This post is part 3 of 6 in the series How I Became a Mother.

When mothers look back at their time during labor and delivery and say, “It was all just a blur,” or, “I don’t remember much,” I don’t believe them. I remember almost all 20 hours I was in labor with my two-year-old, Sam. It had the best possible outcome of all, but getting there was… how I became a mother.

Around 11 p.m. on Friday February 1, 2013, I had been asleep for about two hours. I woke up to horrible pains in my stomach. Thinking they were just gas pains, I went to the bathroom. I went back to bed and not 10 minutes later they came again. That’s when I knew something was up. I was 39 weeks pregnant and thought this was it. I was ready.

I got up and alerted my husband that I thought I was in labor. I then did what every first time mom does: I watched a movie on Comedy Central while timing contractions. They started to get closer and closer and more painful. Around 2 a.m. I took a shower and finished packing my bag. By 3 a.m., the contractions were close enough that I went to Methodist Hospital downtown.

I’d had great care with my Unity Point OB/GYNs during my prenatal visits. I had tried to see all the doctors, because you don’t know who will be on call when it’s time for delivery. By the time I got to the hospital, I was only dilated to two centimeters. They had me walk the halls. I’d stop in front of the nursery staring at the tiny babies, hoping mine would be in my arms shortly.

At 7:00 a.m. they had a shift change and a new doctor took over. She was from a different practice and I had not met her before. My blood pressure had been high since I’d arrived, and even though I was only at three centimeters, they decided to break my water and admit me. I started to cry at this point, knowing my son would be born today.

Soon after I was admitted, I received my epidural and tried to rest. There was a problem though. Every time I had a contraction, the baby’s heart rate dropped. The doctor and nurses came in and put me in several different positions to get this to stop. It didn’t stop completely, but there were a few positions that helped it not drop as much. I also was not dilating very fast. At 5:30 p.m. I was still only at a six centimeters. We decided that we would check again in 30 minutes and if I had not progressed, we would do a C-section.

The 30 minutes came and I was at 10 centimeters. I was ready to push and see my beautiful son. Within 40 minutes of pushing, my son, Samuel John Dunbar, was born at 7:10 p.m. on February 2, 2013. He was 5 lbs. 13 oz. and 19 inches long. He had an amazing head of dark, curly hair, and we were in love instantly. We also found out he had the cord wrapped around his neck twice, so that was why his heart rate was dropping with every contraction.

I had the best experience at Methodist Hospital and UnityPoint. My nurses were attentive and caring without being overbearing. I had such a good experience with the doctors and nurses that I am going to deliver our second child at Methodist in just a few weeks. I recommend Methodist and UnityPoint to every one who is expecting. It is also very cool that I, my husband, and our children were all born at Methodist Hospital.

And that, my friends, is how I became a mother.

Read more from our How I Became a Mother series, sponsored by UnityPoint Health – Des Moines:

• I Didn’t Know What I Was Missing
• A Premature Beginning
• PPD and Me
• The Day That Changed Everything
• A Thank You Story

About Our Series Sponsor

At UnityPoint Health – Des Moines we offer a wide range of Maternity, Pregnancy, and Parenting Services to help guide you through this exciting time. At each of our three Maternity Centers – Iowa Methodist, Iowa Lutheran, and Methodist West – you will find experienced staff and personalized care to help you welcome the newest member of your family. Becoming a parent is a new journey for many, so we offer a wide variety of services, including certified lactation consultants, childbirth education and preparedness classes, perinatal services, and patient care facilitators.