Second labors tend to be shorter than first labors, but as with everything in birth, they’re unpredictable. This mama had some ᴘʀᴏᴅʀᴏᴍᴀʟ ʟᴀʙᴏʀ and was 3 cm for 3 weeks before they scheduled an ɪɴᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ at almost 41 weeks!

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They checked in to the hospital at 8 a.m. and started Pɪᴛᴏᴄɪɴ at 9:20 a.m. The doctor ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ her ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ and casually mentioned that the baby would be out in time for a “late lunch.” My bags were packed and had been for weeks, so I just waited for the go-ahead to ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ. Not even 2 hours later, she tells me the ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs are about 2-3 minutes apart and that she has ordered an ᴇᴘɪᴅᴜʀᴀʟ.

I had no idea how ᴅɪʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ she was, but I ran out the door. I arrived at the hospital at 11:34 a.m., and it was very clear she was in transition. The nurse suggested they get into position for the ᴇᴘɪᴅᴜʀᴀʟ, but the labor ward was super busy, so the anesthesiologist wouldn’t arrive for 20 more minutes.

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The anesthesiologist arrives and starts trying to place the ᴇᴘɪᴅᴜʀᴀʟ, but things start to escalate very quickly. At 12:13 pm, the whole room realizes that this ᴇᴘɪᴅᴜʀᴀʟ isn’t going to happen because this sweet girl is coming. Fast.  The nurse calls for a midwife because the OB wouldn’t make it in time, and sweet Pilar was born within a minute. Here is what this mama has to say about her birth:

“As the ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ɪɴᴛᴇɴsɪꜰɪᴇᴅ, my assurance that the sweet relief of an ᴇᴘɪᴅᴜʀᴀʟ was imminent quickly ᴅɪssɪᴘᴀᴛᴇᴅ. The nurse and the anesthesiologist kept instructing me to “relax, hold still, stay put,” all while my body was sᴜʙᴍᴇʀɢᴇᴅ in wave after wave of ᴘᴀɪɴ that I didn’t anticipate.

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It’s kind of nuts to say that, but I didn’t have the mental model and context of spontaneous labor and “natural” ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs as my first daughter’s arrival was also induced, and that ᴇᴘɪᴅᴜʀᴀʟ kicked in before things got too ɪɴᴛᴇɴsᴇ. Here I was, headed into the valley of darkness, and my only thoughts were, “This is not part of the plan!” I remember saying, “I can’t do this, I can’t do this!” over and over.

Then suddenly, it felt like the baby was ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ and I’d be sitting on her! I recall screaming, “Something’s ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ!” I was ᴛᴇʀʀɪꜰɪᴇᴅ. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I just felt as if I was going to be torn apart.

And this is the stunned face of a woman realizing that she has done what she never imagined she could do. I had a baby without an ᴇᴘɪᴅᴜʀᴀʟ – I’m still wrapping my head around this. Immediately after Pilar came out, all the ᴘᴀɪɴ was gone, and I just felt joy, relief, and love. I would have never thought that I was capable of this, and I’ve already had one child! I’m so thankful that Lisa was there to capture this amazing journey. I will treasure the revelation forever.”