“Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers-strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.” -Barbara Katz Rothman
Hi guys! Welcome to my birth story! Well, not my birth story, but my boys! I thought I would do this a little differently and do it Q&A style. This way I can talk about both boys labor and delivery experiences 🙂 So here we go!
Did you go into labor naturally?
With Jackson I was induced at 38 weeks due to a condition called Cholestasis. I hated being induced and prayed that I would never have to be induced again. The labor was longer and the contractions were more intense. God answered my prayers! I went into labor naturally with Beckett a few days before my due date. At my 39 week appointment my doctor performed a membrane sweep and it worked!
When did your labor start?
I had a doctors appointment around 2 pm where my doctor performed the membrane sweep. We went back to our apartment where I was trying to unpack and finish setting up Jacksons room. The nesting was real that day! Within an hour I started having contractions! We headed to the hospital around 4 pm and I was admitted at around 6 pm.
Did your water break on it own?
With Jackson my water broke on it own in the hospital at around 4:30 am. To be honest, I thought I had peed myself but I was SO exhausted that I went back to sleep anyway (haha). With Beckett they broke my water for me at around 7:30 pm to try and kick start my active labor.
How were your contractions?
With both boys my contractions were intense! With each one I thought I was going to die and would black out during some of them. My husbands hand was my own personal stress ball lol he was a trooper! This leads into the next question…
Did you have an epidural?
HECK YES. More power to all you ladies who can do it naturally, but I was all about the drugs. With Jackson however, the epidural only took to my right side so I felt every contraction on the left and it sucked. With Beckett it worked like a charm and I couldn’t have been happier with my decision to get the epidural.
How long did you labor for?
Jacksons labor was tough. I was induced so I was warned it could take a couple days…and it did. I went in early Monday morning and had him at 11:55 pm Tuesday night. Beckett I only labored for roughly 6 hours! (All the praise hands)
How long did you push for?
With Jackson I pushed for an agonizing 3 hours. It was the hardest and longest 3 hours of my life. Towards the end I looked up at the nurse with tears in my eyes and with hardly enough breath to even mutter the words “I can’t do this anymore.” I felt as if I didn’t even have one push left in me. She finally brought in the doctor who then helped assist me and he was out within 10 minutes!
Beckett was literally out in 3 easy pushes! I felt nothing. When I was first admitted and the nurse checked down there she told me he was so low that he would basically just fall right out. She wasn’t lying! When the doctor told me “He’s here!” I was so shocked at how quick and painless it was.
How was recovery?
After pushing so long with Jackson I had minor tears and needed 3 stitches. I was in SO much pain though. I was so swollen and I felt like I tore my butt hole lol. After Beckett’s super easy delivery I had zero tears. However, I still needed stitches because he found a small cyst down there and had it removed. Recovering from Beckett’s birth was much easier.
What were the babies’ stats?
Jackson Michael– June 15, 2016
11:55pm
7lbs 10oz
21 in
Beckett James– January 24, 2018
11:36pm
7lbs 11oz
21 in
I will sum up this whole story with this last question…
Was your first labor/delivery different from your first?
YES. I can’t even begin to explain how polar opposite they were. After having Jackson I swore I would never have another baby because of how difficult it was. Beckett’s birth was SO much easier and if all my deliveries were like that I would have 10 more babies! Every delivery is different. You never know what to expect and you have to take things as they come. I will say this though, I never knew how truly strong I was until I went through labor. It is hard, painful, exhausting, but gosh darnit it is so completely worth it.
Here are some photos from Beckett’s newborn shoot in the hospital! (totallyyyy regret not doing these for Jackson 🙁 )
Thank you for reading all about my birth story! Hope you guys enjoyed it 🙂 I would love to hear about YOUR labor/delivery…leave a comment down below!
