Homebirth story anyone?
Turns out that having a close group of friends who are all doulas, student midwives, and midwives is really the way to go. Thank God each of them were there. I had back labor with this little babe and though my labor was quick and short, I was not expecting that. Thank God for all the hip squeezes and counter pressure!
Sam was so present and “in it” with me the entire time and I honestly don’t know how his head is still attached. With each contraction I was squeezing the daylights out of him and he let me and held onto me exactly the way I needed. He is my best friend. Truly.
I had been texting Gloria (friend and midwife) with updates for a couple days having contractions but nothing unbearable. I also wasn’t truly believing I was in early labor because I was 39 weeks and with my son I had prodromal labor from 36 weeks to 42 weeks. I was mostly in denial and not at all believing she would be here anytime soon. I kept telling my close circle it would be a few days or weeks. Lol!
On Wednesday morning I had been losing my mucus plug/bloody show and having back pain but the contractions were very tolerable and only coming about every 7 minutes or so. Sam went back into work at 4pm that afternoon and I spent the evening going back and forth from the shower and bath, birth ball, and just needed to feel secluded and enclosed in my room. I put Cohen to bed around 8:30 pm and went back into our bedroom. At 11pm I was texting my husband telling him that my back was freaking killing me and I didn’t know why . I got in the shower again because I was getting more uncomfortable with the contractions and realized I was praying through them.
At 11:30 pm I texted Gloria saying that I was almost in tears with each contraction but feel mostly normal between them (duh) so I didn’t think it was true labor. She said she was coming over and I told her not to because I said I felt like it was too early. Thank God she didn’t listen to me and came anyway. As soon as I got out of the shower I realized that it was most likely real and called my husband in tears during contractions and asked him to actually come home NOW instead of in ten minutes. Lol! I called my Mom as well and told her she could come now and that I was sorry if it’s not actually labor. I put worship music on and just paced in the dark in tears talking to my baby and the Lord. Gloria got here first and as soon as she walked in the door with both started crying . She helped me with hip squeezes immediately which I was really needing.
Sam got home about ten minutes later and then my mom shortly after him. They put up the birth pool and started filling it while I walked around laboring. My other friends and sister Sara, Rebekah, Angelica, and Maggie got there shortly after and I don’t remember much of the sequence of events until the baby was born.
Once checked and realizing I was 8cm my body immediately needed the pool and to throw up. Yay. Lol. Again, thank God for so many hands, hip squeezes, and counter pressure. I felt her head moving down and positioning into the birth canal in a way that I did not feel with my son and it was super intense in my back to say the least.
My last home birth was absolutely beautiful as well but I remember being so afraid to reach down and feel his head crowning and way too exhausted to turn around and grab him after birthing him on hands and knees. I birthed Elora on hands and knees as well again but was very easily able to turn around and grab her from the water. She was born at 2:49am! Three hours after I told everyone I was probably making it up and it wasn’t true labor. She came out thriving and sticking her tongue out constantly, ready for her milk.
All that to say, I’m so grateful for her life and health and for another incredible homebirth. I loved my birth team and am forever indebted to them. Thanks so much to Maggie for being a great friend/support and also capturing these for us! There is probably so much I am leaving out but for now, enjoy.
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