My Unmedicated Birth Story
My Unmedicated Birth Story: Embarking on the Journey of Matrescence
Hi, I’m Emily – a Mama, pelvic floor physiotherapist, educator, and your guide to empowered birthing. I am here to share share my journey to help you, Mama, approach your birth feeling prepared, informed, and confident.
The Waiting Game and Embracing Uncertainty
My pregnancy was a rollercoaster, with each week bringing its own challenges: from fears of preterm labour, to a potential c-section, to intrauterine growth restrictions, it felt like getting to 40 weeks was impossible. As I approached my due date I felt a mix of relief and a growing sense of annoyance, as now I was overdue and there was a looming possibility of induction (which was strongly against my birth preferences). This period tested my patience and resilience, I felt worried and fearful, just like you might feel as you approach your due date.
From Uncertainty to Action
Labor began subtly, with signs that were easy to second-guess. It took about 24 hours for labour to truly start, when I felt like it was ‘go time’, I tapped into the knowledge and teachings from Matrescence Moves - I controlled my environment, played my playlist in my headphones, started some movements with my birth ball, and applied the TENS machine. Each of these strategies was a step closer to being in my birthing brain. I laboured at home for as long as safely possible: I tried things I didn’t like and I tried things I did like. I complained, I groaned, I cried, and I laughed. I maintained an upright position and ensured my environment was calm and supportive, and started to unleash my birthing brain.
During my labour I had 4 cervical assessments - each one felt forced, it was something I didn’t really want to do, but something I sensed was beneficial for the circumstances we were in: the midwife and doula were needed at other births, so this information would be helpful for them. For all but one assessment, I feel it influenced the flow of my labour. Each of these three times, I reverted to being in my thinking brain, which I knew could impact on my labour progress, pain experience, and birth outcomes. During one such assessment, my waters broke and were stained with meconium. This was a sign the baby was in distress and at this moment, labour felt hard, painful, and unmanageable. This was a pivotal time in my labour where my preparation enabled me to respond in a certain way that supported the labouring process rather than hindering it.
As we made our way from home to hospital I transitioned from 7-9cm: during this time the TENS machine was at its maximum function, I was using acupressure points, and I was inwardly thinking I just need to make it to the ‘top’ of this contraction and then it’s over (even though it wasn’t), I just needed to reach that peak because I knew that was one less I would have to do.
As I was being admitted to the hospital, I was being asked what I felt were such ridiculous questions: ‘like have you had a fall’ - I know that this is hospital procedure, but I also knew that attending to them too much wasn’t helpful for me. I hadn’t made it to the birthing suite before I had the first urge to push; I felt a strong pressure in my pelvis and the sensation I needed to go to the bathroom. This is when my fourth and final cervical check was done as the midwives needed to determine how much time they had - I was 9cm.
Despite their best efforts to convince me to take a wheelchair to the birthing suite, the team was greatly unsuccessful. I really felt I needed to stay put, I remember my back arching and my body started feeling a stronger urge to push as we moved up to the birthing suite. Again, after a lot of convincing and a bit of yelling at my husband (sorry honey), I transferred to the birthing bed. At this point, I could only hear three voices: my husband, my doula, and my midwife.
I was following my midwife’s instructions carefully and in a side lie position as I tried a few pushes with an exhale. After this, my midwife suggested I was losing pressure, this is where I thought okay let’s give it a go, I closed my mouth and within two pushes my son was born - during one of those pushes I felt a slight minor burning and stretching sensation, it lasted not even 5 seconds, I was surprised at how minor that ‘ring of fire’ felt.
My son was brought to my chest and I felt the strongest and proudest I ever had in my life.
The third stage of my labour was augmented by oxytocin. My uterus wasn’t contracting to birth my placenta and it wasn’t returning to the shape it needed too. I was also told that they were seeing ‘more blood than normal’. I asked multiple times if I had a big tear - to which they didn’t know yet. Baby was taken and checked out by the paediatric team, I was given an IV for fluids due to blood loss and the OB had to be called to the room. The OB performed a manual procedure which was very uncomfortable - but I had the confidence to ask her to STOP and ask her to explain to me what she was doing, get a little more laughing gas on board, before giving her the green light to go again. The OB confirmed I had a very superficial second degree tear, just a tiny bit into the perineum, which I was so happy about, and that I had lost about 1.1 litres of blood.
My Birth: Strength & Vulnerability
My birth was not perfect - there were medical events out of my control - but I only feel positive towards my experience. The strategies I had practiced from my program, empowered me to navigate my labour with confidence; I knew how to stay in my birthing brain despite all of the external circumstances. Our baby immediately latched and both my husband and I felt a huge shift in the meaning of life.
Your Path to Empowered Birthing:
If my story resonates with you, if you’re seeking to approach your birthing journey with confidence and grace, Matrescence Moves is here for you. Matrescence Moves is designed to equip you with the knowledge, strategies, and support to help unleash your birthing brain and navigate your unique path to motherhood. I’m here to support your Matrescence transition with strength, knowledge, and confidence!
