the past 4 weeks before this, and was very used to it at this point.
However, the next morning Tuesday, March 21st when I woke up around 6am, I noticed right away those cramps didn’t go away. I still didn’t think much of it because, again, this kind of cramping had been happening on and off for 4 weeks (and with my firstborn son, they happened for 6 weeks leading up to birth).
I mentioned to my husband that the cramping from the night before never stopped just to make him aware, but I went about my morning because nothing was even uncomfortable at that point. At 8:30am they suddenly got more intense. I was still not sure if it was real labor, but I wanted to busy myself to try not to fixate on the cramping since it still wasn’t painful. I decided to do my hair and makeup just in case I was going to go to the hospital soon as a welcomed distraction, along with listening to worship music in my earbuds. Over the next hour, the contractions did not stop and just got more intense. I was still not believing I was in labor though because it was still manageable, but I started timing them just in case. They were 3-4 mins apart over that next hour. I texted my doula, Kristian, to let her know, and sent her a photo of the contraction timer and she asked how I was managing/working through them. I was by listening to worship music and squeezing a comb leaning over the birth ball and my husband was having to help me by applying counter pressure on my back during contractions. Kristian then asked to call to hear me over the phone during them. I was having to breathe and moan to get through them. Contractions quickly got to 2 minutes apart, and my husband Micah agreed with Kristian to call the OB office to inform them; they said I should go in to labor and delivery.
We got to the hospital around 11:00am and the car ride there was very intense as I could not sit down on my bottom and rode the short distance over on my knees facing back in the seat. When we got there, I had a contraction getting out of the car and lost a lot of mucus plug; we also think my water may have broke some around that time. While walking across the small parking lot to go inside we had to stop walking twice for contractions. They quickly got me in to check me and the midwife said she was guessing I was 6.5-7cms and 90% effaced. She said she had to guess though because I could not lay on my back for the check. Contractions were non-stop, so I could only lay on my side.
They got us into a Labor & Delivery room and contractions were still coming non-stop with not much of a break in between; they were less than a minute apart. For the next hour, I labored leaning over the back of the bed for a bit, then standing by the bed for a bit, then standing in the bathroom for a bit. Kristian applied a TENS unit on my lower back and that really helped. Finally, I went back to standing by the bed and sort of leaning over on my hands because it felt more comfortable there.
The midwife checked me again on my side and said I was 9 or maybe a 10cm dilated. I went back to standing by the bed. She and Kristian asked if I felt any pressure in my bottom, and I said yes, but also in my abdomen during every contraction and they said I could try to push into that just a little if it felt right. As soon as the next contraction came, I did, and he came descending down extremely fast. It was almost scary to feel my body internally take over like that with little to no “effort” on my end. It was so intense and unreal to experience. I birthed my son standing up in less than 10 minutes.
I was 39 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I got a spontaneous labor, with no induction, no medication, and completely natural. I also had no hemorrhage (I had a hemorrhage during my first birth which was an induction), no stitches, and very short manageable pain in recovery. Nathan nursed right away, although after a couple of weeks I ended up having a very low milk supply and my baby was losing weight. My doula Kristian recommended an amazing IBCLC (lactation consultant), Jessica, who helped us tremendously and was able to recommend a plan for us to still nurse and supplement what he needed to help additionally; we did that until he stopped nursing on his own at 4 months when there wasn’t any milk left.
I’m so thankful for Kristian’s support. 💛
