This is the raw uncut beautiful birth story of our son, Ezekiel Christopher Bryant. It has taken me a while to write this but better late then never.

​

 

First let me tell you how GOOD God is. It was one of my many prayers through out my pregnancy to finish work before I went into labor. I love the people that I work for and didn’t want to leave them hanging in any way. Well, my last day was July 31st and at 4:30 pm I was a stay at home wife. Little did I know that in less the 24 hours I would be a stay at home mom too! God answered my prayer by letting me finish work and went into labor that next day!!

 

So with that said let me begin to tell you my amazing birth story.

 

 

I woke up at 3:00 am with some craps that felt like I had to go poo. I got up and tried to go but nothing was happening. The cramps were coming and going so I thought “Huh, maybe I’m in labor.” I went right back to bed because I know that if this was “It” I needed to rest as long as I could. I never fell back asleep I just laid there with my eyes closed. They were coming and going more frequently and started to really hurt. More then a regular monthly period cramp. I looked at the clock and it was 4:00 am. I was starting to have to breathe through the cramps so I woke Chris up. I said “Chris I’m started to cramp” He woke right up!! He said “ok, what do I need to do?” We started to time the contractions and they were about 4-5 minutes apart but only lasting 15-25 seconds long. Which, I was not expecting them to be that close together in the beginning. I thought they would be like the “normal” 20 minutes apart then slowly get closer but not mine. I even started to think at this point I am a big wimp. How can I last the average labor of 17 hours?

I really needed to breathe through them now. It was closer to 5:00 am now and the contractions jumped from lasting 15-25 seconds to 40 seconds to a minute pretty quickly.

 

At this point, we called Kim Reeves, my doula, to let her know I was in labor. We let her know everything I was feeling and all that good stuff. Oh and I still have not lost my mucus plug or had my bloody show still. I had no pre labor signs which was weird, just woke up with cramps!

Chris was doing a really good job supporting me and rubbing my back. I could not sit down or lay down I could only lean over something swaying my hips or on my hands and knees.

Now we are closer to 5:45 am and they were starting to be 2-3 minutes apart lasting a minute to a minute and a half long! I need to have someone else with me now because Chris was trying to make sure we had everything together and being with me for every contract.

We called Jen Polk and Brittny Mayerlen to come over because Kim had to wait for Ray to come home from work at 7:00am. It was about 6:00 am. Chris called my mom to let her know I was in labor and called my sister. Jen and Brit got to our apartment around 6:30am. I am really feeling these contractions now. I felt like there was no in between the contractions. One on top of another, breathing through them. I was on my hands and knees with my face in the crack of the couch. That was the best position I could get in. I start to feel like I am going to throw up. I’m still thinking that I am going to be in labor for a while longer so if I am wanting to throw up already I am going to be throwing up the rest of the time. Many of you know that I have a very sensitive stomach so I knew I would throw up at some point of my labor. I know now that I was starting transition. It was 6:45 and we call the midwife. Letting her know how long I have been in labor and were my contractions were. She told us to go ahead and come to the birth center to see how far along I am. P.S. I was never checked before I went into labor so I have no idea if I was dilated at all before. It’s about 7:15 now and I have puked twice which I must say is amazing puking while having a contraction. Total outer body experience!! My contractions were so close together and feeling like I didn’t have a break in between it took me a while to get up and out the door. I was thinking I don’t know if I can get in the car and ride for 10 to 15 minutes. I had 2 contractions from our front door to the car door. It took me like 3 minutes to get to the car which it would normally take me 30 seconds! We road in Jen car and Jen took our car. Brittny was driving and I was on my knees in the back seat leaning over then center console with my pillow and my head on Chris’ lap. That was the worst car ride ever. My contractions changed while I was in there and not in a good way.

​

We got to the Birth center at 7:30. My mom and Kim were already at the birth center when we got there. My flip flops fell off in the car on the way there so when I got out I didn’t have my shoes on. I didn’t care at all I just needed to get out of the car and inside. I had a contraction on the way in which was lovely.

Katie, the new midwife, checked me and I was 8 and a half centimeters dilated!!!! As soon as she told me I looked a Chris and started to cry. I did not want to be at 5 centimeters or something like that. I was almost done and going to meet my son!

​

Katie got the tub ready in the room which I was just going to try out because I was not sure if I was going to like it. As soon as I got in I loved it. It helped me relax because I felt like I didn’t have a break in between contractions. My back really started to hurt now so the water helped with that too. During the contractions I couldn’t keep my eyes open and at the end of one I looked up and saw Sharon, the other midwife, and started to cry. I think I cried because it was just another sign that this race I was running was almost over and my prize was waiting for me. The only times I cried was when Katie told me I was 8 and a half centimeters and when I saw Sharon. I didn’t even cry when he came out!

​

I started to feel like I had to push shortly after I got in the tub. Which was a really weird feeling by the way. While I was pushing my contractions started to separate more. I had more minutes in between them. I could not keep my eyes open at all now. I fell asleep in between my pushing contractions! It was crazy, Kim held my head from falling into the water! My water broke right before his head started to crown. When my water broke it felt like I farted! I was under water so you could hear it a little bit and I felt a pressure relief. I was thinking in my head Oh great I just farted in front of these people and we got it on film. But shortly after I thought that I heard them say Oh your water broke! Sharon had to help me push a little bit by applying pressure down there so I could feel where to push. It may sound funny that more pressure helped but it did.

​

His head was starting to come out and it started to burn…which I knew it would but it started to burn up near my pee hole as I call it not so much at the bottom. Sharon told me to press down where it was hurting and boy did I. I pressed as hard as I could because I did not want to tear up there. It makes me hurt just thinking about it. His head was almost out and Chris was right by Sharon ready to pull our prize out! His head came out with his arm! His arm was right up against his forehead so when his head came so did it. I know that when the head comes out your supposed to stop pushing so they can go ahead and move the head to the side so the shoulders can come out easily but my body would not stop pushing! All I remember is as soon as that head came out I felt amazing. It was funny because as soon as Sharon moved his head she told Chris He could go ahead and get his son. He put his hands down in the water and kinda just left them there on him. Not pulling him out. I had to say ok…ok pull him up because he is still half way inside of me!! He pulled him up and our son started to cry! He stopped shortly after he was on my chest and just chilled with me in the tub He was born at 9:27 am. It was the most amazing experience ever so far in my life and I would do it all over again in a heart beat. All the pain was worth it as soon as I saw my son. My body did what God created it to do. No medication or interventions needed praise The Lord!

 

So that is my birth story with baby Zeke. 3:00 am to 9:27 am, 6 and a half hours of labor. I was not expecting that at all. I am very thankful that for my very smooth pregnancy and labor of Zeke..

​

Written by Zeke's mother:  Brittany