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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had Braxton Hicks contractions and tightening from around 30 weeks. Around 38.5 weeks the contractions changed to periods of prodromal labor, always fizzling out after an hour or two. My last day of work was 8/4. On Monday 8/7 I started to lose the mucus plug. The prodromal labor continued all week. I woke up with fairly steady contractions on Saturday, but I knew they’d stop as soon as I got out of bed. Daddy had to go into work for a bit. So Logan and I spent the day cleaning, doing laundry, and finishing up projects. I noticed the faint contractions returned during Logan’s nap. More noticeable was a shooting groin pain on my right side followed by some numbness in my right leg. I figured I did too much work during the day and decided to lay down. I text to make sure dad was coming home soon. Contractions continued when I laid down, but the groin pain stopped. Dad got home and took Logan to Aldi. I decided to finish painting a small spot in the living room. I called my mom around 4:45 and told her tonight may be the night. So I said I’d call back by 5:30 if we needed her to come get Logan. I also text and talked to Nicki our doula. Brant and Logan got home at 5:15. Contractions weren’t too strong, but they decreased from 7 min apart to 5 min apart from 4-5. At 5:17 Brant called grandma and told her to come get Logan. Nicki recommended a bath to see if labor fizzled out. Contractions started getting stronger. I knelt and breathed through them, but they weren’t nearly as intense as with Logan’s birth. I figured it was labor, but I got in the tub to make sure. Brant walked Logan to a neighbor. When he got back I was calling the midwife.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Everything happened so fast with this birth, I didn't really have a choice. Transition was challenging though. I didn't realize I was so far along. So I started doubting myself, thinking "I am such a sally. How can I be in so much pain in early labor. There is no way I'll be able to do this." (At this point my contractions were 1 min apart and I was in transition, but didn't realize it. I thought it was only the beginning.)
I had 2 contractions in the tub that were 1 min apart. Very intense, couldn’t relax. Couldn’t get comfortable in the tub. Brant grabbed a towel and laid it on the floor. I thought I had to go to the bathroom so I got on the toilet. I had 2-4 very intense contractions (1 min apart) on the toilet and doubt raced through my head. I told Brant something doesn’t feel right. Something is wrong. In my head all I could think was the baby was coming before I was fully dilated. The pressure made me think hemorrhoids. I even yelled out a bit in pain. Something plopped into the toilet with a rush. At the time I wasn’t thinking clearly, I asked Brant to make sure it wasn’t the baby. He assured me it wasn’t. Obviously it was the bag of waters breaking. The toilet was too intense. Brant helped me to my hands and knees on the towel on the floor. One more very intense contraction. I had Nicki on speaker on my phone she was trying to conference in Kelly (midwife), but Brant called Kelly directly. She heard us and re-routed to our house. (she was on her way to another birth). Nicki said she’d be there in 20 min and asked if I could hold on. A few seconds later I felt the baby’s head leave the uterus and descend. Now I understood where we were. “the baby is coming now.” I calmed down a bit, knowing where we were now. Brant had tried to leave to set up the birth tub or bed, but I kept calling him back. He left one final time to unlock the front door. Now with Nicki and Kelly on speaker phone, it was clear this baby was coming. They both told me not to push. I had Brant grab me some pillows for my arms and face. I could feel my back arching on it’s own, and my body was pushing. So I definitely laughed when they told me not to push. “blow out birthday candles, horse lips, raspberries”… I said I was trying but baby was definitely coming. Brant said he saw something bulging. They asked if it was head or sack. It receded. On the next contraction he confirmed head. The next 2 contractions the head emerged and then receded again. I did not actively push, but wanted to desperately so the burning would be over. I was thinking much clearer now and knew the burning of this process would stretch me out and prevent tearing. Finally the head was out. I knew baby would need to turn. I could feel baby kicking inside me and I heard Brant say “the baby is rotating”. I was thankful for that. The shoulders and tummy emerged. I felt relief. The baby was crying already. Nicki and Kelly kept asking if the baby was born. Brant said up to the tummy, he asked if the mucus and gurgling was normal. Kelly confirmed it was a good thing. Brant was holding her between worlds. On the next contraction my body pushed the rest of the baby out. Brant held her and announced he was right, it was indeed a girl. I believed him, but was very surprised it was a girl. We were trying to pass the baby under my legs. So Brant laid her on the towel. Then I picked her up. Brant handed me a towel to cover her. Kelly arrived. She took a look at the baby and quickly assessed APGAR. She then started prepping a few things, the bed, etc. Brant took a few pictures. Kelly returned a few minutes later and made sure the cord was done pulsing. She clamped and I cut. Brant figured since he caught, he didn’t have to cut the cord. So I got to cut her free. Then Brant did skin to skin and I walked to the bed. Kelly quickly assessed me, and said there really wasn’t anything to suture, just a bit of rug burn. Phew. The head emerging and receding so many times was worth it! Lanie spent the next couple hours on my chest exploring and nursing. A birth assistant arrived sometime in there. Brant ordered pizza. Then bathroom and newborn checks. 7 lbs and 19.5 inches. Kelly said she screenshot her phone at 6:24 pm when she pulled in the driveway. So we said time of birth could be recorded as 6:24. Close enough. (Only an hour after I realized I was in labor.)
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
My first pregnancy I read everything and "knew it all" (I'm a type-A engineer)... but the second time around I focused a lot more on meditation and reading hypno-birthing. The hypnobirthing technique of not pushing, helped me significantly. Just breathing, not pushing probably helped prevent tearing. Also being on my hands and knees probably helped as well.
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What surprised you about your birth?
When I got on my hands and knees and realized I was already in stage 2, all I could think was "I can't believe this is it... I can't believe this is happening, and almost over!"
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When I got on my hands and knees and realized I was already in stage 2, all I could think was "I can't believe this is it... I can't believe this is happening, and almost over!"
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I guess I was relaxed just being at home. So I just ignored labor. Then being on my knees seemed natural. Breathing and groaning.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Hands and knees
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Amazing. I just couldn't believe she was here. (And I couldn't believe it was a girl! I thought for sure it was another boy!)
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Home birth was a great experience for us. (Obviously we planned on the midwife, assistant and doula actually making the birth, but I think being home was the ultimate relaxation for me.) I couldn't relax during my first induced birth in the hospital setting. We knew we'd face some adverse opinions about home birth, so we decided not to tell many people. You are the one birthing your baby, if you are low risk, birth where and how you want. Just do, don't think.
