First Home Birth
After birth center births
Saturday afternoon I asked hubby to take the boys with him to get groceries. Normally I do this but physically I couldn't bare it with carrying the baby so low and plus I have no patience to take the boys with me. I had also been anxious all week about being in public and going into labor because I knew my labor wouldn't last long. The last thing I wanted was to give birth in general public and some well meaning stranger call 911, well actually the last thing would to give birth in a hospital ;O)
While they were away I finally watched Birth as We Know It while leaning forward on my birth ball in hands and knees position trying to get some relief from the pressure on my pubis. I then made some PB & J sandwiches, while I was making the sandwiches I felt some sensations but they weren't contractions. This was about 3:30pm. I took bath with lavender and peppermint essential oils while listening to some relaxing music.
Hubby came home and I put the boys down for a nap. Only when I would stand would I feel these sensations, just more pressure. Nothing I could time and I wasn't contracting, but something felt different. He left to go mow and took my cell with him just in case. I called my midwife to let her know I was feeling sensations that I was feeling mostly in the front of my thighs but I wasn't contracting, but something was "different". I called hubby and told him what was going on but told him not to worry about rushing home as I wasn't in labor yet.
My midwife called her student and told me they would probably head down as I lived 1.5hrs south, they would call before they left just to check in. She called me about 6pm to let me know they were leaving and I said that would be a good idea. They arrived about 7:30pm and set up their supplies. My midwife then checked me and I had moved up to a +1 station and was 4cm, 70%. Just on Monday I was +4 station, 3cm and 60%. I had been doing child's pose throughout the week to move baby up to reposition so he could apply better pressure to my cervix. We figured he would have to move up some. Though he still felt so low and it even felt uncomfortable oddly enough to sit on the birth ball. My midwife said they would leave for a few hours, go for dinner in the area and come back later to check on me. This was about 8:30pm. Hubby took the boys over to his parents house for them to stay the night.
About 10:30pm I started contracting. I never properly timed the contractions. They seemed to be lasting about 30secs and were 6mins apart. The cntxs felt different, they didn't wrap all the around but I felt the mostly in the front. So I was skeptical I might actually be in labor. The midwife came back about 10:45 and I was cntxing regularly. They sat in the kitchen quietly. I turned on my playlist but I had been watching House Hunters while leaning forward on my birth ball in hands and knees.
We had some water in the pool, it was filled about half way. It was about 11:30pm and the cntxs were now about 3-4mins apart and 40secs long. Hubby, started filling up the birth pool the rest of the way. I still not entirely believing I'm in labor despite Im knocking out these contractions. I ventured from the kitchen to where my iPod was playing, I would lean forward on the counter during a contraction and just breathe in and out, swaying to the music. I would go back into the living room and sometimes lean on my birth ball. About this point I wasn't finding comfort in kneeling forward on the birth ball and needed to be upright. I wanted to take a brief shower. I mentioned calling my cousin in law, who I had asked to take pictures and be here for support. I didn't want her to come too soon because after all I might not be in labor. I hopped in the shower and told my hubby he could give her a call. My midwife said to him while I was in the shower she thought I was in denial about being in labor, LOL. It was a little after midnight when my hubby's cousin got here. I showed her where the camera was. The cntx were about 2-3mins apart and 40secs...I think. I said to her if these contractions don't amount to a baby in the next several hours I was going to be PISSED because they were really starting to hurt. We laughed.
Now my midwife and student midwife were boiling water with all the pots and pans we had, even using the electric kettle to put in the birth pool. We were waiting for the hot water to heat back up. I would walk from kitchen to where my ipod was and lean on the counter, gripping it during a contraction. Breathing deeply in and out. My husband would come in the kitchen and rub my back, giving me words of encouragement. I would sometimes lean forward into his chest during contractions.
I started feeling pressure like I needed to have a BM. I asked if I could get in the pool. It wasn't ready and I really wanted to get in. This was probably about 12:30. I knew my cousin in law was taking pictures and the midwife & student midwife were getting the pool ready but I couldn't really focus on them. The cntx were about every other minute at this point. Finally I said I really wanted to get in the pool. It was a few degrees cooler than it had to be for the baby to be born in it. I got in while they still continued to fill up the pool with boiling water to raise the temperature. During the cntx's I kept feeling pressure in my rectum, I knew the 2nd stage would be soon but I didn't want to rush it. I wanted to let it build. Finally the water had gotten to the right temperature about 15 minutes after I had been in the pool, I think. I started to bear down during a contraction while I was leaning over the side of the pool facing my husband. It left and I waited.
The contractions spaced out a bit and I knew this was the "2nd stage break". I found comfort in it. I think with the next cntx I asked while bearing down "Is my bottom flattening out?" ....something only a doula would ask! I knew that meant something was happening. For some reason pushing with Silas felt more tough and raw than when I pushed during my last birth. It seemed more difficult not sure why, it required more effort.. .but in reality it didn't take that much effort. I asked my midwife if something was happening during the next contraction when I pushed and she said yes. She said baby was crowning and to reach down and feel his head, which was still covered by the membrane. He started to emerge with the membrane around him. As soon as I reached down and felt him, I very quickly flipped over without thinking at all from leaning forward on the birth pool to facing forward because I wanted to catch him. In that moment as I was turning over my membrane broke and he came out, my midwife guided him to me as he was still under water.
I was still very unsure of what was going on, it all happened so quickly it seemed. I brought him to my chest and leaned back against the wall of the pool with great joy and relief. I think I exclaimed, "My baby! My baby!" I threw my head back and gave a huge sigh.
I stayed in the pool for a few minutes and the midwife checked on the new baby. I then got out with help and made my way over to the couch. We did some more skin to skin and nursed. I was exhausted yet energized and felt fulfilled by the birth and having another baby to love.
Another 10 minutes or so and the placenta came out, we then clamped and cut the cord. The midwife took it to examine it. It was very healthy, had great blood flow, no calcification spots, heart shaped with a slight velamentous cord insertion.
The baby was measured, weighed and had his newborn exam. He weighed 7lbs, 14oz and was 21 inches long.
Every one cleaned up and left a few hours later after making sure the baby and I were doing well. We slept for a few hours and then after church my parents in law brought my older boys back to the house to meet their baby brother. They were so excited! They each got to hold him.
My middle son asked, "Mama how did you push out the baby?!" with amazement. He has asked me every day about a dozen times a day. I respond with "I squeezed really hard and pushed him down and out the special hole in my body." Hee hee.
Its crazy to think about the myriad of different birth experiences I've had. I've had one planned birth center turned hospital induction, free standing birth center and now a homebirth. Homebirth is the best bar-none!!!"
