My Birth Story
Pregnancy
I think my pregnancy started like a lot of Moms. I called the doctors office where I always received check ups and told them I had a positive pregnancy test. I did what everyone told me to do and followed their protocols, but was starting to be unhappy with my care. Appointments were only 5 minutes long, the doctor would up and leave without saying bye, and she showed zero sympathy towards tragic events going on in my life. I was still in my first trimester when I was with my Papa the day he passed, and right after that my Dad had an emergency that almost took his life. I had gained a lot of weight during the first trimester and my Doctor made a lot of inappropriate comments about it. At one point she told me to let myself have morning sickness and let myself throw up cause clearly I was eating too much.
Every appointment I had with her, I couldn’t bring myself to ask her any questions because she made me so uncomfortable. Each appointment I went to my blood pressure would creep up higher and higher. She told me a lot of things and fear mongered me. I decided to search for a doula to help advocate for me in this type of environment, and I came across one doula who said they were no longer taking hospital clients. I asked why, and she gave me her honest answer - and that forever changed me.
After hearing what she had to say and talking to some friends, I decided to work up the guts to request a transfer to a different doctor in the same practice. I hoped maybe, things would be better if I just had a different doctor. They denied my transfer because I was halfway through my pregnancy and it was too late to do so. I still remember that phone call, because I asked “how am I supposed to be with a doctor I am not comfortable talking to?” and their response…. “Where do you want your records transferred?” It’s crazy to think about this after the fact because I was too late in pregnancy to transfer care in their same practice, but not too late to kick me out and find someone else altogether.
I happened to of had the best Humana nurse through our insurance, and I called her and told her what happened. She advocated for me and told me to try the local birth center and that she would work her magic to get them in network for us. The birth center reviewed my records and took me on, and the rest was history. I went from having 5 minute appointments to hour long appointments where the midwives played catch up and got to know me. It was a night and day difference.
Birth
I was 40 weeks and 3 days, and I was done! I vented to my doula who offered to come over and spend some time with me. We went for a walk, she massaged my feet and did pressure points on me, showed me how to use the pump. Later that evening I started having a few contractions that were different than the others I had been having. Throughout the night, the contractions kept waking me up. I had so many false alarms the week prior that I still wasn’t sure if this was the real thing. I texted my doula in the morning and told her what happened and said “if these contractions aren’t real, labor is going to suck!”. She encouraged me to walk, walk, walk! I walked probably 2 miles total that day.
Around 4pm I had to stop what I was doing and focus on my breath through each contraction. I remember I was coloring in a fancy coloring book when suddenly my water broke. And it wasn’t a small trickle like I was told it would me, totally movies style and gushed everywhere!
My husband panicked and called our doula and the midwife. After about 30 mins I needed help! My doula arrived and stayed around to see how I was doing, and about an hour later said it was time to go. In the birthing classes we took, we were told that if someone told you it was time to go and you said no, then you knew it was real active labor. So when I told our doula, “No!” and she responded with, “See, this is proof that it’s real!” I walked out with just a robe and could care less if anyone saw me half naked!
When they tell you that the car rides suck… believe them! Being in the car when in active labor is not fun! I can’t even imagine what people were thinking if they saw me through the windows! I was totally and completely out of it, 100% in labor land. We called my mom and had them meet us there.
We arrived at the birth center and our midwife wanted me to use the restroom and get a urine sample. I don’t have any idea how I followed through with that task, but I remember leaving my clothes in that room and walking myself to the birth suit, where I found no one to be cause I hadn’t been admitted yet! Fortunately for me, I was 5cm so they admitted me. I pretty much immediately got into the tub and didn’t leave it until after my daughter was born.
I reached out to the birth center a while after and received my birth notes. It really paints a picture for me, and I highly suggest everyone do the same! In my notes read” Lawren shouted ‘this hurts like a bitch’ multiple times”, and “asking for an epidural but clearly in transition. “I remember at one point me asking my doula if I was close to transition yet, and she told me -”oh honey, you were in transition a long time ago!”. Between contractions I made jokes, laughed, talked, and was my normal self according to my husband and doula - but I remember none of it.
It was almost 10 pm when my Mom decided to take my stepdad home. She told me that our midwife told her “she’s coming to the end of labor and pushing, but since it’s her first baby she could be here another 3 hours or so. Go ahead and go home and come back, you have time.” Literally right after they left, the midwife asked my husband to call my Mom back and tell her to turn around and come back.
After 3 hours at the birth center and the last 30 minutes of screaming pushing (It was intense y’all!), my baby was born! She came out sunny-side-up, with the cord wrapped around her neck, and her shoulders got a little stuck. I had to get in squatting position for her to come out completely, but over all I had zero complications. My Mom and step-dad had made it just in time!
Some important things I learned from this
The only people who should be at your birth are the ones that have a job. And each person should have only 1 job, not 2 or 3. If we had hired our doula to also do photography, I wouldn’t have had her full attention when I needed her the most. I didn’t want her to ever leave my side, and every contraction I called for her.
Know what type of labor you want. Know your coping method. Take a class. Take several classes. We wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for the class we took.
Trust your body!!!
If you aren’t happy with your provider, don’t settle! Find a new one ASAP! You are the most important person in your birth space, your voice should be heard. The people you pick to be on your birth team should be there for you to honor you, not be there for themselves for a pretty penny.
Most importantly, hire a birth photographer! You will want to remember this! All these beautiful pictures I have of me and my doula, I would have never known this was our relationship during labor and birth. I do not remember this at all. I don’t remember kissing my husband and him being affectionate. Hire someone to take photos, and make sure that’s all they are there to do!
The OB/GYN we had was Dr. Satterfield from Seven Oaks Women’s Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The 2 midwives on our team was Erika Obert and Cindy Lockhart from San Antonio Birth Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The 2 midwives who attended our birth was Cindy Lokhart and Alisa Voss Godfrey (which our birth was her 924th birth!)
Our AMAZING Doula was Desiree Sangiuliano-Jemal from Pretty Sweet Doula.
Our AMAZING Birth Photographer was Brittany Reynosa from Brittany Brooks Photography.