Scout Jolie
Born on August 19, 2020 at 4:23pm 8 pounds 6 ounces
Here is the beautiful outdoor HBAC birth story of Scout Jolie:
Photo Credit to the one and only amazing Doula & Photographer Annica Quakenbush
I had a c-section with my first daughter in 2018 due to her being breech when my water broke after MANY hours of labor in the natural birth suite at Spectrum.
This time around I knew I was having a home birth.
When I met ‘The Jens’ I knew I was in the best hands. At the time I believed in myself but I think what made the choice easy was they believed in me more.
I have pretty straight forward pregnancies so not to much to share there: I feel like poo for 14 weeks, I don’t sleep well, I get leg cramps like no other, I eat all the carbs, I don’t enjoy my loss of free movement of my body, and I struggle with the body changes including the added weight, and glorious stretch marks. Lets just say I am not an “I love all things pregnancy” type woman. I envy those of you that are. I like feeling baby movements: the end.
I went exactly a week over my guess date with my first little lady so I was expecting the same this time around as well, what I was not excepting was the many days of prodromal labor that would come and go over the last weeks of pregnancy. I had so many times where I would think and tell my husband or text Annica and/or The Jens telling them I thought this was the real thing. Two weeks before my guess date I frantically cleaned my house and had my husband set up the birth pool because I was certain I was going to have a baby that night. Only to fall asleep and wake up to nothing. I didn’t have any prodromal labor with my first so it was a total metal roller coaster. I was so tired. I was frustrated. I was starting not to trust my body. I would have contractions start, get stronger, become consistent and often times had a few other labor symptoms like loosing my mucus plus or slight bleeding just for it to all to come to a halt.
My guess date came and went and I started counting the day. +1 Prodromal labor, +2 Nothing, +3 Nothing, +4... prodromal...wait is this it? Contractions started that morning and my husband and I went to the park and walked and contractions stayed consistent, we got home and they stayed consistent.
My two year old was unusually emotional at bed time and asked if I would ‘rock-a-baby’ outside. Something in me felt like she knew. I held her and rocked her and nursed her outside, with tears in my eyes I held her knowing this was my last night with her as my only baby. I was sad and excited for her. She fell asleep so peacefully and I laid her next to her dad so I could work though contractions.
I couldn’t sleep so I texted Annica and the Jens letting them know and they said to keep them updated. I got in and out of the tub and changed positions often until I finally got comfortable enough to fall asleep. My husband left at 6:30am on Aug. 19th to do a few things for work and to pick up donuts. I delayed Annica a few times because I didn’t want her to sit around forever. Mark got home and at 10am made the call to have Annica come after I had 3 contractions within 10 minutes that was pretty intense. She arrived and walked to our slider and said “Lets have a baby outside today” this was not part of the plan but said sure and before I knew it her and Mark were hauling the pool outside and filling it up. I joke I turn into a mermaid during labor because I CRAVE the water. At 12, I got in the pool outside and was joined by Piper until I felt like I needed more focus. I remember watching the shadows of the trees shift through contractions. After a few hours of contractions Annica could tell things were picking up she made the call to have The Jens come and within a few 15 minutes of them getting there my body began to push for me. I remember thinking “WTF AM I DOING?!” at the same time it felt so right. After 2 hours of pushing my little Scout Jolie came into the world en caul outside in the back yard. It was beautifully perfect in every way.
