Kaleigh’s birth story

Writing my birth story feels as surreal as the experience itself. As I sit here, looking down at my precious baby, I’m in awe, not only for his sweet little life but for the strength of women everywhere. Never before have I felt so deeply connected to both my own body and the collective power of women across the world.

Throughout my pregnancy, I dedicated myself to preparing both my body and mind for a physiological, medication-free, and intervention-free labor. Though I really desired a midwife led birth in the Spires, our health insurance had us tied to private healthcare at JR with our birth being overseen by a consultant. My husband and I had attended Amy’s hypnobirthing course, and we decided to invite her to be our doula, knowing we’d be navigating birth in a system unfamiliar to us as Americans living in England.

On the morning of July 7, I was anxiously awaiting for spontaneous labor to begin. I had done everything I could to prepare myself to give birth, and yet I was starting to feel disheartened as I was a week (41+2) “past my due date.” I was not ready to start having induction talks. That evening, around 8 pm, I began to feel contractions. They were mild, like a gentle reminder from my body that things were starting to shift. I made a mental note of them, but continued watching Yellowstone with my husband, determined to ignore the contractions as long as I could.

When I went to bed around 10 pm, I noticed I had lost my mucus plug. I laid down to rest, expecting sleep to take over, but 30 minutes later, I was awakened by much stronger contractions. I tried to settle back into sleep, but they were becoming impossible to ignore. I had to move to lessen the pain, as lying in bed wasn’t doing me any favors. Around midnight, I decided to put on my TENS machine to help ease the pain, and got into an all-fours position for most the rest of the night.

By 3 am, I woke my husband to let him know we might need to head to the hospital soon. I also sent our doula, Amy, a message telling her the contractions were stronger now, with some of them knocking the wind out of me, and they were making me shake. Without missing a beat, Amy knew based on my short texts that I was in labor and made her way to our home. By the time she arrived, my husband had packed the car, and we all decided it was time to go. Despite my fear that the 40 minute car ride to the hospital would be unbearable, I coped really well listening to hypnobirthing tracks and keeping my sleeping mask on to block out any light. I wanted to keep it as dark as possible to keep my melatonin in check so labor would continue to progress. 

By 4:30 am, we arrived at John Radcliffe. I put on my sunglasses to shield myself from the bright lights I knew would be in the room, in case I had to open my eyes to look at anything, but I never ended up actually taking off my sleeping mask the whole labor! As I walked into the assessment area, I had a massive contraction that brought me to my knees. Once in the assessment room, we waited for the birthing pool to be ready.

The doctor ran some tests and did some scans but I continued to go inward… moving with the rhythm of the contractions, swaying and breathing. I ignored the outside world as much as possible. The doctor asked if he could check my dilation, and I agreed. It was reassuring to hear I was fully dilated.

Shortly after, they wheeled me into the room with the birthing pool and I felt instant relief pour over me. The sound of water filling the tub was like a waterfall crashing. I could smell the water in the air and was just so thankful I was getting to have the water birth I had dreamed of. Once I got into the pool, I could feel the warmth of the water easing the pressure and pain. It was the first moment of true relaxation and comfort I had felt in hours. I ate, drank electrolytes, and used gas & air to help with the bigger contractions. I was so totally relaxed in the water that I could lay down between contractions and have conversation.

Soon after getting into the water, I felt that unmistakable urge to push. I was able to reach down in the water and feel my baby’s head crowning which motivated me to pull out my superhuman powers and push him out. It genuinely felt like I was the most powerful person on this planet in that moment. It was a feeling I will never forget; surrounded by people who love and support me as I did the most badass and beautiful thing a woman can do. 

At 7:55 am on July 8, our perfect baby arrived into the world…born in the water, without any medications, and without interventions as I had prepared so hard for. Watching my husband and Amy work in unison, ensuring all my needs were met, was more than I could have asked for. The way they supported me throughout the whole experience made it so that I could solely focus on labor. They kept me fed, hydrated, and encouraged. I felt confident and protected because even in the midst of labor, I could hear them advocating for me and making sure I got whatever support I needed in the moment. 

I cannot imagine a better first birth experience (or a faster one)! It was everything I had prayed for. If my story can offer anything, I hope it inspires other women to trust in the wisdom of their own bodies and the natural process of birth. Labor doesn’t have to be something to fear—it’s an opportunity to tap into the strength that’s always been inside you. You are allowed to show up to give birth totally unafraid. Trust your instincts, create a birth plan that aligns with your desires, and make sure you have a team that speaks up for you when you’re in the midst of doing the most powerful work of your life.