Megan’s Birth Stories
Jack's Birth Story - Megan’s First Birth
“Jack was my first child, and my first experience with birth as well. My mom did tell me my birth story and I had no negative stories told to me also. It was a chill pregnancy no complications and he was growing amazingly.
I knew that with my first that I could expect to be pregnant past my due date but mentally I was not prepared for that.
Finally it came to 41 weeks and at that point I had an NST (non-stress test) to check if baby was doing alright and an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid levels. So I was at least aware that they were doing alright. I was then told that I was going to be put on the induction list as per my request but because my pregnancy was unproblematic I should expect to be bumped to the next day. However I still had to be up to receive the call, to see if I was going to be brought in. I recommend that if you are to be induced that you assign your partner or a family member that is going to be your ride to take the calls and then wake you if it is time to go (if that is possible). The reason why if because they will most likely call you at 7:30am or later to tell you if you are in or not and I don’t know about you but at 41 weeks I was not a morning lark…
March 7th - Finally got the answer that I was waiting for after almost 3 days. They told me to come in for 9:30am that day. Arrived at the hospital and got assessed by the midwife and the midwife student. They inserted the cervidil and then hooked me up to the NST machine to check on how Jack was handling the intrusion. Lucky my mom was the one that was hanging out with me there and she came back with a treat while we waited the two hours. That went well and then we were sent home around 12pm to start labour at home. I was able to rest for a little bit but then I started to feel cramping around my back (felt like I was having diarrhea pains) on and off. Eventually it hurt to stand, so my partner took a video of me crawling very slowly to the bathroom as I thought I had to have a really bad poo. Luckily I was able to have a semi decent sleep that night
March 8th - Woke up and went back to the hospital around 9:30 am again for another assessment. I believe I dilated one or so centimeters if anything. They then inserted another dose of cervidil and reminded me of when to call the midwife and come back in. This time though we had a bit of a longer time being on the NST as Jack was being a bit off. He cleared up and then we were sent home. It wasn’t long though till we came back around 6pm, as I was unable to cope with the back labour. I wasn’t able to get any rest and no position was comfortable. The midwife met my mom and I at the hospital and gave me some gravol and morphine, then did another NST. We left around 8pmish and I remember asking my mom to avoid the bumps on the road as we drove home.
Once we arrived home and were starting to settle, I leaned over the couch and then heard a pop and then felt a gush… My water had broke!
I told my partner to go get my mom as she was our ride, and he rushed to the bottom of their stairs and yelled “SANDRA!!!” I started laughing, as my mom came down panicking but then realized nothing was majorly wrong. She then called the midwife as we were instructed to go to the hospital when my water broke (due to being GBS positive) so they could start the IV antibiotics.
We made our way back over and then met up with the new midwife on call (thankfully the student was still there) and she then double checked that it was amniotic fluid that was coming out. They also took out the cervidil insertion as well. I was admitted and brought over to my room for my stay. Contractions were starting to get worse and I was feeling like I had to push but I knew at the time that it was too early.
Around 1130pm - I started trying laughing gas to help with the contractions and back pain. However that started to make me feel like I was losing control. Due to this I then asked for an epidural. In amongst all of this, my mom went out to look for food and I also asked for her to get coffee for the nurses. She came back just in time to see me get an epidural, so she turned right back out the room. Apparently she could hear me groaning on the complete other side of the unit.
March 9th, 12:30 am - I finally got comfy with a peanut ball between my legs and a catheter (my new fashion accessory). Then they started having a hard time keeping track of Jack’s heartrate with contractions. It started accelerating with each contraction. They then asked if they would be allowed to put a internal fetal monitor into his scalp. I agreed envisioning a sticker or something being put on him, but looking back it was screwed into his scalp…
1:00 am - With the internal fetal monitor in, they then identified that Jack was not doing so good and they brought the OB (obstetrician) in to discuss my options looking forward. The OB stated that he could either try using forceps to assist with bringing Jack out or we could make our way down to the OR for a c-section. I did not want a c-section at all, so I said I wanted to try birthing with the forceps. Then it was all a blur of them rushing to get ready for the birth. The pediatrician was called as well, to be there in case Jack needed any help.
2:00 am - Go time! Gave a trial push with my partner at my side, and the OB said that it wasn’t enough and if I pushed like that again it would mean I would be going for a c-section. In response to that, I then pushed with all my might and at 2:15 am Jack was born with 3 pushes on my back.
He was brought out not crying and they laid him on me for a brief moment to see if that would stimulate him enough but it didn’t. They then took him to the warmer across the room and the pediatrician and a nurse then cleared out his airways and put him on some oxygen. Meanwhile, when Jack came out, a big gush of blood followed and missed the catch bucket. My partner noticed this and then started to look a bit pale, a nurse pointed that out and brought him aside with a snack. My mom then took over being beside me.
I didn’t fully realize what was happening with Jack. I remember asking and no one letting me know. All the nurses were either preoccupied with Jack or the charting. The midwife and the student midwife as well as the OB, were then focused on me birthing the placenta and then suturing me up. I was so numbed out down there from the epidural that I didn’t feel anything, which was a blessing. I had ended up with a 3rd degree tear.
Once Jack was able to breath, he gave a big cry from the warmer. They then brought him back to me and my partner and I started crying. Everyone started to clear out of the room, leaving my little family, my mom and the midwives. After it settled the midwives then started doing the initial look over of Jack, making sure that he was perfect and seeing how much he weighed.
I didn’t fully realize what was happening with Jack. I remember asking and no one letting me know. All the nurses were either preoccupied with Jack or the charting. The midwife and the student midwife as well as the OB, were then focused on me birthing the placenta and then suturing me up. I was so numbed out down there from the epidural that I didn’t feel anything, which was a blessing. I had ended up with a 3rd degree tear.
Once Jack was able to breath, he gave a big cry from the warmer. They then brought him back to me and my partner and I started crying. Everyone started to clear out of the room, leaving my little family, my mom and the midwives. After it settled the midwives then started doing the initial look over of Jack, making sure that he was perfect and seeing how much he weighed.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
5:00am - By now our room was cleaned and the room was made into a postpartum room. Mom had left to get sleep and my partner was passed out on the extra lounge chair. The pediatrician had put in an order for Jack’s sugars to be checked (they were done twice) and both results ended up being too low. The nurse let the pediatrician know and he told her then that he had to be admitted to the NICU to be observed for a little bit.
6:00 am - The nurse took Jack to the NICU gave report and then came back to grab me in a wheelchair to bring me over for a quick visit. They had him in an incubator and it was not a sight I was prepared for. Jack had an IV on his little wrist and he was the biggest baby in there.
From that point on, I was back and forth from the NICU and the maternity unit every 2 hours. The days and nights were blending together but the nurses there were amazing support and were a major part of starting my breastfeeding journey with Jack. I was discharged the day after giving birth to Jack and was given the option to stay with him if I wanted in the Care by Parent room, but I decided to go home and have hopefully a long period of sleep. It was weird not coming home with Jack, my mom had wrote “Welcome home Jack” on the bedroom door and I saw that and started crying.
The next day, my mom dropped me off bright and early to spend the day at the NICU with Jack. I told myself that I needed to nap at least once while I was there. That didn’t end up happening as I was not wanting to leave his side at all except to go to the bathroom. This was when I started to realize that I was starting to not feel like myself or recognize myself in the bathroom mirror because of the lack of sleep in probably 5 days. I luckily saw the social worker that day and she connected me with postpartum mental health supports as I was concerned that I would be at risk of developing postpartum depression.
Later on Jack was discharged from the NICU and my mom and Chase came to pick us up. It was a relief to have us all home for the first time.”
Alice's Birth Story - Megan’s Second Birth
“With Alice, I put more research into how to cope with labour and what to expect and such.
I found this time around with Jack distracting me time went by really fast between going on maternity leave and Alice's birth.
Luckily she was only 3 days over due. I had talked with my midwife a couple days prior and we planned that if I hadn’t gone into labour by the morning of the 4th I would take some midwives brew. The morning of the 4th came and I made myself the midwives brew at 9amish. Started having a little bit of gas and a tiny bit of cramping around 1130am. Midwife called to check up on me at 12 and I was telling her my symptoms and she said "I don't think this is early labour, let's plan to see you at home tomorrow if nothing happens. I say okay see tomorrow and then I go on to having a nap with my son.
When I woke up around 2pm, I started having more cramps, they weren't that painful so I jokingly downloaded a contraction counter on my phone. Carried on with the day thinking its going to happen today (my mom was saying you’re not in labour it's just the castor oil) and then around 7pm I lost my mucus plug and that's where the contractions were starting to get closer and longer.
I was in denial though because this was nothing compared to my first. I got into bed around 9pm and told my husband to go to bed early too because we don't know. This was the point when I look back and say I should have gone in. I remember looking at the clock at 930pm and thinking if this carries on in about an hour I need to call my midwife and go in. I went for a bath upstairs at my parents, after this and the contractions at this point were making me stop but I was still able to talk through them. I was using the comb trick and meditation to help with the pain management. After my mom got me out of the bath she cut me up some apples and got me some water. I ate a couple of them then we decided to call my midwife because it was starting to hurt more and I joked that I could have an epidural right now.
I hadn't been counting my contractions since I tried to sleep at 9pm and it was now 1030pm. When I had my midwifeon the phone she said to count them for a little bit longer cause I wasn't sure if they were 5 minutes apart or not (they were way closer than that) and she said that she was expecting me to call back soon.
I went to go sit by my dad with my water and a piece of toast and then he went to bed. I'm still regularly contracting through all of this and able to talk through them all. In the meantime my mom is getting the car ready and waking up my husband cause we knew it was time to go to the hospital. So I paged my midwife and as I am leaving the message I get a strong urge to push and my water breaks. I started to cry and panic because I thought I was pushing too early and I wasn't at the hospital.
My mom and husband were now upstairs and with me and I think I pushed again and then I felt her head in between my legs. So my mom called 911 at that point and then my midwife called back as well. We had both the 911 dispatch and my midwife on speaker at that point and my midwife instructed my mom to get me on my side and put my legs up to try to slow down labour and 911 was telling her to push my daughter's head back in a tiny bit.
My daughter wasn't having any of that and she came out fast at around 11:23pm.
Shortly after my placenta came out and then the fire fighters came and the paramedics.
The paramedics told my husband that “when a birth is called out on the radio, its time to burn rubber.” Which made a positive impact on him. I found out later on that my dad went into auto mode when letting the paramedics and first responders in by telling them where to go and then moving their gear out of the way for them.
They took us to the hospital, and we met up with another ambulance crew and they “cooed and awhed” when they say Alice. The ambulance crew ended up getting lost upstairs so I had to guide them to the maternity unit where we met up with my midwife and she looked us over and we were all good. As they took Alice to check her over we realized she had pooped.
I luckily only had a 2nd degree tear with her and the only thing with my daughter was that her left foot was stuck up right so we had to get an x-ray and a pediatrician referral in hospital. It was a nice little 2 night girls weekend away from the boys.
I joked often that with my first two kids I got a full maternity hospital experience. Because with my first I laboured and gave birth at the hospital but I didn't get much of the postpartum care cause I was mainly at the NICU. And then with my daughter we just had the postpartum care.”
Nikolai's Birth Story - Megan’s Third Birth
“With Nikolai his came on naturally and it’s nice how it unfolded. I remember looking at his guess date (March 26th) and being like I don't want it he will be an April baby. Then they changed it to the 30th and I was like awesome for sure April baby. However I looked around at when the full moon was and it was the Monday before my due date (similar to Jack in the sense Full moon and a monday). Then the Friday before I went into labour they changed it to the 25th and I was like “I knew it full moon baby!” to my midwife.
The day before he was born I started seeing some bloody show around 1pm, and I had some cramping but nothing that was like imminent labour. Went through the day and then had to go to the ER for Alice (just bumps and scrapes) the bloody show stopped happening then but I was still having some cramping enough for me to be a tiny bit worried about maybe having to go upstairs (maternity) while Alice was in the ER (mom was there with me).
Alice got discharged around 9pm and we swung by my place to grab some things because I was gonna spend the night at my moms. Since at that point we knew it was going to be happening either that night or later in the morning.
I went straight to bed when I got to their house and was able to sleep up until 2 am (on the 24th). I can't remember if the contractions woke me or if I just woke up to go pee. But they were coming consistently at that point where I started to time them. Ate some food, wasn't able to sleep because I started noticing they were lasting a minute (they went by fast in my head). I remember looked at the clock around 215 and thought awesome no shared birth times, I will probably give birth around 6. Called my doula around 2:30 and asked if she thought if she should start heading over, she asked me if I thought so and I said nah. She then said to try to sleep/relax for another 45 minutes and see how you feel. But if you feel like you need me or if something changes call. So I went and I laid down with Jack and Alice till around 3 amish. Then I went upstairs and started a bath.
Woke my mom up with that and she scared me by accident. The only thing that sucked was that as soon as I stepped in and then every time I sat back a contraction would start. The best position that I could get comfy in was in puppy dog pose with my lower back in the running water.
I then called my doula around 348amish to tell her to come to the house and then my mom came in shortly after and was like "nope you are acting like how you were when in labour with Alice. Your contractions are too close. We are going to the hospital!"
Because they were too close but I was able to cope with them so I kept tricking my self into thinking I wasn't in active labour.
Called the doula back and told her to meet us at the hospital.
Each time a contraction came up (4-1-1) I kept on saying to my mom "good call!" And I was worrying that we were going to have a car baby.
Went in through emergency (second time in 24 hours) and walked slowly in the lobby to the elevators with Under Pressure by Queen on repeat in my head. I had to stop 4 times for contractions, which gave my mom the opportunity to catch up with me before the elevators.
Got to triage, and checked in. Shortly after my doula arrived. I tried to go pee, because I felt like I needed to but I couldn't. Got my cervix checked around 430 am and I was 6-7 cm dilated with a very stretchy cervix and a bulging bag of waters. The nurse said she was surprised at how far dilated I was because of how I was acting and able to talk..
They then admitted me and started all the paperwork and looked at my birth plan. They said they did all that already so we should be good. By around 530am I think I was feeling a little bit pushy, because the OB did a cervical check again (I was curious) and I was 8-9cm dilated still with a bulging bag of waters, that the OB offered to rupture (refused twice). I started feeling a stinging pain around my bladder every time a contraction started and I started also having poopy pressure (as I put it). Tried labouring in the shower for a little bit to help with the back pain and the bladder pain which felt awesome. But as soon as I started feeling more pushy they urged me to get to the bed. So I laboured hunched over the bed for a little bit and then eventually got on all fours hunched over the head of the bed when it was time to push. My doula was incredible and helped me with the glorious hip squeezing and applying counter pressure to my sacrum.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
They kept on bringing the OB in and then she kept on leaving because I would stop feeling the urge to push.
I was wanting to catch Nik and watch when he was born but there was so much pressure and stinging I was overwhelmed. Then the ring of fire appeared once Nik's head started crowning.
At this point, I remember telling my mom to shush and saying that I dont want to do it anymore but I know I have to. Truthfully I was wanting to tell everyone to shut up because they kept on going "you’re doing amazing!" but couldn't get the words out.
Then I pushed out his head, peed and my waters broke. I remember being so happy that I peed because the stinging stopped. He then chilled for a bit with his head hanging out and they started asking me to push more or if I felt I had to push more because it was starting to get concerning for them. But I felt his shoulder move and announced ‘there’s the shoulder’ and it came out and then one more urge to push and the rest of him followed!
He was born at 609am (called it) and they laid him next to me with the cord attached. I got to cuddle him and I didn't the pitocin shot like I asked. However because of this the nurses seemed more skittish and wanting me to push out the placenta faster and were talking about getting the OB for cord traction. I found out a couple months later that there was a gush of bright red blood that came pretty quickly after Nik came (my doula thinks this was when my placenta seperated from my uterine wall). But shortly after hearing that I think adrenaline kicked in and I pushed it out.
We got to have his cord go white before my mom cut it and take photos of the placenta.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I got a 2nd degree tear and I was able to chill with Nik on me while the OB stitched me up. One of my original providers came in (the one I had hoped to have for my birth) and first thing she said was that I called it. He did have some wet lungs but that cleared up in the afternoon and they were worried about his sugars because he was a big boy (9lbs 11oz).
The OB was there because my providers were in the midst of switching. So the one on for the night had already left and the one for the morning was on her way.”