Hi, my name is Miriam, and I’m a mom to three beautiful children, ages 10, 4, and our youngest who is just a month old. While each of my pregnancies and labor experiences were wonderful, each were also unique.
My first child
As a first-time mom pregnant with my eldest son, I had no idea what to expect. I was young, and there were lots of things happening all at the same time. I had a mixture of emotions…scared and nervous but happy at the same time. I kept asking myself, “What’s next?” First, I had to decide where I would go for prenatal care…choose the right clinic and the right doctor. I had no one to guide me. Figuring it out on my own was very nerve-wracking because I didn’t know if I was making the right decisions. I first asked myself if I wanted a midwife or an OB doctor. I had heard scary stories about going to an OB clinic and seeing many different doctors throughout the pregnancy, and I was worried about having a male doctor. I was also worried about not being able to make my own choices about my delivery and pain medication. I knew I wanted to deliver my baby the natural way, without an epidural, and not miss out on all the changes my body goes through during the birthing experience. And I wanted to have a provider who I felt comfortable with, so I decided to go with a midwife.
Toward the end of my first pregnancy, I developed a strange, itchy rash called “cholestasis of pregnancy”. Because of this, they required me to be induced two weeks early. This was unexpected and not something I was prepared for. My hope of having a perfect water birth was gone. Nothing was happening the way I planned for.
I then realized my focus should be on delivering a healthy baby. In the end, I had a lovely experience with my midwife and was able to delivery my baby without pain medication. I was also able to have a doula who was wonderful and help me relax and breath throughout labor and delivery. At the end I was exhausted and in a lot of pain but very happy and in love with my new baby!
My second child
Several years later in 2018, after lots of trying, I was excited to be pregnant again. I made an appointment at a nearby clinic to confirm my pregnancy and was told about some called a “centering pregnancy group” where several pregnant women come together for each of their prenatal visits, which is led by one doctor. And that same doctor delivers each of the mom’s when it’s time. The nice thing too was that dads were welcome to participate in the group. My husband and I decided it was an experience we were interested in, and my pregnancy group was led by Dr. Purifoy.
In the group, I learned together with other pregnant moms about my choices and what to expect during labor. Dr. Purifoy cared a lot about us moms and answered any questions we might have; so I wasn’t worried about my delivery like I was with my first baby. I knew she would be there delivering our babies and would have everything figured out!
I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during this pregnancy, so I needed to be induced early again. When delivery day came, everything started out smoothly. I was excited and happy and a bit nervous. The induction process is always longer than expected, and as the hours went by, I started feeling tired and anxious. I hoped it would not take as long as with my first born. Each contraction kept getting stronger and stronger, and the pain got more and more intense. It was harder to remain relaxed and not give in to the urge to push. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could handle the pain without medication. I told my nurse that I think my baby girl is coming, but she wasn’t so sure because I had only been 4cm dilated just a couple hours before. I was frustrated and begged my nurse to call my doctor right away. Dr. Purifoy arrives minutes later, comes right to me and asks if I’m ok, and asks if she can check my cervix. I said, “yes please!” She checks and says, “Yeah, baby is down and ready to go.” Everyone else in the room is surprised and questions if she is sure. Dr. Purifoy reassures everyone the baby is coming and asks me if I’m ready. Happy and in a lot of pain I said, “Yes!” Two big pushes and my baby was out!! Tears rolled down my face. Everything was joy and happiness. It was just beautiful!
After our daughter was born, Dr. Purifoy was still able to be my doctor and became my baby’s doctor.
My third baby
Fast-forward 4 years, and I’m pregnant again! This time it is a boy. I was again diagnosed with gestational diabetes and induction at 39 weeks was planned. It was important to me to have another natural vaginal delivery, so I did my best to follow a healthy diet and stay active. I watched my blood sugar levels so the baby wouldn’t get too big. During the last couple of months of pregnancy, I also had extra ultrasound to make sure baby was ok.
The last two weeks were full of excitement just counting down the days until delivery. We were delivering at a different hospital this time, so I was a little nervous about what to expect. But I knew Dr. Purifoy had everything under control. This time, we arrived at the hospital in the morning and started the induction right away. My laboring room was quiet and peaceful, and I made an instant connection with my nurse. Just a few hours later, the contractions got stronger, and I was ready to push. My son’s head came out with just a couple of pushes, but then the rest of his body got stuck! I was in so much pain, but Dr. Purifoy and the nurses worked together quickly to get him out. It was the fastest and smoothest labor and delivery ever!
After my three birthing experiences, I have learned there is no such thing as a perfect pregnancy or labor. You will be faced with the perfect imperfections of pregnancy and labor, and that’s exactly the beauty of being a mother. You never know exactly what to expect but just hope for the best and be ready to enjoy every moment of it to the fullest!
Labor - What to Expect
We sincerely thank Miriam for sharing her very personal experience with labor and utlimalting delivering her three children. If you are interested in learning more be sure to read our article, “What to Expect When Going Into Labor”.