Madyson & Josh
“MY BODY IS PUSHING!”
Early in the morning of November 8th, 2020 Madyson started to get consistent contractions. At 4:10am I received a text message from her, “Hey just a heads up 8 min apart 40 sec long! For the last hour or so. I think we are going to have a baby!” With excitement in the air, Madyson and her husband Josh, started to get things ready in case they needed to start heading to the hospital.
4:44am I received another text, “They are 10 min apart. The last 2 and aren't as strong”. Because of all the moving around she was doing and getting things together to leave, they started to slow down. I advised her to stay in bed with the lights off to relax and hopefully they would come back and get strong again. At 5:15am Madyson stated that it helped and the contractions were back to 7 minutes apart and 45 seconds long. She was nervous about the sun coming up and stopping her contractions.
8:02am I received a text message saying, “Ugh they like stopped! What the check!!” I could feel her frustration and sadness through my phone.
Later, Madyson called me and I asked if she would like me to come over and go on a walk to see if we could get things going again. I got to her house at 11am and we walked her neighborhood as she was curb walking. We even tried some squatting and got a few laughs out of that. After our walk, we went back to her house and put on a movie while she was bouncing away on her birth ball. I was hoping that relaxing and watching a movie would help distract her and get some contractions to come along. Towards the end of the movie she was having some contractions again! They were just inconsistent and not strong.
After the movie, I decided to leave and let her and Josh spend the rest of the day together, since their oldest son was with Josh's parents. I left and encouraged them to rest in case labor picked back up later that night. Later in the evening, Madyson informed me that she got a nap in and she and Josh were going out to dinner. I was happy that they decided to go and have a date one last time before welcoming their new son.
Early the next morning at 3am on November 9th, I texted Madyson to see if anything was progressing. She responded, “No:(“. I felt so bad, as I knew she was so eager to get things going to meet her new little boy. Little did we know, her body was giving her the rest she needed because things were about to happen.
7:53am I texted Madyson, “Give me a call when you get the chance.” I wanted to follow up with her and see how she was processing everything and where her head was at. She called me around 8am and informed me that she is very positive that her water is leaking. She got out of bed and it started to trickle out. Later on in her labor, we realized that this was the hind-water leaking (the top part of the amniotic sac). Excited that things were progressing, I told her to keep me updated. I encouraged Madyson to try and get into active labor by walking, squatting and doing nipple stimulation.
9am Madyson called again and she was having contractions but they were still not strong enough, nor consistent. She had a scheduled prenatal appointment with her OBGYN Dr. Brotsky that morning at 11am. Since her labor hadn’t picked up like she wanted them to, they decided to head to her appointment.
At her appointment, Dr. Brotsky confirmed that her water was leaking and that she was 3.5cm dilated and 80% effaced. The doctor was filled with excitement for Madyson and sent them on their way to the hospital.
Madyson and Josh got to the hospital around noon that day after picking up some food and snacks at QT. They went straight into triage to confirm her water had been broken and to check her dilation. The nurse that assisted them in triage, Mary, informed them that she was dilated to 4cm, 90% effaced, and the baby was at zero station. She confirmed things were progressing and encouraged Madyson that her body will birth her baby and she was made for this.
At 1:45pm I met Madyson and Josh in triage and they updated me on everything that Mary had informed them about. Madyson was still not having strong consistent contractions and the nurse informed her that if things were not progressing, Dr. Brotsky would want to start her on pitocin at 5pm. The clock was now counting down…
2:15pm came along and we met Madyson's day nurse, Jenna. She brought us to the birthing room (room 6) and we settled in there at 2:23pm. Madyson was overjoyed with her nurse. Her last labor nurse with her first birth, was not encouraging and supportive of the birth she wanted. After talking to Jenna and letting her know of the hopes of her labor and delivery, Madyson knew this was going to be different. She cried with her nurse and you could see a huge weight of relief come off of her. She was ready to have this baby.
While Jenna was getting Madyson settled and figuring out the walking fetal monitor (to allow Madyson to move around while laboring. This was very important to Madyson, as she was not able to do this last time.) I encouraged her to try squatting to see if she could get some contractions and also do some nipple stimulations. There was a lot going on in the room for the first few hours with her nurse trying to figure out the monitor and coming in and out, so Madyson really didn’t start having consistent contractions again until 3:30pm. She was doing it!
4:45pm Jenna encouraged her to sit on the toilet to see if we could get any strong contractions from that. Unfortunately, things slowed down. So she got back up and went to standing/walking again, which she liked a lot because it kept her contractions coming.
5:12pm her nurse did a cervical exam. Madyson was now dilated between a 6 and a 7 and was 98% effaced! This was awesome news and we were all so ecstatic and kind of in shock!
7:05pm We met her night nurse, Heather.
During the next few hours, Madyson continued to labor standing up and allowing gravity to do its thing to bring down her baby. We prayed and listened to worship music as we tried to allow her to relax and focus on each new contraction. Madyson was doing great at staying focused and bringing on each new contraction.
9:07pm Heather came in to check her dilation. Madyson was unfortunately the same and had requested to start on a low dose of pitocin to help her get things moving, as she was not having active labor contractions just yet. The nurse confirmed that her cervix was still posterior, so I believe this had to do with the stall, as well as the position of the baby. Heather also confirmed that.
9:20pm Madyson started pitocin on level 2.
9:30pm Madyson started talking about getting an epidural. She felt defeated and started to cry. She felt that all that work she did walking and standing did nothing. She was wondering why she should even continue this without the epidural. She didn’t really have a definite reason as to why she wanted to have an unmedicated birth. Josh and I, tried our very best to encourage her and be there for her the best way that we could during this needed discussion.
While we were having this discussion, her contractions had stopped. I was trying to encourage her to continue to get those contractions to start again. To lay down on her side, get up and walk, sit on the birthing ball, basically anything to get her to focus and relax again. She wasn’t ready.
10:15pm her nurse came in and encouraged Madyson that she could do this. Madyson agreed to increase pitocin to a 4 and agreed to resting on her side with her leg lifted up resting in the stirrup to open up her pelvis. This would encourage her baby to come down the birth canal by making more room for him.
10:30pm Contractions started up again! This time more intense active labor contractions. A few contractions later and she heard a pop and the rest of her water came out. This is what she needed! This encouragement and change in her labor allowed her to focus again and keep on going. She was doing it and Josh and I were so proud of her and ready to support her in any way possible.
The next couple of hours, Madyson's contractions got stronger and stronger. Counter pressure on her hips and back helped, so Josh pushed on one hip and I pushed on the other to help relieve the pain. We even used my rebozo to help with this as well. We were all working as a team, encouraging, using counter pressure, and rubbing her back in between each contraction to help keep her relaxed. A few times, I reminded her how to breathe during her contractions because they were starting to get stronger.
Around 12:20am is when Madyson started saying she felt him come down and can feel pressure. She wasn’t sure if she was feeling the urge to push or if it was just him coming down. She started moaning and trying her best to stay relaxed, focused, and controlled. She was doing amazing and allowing her body to do what it needed to do to bring her baby. She kept asking when she would be done and saying she was ready to push this baby out. I was hoping the baby was in the right position and making his way down, because I was about 90% sure she was in transition and could be pushing him out within the next hour.
12:40am Heather came and asked how everything was going. She watched Madyson during a few contractions and I could tell she knew things were progressing well. Madyson asked to be checked with hesitation (she didn’t want to be disappointed). Heather confirmed that she was between a 7 and 8, and that the cervix was coming forward! This was great news, but Madyson was exhausted and done, she sighed and asked for an epidural. Heather informed her that the anesthesiologist was doing a cesarean and that it would be about 20 more mins. Madyson almost lost it. You could tell she was wanting some relief and felt she couldn’t go on. But she was doing it, and doing it so well! Josh, Heather and I were so proud of her and encouraged her to go on just a little longer while waiting for the epidural.
12:55am Madyson was trying to sit up and get comfortable on her bed and then screamed, “It’s coming! I'm pushing! I can’t stop!” Josh and I couldn't have looked at each other fast enough! We both tried our best to remain calm as adrenalin was going through us both, because the nurse was no longer in the room. We frantically looked for the button to call the nurse station. I almost ran out of the room to get the nurse, but then Josh found the call button and said, “Her body is pushing.” Madyson screamed, “It's coming! I'm pushing! I can’t be pushing yet I am only a 7!” I informed her that she was ready, her body was ready to birth her baby and how your cervix can and will open up that fast. She was doing it!
Heather finally came in and checked her. The baby's head was right there and Madyson's body was doing the work for her by pushing. Unfortunately, Dr. Brotsky was 20 minutes out and was not able to deliver the baby, but another doctor was available. During this time of waiting for the doctor, I was trying my best to coach Madyson with her breathing. She was breathing frantically, and not controlled. She was shocked and kept saying, “My body is pushing! It’s coming! I can't be pushing yet!.” I breathed with her, reminded her to take deep slow breaths and then I said, “breath for your baby. Each breath is going to your baby.”. Madyson regained her focus and her breathing. A nurse placed an oxygen mask on her face and she continued breathing for her baby.
Finally, the doctor was available, suited up, got in position, and we waited for Madyson’s next contraction for her to push. The contraction came on, she embraced her body's need to push, and she pushed! The babys head was visible, then his head was born, and then the rest of his body came shooting out. The doctor laid him on her tummy and he was born!
On his due date, November 10th, 2021 Archie Jax Lacy, was born at 1:05am weighing 8lbs 5oz!
Madyson, I am beyond proud of you and am so blessed that I was able to support you and Josh, and to witness the birth of your second son. You are capable, you are strong, and you did it. You and you alone worked so hard to birth your son into this world. Congratulations!
