The Birth of Saoirse Lee. My Personal Birth Story

With my third pregnancy, I felt an overwhelming amount of fear about labor. I couldn’t explain it—my previous deliveries had been beautiful and straightforward, yet I was terrified.

On August 25th, after two weeks of off-and-on prodromal labor, I began to experience sharp, frequent contractions and intense pressure in my hips. My husband and I agreed it was time to get checked, so we loaded up the car. I decided to go in alone, not wanting my toddlers to run wild in the Labor and Delivery ward if it turned out to be a false alarm.

When I arrived, I was hooked up to the monitors and checked right away. To my surprise, I was already 5 cm, 100% effaced, and had a bulging bag of waters! I texted my husband to let him know, and he started packing, thinking tonight was the night. But, just as quickly as it had begun, everything stopped.

The weekend passed with strong contractions that fizzled out every time. I did everything I could to encourage things along—long walks, the miles circuit, acupressure, spicy food, and more. But nothing really stuck. The contractions never intensified, and I was left wondering when, or if, labor would actually start.

By Monday, my OB called. He asked if I wanted to have our next appointment at the hospital so we could break my waters if I had made any progress, avoiding the possibility of a fast car baby like with my previous deliveries. I agreed, and a nurse called later that evening to confirm everything would be ready for me to come in Wednesday morning.

We dropped off our kids and arrived at the hospital by 8 a.m. The nurse started the monitors and an IV to get a good reading on the baby before the doctor arrived.

The monitor immediately picked up contractions I wasn’t even feeling! When my OB arrived at 9 a.m., he checked me and was shocked to find I was already at 8 cm. Just as he was preparing to break my water, it did on its own. I couldn’t believe it—I was 8 cm and didn’t even feel like I was in active labor!

My husband and our photographer started joking around, and we spent the next hour and a half laughing and bouncing on yoga balls while I worked through some mild contractions.

At 10:30 a.m., I decided to use the restroom and hop in the shower. As soon as the warm water hit, things got intense. I began vocalizing through the contractions and asking my husband and the nurses to squeeze my hips for me. I had an amazing nurse who supported me through a contraction as I walked back to the bed. She applied counterpressure and swayed with me as I clung to the door frame, working through the waves of pressure.

By 11 a.m., I was checked again—9 cm with a cervical lip. I quickly flipped onto my hands and knees, telling the nurse to call the doctor in. They called him, but he was finishing up an ultrasound next door. I tried to breathe through the contractions, knowing things were about to move fast.

At 11:17 a.m., I couldn’t stop pushing. I was still on my hands and knees, leaning over the back of the bed. I screamed that I was pushing, and suddenly, the room was a blur as nurses rushed in to get ready. I tried to hold back, but my body was in control. With another scream, I pushed hard—and then, just like that, she was here.

11:21 am, tiny, perfect, and the sweetest little cry. The nurses helped me flip over and placed her right on my chest where she snuggled in close and quieted down.

And then, just as the room settled, my doctor walked in—just one minute too late!

This birth was such an incredible experience for me. All the fear and anxiety I’d felt before melted away once it was time to labor. I moved through the process with strength and ease, and in the end, I brought my baby into the world exactly the way she was meant to arrive.