My birth story begins here
I am a mum of 2, a beautiful girl and a handsome boy. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I did a ton of research on birth, as any newly pregnant woman does! I had no clue. I always thought the only option was birthing in a hospital! Until I discovered Birth Centers! I loved the idea of a natural birth without any need for medical interventions, but under supervision. With my daugther, I ended up having her in a hospital birthing center (a birthing center that is attached to a hospital), but that's another story since she wasn't born in the USA. Anyway, when I was pregnant with my son, I knew right away that I wanted to get my prenatal care, and have my baby at Beginnings Birth Center in Colorado Springs.
How it started
I received part of my prenatal care at Beginnings Birth Center, in Colorado Springs. We are a military family and moved from Alabama to Colorado Springs when I was 7 months pregnant..in the middle of a pandemic. Yeah, it was exhausting! Although Covid restrictions didn't allow me to visit the center for in-person appointments, I still really enjoyed the care I received via Zoom. I was able to get a quick in person tour of their birthing suites, so that I could choose my preference. They had 3 rooms (in 2020) with different décor styles. so there's something for everybody! When I went into labor, I contacted the midwife on call, who was waiting for me when I arrived. She made me feel very comfortable as soon as I arrived. She checked my cervix, and to my surprise, I was already 7cm! The pain was still bearable. I remember with my daughter, I was already dying when it was 2cm! Second experiences certainly are different, and I was hopeful that I could have my son without any interventions. About an hour later, my waters had yet to break and I was not progressing. The midwife suggested that she break my waters for me. It wasn't a horrible experience, just like a long knitting needle put inside you to pop that bubble, and then feeling like you majorly peed yourself. Along with this, the midwife also discovered that my son had passed some poop (meconium). If you've read up about birth, you know this is not a good thing. The midwife reassured me that she felt comfortable to deal with the situation so we carried on. After this, things started to get painful! I took the opportunity to get into the birthing tub! I highly recommend this!! The pain relief was amazing!!! Who doesn't love a warm bath? I also requested some laughing gas. I used it with my daughter so why not! After a couple of hours, the midwife checked my cervix and unfortunately I had not progressed at all in 4 hours! By this point, I was coming in and out of sleep, unable to control my pain and honestly just panicking. The midwife made the decision that it was time to transfer me to a nearby hospital.
How it ended
I was transported by ambulance to UCHealth Memorial North, which is only 2 miles from Beginnings Birth Center. I was honestly delirious from lack of sleep, and the laughing gas. I was not myself anymore and had no control over my mind to handle the pain. I jumped at the chance for an epidural! It felt like an eternity before they were able to administer it, and when it finally happened, they told me it was a close one. I was at 9cm! Boy, was the epidural such a life saver! I don't know why I was so against is before. I could finally sleep! I had been awake and in labor since 4am, and now it was 10pm. I thought 2nd labors were supposed to go quicker?! Not for me apparently. Around another 12 hours later, the Dr told me it was time to push. But the complications were not over yet! The plot thickens!! My son had a giant head, it turns out. With an epidural, I couldn't really feel if I was even pushing. The next thing I knew, I had a Dr down there, a nurse either side of me holding my legs apart, and 2 more nurses either side of me pushing down on my stomach to push this baby out! Believe me... I felt everything! This baby wasn't coming out! So, much to my dismay, I had an episiotomy AND they had to use the vacuum method to get my son out. But at last, he was out! He was a BIG BOY. I was told he'd be around 7lbs, but they handed me a 8.9lbs, 21.5cm baby! Luckily he had not inhaled any meconium, but he did suffer some trauma to his left shoulder (shoulder dystocia), which meant he was not able to raise his left arm for a few months after birth. We ended up staying in the hospital for 3 nights as my son had high levels of bilirubin and needed phototherapy. While I missed my daughter, I enjoyed the time spent with my newborn, and appreciated the care I received at UCHealth Memorial North Hospital. Everyone I came in contact with was so lovely and helpful. I would highly recommend both places for having a baby!
Questions or comments?
I hope you enjoyed reading about my birth! I would love to hear about yours! Leave me a message! Or, if you have any questions about my experience at Beginnings Birth Center, or UCHealth Memorial North, feel free to ask, and I will try my best to answer them for you!
