Cara's Birth Story

Ok, I finally have the opportunity to reflect on my birth experience long enough to share my story with you…

My energy was completely drained for a quick minute here but I have replenished my energy and am ready to take on the world with my new son, Angel Jackson (A.K.A. AJ)

From the moment that I met with my fabulous midwife, Tiffany Jackson, I insisted on going through the birth process with no drugs and doing everything as natural as possible. Tiffany reassured me this was totally possible and reasonable. As I began to share with people my “birth plan” of no drugs, people would laugh at me and tell me I was crazy! Or they would look at me like I grew five heads. I shared these comments with Tiffany and again she reassured me my birth plan was totally possible. I put my faith in Tiffany’s words. So here is how my birth plan played out…

On June 7th, I kissed my husband good-bye and off to work he went. I am a teacher therefore I am blessed to be home from the end of May until August. During the time off, I began to tackle things that I had been putting aside. On the 7th, I got a burst of energy and decided I was going to DEEP clean the house (little did I know that this is called the nesting phase…). I began by bleaching and scrubbing everything I could and ended with carpet cleaning the entire house. My husband had asked me weeks ago to make cheese enchiladas for him as he loves them. I had gone grocery shopping picked up everything to make the enchiladas along with some other goodies. My plan was to take a shower, nap and then make the enchiladas for dinner. I carried out my plan, showered, napped and began to make the enchiladas at about 5:30 p.m. Just as I finished rolling the last enchilada, I felt a trickle of water, as though I had waited too long to get to the bathroom and pee’d on myself. I put the enchiladas in the oven, set the timer and off to the bathroom to handle business. Little did I know this was the start of my water breaking. I sat on the toilet and I pee’d forever, which wasn’t pee as I later found out, this was my water breaking. I called Tiffany and she advised me that it sounds like our son was going to make his arrival earlier than the planned due date of June 24th and to head to Phoenix Baptist Hospital to be checked out.

I waited for my husband to get home and about 6:30 p.m. we headed to the hospital. The contractions were about 3 minutes apart and I started to reconsider at this point my initial birth plan of no drugs. As I sat on the towel in my husband’s car my water continued to flow…..We arrived at the hospital and I instructed my husband to park the car in the parking lot and I could walk to the hospital, all the while reconsidering my no drug plan. I walked into the hospital to be greeted with a wheel chair and a labor and delivery nurse who took me to the labor and delivery floor. I was assigned to an amazing labor and delivery nurse, Stephanie. In the meantime I waited for Tiffany to arrive at the hospital and all the while still reconsidering my idea of no drugs during labor and delivery. Stephanie checked me and I was 5 ½ centimeters at 7’ish. Stephanie put me in the Jacuzzi and what a world of difference this made. I was back to my original mindset of I want to bring my son into this world as natural as possible with no drugs. Tiffany arrived, offering encouragement, compassion, comfort and guidance on how to work through the contractions and the feelings I was experiencing. My husband was my best friend by my side. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to welcome my son into this world!

Tiffany checked me about 9’ish and I was 9 ½ centimeters. With the help of my husband and Tiffany, they removed me from the Jacuzzi and I went to the bed to begin pushing. Stephanie was fabulous with the “Tug of War” pulling and pushing process. This helped me channel my strength into pushing. As I entered the “Ring of Fire” stage of delivery, I “begged” for relief from the pressure that I was feeling in the anal and vagina area. Tiffany, Stephanie and my husband encouraged me to keep going with no drugs as they could see the head. At 10:13pm, AJ was welcomed into this world with my husband, Tiffany and Stephanie by our sides. There was immediate feeling of relief felt both physically and emotionally. Although AJ was born early by 2 weeks, he was healthy and perfect size at 7lbs, 4 oz, 18.5 inches long. Angel Jackson is a blessing to our family and lives.

To all of you that are expecting your child and considering going through with a birth plan of no drugs, have faith in yourselves and your bodies; your body was made to do this. I was told this during a birthing class and didn’t believe it until I actually went through with it. Now, looking back, I wouldn’t change a single thing.