On 10/1, I woke up with what I thought felt like strong Braxton Hicks. They would come and go without any real pattern, so I didn’t think anything of it. My father-in-law had been staying with us since Wednesday (9/28) helping Hunter with a renovation project. While they worked, I spent the day snacking, watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and working on projects for the baby’s nursery. Hunter took his father back home and returned home around 10:30PM. Then the real party began.

I started experiencing intense contractions lasting 45 seconds at approximately two and a half minutes apart at 11:10PM. After calls to the Midwives and our Doula, we made the decision to leave the house and go to Greenville Memorial (12:20AM) We arrived there at 12:45AM. When I got to triage, we were told that I was 6-7cm dilated and could be admitted. Hunter called our Doula back and shared the news, asking her to meet us there. Minutes after this, I began pushing (still in triage) because I felt like I had to. The nurses and Midwife on call immediately wheeled me to Labor and Delivery and as we entered the room my water broke (1:15AM).

Everything happened so quickly that our Doula almost did not make it to the hospital in time. Our baby girl was born at 2:09AM on 10/2/2022. Hunter caught her as she was born and cut the cord after delayed clamping! We named her Heidi Marie and she was 8lbs 13oz, 21in.

Although I didn’t experience the birth that I had “imagined” (hypnobirth, use of affirmations/focal point/etc.), I gave birth without an induction, without an epidural, and not on my back. I call that a win-win and am so proud of myself!