My two birth stories by Alexandra
Hi! I’m Alexandra and excited to share my birth stories with the Your Zen Mama community! I don’t think I’ve ever shared in such detail before. Full disclosure: I'm not a good writer, but here we go!
My first birth - Santiago:
I gave birth to my son Santiago on 11.1.19 (his due date). I remember waking up around three or four am, and just kept going to the bathroom. I got up so many times that my husband recommended I sleep on the couch (ha). I didn’t think I was in labor, I thought I had slight cramping because I was going to the bathroom so often, and maybe ate something bad. Around 7:30 am my husband woke up and I said I think I’m having contractions. They were maybe 20-30 mins apart. Once I started to spot I immediately called my dr. She says: “I just saw you, and you were not dilated at all, you can come to hospital but they most likely will send you home.” At this point the contractions felt like they were 10 mins apart so we went to hospital. We lived in Brooklyn at the time and drove during rush hour to Lennox hill hospital, which is on the upper east side of Manhattan. As we were driving I was in a lot of pain. I remember driving over the Brooklyn bridge and a classical music piece came on, just so happened to be the last short program music I figure skated to. I had a moment for one min over the bridge where I just looked out at the glistening water as the sunshine hit my face, and thought, wow, I’m not a little girl anymore, and I’m going to be a mom soon (I was 32). Once we were on the FDR the contractions really kicked in, I was in so much pain, and could tell my husband was nervous. We exited the freeway and I had my husband pull over. I immediately threw up everywhere (the pain was so intense). As we inched along in the busy streets of NYC I just tried to focus on my breath and stay calm. We FINALLY reach the hospital and my husband drives past the entrance (where they have valet parking)! I say WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? He wanted to find street parking and save on valet costs. We turn the corner and there is a massive garbage truck holding up traffic. I roll down my window and yell I’m in labor please move!!! He looks at me and takes his time and collects a few more trash cans. I looked at my husband and said go to the valet ( I felt like I had a deep voice at this point), I felt like this was out of a movie. We pull up to the hospital, this gentleman opens my door, and brings me right up to the floor I need to be on. They check me in, ask me my pain level, I say I’m at ten, and want an epidural asap. I keep saying I have to go to the bathroom again. That's where they finally check me and saw I’m at five centimeters. The nurse looks at me and says you will deliver at five pm today (it was probably 11am at this point). I get my epidural and pass out, wake up with a smile on my face, and eat my ice chips throughout the day. The day went by so fast. The dr comes in and says wow I didn’t think today would be the day (ha). I progressed every hour and finally I said I really need to go to the bathroom, the nurse looks at me and says get the dr it’s time to push. Before I knew it my water was being broken and I started pushing with my dr. Thirteen minutes later Santiago (Santi) was born at 506pm. My husband and I cried as we looked at our little man. It was one of the best moments of my life.
Santi took some time latching and I was so stressed about it because I only wanted to breastfeed my babies. The hospital kept recommending formulas and I refused. I had to express milk into a bottle and feed Santi through a little syringe for the first 48 hours. Finally the nursing consultant came before I checked out, and said: “so he’s having trouble latching, I think he has tongue tie.” I burst into tears and say I just want my baby to latch! I was so emotional, tired, and frustrated. Santi finally latched onto the nipple shield before I left the hospital, and I used it for one month. I continued to only breastfeed Santi for one year. I stopped breastfeeding because I was losing so much weight and dr said it would probably help me gain weight if I stopped but was my choice. I stopped, and three weeks later I was pregnant with my Isabela.
My second birth - Isabela:
The night of June 20th I got really sick with a stomach bug. I was going to the bathroom and throwing up every ten mins. I was 37 weeks pregnant and I was around two and half centimeters dilated from a few days ago at my check up. I remember calling the dr at three am saying is the baby going to be okay? He said: “baby is fine it’s just going to be hell for you, so hang in there”. Eleven am rolls around and I finally stop puking. It was the first day I laid in bed all day and actually rested. I remember calling my mom and saying if I go into labor I might die. I was exhausted. This pregnancy was the complete opposite from my first. I had morning sickness for almost 30 weeks. The next morning, June 22, my back was in so much pain and I figured it’s from holding the toilet all night and puking. I continued my morning by having breakfast with my son and husband. As I’m playing with my son my husband decides to leave for a run before he drives for an overnight business trip (we live in ct at this point in time). My husband comes back from his run and I say I think I’m having back contractions (I googled a lot in his 30 min run) I’m in a lot of pain. I call my dr and they say come in. Thankfully my dr’s office and hospital is ten mins from our house. My nanny comes in to take care of my eighteen-month son, and I shower and get my bag ready just in case. My husband cancels his trip and drives me to dr (around 10am at this point). I get to the drs office, they strap my belly up to measure contractions and then he checks me, looks up and says: “you’re seven centimeters, we need to go to the hospital now. Congratulations on having your baby today!” I start to cry out of excitement and a little scared as I’m giving birth three weeks early then the original due date (July 13). I go to the hospital and all I can think of is can I get an epidural, the back pain is getting so bad. The dr says we can try but it might be too late. They try for an epidural and the moment I get it I feel like I need to poop, at this point, it’s after eleven am, and the dr says we need to start pushing soon, my water gets broken by one of the dr assistants and all I keep thinking is this is happening so fast, this stupid stomach bug has pushed me into early labor and I’m going to feel everything. I start pushing…At one point I say I can’t do this I’m in so much pain (wishing I could get a c-section). My husband, dr, and nurses cheer me on “yes you can you're so close!” “Do you want to touch her head?” I felt everything because the epidural wasn’t working and my daughter came out sunny side up, which drs say is harder to push out that way. She has the birthmark to prove it on her little forehead. What felt like an eternity but really only thirty-something minutes later Isabela Alexandra was born at 11:52am. She latched right away. She was so sweet and tiny. My husband and I were so excited and crying just looking at her.
All of a sudden I felt my legs getting really numb. The epidural was now starting to kick in. My stomach was in so much pain. I said I really needed to pee but couldn’t walk. The nurses helped me to the toilet, and I couldn’t go. The epidural wouldn’t allow me to pee. They had to put a catheter in so I could go . Looking back I wish I never did the epidural with this delivery. I looked at my husband and remember saying this is the last baby I will have that was so painful. As we were enjoying our new baby girl and I was recovering, my mother in law had gone to our house to stay overnight with my son. Around five pm my son starts throwing up every ten mins. He now has my stomach bug. My husband leaves to go be with him. The next morning my husband comes back to the hospital to pick Isabela and I up. We returned home and my babysitter and mother in law now have the stomach bug too. It was probably one of the most exhausting four days of my life. From being sick, delivering our little girl, and then the entire family getting the stomach virus with a newborn back home with us. But I wouldn’t change a thing, and as time has gone by I think I want one more.
Alexandra is a former competitive figure skater who ended up becoming a fashion producer in New York City. She now lives in CT with her husband and two children.
alexandrasánchez.com
@alexandraannesanchez