My Unmedicated Birth Story in Harrisburg, PA: A Calm, Empowering Labor and Delivery

Rachael Thompson
Jun 12
3 min read

"The birth of my daugther was the most empowering thing I’ve ever done. I felt strong and capable of anything."

Collage of childbirth moments: a woman in labor, a partner by her side, and a newborn cuddled with the mother, conveying strength and joy.

Welcome to my birth story in Harrisburg, PA. As a mother and photographer, I’ve always believed that every part of the motherhood journey matters, and this is the story of how we welcomed our sweet girl into the world. My hope is that by sharing this experience, other mamas feel encouraged, inspired, and reminded of their own strength.

It’s 1 AM.

I wake up to cramping. Nothing too intense, but enough to make it hard to fall back asleep.

Around 1:30 AM, I wake up my husband, Brooks, to let him know I’m in pain and need his help. He comforts me, and eventually we head out to the living room to sit and watch Modern Family. With each wave, Brooks pauses the show so I can focus on my breathing.

6:30 AM.

We call our doula Amy. By then, the contractions are closer together. She tells me to keep her updated if anything changes. About an hour later, the contractions are back-to-back. At that point, we decided to go to my already scheduled OB appointment.

9 AM.

At the doctor’s office, I’m told I’m 3–4 centimeters dilated and at station -1. The doctor suggests we head to the hospital. My goal was to labor at home for as long as possible, so I decided to head home for a bit longer. Amy meets us there, and about an hour or two later, our second doula, Lindsey, arrives.

Lindsey and Amy guided me through various movements and techniques while I labored at home: walking, using the peanut ball, toilet sitting, forward-leaning inversions, side-lying, and resting.

I try to rest in bed while dealing with back-to-back contractions. Brooks brings over one of the onesies I got from my baby shower for me to hold. It reminds me why I’m doing this and makes me smile through the next contraction. I also keep reciting the affirmation:

“I am brave. I am bold. I am strong.”

I repeat this over and over, and it gives me the strength to focus on my breathing.

During labor, I showered four times. The water helps ease the pain. I stand there and continue to breathe:

In 1…2…3…4… Out 1…2…3…4…5…6…

I’m toilet sitting when my water breaks. That’s when the contractions intensify.

It’s time to go to the hospital.

They get me dressed and into the backseat of the car.

It's 2 PM.

The contractions are so intense now, completely different from before. Suddenly, I feel the urge to push...

I keep thinking, “Am I going to have this baby in the car?”

I change my breathing pattern to ease the urge to push.

When we arrive, they put me into a wheelchair, and suddenly I’m in an elevator headed to the triage room.

I’m 10 cm.

“You are ready to go!” I hear the midwife say. “Let’s get you to the next room.”

They tell me to get into the bed in any comfortable position. I climb in on all fours and am rolled to the delivery room.

In labor and delivery, they hook up monitors while I breathe through each contraction, pushing when I feel the need.

I push for about an hour and a half.

4:13 PM

My daughter is born.

They hand her to me through my legs, and I pull her to my chest. I stare at her in awe.

The birth of my daughter was the most empowering thing I’ve ever done. I felt strong and capable of anything.

I am beyond blessed to have had the birth story I always envisioned.

From the very beginning, I knew I wanted an all-natural, unmedicated birth.

I wanted to labor at home for as long as possible.

I wanted to use water to help with the pain.

I wanted to use positive affirmations throughout my pregnancy and during labor.

I wanted positive people surrounding me the entire time.

I am so grateful to Amy and Lindsey from Dauphin County Doulas for guiding me through this process. They were literally a shoulder to lean on and a hand to hold.

I am so grateful to the team at UPMC Woodward & Associates for guiding me through my pregnancy and labor. They were positive and encouraging. Hearing them cheer me on was exactly what I needed.

Above all, I am so grateful for my husband, Brooks. He was my rock through my entire pregnancy, and especially during labor. I am beyond blessed to be raising this beautiful little girl with him.