Auden's Birth Story

Auden is three months old today! In honor of him, I'm sharing his birth story here on the blog. It's something that I've debated doing, but as you can see, I've come to terms with it. Enjoy!

The morning before Auden was born, I started having severe contractions - about three to five minutes apart, lasting about a minute each. Taking this as a sign of early labor, Ryan and I rushed to the hospital. Once there, the nurse informed us that it was indeed possible that I was experiencing early labor, but would likely be sent home since it was my first pregnancy. We stayed in the hospital for a couple of hours to see how labor progressed. I was still only a couple of centimeters dilated - not enough to warrant staying in the hospital for now.

Contractions continued through the afternoon and evening, and Ryan and I tried to get some sleep in preparation for possible birth of our son within the next few days. When contractions continued to get more severe yet, I called my doctor to ask for advice. He told me that I was most likely in false labor, and that I shouldn’t come to the hospital again until I was ready to be induced.

Now, as a mother who was fully intent on having a natural labor, this was the last thing I wanted to hear. I started getting emotional after the phone call to my doctor, when Ryan stepped in with the best piece of advice I received during my labor: to follow my intuition. Did I think it was time, and would I feel more comfortable in the hospital?

I answered him, yes. We packed our bags once again and headed back to the hospital. We checked in again, and this time was much more challenging as my contractions were getting stronger. In the hospital room, I was checked again - and I was a little more dilated. Again, the nurses decided to keep me to see how labor progressed. Within a few more hours, I was more dilated and recommended to stay in the hospital to expect the birth of our son.

I labored through the morning in a large birthing tub, until I left for a final check. At this point, my water broke, contractions got much more serious, and I made the decision to wait for my epidural. I received a dose of Nubian, and within the hour, I felt the urge to push. It was too late to have an epidural, but there was no time to dwell. Less than five minutes later, at 10:44 in the morning, Auden Ahab Dorn was born.

Looking back on the experience, I am beyond happy. The only medication I received, Nubain, allowed my body to relax to the point where I was able to reach the pushing stage, and I am grateful that I did not receive an epidural. My labor was short, and delivery was quick, and I was comfortable the entire time. And I managed to have a (mostly) natural birth and a healthy baby boy, which is all that we could have wanted.

(If anyone has more detailed questions about my birth story, please do not hesitate to ask in the comments section! I am more than happy to share my experience.)

Also, welcoming Auden into the world and looking cute with mommy.