Julia’s Birth Story

Julia made her appearance into this world on a Monday morning 3 years ago today. She was a hospital natural birth…well as natural as you can be with all of the monitors, IV’s and laying on my back- kind of birth. Thankfully no medical interventions other than the “standard” stuff.

I woke up around 7am feeling like I had to use the bathroom. I went, laid back down and the strange unfamiliar feeling came again. I thought, “this must be it!” I went and woke up my husband Jake and told him she was coming.

I took a shower and even started getting ready, make-up and all. In between contractions I paused and continued on prettifying myself. (Not sure what I was thinking) I decided I needed to call a friend to watch Lincoln, our then 18 month old, since we had no family close by. I had felt like I rushed her when I called, so I called her back and said there was no hurry.

Probably around 8:15am (there’s no telling since I never wrote the story down and am just recalling this story from my memory) about 20 minutes after I called my friend back, I told Jake, I think you NEED to call back my friend and tell her to hurry! I laid on my side in bed very calm and tried to breathe in between contractions. I had taken no natural birthing classes although I knew I wanted a natural birth.

Sometime during that, I called my mom who lives in Arizona and told her her first granddaughter was on the way. My friend arrived and tried to come talk to me but I wasn’t really listening and I was thinking, “I really don’t care what you are saying, just get Lincoln, and thank you for watching him, now GO away!” but I said nothing.

Around 9:30ish, Jake said it’s time to go so we got into our truck. I said “I think you need to hurry” but it didn’t seem like he wasn’t going fast at all. Finally after what seemed like a forever drive (the hospital was about 15 minutes away) we got there. I could not even walk, I had to be wheeled in by a nurse while Jake parked the car.

When we got there, the front desk lady was asking me all kinds of questions, I could barely answer her. I got on my hands and knees by the check in desk and tried to answer. Another nurse brought me to my room a few minutes later and gave me my traditional hospital gown. I threw my clothes off, no shame, and put the gown on and got on all fours again. The nurse told me to get in the bed.

Jake arrived at some point and the craziness began. I feel like there were about 5 people in there, putting an IV in, belly monitor and asking me all of those questions like: What’s your address? When was your last doctors appointment? etc? I was thinking, I don’t care, get this baby out of me!

The next thing I remember is the doctor saying in a very loud and firm voice, “Rachel, you need to stop screaming so the baby can get oxygen!” Yes, there it is, I admit it, I screamed…so loud that my husband jokes to this day that the glass windows almost burst. Finally, I calmed down and after just a couple of pushes, she came out! She was born at 10:40am.

So from start to finish, it was only 3 hours and 40 minutes. Very quick! I would have loved to had her at home but her story in uniquely hers and at that time that’s what we thought we were supposed to do. We were still in a transition to a holistic life. The nurses were nice and we got to home the very next morning.

She’s just 3 days old here