Emma Jane
August 28, 2021 5:30am 7lbs 1oz 20 inches long
This was my very first planned homebirth and it was absolutely amazing! Thank you West Michigan Midwifery for making this a beautiful time for us and for a wonderful experience of a first homebirth for us. I had two previous hospital births- induced because of convenience not medical reasons and both with epidurals.
My birth story:
My husband and two kids ( ages 7 and 5) were on vacation with my husband’s family for a whole week. 24 people in one cottage on a lake an hour north of where we live. It was the last night we were scheduled to be there and were all planning on leaving the next morning around 11am. I was 38 weeks along at the time. ( we now think my due date was off a little bit)
My husband and I went to bed and around 4am I woke up feeling a gush of water. I wondered if I had peed or if it was my water breaking.
So I got up, ( our kids were sleeping on the ground next to the bed) and went to use the bathroom. More water came gushing from me…. I thought “OH my! This has GOT to be my water breaking!” I woke up my husband and told him that I was pretty sure my water broke. I called my midwives and explained what was happening…. There also was a little pink tinge to the fluid coming out.. They had said it most likely was in fact my water breaking. I was not having contractions yet at this point. They said I could stay at the cottage until morning and leave once kids woke up or I could leave now and head home. I decided to try and go back to sleep but couldn’t and so I just wanted to pack up and go home. Everyone else was still sleeping so we tried to be quiet. We had food in the fridge to grab, toys in the living room to grab, bikes and whatnot in the garage to grab. I had walked down stairs into the kitchen trying to help my husband so we could leave faster. The only problem was… I had no pads with at all….so I wrapped a beach towel around myself to catch any fluid that would come out. I realized how difficult that was to do and decided to just go back up the stairs and sit in bed and wait for my husband to get done packing up and I also wanted to be in the room in case the kids woke up. I was having contractions-- but very very mild ones that barely felt like anything. It was about an hour later when everything was packed up… except our boat that we took up there. We later asked one of our family members to bring it back for us. We woke up the kids and my son asked what was going on.. I told him that mommy was going to have the baby soon. He smiled at me so big and was so excited. My husband grabbed the rest of our bags from our room and helped the kids get into the truck. We had left a note on the kitchen counter for my husband’s family to let them know my water had broken and we had headed out early.
We arrived home an hour later, it was about 6;30am at the time.
We unpacked some things and I laid on the couch, I had called my mom to pick up the kids and so she came a couple hours later. At around 8am she came to pick up the kids… After the kids left I remember my husband was setting up the living room and putting the curtain lights up for me and setting up the birth tub, ( no water in it yet) and we put a queen mattress down in the living room for me to lay on. I laid down and took a nap for a little while. Then my husband and I drove to the nearest park and took a walk, it was a very hot and humid day. Then we drove home… I was in contact with the midwives and told them contractions were still very easy and not consistent at all. Jennifer had come over to check on me and check on baby. I had no signs of infection and baby's head was down but looking off to the side. She encouraged me to rest and also to move around and be active but to balance it out. I walked around the yard and then my husband and I just kinda hung out and he made me some food, spinach artichoke dip ( my favorite!) I also was doing the miles circuit as well…. Trying to get things to progress.
Around 8pm/9pm that night is when I noticed things were getting stronger. We had watched some TV to try and relax, then decided to ask my doula to come over. I had a good friend of mine offer to come over and be my doula. I called her up and she came over about 45 mins later. My husband went to bed to get some sleep....none of us knew what the night would bring... and we were going to wake him up when things started getting more intense.
My contractions were about every half hour or so… not super consistent but getting stronger. My friend and I just talked in the living room for a while and when I would have a contraction she would write down the time and time it for me. Then I'd be back talking and carrying on the conversation we had been having. Things started to pick up and get more intense...I remember at this point I could still carry a conversation and pick up where our conversation left off after my contraction was done.
About 2am is when things got pretty intense.. I was no longer laughing and holding normal conversations anymore… contractions were hard to get through and hard to talk through them.
Coming every 10=15 mins and lasting between 1 min to 2 mins. Those ones were very strong… I remember feeling them come on and thinking okay just breathe breathe breathe… It will be done soon. I was also throwing up quite a bit too. I tried to rest in between the contractions and relax my mind. I had watched many birth videos during my pregnancy and read many stories and was trying to remember some of what I had learned.
We woke up my husband and said “Things are getting real…. We called the midwives and they are on their way.. contractions were coming every 4-5 mins and about 40 - 50 seconds, some longer.. It's getting really intense” I walked down the stairs and when I got to the bottom I had a really strong one. I remember leaning over the counter in the kitchen moaning low to deal with the intensity of the contraction. My doula was rubbing my back and doing counter pressure and talking me through it. She was also texting my midwives and they showed up around 3am. At this point I was not aware of much of what was going on around me. I remember one of the midwives showing up and then I remember the birth tub was being filled up with hot water. I remember how amazing it felt going in there. My husband was leaning over the tub sitting on a chair and I was in the tub leaning over the side. He was so sweet and caring and loving during the entire time… he kept telling me he loved me and was so proud of me. He was absolutely amazing!!
I couldn't really make sentences anymore but hearing his words really helped alot. My friend Monica, who was my doula kept encouraging me and telling me we are almost there, you’re doing great honey…. Soon you will meet your baby. I also had a Christian hypnobirthing app on my phone playing during this time too. The app recited Bible verses which helped me focus alot as well. By this time, Jenn, Jennifer and Anna were all there and sat in the kitchen dining room while I was in the birth tub in the living room. They were so supportive but also let me labor how I needed too.. which I appreciated alot!
labor
A little while later I remember feeling the urge to push and so I leaned back against the pool.
love + support
My husband was rubbing my shoulders and holding my hands as I pushed. I remember saying “I can’t do this!” Everyone in the room said ``Honey you can, because you ARE doing this!” I could feel the ring of fire and knew her head was coming out…. A few more pushes and she was all the way out and was laid on my chest. I was bawling because of so much joy and emotion. I was so proud of myself. The contractions were very intense but I did it!! Emma Jane was born at 5:30am on Saturday morning, August 28, 2021.
I am so grateful to West Michigan Midwifery for all your support and encouragement throughout my pregnancy and birth and postpartum! You all were so kind, calm, and encouraging and supportive! When I looked around at you guys when I was pushing her out… It really gave me encouragement and I knew I could do this!! Thank you so very much! This was my first home birth and it went perfect!
I also should add that after having two hospital births both with epidurals I was a little anxious on how a natural childbirth would go and what that would feel like. Would I be able to handle the intensity of contractions? Would I be able to push her out without an epidural? Would I tear like I had in the hospital?
The experience of laboring in my own home and in my own comfort surrounded by my loving husband, sweet dear friend, and my amazing and supportive and positive team of midwives….proved my anxious thoughts wrong… I WAS able to do it!
I also did not tear at all this time! All of my midwives were so calm and that helped so much!!! It made me really believe I could do it! ( Even when I said I didn't want to do this any more and how much it hurt) ...So I wanna tell you if you're reading this and scared. I was too. But I know you can do this!!