Laila Makenzie's Birth Story

So Laila proved to be just as stubborn as the rest of her family but thank God came on her own and with no pain medication!

I've had a few rounds of false labor in the last weeks and we tried all the "labor inducing" tricks they say to do. Nothing worked! 

We have been surrounded with well wishes and prayers for a healthy and quick delivery. Along with a couple "you're still pregnant?!" comments ;)

Sunday our friends at church were very encouraging so we took their advice and had some "married time" and went on a 2 mile walk which started up some regular contractions. I was bummed they fizzled out to be irregular overnight, but they never truly stopped. 

Monday, Asher and I ran errands, did some housework and hung out while Daddy worked. We were invited to dinner at a friend's house from church and thoroughly enjoyed great fellowship and food! I started to notice my contractions were becoming more regular and intense so I started timing them while we were there. They continued in strength and regularity from about 7-11pm at 5 minutes apart when at that point they became 3 minutes apart. I laid down and drank water, and they continued. I felt some pressure with the contractions I'd never felt before so I called the midwives. They suggested I come in and get checked. By the time we left they were 2 minutes apart. 

Tim and I were hopeful this was active labor and I'd made a lot of progress but upon being checked while in triage they said I was only 2-3cm dialated. The midwife suggested we walk around the hospital to further dilate me so I could be admitted. 

Two hours of walking in a circle later I was still contracting every 2 minutes and very grateful I had Tim to hold onto through my contractions. I was checked again and had just barely made it to 4cm. At this point it was 4am and I was very disappointed with how slow this process was going. 

We were admitted and put into a room temporarily until the tub room could be cleared out for me, my mom arrived around 6am with breakfast and coffee for Tim. 

Thank God for my mom and the combination of her being my mom and loving me and her experience to coach me through my labor. (2 C-Sections, 1 Epidural, 9 Natural Births. Yes I know she's incredible.)

Around 9am they moved me to the tub room but I wasn't allowed to get in until the midwife came to check me and have me sign papers. Well she was in the OR helping with a C Section so it wasn't until almost 10 that I was able to get into the tub. Optimistically I guessed Laila would come around 11am but my mom said before lunchtime.

My contractions slowed down but became more intense and I asked mom if this was "transition" and she said almost. Just a couple contractions later I broke emotionally, crying and yelling. At that point my mom confirmed I'd reached transition. I have been told that this is the worst but fastest part so I thought we were in the home stretch. I pulled myself together and worked through the contractions the way my mom told me to. The midwife said I was a "stretchy 8" centimeters and that we were almost there. 

At this point we noticed a pattern of two contractions close together with a longer break between which indicates the baby is posterior and needed to flip. So from this point on the midwife moved me from the tub to leaning over the bed to sitting on the toilet. A little bit of everything. 

I'm still finding out the things I said during contractions but among them I know I prayed and God answered my prayer immediately, I made my mom cry, but I never cursed or blamed it on Tim. My mom said I prayed asking for a break towards the very end and I had a very long break right away between contractions. I actually fell asleep between contractions at the end, I was soooo tired. Around 12 or so she had me lay on my side on the bed and after a few contractions my water broke. Ugh so gross. The midwife said as soon as this baby flips I'll probably be ready to push. I felt a little urge to push during some contractions and so I did but there was no result. Finally I decided I was done and couldn't handle it anymore. I began pushing with each contraction hoping it would cause her to turn so we could have this thing over with. On my hands and knees, with my faithful husband holding my hands and cheering me on I pushed hard enough that Laila flipped and slid right into the birth canal. There is no mistaking that feeling and I decided I wasn't going to make it through another contraction. I did not stop pushing, I felt every little thing from her crowning to getting the rest of her head out. One more good push, some screaming, tears and crushing my husband's hand and her shoulders popped out along with the rest of her! It was at that very end everyone was cheering me on like we were about to cross the finish line of a race. We cried and marveled at the miracle of our little daughter while they cleaned her up. 

I delivered the placenta and got stitched up, apparently I had some second degree tearing in the same spot I tore with Asher. However when you have an epidural you don't care, when you don't and can feel the tug of the stitches, it's traumatizing. However it was soon over and we were able to hold and love on our little blessing :) 

Now I have to brag on my hubby for a second. This man went from not sure if he wanted to watch the birth to cutting the cord. This was my first natural birth and I didn't know what I needed but he seemed to. I started to sweat and he was already wiping me down with a cold cloth. A contraction started and next thing I know his hands are in mind he didn't let go until I did. He held me when I wanted to be held and stood back when I needed space. He let me use him to hold, squeeze, hang on, scream at and everything else. In that last hour I didn't think I could do it, I just wanted to die but my husband retaliated with something that helped me work through the rest of it and comforted me when it was over. My husband is AMAZING and I know I would not have been able to have a natural childbirth without his help. 

Of course I'm feeling pretty amazing about myself as well. I feel like no one can top going through natural childbirth. I know that's prideful but I have a lot to be proud of! Especially that little 7.5 lb chunk of wonderfulness. 

Laila Makenzie Burton

May 7, 2013

1:09pm

7.5 lbs

19" of perfection!