This is a detailed labor and delivery birth story to help you feel more mentally prepared for your own upcoming journey in welcoming your baby into the world.
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I might be a little crazy because I absolutely love pregnancy, labor and delivery, and all things postpartum. Not to say it’s all “enjoyable” by any means but I really cherish the entire journey from start to finish. This is my birth story for baby #3 and I hope it can provide you with comfort, tips, and insight from that first contraction to holding baby in your arms.
My husband and I welcomed our little Whitney Sloane on January 4th, 2025! She was born 8 lbs 3 oz and 20 inches long. She arrived early at 38 weeks 5 days and is our third child and first girl. All of our children have been hospital births. We never wanted to risk any complications that would require doctors with specialized skill sets or equipment that we wouldn’t have at home. The day was super exciting because we decided not to find out the sex of the baby until the birth. Since we already have two boys, I was totally shocked when I heard my husband say, “A Girl!”.
My Birth Plan:
I decided on an unmedicated natural birth for baby #3 just like I had with baby #2. My first baby was posterior so I absolutely had an epidural for him – can you say omg back labor? I knew for my third, I only wanted intervention if risks presented themselves for myself or the baby.
To make my labor and delivery journey easy to follow, I’m providing a timeline overview to start, followed by a broken down elaboration of my birth story in detail.
Timeline Overview:
Friday, January 3rd: the day before baby girl was born
5am: I was lying in bed, not moving at all, and felt 2 very tiny water gushes come out.
10am: Mucus plug started loosening. Looked like small clumps of gel with light blood spots in it.
12pm: Contractions started. Very light, not painful, and only had one every hour or two at this point. I wasn’t sure at first if these were just Braxton Hicks or the pre-labor contractions since they were so random. It continued throughout the afternoon.
8pm: Laid down in bed with a movie on and contractions picked up. Felt like the real deal since they had a rhythm to them that I recognized from my first two babies. The closest they got were 10 minutes apart but often much longer apart in time.
9pm: My husband called my parents to come pick up our two toddlers. I knew things would be picking up throughout the night.
10pm: Out of nowhere, I got the “shakes” really bad for about 10 minutes followed by a cold sweat. It felt very similar to having shakes from the flu.
10:15pm: Started timing contractions using my Contraction Timer app on my phone.
10:30pm-11:30pm: My stomach completely emptied itself out. Went to the bathroom 3-4 times with an upset stomach and lost everything I ate that week – ha!
11:45pm: Contractions really started to slow down and became more spaced apart.
Saturday, January 4th: the day baby girl was born
12:15am: Fell asleep since contractions went away. Felt very discouraged at this time!
1:30am: Woke up from a contraction that was decent in strength but could still talk through. My water rupture continued to leak a little more from the pressure from the contractions, enough to have a light pad on.
1:30am-5:45am: Contractions continued but could be anywhere from 3-20 minutes apart and still were not painful enough for me to stop and breathe through them.
5:45am: I called the doctor on call from my doctor’s office to talk through my symptoms and she said it sounded like my water had a small rupture and to go ahead and make our way to the hospital.
I actually wasn’t sure if my water had ruptured or if I was just peeing my pants a little throughout the day due to the baby putting pressure on my organs. I was aware that if your water broke, they like you to head to the hospital within 24 hours due to an increased risk of infection so it was time to get professional advice on what I should do.
6:20am: Finished packing and left for the hospital.
I had some decent contractions and used my labor comb to pulse in my hand on the car ride there but they were still 10 minutes apart and I could still talk to my husband through them. I kept telling him not to get too excited because there was a big chance we could be sent home.
Arriving at the hospital:
6:45am: Husband dropped me off at the door of the hospital and a labor and delivery nurse greeted me.
7am: Arrived at triage room for a cervical check to see if dilation started and to test to see if my water had ruptured or not. It was confirmed it did rupture and 5cm dilated so they officially checked us in. This is also the time I informed the staff I wanted a natural unmedicated birth.
L&D nurses typically check if a woman’s water has ruptured by performing a super easy vaginal exam using a piece of special paper called “nitrazine paper” or “litmus paper” which changes color when it comes into contact with amniotic fluid, indicating a ruptured membrane.
7:10am: The last contraction I timed on my app before baby was born since contractions became regular, 2-4 minutes apart, and got more intense. My adrenaline kicked in and I felt the need to completely tune the world out and focus.
7:15am: Arrived at labor and delivery room, got my IV in, and a bag of fluids for hydration. The L&D nurse said since my last baby came so quickly (5 hours from start to finish), that the last 5cm would likely be pretty fast.
7:30am: Cervical check put me at 6cm dilated.
8am: Cervical check put me at 8.5cm dilated.
8:10am: Water broke during a huge contraction that felt like my insides were being squeezed together by immense force.
8:15am: My body started pushing on its own instinctively.
8:20am: The doctor arrived.
8:27am: Welcome to the world Whitney Sloane! After she was out, the delivery doctor and nurses made sure she was OK then gave her to me to hold while my husband cut the umbilical cord.
Setting the Scene:
How I Felt Leading Up to Birth:
If I’m being honest, I had waves of anxiety with baby #3 compared to my previous two. You hear about pregnancy and L&D from other Moms but you still don’t get it until you’re the one living it. We knew we wanted kids so enter baby #1. Then we wanted another plus it’s nice for our first child to have a sibling. But after that – it’s a total choice to have more. I found myself thinking a few times “Omg. I actually choose to put myself through this again?!”. Spoiler: it was absolutely worth it haha.
Preparations I Took:
Other than having my hospital bag packed (make sure you do this 4 weeks ahead of time because you never know!), I like to have my labor/hospital arrival outfit put on top of the dresser a couple of weeks ahead of the due date, items of focus chosen, and items to assist me when intense contractions arrive.
I like to wear loose lounge pants that are black because if my water breaks before I get to the hospital I can be wet without visually looking like I peed my pants to all the bystanders. For a top, I opted for an oversized sweatshirt since baby #3 came in January, a comfy nursing bra, and socks with UGG slippers so I could easily take them on and off as needed.
Items of Focus and Labor Comb:
My items of focus are exactly what it sounds like – items to focus on during labor when you need a mental hug. I wore a cross necklace that was the first gift my husband ever gave me, my engagement and wedding rings, a ring from my grandmother, and homemade beaded bracelets with my husband’s and kids’ names on them. You’ll find focus items will give you comfort and a boost of energy when you need it most!
For my previous two babies, I didn’t have any labor items that I used to help me through the process. For baby #3, I did some research and came across something called a “labor comb” and Moms raved about it. When I went to Amazon and saw there were thousands purchased just last month, I figured it was worth a shot and boooooooy was it amazing. Every time a contraction hit I would pulse it in my palm while counting “1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3”. I HIGHLY recommend having one or two of these on hand for the big day.
Labor Begins:
When and How Labor Started:
From the first contraction to Whitney taking her first breath into the world, I was in labor for 27 hours. Yes, 27!! What’s crazy is she was my easiest labor and delivery. My body took its time and little by little made progress forward but it was super manageable and I was able to really enjoy the journey as a whole.
My water ruptured while I was lying in bed. It was so insignificant I truly thought I peed my pants yet didn’t rule out the possibility that things were just put into motion. Throughout the morning and afternoon, some more water would trickle out here and there and I would have some contractions that felt different than the Braxton Hicks I’d experienced the last few months but they were all over the place and not remotely painful. Later that morning is when my second sign of labor occurred with my mucus plug starting to come out – small globs of gel with specs of red.
During pregnancy, your baby is surrounded and cushioned by a fluid-filled membranous sac called the amniotic sac. Typically, at the beginning of or during labor, your membranes will rupture — also known as your water breaking. If your water breaks before labor starts, it’s called prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) which is what I experienced since it was my very first labor symptom.
Role of Your Birth Team:
I didn’t have a midwife or doula because I like my labor and delivery to be just my husband and myself. I like my space so I can be very focused but with my husband within a few feet of me at all times. It’s not easy to watch your wife go through an unmedicated birth by choice and he was a rockstar and so supportive!
The Stages of Labor:
Early Labor:
Early labor is the first 5cm-6cm and is the longest stage. This stage took about 25 hours and stalled many times. I felt excited when I realized things were happening but would get upset when contractions would stop for long periods of time. I love to labor in my master bathroom because it’s a smaller space with room to walk back and forth, a zen atmosphere, and the décor is pretty to look at. Never did I feel the need to go to the hospital during this stage.
Active Labor:
Active labor is roughly 6cm-8cm and I knew exactly when I entered this phase. The contractions became painful and I needed to be fully focused on myself when they hit. I used my labor comb heavily during this stage and it was amazing. I also learned from my previous two births that I needed to relax my body during these contractions and not tense my muscles so I would visualize my cervix opening and the birth canal stretching which was super helpful. Active labor is not easy and I totally get why a lot of Moms opt for an epidural at this stage – it was starting to get rough!
Transition Labor:
Transition is the final 2cm-3cm before you reach 10cm dilated. This is the quickest and hardest stage. These contractions are NO JOKE but I knew that I would be meeting baby very, very soon by how intense they hurt. During this stage, my water broke on its own and I felt the baby moving towards the exit. It was the hardest most painful contraction I ever felt in my life but I was ready to start pushing afterwards.
My transition contractions lasted an entire minute each with the first 30 seconds steadily increasing in pain then it would start to subside. In my mind, it was like climbing up a hill, reaching the top, then climbing back down. The worse the pain is, the closer you are to the finish line though!
The Pushing Stage:
How Long I Pushed:
I pushed for about 8 minutes. Being my third baby, my body knew exactly what it was doing. It feels good to push compared to the contractions but it is still a difficult thing in itself. Baby began crowning, then her head popped out, then another push and her shoulders came out which released her entire body. It was immediate relief! A minute or so later the placenta was delivered and I got my first real breath. The nursing staff are heroes at this stage. They cheer you on and coach you through every step which was amazing!
Physical and Emotional Experience:
Pushing is pure adrenaline because you know you’re about to have a new baby in your arms. It takes strength and stamina to push a baby out but I was so excited even though my face and my eyes tightly shut probably said differently – lol!
Role of Support Person:
My husband stood to the left of me and I could feel his presence the entire time which gave me huge comfort. I had to be so focused on pushing our baby out that I wasn’t even able to glance his way but I made sure he knew how impactful and amazing he was through the entire journey. He cut the umbilical cord and carried her over for her height and weight check while I was getting into a fresh gown and new bed sheets.
The Birth Moment:
Baby’s Arrival:
Once she was out we heard a beautiful cry and my husband announced “A Girl!”. The labor and delivery nurses gave her a quick look over then put her in my arms so we could do skin-to-skin right away to keep her snuggly. The nurses give the baby a pretty good wipe down too which is nice since newborns need to wait 12 hours before their first baths.
I was able to get lots of cuddles while the delivery doctor checked me out. I needed two stitches from a small tear from her shoulders on the way out and the nurses would push on my stomach to make sure my uterus was already contracting back down to size. This is important because it’s your body’s way of controlling blood loss and avoiding possible hemorrhaging.
I will say, it does not feel good when the nurse presses on your stomach. It only lasts for about 8-10 seconds at a time. It feels like pressure that can make you want to throw up and they repeat this multiple times the few hours after delivery and then throughout your hospital stay. Mamas can never catch a break!
A Benefit With No Epidural:
One great thing about not doing an epidural is you get on your feet WAY quicker. With my first baby I had one and it was a battle to recover from the numbing sensation, my back hurt from where the needle went in, and it overall made me feel drowsy and weak during recovery. I was on my feet as soon as the doctor was done stitching me up! The nurse staff will also tell you that they notice women have much quicker recoveries when an epidural is not administered but do what you gotta do, Mama!
Whitney Sloane is absolutely perfect and I will forever love her labor and delivery story because it was a journey we conquered together. I hope this post helps you with your labor and delivery on your big day, Mama – best of luck!!
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