Part 1: My Birth Story – A Journey to Koda

I never imagined my son’s birth would happen the way it did. Like many moms-to-be, I had my birth plan in mind—a vision of how I hoped the experience would unfold. But as I learned, birth has its own plan, and sometimes, it takes us on a path we least expect.

My labor started as any other—filled with anticipation and hope. As contractions built, I focused on staying calm, trusting my body to do what it was made to do. But as the hours passed, the energy in the room began to shift.

The First Signs of Change

The nurses were monitoring Koda’s heart rate closely. I remember one of them explaining how his heart rate would drop when I was on my left side. So, I listened and stayed on my right, doing everything I could to keep him safe. Then, something unexpected happened. As they broke my water, my son pooped inside the womb—a sign of stress.

In that moment, I felt him burrow closer to me, almost as if he were scared. I instinctively wanted to protect him, to hold him, but all I could do was follow the nurses’ instructions. That’s when everything changed.

Time Stood Still

The nurse had just left the room when the OR team came in. It felt as if time suddenly sped up. One minute, I was lying there, waiting, and the next, I was being prepped for a C-section. It all happened so fast that I didn’t have time to process what was happening. My worst fear was becoming a reality, and I felt powerless to stop it.

They wheeled me into the operating room, and the bright lights and sterile air felt overwhelming. I was scared, unsure of what was coming next. The doctors added more anesthesia, and all I could do was lie there, waiting.

The Anchor in the Storm

The one thing that kept me grounded was Marc. He stayed by my side through it all, holding my hand and reassuring me with his presence. Without him, I don’t know if I could have made it through. He was my anchor, my strength, in a moment where I felt completely out of control.

Koda’s Arrival

At first, I didn’t hear Koda’s cry, and my heart sank. But then, there it was—the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. Relief washed over me as Marc held him close and brought him to me. In that moment, nothing else mattered.

Despite the fear, the rush, and the overwhelming emotions, I finally held my son in my arms. It wasn’t the birth I had planned, but it was our birth story—a story of resilience, love, and the incredible bond between a mother and her child.

This is just the first part of my journey to becoming a mother. In part two, I’ll share what it was like recovering from my unplanned C-section and how it shaped my hopes for a VBAC in the future.