premier lifestyle photography | stefanie newcomb | denver & destination

Please read baby Cora’s birth story, written by her beautiful mama Chayla:

A week ago I was headed to the hospital to have my baby! I can’t believe it was already a week and I can’t believe I went into labor on my own. This is baby #4 and I had been induced twice and gone into labor on my own once before this. I was worried they were going to send me home but I really felt like this was it! My mom got to our house around 9:30pm and we were off!

I was checked around 11-1130pm and was told to walk around for 2 hours to see if things progress. I was determined to do whatever I could to make things progress so while walking around I was willing my body to get busy. During every contraction I had I imagined the baby moving down further. I went back to my room and I had gone from being 4cm dialated to being 6cm dialated (this was about 1:30-2am). It was time!!!

I had a few things I wanted during labor: I didn’t want to be on the bed, I didn’t want pain meds, I wanted to labor in the tub and I wanted to have a water birth. I was determined to have these things and everyone around me knew it. So, we walked, I got on the birthing ball, we walked some more, got in the bathtub, and walked more. I was never really paying any attention to the time. I had my husband and my friend/photographer there, they kept me company and occupied. I was monitored every few hours to see how things were going. Well, things didn’t go so well. I think in about 4 hours I had only progressed 1-1 ½ cm. The contractions were coming, they were uncomfortable at times but nothing I couldn’t live with. I was walking and talking through everything. My labors have always been like this so I wasn’t concerned. I hate when the doctors/midwives tell you to wait until you can’t walk/talk through contractions to come in to Labor and Delivery. I always tell them that by that time, I won’t make it to the hospital!

Anyways, the contractions just weren’t coming at regular intervals. They would come really fast, then they’d slow way down. I finally stopped keeping track because I thought it was distracting me. About 7am Saturday morning the midwives, nurses and I decided that breaking my water would get things going. Well, they broke my water and we decided to fill up the birthing pool. We were all pretty convinced this would help. Well, 2-2 ½ hours later still nothing had progressed. I wanted it so bad that I was trying to feel something that just wasn’t there. The new midwife on duty said we were having this baby before lunch (It was 930am). I thought of course we are, then I started to fear that I would end up with a c-section but she only mentioned getting a small push of Pitocin. I was sad, I just didn’t want it, I didn’t want to feel the painful contractions that come with Pitocin, and I didn’t want to be on that bed! I was also exhausted, I’d been up for over 24 hours and I was ready to have my baby in my arms.

I decided to get the Pitocin. It kicked in right away, within minutes I felt the contractions and they hurt! I was also on the bed being monitored and having contractions while lying down is awful!! It hurts so much more than having a contraction while standing or in the water. As soon as I was allowed off, I wanted to get back in the birthing pool. I got in and I think it was about 20 minutes before it was time! Those contractions really got things going!!!! My beautiful baby girl was born in the water, with just a few pushes, at 10:56am Saturday April 7, 2012. I was so happy and relieved to be holding her. I am so happy that I was able to have everything I wanted, even with a few bumps in the road. I keep going over the whole night in my head. I keep wondering if I was so distracted in my own mind that I prevented my body from doing what it needed to do. Really, in the end it just doesn’t matter because I have, lying next to me, a beautiful, healthy, sweet baby girl and that’s all I could have asked for.