First time parents birth naturally at Health Park with doula support, welcome Slater born New Year's Day 2024

A very heartfelt thank you to first-time mom Kristina for sharing her birth story here with all of us. And thank you to Mindful Birth Doula Kamber for her genuine support.

Doula Health Park Fort Myers labor doula

"Our little bundle decided to show up 10 days early and I wanted to share my experience.

My water broke at 8pm on NYE and while I wanted to labor at home as long as I could, we ended up going to the hospital about 5 hours after. My contractions seemed to be getting stronger and closer together so we thought it was time. When we arrived, they checked my cervix and I was only dilated 1 cm and I thought OMG THATS IT lol.

Because my water broke they wanted to admit me in order to avoid infection. Health Park set us up in our room and pretty much left us alone while I worked on opening. They had a nice picture of a flower in the room and that’s what I kept looking at every time I had a contraction and thinking open, open, open. I even remember starting to rub the side of my leg: down with each exhale of breath.

Kamber (my doula) had told me she would arrive at the hospital as soon as I was at 5-6cm, so when the nurse came into my room sometime early New Year’s Day, I had the nurse check me and was told I had progressed to 5cm YAY! Kamber came over and from there labor got even more intense and hard but she was so great at coaching me through, helping me change positions, massaging me, it truly helped me remain zen while I focused on opening up more for my baby. My partner Steve did an excellent job at keeping me cool with ice packs and holding my hand, giving me positive affirmations when he could see I needed them most.

After 25 hours of hard, intense labor I pushed out baby Slater completely natural just like I had envisioned. The staff never tried to push medications on me and everyone was really helpful throughout. The only thing different from my birth plan was after delivery, they strongly advised to inject me with Pitocin because I was losing a good amount of blood (I also had a couple tears) but since my baby was already here and I didn’t want to put myself at more risk I accepted the pitocin shot. They stitched me up, and I enjoyed the next golden hour with my son on my chest.

This experience was a true miracle and I still can’t believe we are capable of this. I know I reached “labor land“ and as hard as it was, I would choose a natural, unmedicated birth again in a heartbeat. I know I could not have done it without Kamber’s help, she was a true birth companion and I am so grateful to have had her by my side. Her presence and support allowed me to feel relaxed yet in charge, and completely comfortable with an experience that I’ve never gone through before. She was the reason I felt so confident in a natural birth and brought out the strength in me to know I could achieve it. Along with Steve and my mom by my side, the support you need to get through this naturally is crucial and I was so blessed to have 3 by my side.

Meet Slater born 1/1/24 @ 8:49 pm, 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 1/2 in long"

Authored by Kristina, first time mom