Okay! Here we are– eight months in and I finally recorded Hart’s birth story. Better late than never is my life’s motto.
Hart’s official due date was October 12th. For some reason, I’d convinced myself he was going to come early, but alas, it was the eve of the 12th and there I was, still pregnant, with two membrane sweeps behind me. A friend was over with her two girls for a playdate. I’d been checked and “swept” that afternoon. We were just hanging out when I started to notice mild contractions coming every eight minutes or so. After they left, Brighton asked for pancakes so I got to work on those. I stopped timing them, but could tell they were still happening consistently. I went ahead and called my mom to come stay with our daughter, Brighton, since she lives about forty minutes away. Brighton was almost born in our Charleston apartment, so the goal was to avoid that kind of scenario this time around. Once my mom arrived, I let her takeover with Brighton’s bedtime so I could relax and try to keep my contractions coming. Anders and I went down to the basement and I bounced on my ball while we watched Baby Mama– one of my all-time faves.
By 11 pm, my contractions seemed to be slowing down so we decided to get some sleep. I woke up just an hour and a half later and knew it was game time. My contractions felt painful at that point. I wanted to wait as long as I could to go into the hospital to be sure my labor had progressed enough that the change in atmosphere wouldn’t stall things, but again, given my past experience, didn’t want to wait too long either. It was around 3 am and pitch black outside when we pulled up to the hospital. With Brighton, I labored and delivered in broad daylight so this felt different! They checked me out in triage first and said I was dilated to a 5 or 6. By the time they showed me to my room, my contractions were really heating up. I got right in the bath which felt amazing. I chose Wakemed Cary hospital specifically because they have tubs in every room and being in a tub had provided major pain relief for me during Brighton’s birth. I labored in the tub for about a half hour, listening to music part of the time, and then once things got intense, I just needed silence. Finally I started to feel nauseous which I took as a good sign because with Brighton, nausea led to the transition phase for me, moving from active labor to delivery. I got out of the tub and spent thirty, excruciating minutes in the bathroom. Reality started to set in at this point– the only way out was through and I was scared. My nurse came in (she’d been amazing about giving me space like I had requested) and very soon after, I said, “My water is about to break.” Within seconds, it had! It was so neat this time around feeling connected and in tune with my body.
My nurse asked me to move to the bed so she could check Hart’s heart rate. The minute I laid down, I felt him crowning and an uncontrollable urge to push. My nurse checked me when I told her that and immediately started yelling, “Stork!” over her little intercom. A team rushed in and I remember thinking, “I don’t care how bad I tear, I have to get this baby out!” Looking back, that was incredibly shortsighted of me… I let out a war cry, pushed way more aggressively than I’d planned, and my little man was born! Anders “Hart” Jacobson, 7 lbs 15 oz of pure perfection. 21 inches long. Born at 4:33 am. It was an incredibly intense, but brief transition and delivery.
In the middle of my labors, it’s like I can’t comprehend that I’m actually going to be holding at baby at the end. Relief and this euphoric feeling washed over me. I remember thinking how perfect his little face was.
I delivered Brighton in a birthing center and wasn’t sure how I would like a hospital experience. Turns out, I preferred it! I had really prepared myself ahead of time to speak up about my preferences and was proud of how I had followed through. Everyone who cared for me was incredibly respectful and open to my preferences.
I would pay good money to be able to relive the following couple of days in the hospital with my brand spanking new baby. I’m forever humbled by the experience of bringing life into the world.
If you’ve read this far, thanks for humoring me and holding space for me to share!
Xo, Kaili
Kaili Jacobson is a Certified Life Coach for mamas and the founder of Good Thoughts Rising. She helps women navigate marriage, motherhood and meeting their own needs- plus all of the anxiety that comes with those responsibilities. She believes in eating all the chocolate chips and staying up late to enjoy the silence. Kaili is a North Carolina native, but now resides in Charleston, SC with her husband and their darling little girl.