Owen Scout's Birth Story

Sleepy Owen is on my chest as I am thinking to type his story while it is the freshest in my mind. It’s been four days and I still cannot believe he is here and that his birth was real. Meet little Owen Scout :) he was born at 12:08am on Sunday, October 13th, weighing 8 pounds 10 ounce and 21 inches long. He is my second miracle baby. My first was little Riley Sunday who you can read about here. Her birth was much more painful and long with a complication that made postpartum a bit rough. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to cope with another pregnancy and birth after my first. But thankfully a lot of healing through a therapist (for my anxiety) and registered dietician (for my mineral imbalances), and a big dose of faith genuinely changed me for the better, possibly the best, version of myself in life.

This second pregnancy and birth is encapsulated in one word: redemptive. Jesus had this planned all along, it has been humbling and faith enriching to see Him lead and provide and encourage me along the way. I’m so grateful, thank you to my loving God for making and sending this sweet boy to us. Let’s begin his birth story! (For his pregnancy story read here.)

Early Labor

It began Thursday night, or I suppose Friday morning, On October 11th (1 day after his due date). Around 2am I laid in bed with my first contractions. They were mild but I knew it was them because they wrapped around my entire lower abdomen and back, coming in waves for about 2 hours. I would get on all fours to relieve my lower back pain at times, in the dark, with Scott in bed on one side of me and Riley in her little bed pushed up against me on the other side. When the contractions mellowed I fell asleep and woke without any more for an hour or two. Then little ones would come and go during the day. By that evening (Friday) they had picked up in intensity and closeness (about 8 minutes apart) but I could still talk and cook and had good energy. I went to sleep that night believing I would wake in active labor that night — and so did my midwife, she was ready by her phone for my call! Instead I woke at 5:30am after a solid night of rest.

I was so glad to have rested but surprised to not be in active labor. The contractions began again, just as they were in the evening, about an hour after waking and my body began to feel more fatigued. By 8:30am I had this strange urge to bare down and push with every contraction. I didn’t feel like I was in active labor but it was just the oddest sensation. I spoke with my midwife and she had actually been called to another birth earlier that morning. We all hoped she would make it for my birth but we weren’t sure what my pushing urges meant, so she sent a back-up midwife to my house to check me. I was only 2cm dilated and most likely just feeling the opening of my pelvic floor causing pressure down low and making the pushing action feel relieving. I was thankful to know what was going on and went about the day at home, contracting every 8-10 minutes in a bearable way. It was gentle but tiring so we spent the day at home soaking up most likely our final day as a family of three!

By midday I was leaking an odorless fluid that we thought might be my water having broken. I had already been wearing pads that day and the previous because pee was leaking as well as a light pink fluid from my cervix opening, so I was aware when this new fluid arrived. My midwife and I both thought it was most likely amniotic fluid and leaking slowly. We discussed if I wasn’t in active labor that night or the following morning we would consider a gentle intervention to get things going. I had hoped we wouldn’t have to, but was okay with it to prevent infection and to meet our little boy soon.

Active Labor

That evening by dinner I could barely stand. I had to get on all fours with every contraction and do my slow deep breaths to help them pass. I was very excited! I had been excited this whole time really. I enjoyed the two days of gentle contracting and feeling like meeting our boy was going to happen very soon. I genuinely welcomed every contraction and was smiling after they would pass, just full of blissful joy. I loved the lead up time and feeling my body as it worked through warming up for his arrival. After dinner the contractions were so close I told Scott once the dinner clean up was done and he had Riley in the bath I would lay down and time a few waves. So I did, and they were 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes apart, lasting a full minute. So I wrote my midwife! We were all so thrilled!

I decided I would try to get Riley to bed before having the midwife team come over. But I could barely make it through reading her books. By the time the lights were out and she wanted me to sing her songs I had to say, “Hey Riley girl, I think baby Owen is coming, want to come out with me and help dad set up the pool?” She was SO excited about this and followed me out. She walked around the house talking non stop about it all while Scott tried to set up the pool and I was on the ground leaning on the couch for my contractions. It was 9pm and we called the midwives over. My lower back was in a lot of pain and I was glad to have the pool set up and to climb in for some relief. The water felt like pure medicine. Riley loved the purple birth pool, calling it a “grape” and getting excited to meet brother.

She, however, got antsy pretty quick, getting upset brother wasn’t here yet (it was only about 9:30pm at this point). Scott took her to the back room and laid with her till she fell asleep at about 10pm. I was so thankful for this. She was really tired and although I loved her hugs and pats and excitement, I felt like I needed calm to focus and just be with my midwife team.

It was peaceful and I went through wave after wave, getting breaks in between to talk to the midwives and ask them questions and just delight in the process. I eventually began to get scared, as the contractions were more painful and I began to be reminded of Riley’s long drawn out birth. Would that be how this would go? Would I not get to push for a long time? So I spoke with my midwife Jennifer about how I was nervous and I began to cry. With every contraction I cried. I was processing so many emotions together. Nervousness that my past birth experience would repeat itself, happiness to be meeting our son soon, and a mixture of many more feelings, both good and hard.

I eventually talked with Jennifer about checking to see how dilated I was because I had never felt the urge to push with Riley and had to be eventually coached to push. I asked her, what if I don’t feel then urge to push again? What if we are all waiting for me to and I just keep going through contractions getting weaker and weaker? She expressed to me earlier in the night not wishing to check my dilation because my water had broke and she didn’t want to risk infection by checking me unless it was super necessary. By this point it was about 11:30pm and she looked at me and said “Jessie, you look like you would benefit from some more information as to where you re at, would you like me to check you?” I couldn’t have been more grateful for her to voice this.

I said yes right away and in-between some painful contractions she checked me on the floor and said, “How about you climb back into the pool and get comfortable and I’ll let you know what I felt and what your options are, its good news.” I could have cried I was so relieved to hear this. At the time I didn’t know but Scott saw the midwife assistant motioning to Jennifer numbers with her fingers, guessing 3 centimeters? Maybe 4? And Scott saw Jennifer flash 9 fingers back at her and their big surprised smiles. So he set up his phone to record Jennifer delivering the news to me in the tub and it is one of my favorite videos of the night. She said “you are NINE centimeters dilated at the very least. There is a little bit of stretching to be done to get your boy through your cervix but your cervix is really soft, I think you could do it easily. It is up to you, but do you want to start pushing?” I was in such euphoria receiving this news. This wasn’t going to be like my last labor. I was going to push before I was so exhausted my body didn’t have anything left to give. Good news was still coming! I was preparing for the good news to stop, but it didn’t.

Before pushing, she asked if I’d like to go to the toilet and empty my bladder to help make room, and to have a few contractions on the toilet which she called the “dilation station”. I went happily and peed (which I couldn’t do in my labor with Riley) and had two contractions on the toilet before coming back to the pool. Unlike with Riley’s birth, with Owen it was still so early in labor (only about 3.5 hours of active labor at this point) so I was able to lean back in the pool and hold myself up with enough strength to push. I felt him the entire way down with each wave of pushes. It took maybe 5 or 6 contractions before I felt his head coming out and they all cheered that with the next wave I would push his shoulders out and he would be here!

It was so intense and emotional and I cried and pushed and, pop, out he flew into the water. I scooped him up with his eyes open, then his sweet mouth opened, and he let out his cry. I hugged him and the video is just the best because you see the most blissed out smile of utter disbelief and surprise that he was here! He was healthy and squishy and screaming and everyone was so happy. We were laughing, crying, and just celebrating together and it was one of my favorite moments in life. With Riley I labored intensely for 17 hours, the last 4 hours of it being pushing. With Owen I labored intensely for 3.5 hours but it was beautiful and emotional and sweet, and after only 19 minutes of pushing he was here.

We woke Riley after Owen and I were moved to the couch. She was so tired she asked to go back to bed, haha, sweet thing, we knew she would enjoy meeting him in the morning. After getting taken care of by the midwife team (and crawling to the bathroom on all fours to pee because I was too faint when I stood to walk — ha — but was so excited to pee!) they huddled around us and sang Owen his first Happy Birthday song. It was the sweetest way to end such a magical event. There was more love in the room than I could capture with words.

The midwife team left me so well equipped for postpartum and Scott held Owen on his chest while I slept for a few hours. It was 3:30am when the team left our home and around 7:45am when Riley woke and came out to meet him! It was the best! Cue entering the stage of the best postpartum I could imagine. Overwhelmed with joy and gratitude and oodles of happy hormones.

Thank you for reading Owen’s birth story! I am grateful to have gotten to record it here while it was fresh! What a blessing to get to do so, I still cannot believe he is here. Sending you all the love and newborn snuggles. xx