David's Birth Story

Today is July 16th aka my original due date! Writing this feels surreal because David is currently sleeping on my chest as we relax on the couch. He came early when I was 38 weeks pregnant. I didn’t have a specific plan for the birth. My preference was vaginal but I knew if it came down to it I just wanted my baby to safely enter this world however was right for him. I gave birth Sunday July 7th at 2:50am but my labor began Friday July 5th around 7pm. I had Shabbat dinner with my husband and we spoke about how this might be our last Shabbat just the two of us but neither of us thought it actually would be!

I had been to the doctor the day before who told me I was not dilated & my cervix was closed so the baby might be coming closer to my due date. That’s why after dinner when I started feeling some minor contractions I figured they were probably Braxton Hicks. As the night went on the contractions got more painful & lasted longer & longer- I thought okay this might be early labor, YAY! I ran into the living room & told my husband, called our doula & planned on laboring at home for as long as possible still in disbelief that I could actually be in labor. I labored at our apartment for 6 or 7 hours timing how far apart the contractions were. When they were 4 minutes apart it was around 230am and I decided to call my doctor.

He said we should head to the hospital to see what was going on. I called our doula, Ashley, to let her know to meet us at the hospital. I could tell she thought it was early to be heading there but I was CONVINCED it was time. We got to the hospital around 330am and they put us in triage, which is where they assess how far into labor you are and hook you up to a fetal monitor to check the baby’s heart rate. The doctor told me I was not dilated at all and my contractions were 7 minutes apart so unless I wanted to be induced I should go home, eat and labor there until contractions were closer together or my water breaks. I was so disappointed & did not want to be induced so we reluctantly left the hospital and went to my parents apartment bc it was uptown- closer distance to the hospital. By the time we got there it was 6am so my husband, Ashley & I ordered food and I ate what I could in between contractions.

I knew this could be my last opportunity to eat for a while so I tried to fuel up as much as I could to gather my strength. Having Ashley was AMAZING for so many reasons that I will get into later but during contractions she reminded me how to breathe into them so even though they were painful they were somehow manageable. My husband was also amazing constantly telling me what a great job l was doing and encouraging me that I could do this, even when I was in excruciating pain & doubting myself. We labored around my parents apartment for the next 8-9 hours. I had back labor meaning each contraction brought excruciating pain to my lower back, it was brutal.

During this time my mucus plug came out and eventually around 3pm that day my water broke. It was then that we called the doctor & went back to the hospital. By this time my contractions were 3 minutes apart and I was in extreme, excruciating pain. I got the epidural immediately when we got back to the hospital but it felt like forever before it actually kicked in. By this time it was around 4pm and I was still only 1 cm dilated. We had a long way to go but at least I was able to get the epidural and make it a little more bearable. Everything after that was kind of a blur. The doctor checked on us and I was 3cm dilated, then 2 hours later I was 6cm and 2 hours after that I was 9cm. 1 hour later I was 10cm dilated and by then it was about 11pm Saturday night. I pushed for almost 3 hours. We were making progress & the baby was getting lower and lower in the birth canal. By 230am doctors could see the hair on his head but his heart rate would dip during every contraction- it was terrifying. My doctor gave me the option of doing a c section or using forceps. I was super determined at this point to get him out vaginally as we had already come this far so my husband & I decided on forceps. David was born at 2:50am Sunday July 7th and weighed 6lbs 9oz!!!

The actual release of the baby coming out of you is incredible. You feel this immediate release with so many emotions pouring out — you just cry with everything that you have. The doctor handed my baby to me & it was the most powerful intense immediate chemical connection I’ve ever felt. The last 10 months made so much sense and everything was crystal clear. I am so grateful to my amazing doula Ashley, my doctor, the medical staff at mount Sinai & my amazing husband. David Jack is a dream come true and we are so blessed to have had a healthy pregnancy & a beautiful healthy baby boy who has already changed our lives forever.