Birth Story: Piper Wilder

Piper Wilder made her debut April 15, 2024 at 2:46 AM. She kept me patient, waiting the full 40 weeks to come out (the longest inhabitant of my uterus so far). When she finally decided it was go time my water broke, but labor didn’t start! I felt a small pop Saturday evening, followed by some liquid. I thought maybe it was watery discharge but made note. It kept coming after that, in small gushes when I’d stand up or lift my older kids. I started curb walking our garden border and doing laps in our back yard. Cleaned the house and finishing up laundry… everything to prep and bring on labor.

After about 24 hours since rupture we went to the hospital to get things checked out, contractions still not happening. I didn’t rush to the hospital because my water was clear, smelled normal, and I was GBS negative. Though I was stressed all day because my goal was to go unmedicated and going into the hospital NOT in labor meant lots of pressure for intervention. After they confirmed it was my water they admitted me. None of the midwives from my practice were on call, so I was stuck with an OB I’d never met. He told me he recommended Pitocin right away.

At this point I was 3cm, 90% effaced and baby was at a +2. I decided to wait it out instead of induce with Pitocin immediately which is what I was trying to avoid after my previous birth being traumatic with tons of Pitocin involved. I’m so glad my partner Brennan encouraged me to rest and wait before making any more decisions. We rested, and I alternated between the birth ball, pacing the room, and peanut ball!

When contractions finally started it got intense fast! At 11:40 I had my first contraction. They began every 5 minutes and quickly jumped in intensity to every 2-3 minutes. This continued for two hours. It was so intense, and the cervical check I had earlier got in my head. I was exhausted after only two hours and I asked to be checked again. I was doubting myself and when checked I was told I was 5cm stretchable to a 6. I asked for the epidural and I was told if I wanted it I’d need to get in bed, and start fluids. I got hooked up to an IV and my contractions got so much more intense.

This is when I started vocalizing almost uncontrollably during them. Two or three happened at that intensity and then I began to feel like I had to poop. I couldn’t verbalize that because I was in such an intense zone during the contractions and between I had such a short period of recovery. Almost immediately after the urge started my body was pushing during contractions on its own. The OB walked in and I heard commotion but I couldn’t see anything because my eyes couldn’t even open at this point I had to keep them closed. Brennan tells me that when the OB walked in he saw the condition I was in and knew it was time to push.

The commotion I was hearing was them setting up all the birth things. Ten minutes, TEN MINUTES, after the time I was checked and was 5cm they flipped me over and I was instructed to push. That I wouldn’t be getting the epidural, I was complete and ready to push baby out! I remember they reclined me all the way back and I said “I need to sit up some” and no one did then Brennan said “she wants to sit up” and they didn’t let me stating that it’s best to be completely flat. I knew that was incorrect but I was too exhausted to combat them. I was being told “hold your breath!” and multiple people counting down at different intervals when I was pushing and it was overwhelming me so I told them all to be quiet!

I pushed her out in 30 minutes which is the shortest of all three of my kids. It was amazing to be able to feel the stretching and feel her head and then body be birthed without any numbness. I couldn’t believe I did it. It was my goal, then I was so disappointed with myself when I asked for the epidural, then Piper knew just how badly I wanted to birth naturally and she sped labor up so strongly that I didn’t even have time to get the epidural! It was amazing. She was born 3 hours after my first contraction.

You can find Heidi on Instagram @heiiiid