My Birth Story!

Every woman’s birth story is different...

Every woman’s pregnancy is different...

Every woman's labor and delivery is different...

Every woman is different... I want to share MY birth story experience of my second baby boy, as March 1, 2020 was

one of the hardest, yet most magical days of my life💙

Many of my family and friends have been asking me about sharing my birth story and how I was still home laboring and not in the hospital after days. All I can say is my body, baby, and our heavenly Father were not quite ready. “Baby B” wanted to be a March boy like his late, Uncle Andy, and Grandpa Carrier which I was perfectly okay with and deep down was hoping he would be as well. 🙏🏻 Being able to labor at home as long as possible where I could soak in those precious last moments with my first born son, Tristan, was very important for me and something I'll always cherish! I’m incredibly blessed I was able to have that quality time with just him and I, as we had for twenty six precious months together.💙🙌🏻

Let's rewind back to when I was thirty six weeks pregnant- when the Braxton Hicks started...I was having these contractions and other symptoms for over four weeks while my body was preparing for the big day. The Braxton Hicks turned into early labor on the fourth week. At my doctor's appointment on Thursday the 20th, at thirty nine weeks exactly, I decided to get checked to see how I was progressing. I honestly didn't think I would make it to thirty nine weeks based on how I felt, but grateful my boy was still content and growing stronger every day. At this appointment I was 3 cm dialated and 50-60% effaced.

Friday night my Braxton Hicks turned to uncomfortable contractions five minutes apart. Though, they were not painful, I had lots of pressure as early labor had started and continued throughout the days and nights all weekend. By Tuesday morning when I was checked at my next baby appointment, I had progressed to 5 cm and 80% effaced. I was timing my contractions for over an hour at two and a half minutes apart that night (thank you to my friend katelyn who is a labor and delivery nurse for answering all my questions that night/week while working night shift!) Though again, they still were not painful to head to the hospital, just still uncomfortable. All week I had contractions that continued to increase with discomfort, and more signs baby would be here very soon.

On Saturday I felt a bit different. My contractions started feeling more uncomfortable and somewhat painful as the day went on. By this point I was done timing them because they had been nonstop for a week. I was praying all week for a sign to go into the hospital as I knew I was in early labor and already far progressed. I was a bit nervous if my water did happen to break at home, there was a good chance we may not make it to the hospital in time and daddy would have to deliver our son. And let’s just say Wes did not want to deliver our boy at home, even though I’ve always liked the idea of a water birth (maybe third child Wes! ;)) Wes wanted me to go into the hospital to get checked on Saturday, but I wanted to give my body and baby one or two more days to see how I continued to progress on my own, as I knew I had been progressing all week. I wanted to avoid pitocin as I had with my first son if it came down to that. Plus, I have a neighbor who is an OBGYN so if I happened to have to have the baby at home I wasn’t too worried. My birth plan was an all natural birth anyway so that would have been a pretty good story to tell. 😉

I wanted/needed a sign to make the decision to go to the hospital or continue laboring at home. That night before bed I prayed the Lord would please give me a sign so I would know what the best decision would be for both baby B and I. I prayed either my water would break on it’s own, have more signs like a bloody show, or start having more painful contractions where I knew deep down this was active labor and it was time to head to the hospital. Sure enough, He answered my prayer and at 3:00 AM I had a contraction that was my most painful contraction I had all week. I went back to bed as I usually did to try and get as much sleep as possible (as it was limited with every contraction I had to get up after to pee), and another one woke me up with a lot more intensity around 4:00 AM. I started timing them and focusing on the pain which was increasing. I took a bath around 4:30 AM to try and relax and see if they would continue to progress. They did continue to increase with frequency and pain so I proceeded to get dressed and finish packing last minute hospital items because I knew this was the sign I prayed for hours before🙌🏻. I woke Wes up about 5:45 AM and said, “ I think it’s finally time to get to the hospital!”

My mother and father in law came over around 6:30 to get Tristan. He was awake watching us pack and get ready to go to the hospital to meet his baby brother. It was a quiet Sunday morning and I was the only one there in labor. We checked in around 6:45 and I was at 6cm and 90% effaced. I labored there another five hours before the doctor broke my water at 11:42 AM when I was 9 cm. Being able to walk around was such a blessing when you don’t have to be hooked up to the monitor/machines constantly and tied down to the delivery bed. I definitely believe it made it a much better and easier labor experience to be able to move around so freely and get into positions to help me get through every contraction.

I knew I wanted an all natural birth with no pain medication all along. At least that was MY plan and goal with this pregnancy, as it was with Tristan. However, my labor and delivery didn’t go as I had planned with my first, which is okay. It’s important to keep an open mind and to always remember, It’s never our plan, but His! With that, I knew my birth plan could change if needed for both mine and babies safety. I also knew that I had to have the mindset going in being that my only option was to have a non medicated birth, if I was going to stick to it because feeling that kind of pain makes it so easy to just say, “forget it” and get the epidural. I am perfectly okay with epidurals and certainly not against them, as I ended up getting one at 9 cm when I had to get induced with Tristan. I also knew that was the right decision with the very hard delivery I experienced with him. Tristan had a very rough entrance into this world with a huge hematoma on his head and a fractured clavicle that broke during my last push (This is a whole other birth story in itself, and some time I may share.)

Thankfully, this time around went a lot faster and easier during the delivery with Brecken. Most who know me know I do love a good challenge and pushing myself to the limits to see what I can handle. I also can't reiterate enough, how mindset is the most powerful thing we have. The pain of childbirth is something you can’t really prepare for, and I know how everyone's pain and experience can be very different. Yes, I had experienced childbirth before with my first born, and knew more of what to expect this time around, but every labor and delivery can again, be very different.

Those five hours of very consistent and very painful contractions walking around the hospital progressed me to 9 cm and 100% effaced. When the Dr. broke my water at 11:42 AM he said, “We’ll have a baby here in an hour” I was surprised because with Tristan I pushed for over two and a half hours and prayed that wasn’t going to be the case this time around, especially with no pain medication. As soon as my water broke, the contractions intensified! They were every minute or less, and I had the urge to push, even though I wasn’t fully at 10 cm just yet. This was more of the experience I had with Tristan when I ended up getting induced. The urge to push was there A LOT sooner with him. When you have the urge to push, yet you're body isn't ready and they tell you not to, let's just say it's not fun. Though, I do feel I could control it a little better this time around, at least relax more at times.

I had the best coach possible (my incredible husband) right there by my side being so supportive and saying all the right things to help keep me in the right mindset to stay strong. I was lucky to have incredible nurses again (one of them who was also my nurse with Tristan) and my mom and mother in law were in the room as well, being there for support and experiencing the precious gift of life with us.❤️After another forty five minutes of nonstop contractions, it was time to push and meet baby B!! I had three series of contractions and pushed three times with each. A total of nine pushes overall before meeting our son. My last couple of pushes, baby and I started to get a little distressed so I had to wear oxygen and get him out soon!

After the Dr. maneuvered his big shoulders (I was praying this time around my baby wouldn't break his clavicle) I had one last push before meeting our second miracle. 💙 There were some noises I let out that were uncontrollable when pushing out a baby into this world, but I didn’t scream or cry through the contractions as I tried to stay as calm as possible. I prayed the Lord would give me the strength with my last push and when it was time, the doctor (who also delivered Tristan) put my hands down so I could pull my baby boy into this world myself and lay him on my chest. This was one of the most amazing and proud moments I had ever experienced. ❤️And in that moment, at 12:44 PM, our lives changed yet again for the better, as we welcomed our second baby boy, Brecken Andrew Eades, into this world!💙🙏🏻

We did skin to skin for an hour while also nursing before taking him away to weigh his 8 pound 12.5 ounce self, and measured him at 21 1/2 inches long. Nursing came naturally for him.🙌🏻 Unlike Tristan, who took a few weeks to learn and get to latch before finally getting the hang of it. I nursed him for 16 months and was hoping with the changes in my breasts, Brecken would latch and eat like a champ right away, and he sure does, little chunk! I can’t begin to tell you what an incredible experience the birth of both my boys were.💙

I had two completely different birth stories, yet two I’ll cherish the same. They both allowed me to safely deliver two very healthy, handsome, and happy baby boys that we are so blessed to love and raise into great men. If I could do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I would 💯 have another natural birth experience as there is nothing like the feeling of birthing a baby while feeling everything your body goes through. It was my birth plan and I’m so proud with the strength of the Lord, I was able to accomplish it. Our family is complete!!💙