I've been blessed to give birth to three precious babies within three and a half quick years of each other. They were all born at Cape Fear Valley Hospital in the very early hours of the morning. Just as each of my three beautiful children are strikingly different, so are each of their birth stories.
My First Birth
I was due with my son, Seth, on September 8, 2012. As I awaited his birth, I remember assuming my labor and delivery would be similar to my own mother's. She recalled how she woke with gentle menstrual cramps in the middle of the night and wasn't even certain that she was actually in labor. After calling her doctor she and my father decided to head to the hospital. I was born within maybe an hour of her arriving, and she recollected that it "wasn't that bad".
With my first pregnancy I was so certain that I would forgo an epidural because my labor would be quick and somehow only moderately painful... as if there was a super easy birthing gene that I had inherited from my mom. I remember attending my labor class and being one of only two women that raised my hand proudly because I planned to have a natural birth. My due date rolled around and there was no sign of labor approaching. I had even gone on an eight mile hike a few days prior and I hadn't had even the mildest contraction. I went into my forty week appointment at 40 weeks and 5 days extremely frustrated and anxious to meet my baby. I just wanted him out so I could hold him in my arms!
When the doctor asked me about his movement I stated that I hadn't noticed as much (which I had assumed was because he had less room to move around). The doctor decided to go ahead and send me to the hospital so that they could make sure everything was okay. After the testing they determined that both Seth and I were fine, however, since I was already at the hospital they would admit me for induction. This was because my doctors' standard practice is to schedule an induction one week after the baby's due date if he or she is late.
Since I was already at the hospital and they had room for me, they went ahead and checked me in that night and administered Cervadil to soften my cervix. That morning they broke my water and shortly after they administered Pitocin to start contractions. I wasn't making progress so they continued to increase my Pitocin amount until I was enduring back to back contractions. The nurse assigned to me that day continued to encourage me to "get my epidural". I held my ground, struggling through the contractions all day long with little to no progress. In the early evening I could tell the nurses were sure I would end up delivering via c-section.
I decided to get an epidural at that point, and fell asleep. When I awoke, I was checked and I had dilated to 7 centimeters! I realize now that I just needed to relax for things to get moving. I can't remember all the details after that but at 12:54 am I gave birth to my sweet son, Seth, weighing 6 pounds 9 ounces. I was thrilled to finally hold him in my arms.
My Second Birth
I was due with my second Son, Samuel, on July 14, 2014. I was much more patient this time around because I wanted to savor every last minute I had with Seth as my only child. I struggled with understanding how I would love this next baby as much as my first. I also worried about knowing when and if labor would start on its own for me this time.
I was excited to feel my first real labor contractions eleven days before my due date. They started around 8:00 that morning and were fairly mild, coming and going throughout the day. By that afternoon it seemed labor had stalled. I enjoyed some play time with Seth outside and then we went on a family walk around the block. After that I could tell things were starting to pick up. I bounced on my exercise ball and started timing contractions that evening. Around 10:00 pm we called a friend to come stay with Seth for the night and my husband and I headed to the hospital.
When they checked me I was thrilled to hear that I was already dilated to 6 centimeters. I was again hoping to forgo the epidural. However, since I wasn't 100% sure they had me lay in the hospital bed and receive IVs. Lying on my back was unbearable so I decided to receive the epidural so I could sleep, as it was already around midnight. At some point they gave me Pitocin because I wasn't progressing fast enough. They woke me several hours later to check me and I was fully dilated. Samuel was born at 5:35 am, weighing a healthy 8 pounds 3 ounces. When I saw his head full of hair and dark eyes, I knew I would love him just as I did Seth.
My Third Birth
We were completely shocked when we discovered my third pregnancy just a few days before Samuel's first birthday. I decided that unlike my other pregnancies I wanted the gender of this baby to be a surprise. My husband, however, was too impatient and peeked at the ultrasound. (He did manage to keep it a secret though!) Armed with the knowledge and experience of my previous two deliveries, I decided that this time I would do everything I could to experience a natural delivery. I was excited to bring Kristen on board as my doula to help me achieve this. I knew I needed someone to advocate for me in the birthing room so I didn't end up stuck on my back in the hospital bed again.
I was due on March 3, 2016 but I started having labor contractions on February 28th. I hoped the baby would come that day so that his or her birthday wouldn't be on leap day. My contractions came and went throughout the day and seemed to have stalled around 10:00 pm. I decided to take a shower and try to sleep, but I quickly realized that was impossible. I applied some Clary Sage essential oil to some trigger points on my hands and feet. Then my husband and I watched a movie while I bounced on my exercise ball and focused on breathing through my contractions. The movie was over around midnight and we decided to head to the hospital because labor was getting more intense and it was already very late.
When I arrived I discovered I was only 5-6 centimeters dilated and all I could think was that I might be in labor all day. I got into my room and completed what seemed like an endless amount of paperwork. Shortly after, Kristen arrived and had me bouncing on a birthing ball as she applied some pressure and essential oils to my lower back and hips. She observed that the contractions were not as strong as they needed to be so she asked me to stand up and rock my hips back and forth while leaning on my husband. After a short while I started to feel very faint so I decided I should lay down for a minute. As I got ready to get into the hospital bed I felt the most intense pressure and pain I've ever felt and then some blood trickled down my leg.
The doctor rushed in to check me and we discovered I was fully dilated. Everything was quickly prepped for delivery and after just a few very intense pushes and screams, my daughter Elizabeth was born weighing 7 pounds 2 ounces. She arrived at 3:21 am on Leap Day! Not only was the active labor and delivery much faster this time than my previous two births, but my recovery was amazing.
I remember holding Elizabeth in my hospital room just a few hours after her birth and realizing I had absolutely no soreness whatsoever! I felt fantastic. Enduring the pain of natural childbirth pushed me to cry out for Jesus in a way I never have before. I remember whispering, "Jesus, help me," multiple times between contractions and pushes. As I was suffering to bring forth life, it helped me identify more with His suffering on the cross for me. My two biggest words of labor advice for pregnant moms are to expect things to go differently than you plan and hire a doula if possible. It turns out I did not inherit my mom's super easy birthing gene, but having Kristen as my doula ended up being the secret weapon I needed to experience the natural birth I always hoped for.
Alicia Guadalupe is a former second grade school teacher. She and her husband started a coffee roasting company, Cumberland Coffee Roasters, just weeks before they discovered she was pregnant with their first son. After his birth, Alicia took a leap of faith and quit her teaching job to stay home full-time. She recently started homeschooling and loves it! She also loves Jesus and pursuing health through real food and natural living.
