Birth Stories

Share your birth experience with other CCer's.

Did you have your child naturally, with medication or by cecearean? Did you have a boy or a girl? Were there any complications or did everything go well? Did you struggle with weight gain/loss? What was the best/worst moment? What did you name your child?

Please don't feel obligated to provide any information you are uncomfortable with.

Hello. I'm Annie. I had my son at 21 years and I was just slightly overweight/at the end of the healthy range when I became pregnant.

My mother somehow convinced me to go for a natural child birth at a Birthing Center. I had always assumed I would have an epidural like so many other people I hear about, so obviously, I was a little bit freaked out about having my first child, medication free at my age. But it was great! I plan on having the rest of my family the same way.

About 7 days before my due date, I started having Braxton Hicks contractions. They happened randomly throughout the day so I thought my body was finally getting ready to have this baby! (Everyone else in my parenting group had already had Braxton Hicks :)) The next day I was disappointed when I felt nothing. Since it was still very cold outside (February) and I was feeling pretty miserable, I stayed home the next day. Nothing happened.

The next day, Friday, I had 2 contraction in the 30 minute car ride to work. I kind of just dismissed them as more Braxton Hicks, but we were definitely feeling the energy of excitement because we knew it wouldn't be long. I got to work (I worked in medical records, but had been sentenced to desk duty) and continued to have contractions throughout the day--anywhere from 30 to 20 minutes apart. I finally stopped keeping track. Around 2:00pm, I noticed they were more periodic--when I started timing again--they were consistently 10 minutes apart! It continued like this til I got off work at 4:30pm. The contractions were minor--I continued to quietly work through them and I was more excited than pained. They felt like slightly more intense cramps that faded after 30 seconds. When I got off work, my office-mates were flabbergasted that I wasn't going directly to the Birthing Center.

Instead, we went to dinner. lol My husband said we were going to "make sure" this baby was coming. So we went to Applebee's (the midwives recommend eating (for energy!), the hospital doesn't. :) Supposedly food in your stomach can make you nauseous during labor--didn't bother me!) and got done about 5:30pm. At this point, the contractions were finally feeling a bit sharper. We got home at 6pm, and the contractions were starting to hurt. I kneeled on the floor with my head on the couch--it was the most comfortable way to sit. But then, my water broke at 6:30! The contractions started to come less than 2 minutes apart (less than 1 min too!). We called the midwife, and after 30 more minutes, when in to have the baby. We got their at 8:30pm. I was dialated to 7 cm! My son was born at 10:30pm. From 7:00-9:00, I had very intense labor. It was helped by being in a hot jacuzzi tub (highly recommended!!). At about 9pm, I started pushing. It seemed forever, but once his head came through, the rest went easily. I actually tore (on the front! I didn't actually know this could happen at the time) and this pain was probably the worst because it's hard to convince yourself to push when you know it will hurt. But pushing was great in itself, because you finally get to do something about all those painful contractions--and then they're not so painful anymore! So my son Alaster was born at 8 lbs, 9 oz, a very healthy boy with a headful of black hair.

He is now 18 months old and I am still struggling with weight. I gained 20-30 lbs extra during my pregnancy--my heaviest being about 212lbs, roughly. (I paid so much less attention before having my son) I have just 20 pounds to be in the "healthy" range again and 40 to get to my goal. My life is so busy at this moment that weight loss has taken the back burner. I am trying to focus on healthier foods instead. I certainly LOOK much better that I did a year ago!