By Bruna Novais
On Thursday, March 22nd at 00:40, I started to feel some mild cramps. After weeks of Braxton Hicks and light cramps, I knew that this time, something was different. I waited about two hours until my contractions got stronger to wake up my husband. We called the birth center and decided to go there to check the baby’s heart and how dilated I was.
At that time, I was just 3 cm dilated and the baby was fine. We decided to go back home and wait for the show to begin. At around 4 AM, I puked for the first time and started to feel very strong cramps/contractions. The only place that felt comfortable for me to stay was sitting on the Pilates ball. Around the same time my husband decided to call my doula and tell her to come to my place.
My doula/angel arrived around 5 AM and helped me with massages and with her calmness telling me that everything was going just fine. Every time I had a contraction, I remembered to vocalize and open my throat. I puked twice more before deciding to take a shower (that’s when I think my water broke) and go to the birth center.
We arrived at the birth center around 8:30 AM, and I was 5 cm dilated. Shortly, I decided to go into the bathtub and check if the warm water would help with the pain. Sadly, the bathtub was not the most comfortable place during the contractions, as every time I tried to find a position, nothing worked.
After a while, I felt like pooping and I told my doula that I needed to go to the toilet. At that point, I knew the show was about to start. What I felt and thought was like pooping desires, was really pushing. My body started to push and I could not control that. I told my doula what was happening and she called Lydia, the midwife. Lydia asked if I wanted to sit at the birth chair, where I stayed for some pushes. After that, Lydia asked if I wanted to try staying on all fours on the bed and I decided for that, and it was the most comfortable position so far, and after that I just remember pushing for a while and hearing my husband saying that he was seeing the baby’s head! The past 15 minutes were especially tense – as we couldn’t hear Eli’s heartbeat. Lydia mentioned if he wasn’t born in the next couple contractions, she would have to perform an episiotomy. Miraculously, I found strength at the next contraction, and Eli’s head finally passed through!
Eli was born at 11:43 AM, and I remember I was saying how small he was. He weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces, and measured 20 inches. My husband and doula were extremely important during the whole labor, and without them I couldn’t do it. I told my husband that he sounded like my workout coach telling me to be strong and push. And Betsy Huljev, my doula, brought me calmness during the whole time. Also Emma and Lydia were amazing! I’m happy to have had them working at that day; they made me feel safe at all times. Lydia said that I had a short labor for a first-time mom, and I believe that this happened because of all the dates, raspberry leaf tea, primrose oil and Suki’s tincture that I used during those last weeks. One of the things that helped me during the process was to dive in the pain. At no moment did I feel that I couldn’t do it or that I was about to give up. If I could give a piece of advice to someone thinking of having a natural birth, I would say, believe that you can do it, get prepared, especially mentally; and if possible, hire a doula. Without mine, I don’t know if I would have the strength to deliver. I am glad to have chosen the birth center to have my child. It was an amazing experience!!
