Waiting for our third baby to come was strange. I completely expected him by the weekend following his due date (a Thursday) since the longest I had ever been pregnant was two days after my due date with my first son. By Monday night there were no clear signs he was coming any time soon. However, I had a little feeling that with the full moon Tuesday evening and the fact that our planned babysitter couldn’t watch my older two and because my husband had a really busy day planned at work, he would decide to come that day.
I woke up around 4:30am Tuesday morning with pretty strong contractions. This had happened for a few nights now so I just tried to go back asleep. I couldn’t go back to sleep and started timing contractions around 5am. They were coming every 6 minutes and lasting at least a minute long & I knew this was early labor. My mind also started going because I knew we were going to have to make last minute arrangements for someone to watch our other children. I woke my husband up at 6am to talk about what we could do with our kids. He put a call into the midwives to give them a heads up that my labor had started. I also asked him to lend me some prostaglandins since that seemed to help with my last labor. I took a shower and contractions definitely picked up. I came out of the shower to find my husband back asleep on the couch. I was annoyed. He asked about the contractions and I thought he was probably timing them while I was in the shower and moaning through them (apparently not). After he saw that it was in fact going down quickly, he started canceling clients for work and arranging for his cousin to watch our kids. It was about 8am when I told him to call the midwives and tell them to head over.
My 19 month old daughter woke up and I was so distracted from labor with her around but our babysitter wasn’t here yet. I was annoyed at this too because I like to be alone during labor. I was trying to make up the bed and get some food pulled together for my kids. I think I ate a breakfast cookie because I figured I should have a little fuel since I hadn’t eaten since the day before. Soon after my 3 year old also woke up and so the distractions just kept coming. I guess my husband’s cousin arrived soon after and he took them away. He started blowing up the tub but the pump was making an awful high pitched noise that was driving me crazy.
My first midwife Lori arrived shortly after 8am and midwife Lisa soon after with helper Christina. I had the same exact birth team as with my daughter. When Lisa arrived she came over to the couch where I was and looked me in the eyes (which is what she does and I love it) and asked me if I was ok. I told her I didn’t want to do this again. I don’t remember what she said but I think something about getting the baby out. Now that my kids were gone I was able to focus again and labor was definitely progressing. Lisa asked me if I would know when I should get in the tub and I responded “I don’t know”. They started filling the tub and I think I walked around a little but kept getting on my hands and knees during contractions. I was making deep low tones and crawling around on all fours. I felt so primal during this labor. I would also lean on whatever piece of furniture was near me during a contraction which helped me feel grounded.
I was much more aware of my surroundings this time, maybe because it was day and I had labored at night with my other two. I felt very awake and present. The time in between contractions was so restful, I really relished in the pauses, something I don’t remember being able to do with my other labors. I would sway my body on all fours in between contractions. This felt so relaxing and felt like it was opening me up. While I was crawling around on the floor I puked up everything that was in my stomach. I glanced at the clock and thought to myself that he would probably be born by noon based on the intensity of my labor. At some point I asked about getting in the tub. Lisa wanted to check me before I got in the tub just to have a point of reference. I think I was about 7 centimeters and my cervix was very thin when she checked me.
I got in the tub and as always it was a welcomed change. They monitored baby’s heart rate periodically using the doppler. We had Audrey Assad playing on an iPod dock and I noticed the music turned on and off a couple times, the power went out. I was pretty deep in labor at this point and didn’t think much of it. After the fact, I am *so* glad it didn’t go off before we were able to fill the tub with warm water.
At some point baby’s heart deceled and Lisa told me I needed to get out of the tub after the contraction was over so they could figure out where baby was. I had felt him move down in my pelvis and figured that’s why his heart rate dropped, I wasn’t worried. I hopped onto the bed in between contractions and the Midwives immediately got to work to make sure baby was ok. His heart rate came back up and they had me labor on the bed through a few contractions to make sure his heart rate stayed steady. I think Lisa mentioned I was 9 centimeters at this point. I started feeling an urge to push now and it was intense. This was the first time I actually felt and urge to push since I had an epidural with my first and with my second a contraction just pushed the baby out. I actually thought he was coming on the bed after a really intense contraction and some bloody show. I managed to get back in the tub with the help of the Midwives.
I asked if I could push if I had the urge and they said yes. I wanted it to be over so badly, I wanted the baby out. With a couple more really intense contractions I knew he was coming. During one contraction I actually wanted to bite my husband who was close to me. I asked for a washcloth to bite on. During another contraction I wanted to grab something but nothing was in reach and I couldn’t talk so I just started grabbing the air until me husband took my hands in his. I squeezed his hands so hard. I was on my knees in the tub, I pushed and roared and Lisa was tapping my low back telling me to breath and slow down but I told her I wasn’t stopping and out he came in one contraction at 11:41am. His face came out in the sac but it burst as he was coming out.
I couldn’t even take him right away because I needed a few seconds to rest. They kept saying “your baby is here” and I was like “I know, I just need a second”. They handed him to me and he was curled up and crying. I was so so happy it was over. I wanted to sit but didn’t want to sit in the tub because the water looked gross because of meconium (baby’s first poop) so I got out. Someone made a comment about the cord being like a jumprope. They got me up on the bed and dried us off and covered us up with towels and blankets and let us rest. My husband cut the cord when it stopped pulsing and my placenta came soon after. I had no tearing but my butt was really sore. Lisa said very matter of fact, “well it’s probably because you pushed him out in one push”. When my husband asked later what it was like for the baby to come out, I said the best way I can explain it (to a man) is that you are pooping out a bowling ball.
We rested for awhile, the midwives charted and my husband got the generator running so we could turn the heat back on and get the pump working to empty the tub. The midwives did our baby’s newborn check and my husband weighed him. My other two babies were exactly 7 pounds and we joked that this baby had to wait until he was 7 pounds too. Well, he was also exactly 7 pounds 0 ounces! Apparently I only give birth to 7 pound babies.
My favorite thing about having a home birth is being in my own bed, having my own bathroom and my own food, and most of all, not having a revolving door of nurses and cleaning people and doctors all day and night. My Midwives stayed a couple hours after the birth to make sure I was ok and baby too. I drank some coconut water and ate a lactation bar and later had some kale and bean soup I had made the day before. Then my other two littles got to come meet their baby brother, and we all took a family nap! It was wonderful! Our little guy is an absolute joy and feels like he was always part of our family.
