Ann’s Story Part 1: An ambulance ride through NYC to welcome her first baby with an unmedicated birth
Hey Ann, tell us your story! (This is taken directly from Ann’s blog page which you should all go explore! Ann Morris Doula)
Labor and delivery was something I had heard about for years, something that I had many preconceived notions and hesitations about. With only a mere couple of months left until my due date, I began to look into various childbirth education options in the city. Through a few mutual friends, I stumbled across a class that met twice a week for three weeks that dove deeply into the nitty gritty details surrounding what happens to the body before, during, and after giving birth. In all honesty, it was all overwhelming, but equally empowering to gain so much knowledge about what my body was about to endure. This new-found knowledge led me to look into hiring a doula, or a woman who is trained to assist another woman during childbirth and the postpartum period.
Having a trained, educated doula by my side who understood my wishes to have an intervention-free, natural childbirth was very important to me. And as with most scenarios in my life, God knew exactly the kind of woman I would need when my time would come, which just so happened to be around 10:00pm March 30th, the evening before my due date. As I was laying down in bed, I started to feel slightly pressure-filled sensations in my lower abdomen that I had never experienced before. I remembered from my birth class that early labor in a first birth could last many hours, so I attempted to get some rest before the tough part of labor really came along.
Well, let’s just say I didn’t end up resting for very long, because the contractions began increasing in intensity and duration extremely quickly. I began timing them, and within about three hours, the waves would come as quickly as 3-4 minutes apart, and the rushes no longer were a laughing matter. My doula, Vanessa, encouraged me through many contractions over the phone, and gave me feedback on how I could best ease some of the discomfort I was experiencing through breath work, physical positioning, and the use of water. Everything I’d read mentioned that water is nature’s epidural, so I coped with the labor pains much of the time in the shower while simultaneously worshipping to some of my favorite worship songs. To say the very least, this was an extremely intense time.
Between around 1:30-2:30am, labor was the most intense. After about every other contraction, my husband DeeMo would suggest we get in the car to go to the hospital, as I needed him every step of the way at this point. In-between hyper-focusing on my breathing, I would refuse his suggestions because I kept replaying in my mind all of the things I’d ever heard about first labors: typically long-lasting, on average of 12-24 hours & extremely painful! Since this was my first baby, I had no prior understanding of the normal level of pain I was supposed to be experiencing, and I sure as heck did not want to arrive at the hospital to be turned away or tempted with various pain coping medications.
If I’d had any reason to doubt whether I was in active labor, my water breaking in our apartment bathroom confirmed all of my suspicions. In a pathetic attempt to clean myself up, I kid you not, a quick moment of panic tried to creep in when I thought I could feel our baby’s head crowning (side note, I discovered later it was not the baby’s head but the amniotic sac, but it was still enough to get me into action quickly!) Immediately I looked at DeeMo and asked if he could see anything as well, to which in turn, he could.
Instinctually, I knew I could not make it to the hospital if I chose to walk to our car and go about how I’d ideally planned for my labor and delivery to go. That’s the thing about best-made plans though, isn’t it? They’re made to be broken. So I looked at my husband and said, “Call an ambulance. Now!” He hesitated initially, but I could not have been more convinced in that moment that this was the right choice for the health of both me and our baby.
The first responders were so calm and helpful on the phone, I was told to lay down on a clean towel and to resist any urges to push while we waited what seemed like the longest 5 minutes of my life. (And yes, it really only took them 5 minutes to arrive, one of the redeeming qualities of New York City living!) While the team asked me routine questions about my pregnancy, I recall asking them naively in return, “Have you guys done this before?” They were all very reassuring, to say the least. 😜
Immediately upon arriving to our hospital, I was whisked into triage (where they check to see how dilated you are,) and by the grace of God I was fully dilated and ready to push! I was so relieved! I was quickly given a room in the Labor & Delivery unit, and my doctor and a swarm of nurses entered right away. An IV was administered, a blood pressure cuff was snapped on my arm, and time seemed to stand still as the doctor asked, “Ann, are you ready to meet your baby?” The nine months of waiting and preparing was about to finally be over!
With each contraction following, the doctor instructed me on how to best breathe and push. By far, this was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life, but with the help of my amazing support and medical teams, Michael Zion was born after a mere 3 contractions! No interventions, no medication, just our two bodies working together as one to do the seemingly impossible. Hearing him cry, seeing his sweet little swollen eyes open for the first time while on my chest, watching him initiate breastfeeding during skin-to-skin time made every second leading up to this point worth it. The entire seven hour ordeal was an adrenaline-pumping, supernatural blur. But it really was, hands-down the best day ever.
What surprised you most about your conception, pregnancy, and/or birth journey?
I was surprised at how short my OB-GYN appointments were. I was also super surprised at how I would wait for my appointments for 30-45 minutes, and then would only physically be in a room with my care provider for less than 10 minutes a visit! This, among many other factors, is what led me to pursue seeking the care of a homebirth midwife during my second pregnancy. I was also very surprised at quickly my labor progressed for being a first time mom. My labor began at 10:00pm and my baby was born by 5:06am. Contractions started long, strong, and close together from the get-go, there was no early labor, and I arrived at the hospital pushing at 10cm.
What 3 words best describe birth for you?
Surrender, Open, and Transformative
How did you prepare for pregnancy and birth?
Physically, I prepared for pregnancy and birth by receiving chiropractic care from a Webster Certified Chiropractor weekly, and made sure to nourish my body well by eating a whole foods based diet. I took a comprehensive prenatal vitamin before conceiving and during my entire pregnancy, and supplemented with an iron supplement midway through my pregnancy when I learned that my iron levels were a bit low. Per the recommendation of my midwife, I also took a vitamin c supplement that had bioflavonoids and zinc which helped make my amniotic sac strong, elastic, and resilient. I did this in order to prevent a premature rupture of my membranes. I participated in light exercise throughout my pregnancy, such as walking, stretching, and chasing after my 4 year old.
Mentally and spiritually, I prepared for pregnancy and birth by reading and listening to various resources. Hearing positive homebirth stories was very encouraging for me, and learning about other women’s experiences helped me envision the birth I was hoping to attain.
The books “Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth,” “Supernatural Childbirth,” “50 Human Studies in utero, Conducted in Modern China Indicate Extreme Risk for Prenatal Ultrasound,” and “Bringing Birth Home: Inspiration for Birth Beyond the Hospital," were all on my bedside table and I would rotate reading from them nightly. The podcasts “Happy Homebirth,” “Birthful,” “Delivered: A Birth Mini Series,” “Evidenced Based Birth,” and “Birthing Instincts” were my go-to’s whenever I was driving in the car.
As a doula, I was already very familiar with the birthing process, but I utilized the Christian Hypnobirthing “Faith Filled Childbirth” course with my husband and loved it! It included modules on techniques for relaxation, overcoming fear, building a faith-filled birth mindset, ways to physically prepare for birth, and research on how to make informed and confident decisions. This prompted thought-provoking conversations with my husband that helped us get on the same page as we made our homebirth preparations. I also listened to the Christian Hypnobirthing tracks on the app, which combined traditional hypnobirthing techniques (breathing, visualization, and positive affirmations,) with the love of God.
Are there any classes, courses, books, or other resources you'd like to recommend that helped you with your experience?
Courses: Christian Hypnobirthing’s “Faith Filled Childbirth Course” was a great resource for my husband and me. If you decide to check it out, you can use the code “ANN” for 20% off! I would also highly recommend using the tracks on the Christian Hypnobirthing app (they do offer a one week free trial, so you can see if you like it before committing to the subscription.)
Books: “Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth,” by midwife Ina May Gaskin, “Supernatural Childbirth,” by Jackie Mize, “50 Human Studies in Utero, Conducted in Modern China Indicate Extreme Risk for Prenatal Ultrasound,” by Jim West, and "Bringing Birth Home: Inspiration for Birth Beyond the Hospital" by the Wise Women Book Collective.
Podcasts: “Happy Homebirth,” “Birthful,” “Delivered: A Birth Mini Series,” “Evidenced Based Birth,” and “Birthing Instincts.”
Ann is a Birth & Postpartum Doula, and Childbirth Educator that serves the incredible pregnant, birthing, and postpartum mamas of Atlanta, GA. Please go find and follow Ann Morris on Instagram and over on her doula website!
If you loved Ann’s first birth story , you HAVE to come back next week to hear all about her second baby and their beautiful home birth experience!
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