This post is sponsored by AdventHealth for Women.
We’re quickly approaching Linc’s 2nd birthday and I haven’t shared his full birth story with you all yet (which I feel somewhat guilty about but, also fiercely anxious to relive again). Labor and delivery with him were beyond tough and still to this day bring on major anxiety about the possibility of having another baby but, here we are considering number 4!
When I was pregnant with Col, I was an inexperienced, young, terrified, future mom. Going into my second pregnancy with K, I had an idea of what to expect but, decided to change our birth plan A TON so I still felt lost (You can read about that here). Fast forward to my third pregnancy- I knew a huge part of the planning would include our regular birth team and care from AdventHealth for Women in Altamonte- With Linc, I had expectations and experience but, nothing compares to having a well-oiled and skilled team at your bed side.
No matter how many books you read, videos you watch, photos you lose your soul into, or first hand experience you’ve had, nothing can fully prepare you for each individual labor and delivery. Having a team of people around you who know your wants, needs, and hopes for the birth plan you’ve chosen, is key to a successful natural birth which is why I’m SO glad to have chosen AdventHealth Altamonte as our forever Labor and Delivery home!
To set your birth plan up for success with the most possible education and preparedness, view a Virtual Tour then schedule a tour of The Baby Place in your second trimester! Once you’ve had your tour, consider taking one of the many parenting classes offered at several AdventHealth for Women locations!
From The Gift of Motherhood Childbirth Classes and Daddy Boot Camp to Baby Care Basis and Breastfeeding Classes to , you’re sure to find something that helps set your family up for success when bringing your baby into the world!
After spending almost a full 40 weeks growing our third boy in my belly, while meditating, educating, and preparing, we were ready to meet our baby!
It was 11:07 pm on August 16th when I woke up knowing I was in labor. My water hadn’t broken but, the contractions woke me from sleep and had me rushing to the bathroom because of the pressure. We made all of our arrangements to hit the road for our temporary home at AdventHealth Altamonte. While approaching the check-in desk at The Baby Place, my water broke. Yep, ALL.OVER.THE.FLOOR. No shame as the woman behind the counter at The Baby Place quickly came without judgment to help clean me and the floor up. I was barely two days shy of Linc’s due date so, the process of moving along from Check-in to Triage then, to Labor and Delivery was quick!
While prepping our move to Labor and Delivery, I let our triage team know that I was planning another all natural, non-medicated birth and that I couldn’t wait to get comfortable in one of the beautiful and roomy Birthing Suites with a jetted bathtub. They didn’t hesitate to share their praises and ensure that we would have a large room for all of our family to spread out in while leaving me enough space to walk, sit on a birthing ball, rest in the jetted tub, and yes, even dance if I wanted. (Belly dancing through labor is a real thing y’all!)
Rewind to Col and K’s births: I was so lucky to have the same AdventHealth Labor and Delivery nurse bedside during both experiences, *Rachel. I LOVE her. WITH ALL OF MY HEART. I couldn’t possibly imagine birthing any of our babies without her. I’ve only ever known her as the woman who feeds me ice chips, holds my hand as tight as possibly possible, rubs my back when I’m in pain, and coaches me through every pressure bearing sensation and delivery push.Â
Now, two weeks before going into labor with Linc, I had a fall. To make sure baby was A-Okay, James rushed us to the hospital for a check-in! While wandering the halls, James was spotted by a friendly Labor and Delivery nurse, *Rachel! She came in to check on me and say hello before leaving for the day and told us that during the time up until my due date, she would be away traveling to see family.
I was heartbroken, how would I possibly have this baby without *Rachel? Read on…
We settled in to our Labor and Delivery Room and one by one met our nursing team as the contractions got stronger. Because I’d already delivered at The Baby Place twice before, I was incredibly comfortable. A few of the faces I was seeing were mixed in with familiar ones from trips to triage during my previous and current pregnancies when we’d visit for tours, classes, and check-ins. I was filled with joy and totally elated when a new group of nurses came in for the morning shift and *Rachel entered the room. Every emotion possible came over me as her face greeted us. I cried, she cried, and we hugged through a contraction. It was her first shift back from her time away and I knew this day was meant to be! Now that my entire birthing team was officially complete, and I was becoming more dilated by the hour, I felt ready. Ready to take on every contraction that squeezed my body and ready to meet my baby.
I love AdventHealth for their flexibility in the Labor and Delivery room. I was able to move back and forth between the birthing ball and bed, trying to maintain movement while breathing in Clary Sage essential oil diffused from their aromatherapy room diffuser. Once the nurses had me monitored for as long as they needed, I moved around the room, spent some time out in the halls walking, and eventually brought myself back to the bed with the help of my birth team.
Unlike my first two labors, I was incredibly nauseous through the entire experience this time around. I had only imagined a completely non-medicated birth and at first refused anything for the nausea. *Rachel knew how much I was suffering so, through the pressure and pain, with her encouragement, I got into the birthing tub to ease the nausea. In a dark bathroom with a trash can beside me, I felt so much relief. She knew what I needed when I didn’t. Without pressure, she offered to give me a small dosage of something to curb the nausea so that I could make it through the last couple centimeters to full dilation and delivery (Transition period). She knew I had a plan and recognized that I didn’t want to steer away from it so, in her advising she explained the option of medication for the nausea in a way that was still incredibly supportive of my birth plan by reaffirming how far I’d come through meditation and will power but, that now was the time to enjoy and prepare for the short time between then and meeting my baby! I was so grateful for her approach and how quickly she delivered. The nausea medication made those final moments before meeting our new baby, so much more enjoyable and memorable.
It was almost time to push. The entire birthing team came in like a calm, swift breeze. They were gentle, quiet, and ready to get the job done without adding stress or anxiety in the room. When it came time to push, I was thankful to be able to focus on what my body needed to do rather than how sick I was feeling. As the bed dropped down and stir-ups were lifted, I peeked around and saw beautiful, bright, excited faces ready to help bring my baby into the world in the best way possible and make sure that he and mama were healthy through the transition!
This baby was TOUGH. Linc was delivering face up and had given my body a rough time when it came to delivery. With my personal team, the nurses and my midwife who’d coached me through, and the team behind them ready and prepared for baby, I was in amazing hands. The pressure was unbearable with a baby coming into the world face up so, at one point my body gave up. I lost all of the know-how and previous experience of pushing and literally, JUST GAVE UP. It was because of my ENTIRE team in the room that I was able to force my body into doing what it was meant to do. Not only were my midwife and nurses coaching and cheering me on but, even those AdventHealth nurses in the back of the room who had only just met me, waiting for baby to make his appearance, were rooting with pride!
In less than 30 minutes, I went from knowing my baby was on his way to having his tiny little body on my chest. He entered the world without a cry and as purple as a plum so, the nurses quickly jumped into action and had him whimpering in seconds. There’s something about knowing and seeing how passionate these women are about their job and easing each mothers’ soul when their baby is coming into the world and has arrived, that is inspiring and comforting beyond belief. Every single one of the nurses at AdventHealth for Women worked as a collective team to coach me, James, our family members, and even Col through the experience. I am so grateful for each of the experiences and all of the memories we’ve made having our boys at The Baby Place and can’t wait to create more with our future number 4!
