Birthing in Louisiana - Baby McCullars’ Birth Story

Disclaimer: The stories included in this project are to highlight many different stories, situations, locations, and birth experiences in the state of Louisiana. I have been given permission by the mothers to share. They do not reflect my own opinions, beliefs, and/or recommendations. They have been shared with minimal to no editing on my part. Even with the births that I have attended, my view or opinion may differ, but I have in no way changed the mother’s story. There will be no trigger warnings. Read at your own risk. - Rebekah Blouin

“Labor with my 3rd baby began on a Wednesday morning near 39 weeks in the pregnancy. I had been dilated to 3cm and had lost my mucous plug in 3 parts over the course of the preceding week. My face had recently felt flushed and I felt lots of increased pelvic pressure when walking, so I could tell that my body was getting ready for this baby to make his entrance. There was an upcoming full moon- and we full moons have their way of pulling babies into the world around that time of the month, so I expected big things to be happening soon.

After getting my 2 older boys to school that morning, I ran a few errands and went into work to do some charting before seeing patients for the afternoon shift. I had woken up feeling so uncomfortable and crampy in my pelvis, so I was a little fidgety and grumpy. Contractions started around 11am while sitting at my work desk. They were irregular, but it was enough for me to know these were something greater than Braxton-Hicks. Throughout the afternoon, contractions developed a more regular pattern. At times they were as close as 2 or 3 minutes apart. I had to really begin focusing on my breathing while adjusting my patients- I’m a chiropractor, so my job is pretty physical.

I was determined to keep myself busy and working until I had seen my last patient for the day. I never told a single patient I was in labor that afternoon! Lucky for me, my patients are face down on my table for the majority of my visit with them.

When my shift was over around 5pm, I realized I had stranded myself at work- Although I was still completely fine in between them, my contractions were now too painful for me to drive! So I called my husband Ike to come pick me up from the office, and my office manager Evan drove my car home for me.

Once home, I took a long hot bath with essential oils and called my mom to come sit with me. She sat and chatted with me for a good hour or so while I was in the tub. All the while the rushes were slowly but surely increasing in intensity with each squeeze. When they were very regularly 5 minutes apart and becoming what I would consider “pretty intense”, I called my Doula, Bekah, to be with me for additional support. She arrived around 8pm, at which time I was out of the tub and cuddling with my 5 year old son Everett in bed to help stimulate more oxytocin release.

I let my husband take over Everett’s bedtime routine so Bekah and I could chat. She wanted to assess how far along we thought I might be at this point.

She had me get on the peanut ball for a little while and then on the big exercise ball for about an hour. We sat together in the darkened living room, listening to my praise and worship playlist for a while. It was such a calm labor so far. I remember Bekah asking if there was a specific song I wanted to hear, something that makes me cry when I hear it. I told her “Honey in the Rock.” Sure enough, tears were falling down my cheeks as I was riding each wave of labor on the exercise ball.

Around 10pm, the rushes were suddenly a lot more intense and happening every 3 minutes or so. At this point, I made the decision to load up to go to the hospital. I walked myself in the hospital but had to stop a few times through some strong contractions.

After we got settled into the hospital, the nurse checked me and I was at 8cm! I was very pleased with how far along I had made it laboring at home.

Bekah encouraged Ike and I to slow dance to our wedding song in the dimly-lit hospital room and it helped so much.

It was powerful and beautiful. I remember more hot tears rolling down my cheeks as things intensified.

Bekah and my mom took turns switching out with Ike to help hold me and encourage me with each coming rush. The room was so hot to me, I think they must have cut the AC down to what felt like 50 something degrees before it was all over.

Sometime after that, we discovered I had a cervical lip at 9cm which made me nervous. I was so worried it would interfere with me pushing if that lip didn’t disappear. My legs, lower back and abdominal muscles were burning fiercely. I was also exhausted at this point because I had not rested all day- remember the part about where stubborn Me had worked all day without telling a single patient that I was in labor?!

Labor seemed to stall for several hours from here- not sure why, but my best guess in hindsight is that my body had to shut down to rest before I could finish this labor. So my body quite literally said “Bye Felicia!” and I went to sleep for 30 or 45 minutes at a time, a few times in a row. I know It sounds like the craziest thing, to fall asleep during the middle of labor at 9cm!

I think the rest and the time passing helped with that cervical lip.

The body’s subconscious has much more wisdom than we might realize.

Bekah would wake me about once an hour and tell me “ok… you’ve only had 3 contractions in the past hour, so If you want to have this baby, you’re going to have to get up and move around again.”

I didn’t even realize I’d had any contractions while sleeping, and I definitely didn’t want to move. She finally talked me into going on all 4’s on the hospital bed. Once I was in that position, she rotated my ankles outward, which immediately helped baby move further down. This was the greatest shift I felt through the entire labor- it intensified the pain so greatly and so quickly that I got so mad at Bekah! (Talking with her later, she was actually trying to make me mad so I would be more motivated to labor the baby out!)

I remember trying to climb up the head of the bed to escape the pain.

I finally told her I simply couldn’t take that position anymore and had to roll over and rest some more.

Another hour passed- time seemed to be at a standstill yet passing far too quickly all at the same time. My body shut down again for some sleep…and I woke up with a strong rush that jerked me wide awake from sleep, as if my body was saying, “Ok, it’s ok. And now it’s time. Now it’s time to push him out.”

After giving my body that time and rest, the cervical lip was gone and I was at 10 cm!

Bekah asked me if I had felt my water break yet because there was something wet on the bed. I reached down- and to my surprise, I could feel the water sac bulging out! It was the most empowering moment to feel the progress of all my body’s hard work so far. Bekah told me I could break it myself if I wanted to.

I kept feeling it with my fingers and tried to break it, but it felt really tough-like a thick balloon- and I decided it wasn’t quite time yet. “A few more contractions, first,” I thought.

I let another few waves of contractions pass. Soon enough, I felt enough pressure that I knew I could push baby out, if only the water sac would just release. I needed to get the water and extra pressure out of the way.

So I asked if the OB could come and break my water for me. Up to this point, the OB had been very hands-off and had allowed me to labor through the night with virtually no disturbance.

When the OB came, she gently broke my water, and I felt the most massive relief of pressure I had anticipated. It was great. When I tell you water gushed everywhere… it was EVERYWHERE!

I have never felt such a release of pressure from my body as that feeling.

I tried to feel for his head. No head yet.

Thoughts and questions began to swirl through my brain faster than I could verbalize them.

I asked where the head was. Was it close now that all of the water was out of the way? Dear Jesus, please help the pain. Please help the head to move down. Was anyone worried about slipping on all that water on the floor? Jesus, please help the pain go away. How long had I been in labor? What time was it? Was this ever going to end? Where was my driver’s license? I think I gave it to someone as I checked into the hospital earlier. Jesus, please help me. Was it too late for an epidural? Yes, it was much too late. Jesus, help me!!!

Within about a minute after the water sac had been broken, my legs and low back began burning intensely again as the next rush came on. I felt fire everywhere. I started growling like an animal. I told my birth team I was about to “beast-mode this baby out” and meet my boy.

The contractions were coming on extremely strong now. Birth was imminent and there was no turning back. Here we were. The only way OUT was THROUGH.

About 3 contractions later, I could finally feel the head! It felt strangely softer than what I knew a newborn’s head to feel like.

I pushed, we gained some ground, I pushed again and then lost some ground with his head, but I tried in all of the pushing to focus on what my body was telling me. Some rushes were strong enough to ride, so I could work with my body and not against it, and some weren’t. It was crazy how I could feel the difference between the ones I wanted to use to help push baby out, from the ones that were a no-go.

I remember saying several funny things when things got real in the room.

I remember sarcastically saying “I’m still waiting to feel that ‘Birth Ecstasy’ I’ve read about in Ina May’s book”- (I never felt it, to my dismay…ha)- and then muttering “birth ecstasy… birth ecstasy” over and over, trying to make light of the pain I was experiencing.

I remember growling like an animal more.

I remember making the “horse lips” sound and asking my birth team to “Chung the mother! Chung the mother!” -(If you don’t know what that is… look it up. It’s pretty funny. But it works like a charm for pain relief!)

I remember frantically asking Bekah and my husband to squeeze my back and hips, then abruptly yelling at them to STOP!!! And then immediately telling them, “Nevermind, do it again!!”

Finally, after pushing his head out for what felt like forever, I heard the OB say “let me just get this other… shoulder…out” and that’s when I knew it was almost done.

“Did she just say… SHOULDER?”

“I know that comes next!!!” I thought excitedly. I knew if the shoulders were coming out, the hardest part was nearly over.

I felt light years beyond exhaustion but knew we were at the end of the line and meeting my baby boy was directly correlated with how hard I worked right now, in this very moment. I gathered the last of my strength, pushed one more great time with all of my strength, and out baby slipped! Such a feeling of relief and achievement all at the same time! The burning pain down my legs and back was instantly gone.

Now it was time to see my boy. As they went to lay baby on my chest, wait- WHAT?! All I saw were BABY GIRL parts coming towards me!!!

We had not found out the gender of baby this time- And to think, with every ounce of “mother’s intuition,” I had truly believed that she was another big, fat, boy in there the entire pregnancy!

I held her at my chest in disbelief. I tried to wrap my brain around what was happening!! She latched with no issues almost immediately, and after the cord stopped pulsating, I made the cut to separate us. Two from one. What a rite of passage for mother and daughter. And there she was- living, breathing, thriving with a fantastic APGAR score- this beautiful little female being. I was beaming with joy as the final round of hot tears rolled down my cheeks. Our own little girl- what a blessing this day was! Our family immediately felt complete!

On April 6, the day of the full Pink Moon, We welcomed our baby girl into the world. We named her Audrey Nell- Audrey after my beloved Grandbunny, and Nell after Ike’s beloved Granny. Our daughter was named after two amazing, hard-working and cherished women.

The entire experience was truly liberating. I was able to have the birth I wanted. My wishes for minimal intervention were respected in the delivery room. We weren’t bothered much by the nurses or OB unless WE requested their assistance. My doula advocated for me at times that I was in “labor land” and not able to really talk or know what was going on with the medical staff. She helped guide my husband and Mom so they could better help and encourage me. Because of this experience, I now have faith that you absolutely CAN have a hands-off, natural, unmedicated birth in a hospital if you have the right support network with you.

Many thanks to my greatest supporters on my birth team- My husband Ike, my mom Kim, my doula Bekah, my office manager Evan, and of course… my number one fan, Jesus- who I talked to in great length, and the only man whose name I have called out for help more than my husband’s. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

• Jamie McCullars, D.C., Owner of Bayou Belle Wellness

  Birth location: Monroe, LA