Treasured Belle

My daughter, Alexa, was born Tuesday, March 27th. I praise God that I was able to have a successful vaginal birth!!! I'm still in awe that I was able to birth naturally. I experienced prodromal labor, which is when you are in pre-labor for a few days or more.

I had been having painful contractions from Thursday to Monday. Monday morning I couldn't sleep hardly at all because I had contractions starting around 1 a.m. until around 5:30 a.m., coming around every 10-15 minutes. I was sooooo tired!!! Once I officially woke up for the day the contractions came at a slower pace. I was so exhausted, so my Dad came to pick up my older two children to watch them so I could get some rest.

Well, I felt depressed. I was so tired of experiencing contractions that seemed to lead nowhere. I began thinking to myself, what if this goes on for another week? I will be dead to the world, I can't take it. In this moment of depression I called my husband to vent. I started crying about how exhausted I was, and I was so ready for the baby to come. He tried to soothe me over the phone, and I felt a little bit better to get my frustrations off my chest.

About an hour later while I was sitting on my bed watching a Lifetime movie my water broke! I jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom, and I was extremely excited that my labor had officially started. Yay!!

About two hours later my husband and I checked into the hospital. When the nurse checked me I was 5 centimeters. This was around 5 p.m. Well, I labored on through the evening, walking around, sitting on a birthing ball, leaning on my husband.

I was EXHAUSTED!! I had had no sleep basically for the entire day, and all I wanted to do was rest. My doula encouraged me that I needed to move around to make my labor progress. But, I managed to take naps here and there when I could.

Around midnight I began to lose hope that the baby would ever come out of me naturally. I just. wanted. to. go. to. sleep!!!

Finally around 3 a.m. the doctor said that I was complete!! I honestly was starting to give up and didn't think I would have any energy to push. But, somehow hearing that it was time gave me a boost of energy out of nowhere!

I began pushing, and the doctor said that I wasn't pushing effectively. After a couple of pushes, I realized that pushing a baby out is quite similar to pushing when doing number 2. I thought I was supposed to push in the vaginal area, but really it's more pushing in your bottom. Lesson learned.

My daughter was born at 3:46 a.m., and I just couldn't believe that I actually had a successful VBAC! It was all worth it as I held my precious little baby girl.