Punky aka Ivy's Birth Story

The details will be a little off potentially as I am writing this 13 years after. :-)
But here is Ivy's birth story.

In November of 1999 I turned 18 years old, I was also about 3 months pregnant. I didn't know a lot about babies, or childbirth, or much of anything child related actually. I had at first planned on not keeping the baby, but once I saw her on the ultrasound at our 20 week scan I knew she was my baby and was meant for me. :-) She was a very unplanned pregnancy. I was in my senior year of high school and I was raped. But still I saw her little body and her little face on that monitor and in that one single moment, I became a mother. I became HER mother. I knew that we would work things out and I couldn't give her away.

April 21st, 1999 I woke up feeling a little 'off'. Not in pain, didn't think anything about labor, just felt off. I was not actually 'due' until the middle of May, I was right at 37 weeks so it never occurred to me that it might be "THE day". I called my Mom and told her I felt a little funny. She said to rest and have some toast and see if that helped.

I ate my toast and still felt odd. My mother called a neighbor who happened to be a nurse to come over to check on me. She told me I was in labor and I needed to get to the hospital! I was having "silent" but regular contractions, according to her about 3-4 minutes apart. Huh. So, we called my mom and she came home to take me to the hospital.

It wasn't a long drive, but sometime during the drive I did start feeling the contractions here and there and some were rather uncomfortable. It was a little after 10am when we got to the hospital and they said I was in active labor and hooked me up the monitors and IV's and all that stuff that hospitals do.

I was glad I packed all the stuff I had wanted. I did know that I wanted to have a natural, vaginal birth even as a teenager. Mainly because the thoughts of interventions scared me to death! haha

So I had a cd player and a few mixed cd's with some music that made me happy. Some Led Zepplin, Some Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, ya know, the good ones. ;-)

The doctor came in at one point and decided to break my water because it had 'not done it on it's own'. I had no idea that there was no reason to so I agreed.

After that, I took a little cat nap for awhile. I woke up once because I felt very sick to my stomach and ended up throwing up in a little bed pan, and I remember being very embarrassed and the nurses laughed at me and were very comforting and said it's defiantly not to be embarrassed about and they say that and way worse every day.

The 'head nurse' said I was doing an amazing job handling labor and was amazed I was able to sleep and asked if she could bring some students in to observe me and if they could film the birth. I said I didn't care. They seemed grateful and said most people refuse them. ? Huh

So, a few hours after being in the hospital, I feel like it's time for the baby to come. I hadn't taken any birth classes or anything but I KNEW it was time. I told my mom to get my midwife. (Her name was Mary too)

She came in and verified it WAS time to push! It only took 3 pushes and Ivy was out! Mary said I did an amazing job! No pain medication, no tears, everything was perfect!

Including my little baby girl, who made her appearance during Janis Joplin's "Summertime" :-) And was 6 pounds 14 ounces and 21 inches long. Perfect APGAR scores.

I was in labor that I was aware of for about 5 hours. Great for a first time mom.

Her name is Ivy-Ariana Celeste and she nursed like a champ. It was an amazing birth experience and led me to the things that I am now passionate about even though I went in it naïve.