He was born as the sun was rising up over the horizon this morning 3/21 (his actual due date FWIW) at 7:51 am. This was my first homebirth and my first water birth. Very different than my previous two births, but oh so wonderful.
He is 9 lbs even, and 21 inches long. My other two kiddos were both 8lbs 4oz and 20.5 inches long so this felt like a big boy LOL.
Birth story to come later, but we're enjoying him so very much!
================================================
At 2:55 am or so, I awoke to what felt like one contraction that must have lasted 2 mins, or so it seemed. It was intense, and my first clue anything was going on really. Much to my surprise, I had several more contractions that were 2-3 mins apart and quite attention getting. My initial plan was to labor alone if I went into labor in the middle of the night, waiting to wake DH until things got more intense or closer together. After about 15 mins of contracting, I woke DH up at 3:10 or so and he started helping me time the contractions with the Contraction Master iPod application. Sometimes they were closer to 4 mins, but they were certainly intense. I felt ridiculous calling Deb (the midwife) after only a half hour of contracting, but she and I had discussed my previous (fairly fast: 6h20 mins and 3 hours) labors and she had mentioned before she’d rather I call sooner vs. later. I called, and she asked if I could talk through them. I could, but I have always been able to through most of DS and DD's labors, so I reminded her that wasn’t a good gauge in my case based on previous experience.
She said she’d be on her way to check me.
We decided to wait to call my parents until Deb arrived and checked me. She pulled up an hour or so later. With a quick check she said 5-6 cm and there was some bloody show after she checked me. This was it. She called her assistant, Jane, who lives nearby. DH called my parents.
All along I hadn’t been sure I’d want to labor or birth in the water. With my DS's CNM-attended hospital birth I labored a bit in the water, but was ready to get out a short time later. With DD things went quickly and with hypnosis, I just really never felt the need to get in the tub at the birth center. When we decided on a homebirth I was really not sure I wanted to invest the money and effort into a pool for labor. I eventually came around to the thought that the option would be nice.
Deb asked if I wanted to fill the pool. In our practice run earlier DH found it took about an hour and a half. I was hoping we’d have time. DH was worried the pump to inflate the pool would wake the kids, but thankfully they slept right through the noise. Then the filling began. I was getting antsy to get in the pool. Hypnosis worked so well with my previous two labors, and with this one it was helping tremendously, but I was really wanting to see if the water would help ease the surges even more. They were more intense than I remembered with my other two labors.
I worked on prepping some chicken salad for the team as a little labor project. During the peak of my surges I found myself heading outside onto the deck and into the quiet, peaceful and cool night air. Then I’d return back inside to keep working on the chicken salad. Jane, the midwife’s assistant, arrived.
As the intensity built I went upstairs to labor in the solitude of our master bedroom. I folded the laundry that ran through earlier. I swayed. I waited. Deb came to check on me and shared that she labored much the same way with her three children.
The pool was continuing to fill. I changed into an old, too small bikini top and climbed in. DH put the iPod into a plastic bag and I continued listening to my hypnosis tracks. The surges felt like they were spacing out and maybe shortening, but they remained fairly intense as they peaked. Deb estimated they were coming about every 4 mins. I remember joking with her that I guess it wasn’t going to matter much at this point...labor wasn’t stopping even if the contractions were spacing out and getting a little shorter.
We weren’t sure when to get the kids up. Surges were demanding more of my attention and I was finding it more difficult to talk through them. We added some extra water to give me some additional belly coverage but that cooled things down a bit, so DH started heating some water on the stove to raise the temperature. I was using an ice pack on my neck periodically to cool down.
DH woke DS around 7. It was still dark. He told DS I was in labor and DS started jumping up and down. DS came downstairs and was all smiles as he walked over to see me laboring in the pool. About ten minutes later DH woke DD up. I was so surprised she had slept through everything as she often wakes 1-3x per night. In the weeks leading up to my estimated due date I was wondering how things would work if she awoke in the middle of the night. Nursing her through surges didn’t seem appealing, and I didn’t want to have DH go in in case I needed him. Thankfully she slept like a rock after our busy day on Saturday and it was a non-issue. Apparently DD was still sleepy and not eager to get up when DH went in to get her. DH brought her downstairs and she was very quiet but was taking it all in. The people, the pool, the fact that I was in labor.
A short while later I could feel things building and suggested getting the kids into their swim suits as they had expresse an interest in “catching” or at least being in the pool when we'd talk about it throughout my pregnancy They got changed and eagerly climbed in. All along (in the months/weeks leading up to labor) I kind of thought they would likely change their minds about wanting to be in with me, but when it came down to it they were very, very excited to just get in there. With my surges I found myself flipping into sidelying to get maximal belly coverage. The kids were fantastic about giving me space when I was having a surge. DH continued bringing warm water in to try to raise the pool temperature, as it was still running a bit cooler than optimal for baby.
I had DH switch the iPod over to my mellow birth playlist...I was feeling done with my hypnosis tracks but was still using the techniques. I was feeling a bit grunty, wondering at this point how dilated I was. With my daughter's birth, I was 10cm dilated for quite some time before I had any urge to push. I decided to trust my body and didn't ask for any checks.
The sun was starting to rise. Our back yard backs up to a state park and is very private as a result. The pool was set up in front of the glass sliding door that leads to the deck. The sky was becoming pink, welcoming the first day of spring. DS got his digital camera out to take a pic of the sunrise since he rarely sees it. I watched a squirrel climbing the branches of one of the huge trees in our back yard. I could feel more pressure, and my membranes ruptured. I told the midwife and assistant. They checked baby with the doppler and he was still doing well. The amniotic fluid was clear. There were small bits of vernix in the pool and the midwife showed them to the kids. They were so familiar with vernix from the books we’ve read and videos we watched that they were curious and were touching pieces of it and looking at it.
I felt myself getting increasingly grunty. Just small little urges to bear down, just a bit. I remember listening to the Dixie Chicks Lullabye and a few other favorite mellow songs. The sky was getting brighter and pinker. Suddenly I could really feel Jack moving down. I gave a big involuntary push and announced his head was coming. I could feel his soft hair. With the same contraction I followed my body and pushed once more and his shoulders were out. It was all so fast that no one was ready with a camera and the midwife was still donning her gloves. Jack had a loose nuchal cord that the midwife gently unlooped. The kids were still in the tub, right there as their brother was born. He was on my chest, and someone brought over a blanket. The kids came over and just stared and smiled and were so, so happy. Jack cried, and then after a few minutes nursed. It was 7:51 am when he was born, just as the sun was coming up over the horizon and the sky was still pink. It was amazing.
DH got the kids out of the pool and back into clothes. I stood up and there was finally a bit of blood that drained into the pool. We moved me to a little nest on the couch and I birthed the placenta there. Deb showed it to me and gave the kids a little tour, which they were obviously interested in. They did some uterine massage and I passed a few clots. Jack was nursing like a champ.
They took Jack and weighed him. I swear I have amnesia between babies because he didn’t look all that big to me. My other two children were both 8lbs 4 oz and 20.5 inches long. The midwife and her assistant felt he was probably bigger, and probably 9lbs. When they weighed him they came up with 9lbs even.
Deb examined my perineum. No tears, no damage at all. I felt fantastic. I held Jack and then after a bit walked to the bathroom to pee. I didn’t even need a peri bottle. No pain whatsoever. They measured Jack’s length on the kitchen table. He was 20.5 inches long. The kids took turns holding him in their arms and Daddy finally got a chance to hold him as well. My dad was so teary-eyed and seemed so touched by the entire homebirth experience. He talked about it for days afterward...how our kids were right there to welcome their baby brother, and how beautiful and natural the entire experience was. My mom and dad each held Jack. We took some photos.
Later in the day Jack was so sleepy we really had a tough time getting him to nurse. Finally by bedtime we were resorting to cool cloths to keep him nursing long enough to at least get some colostrum in him. That night he nursed a bit in sidelying which was nice. The next day he really was much more interested in nursing and basically stayed latched on all day and all night long. My milk started coming in and he seemed very, very content.
Recovery has been unbelievably easy so far. I have not had any pain with using the bathroom. No noticeable swelling. I’ve been doing belly binding and finding the support great. Bleeding has been light. I've had pretty easy recoveries with my other kids but this has (so far) been the easiest yet. I didn't even get a chance to use the frozen pads I had in the freezer...no swelling or any desire/need.
Welcoming Jack on the first day of spring at sunrise, at home, surrounded by the people I love the most was something I could never, ever have imagined. I’m so thankful that Deb opened her practice, and that we followed our hearts and pursued a homebirth, even though it involved switching care at 35 weeks!. I know it is a memory our family will cherish forever. I'm thankful to our great team for making a fantastic memory for our entire family.
He is 9 lbs even, and 21 inches long. My other two kiddos were both 8lbs 4oz and 20.5 inches long so this felt like a big boy LOL.
Birth story to come later, but we're enjoying him so very much!
================================================
At 2:55 am or so, I awoke to what felt like one contraction that must have lasted 2 mins, or so it seemed. It was intense, and my first clue anything was going on really. Much to my surprise, I had several more contractions that were 2-3 mins apart and quite attention getting. My initial plan was to labor alone if I went into labor in the middle of the night, waiting to wake DH until things got more intense or closer together. After about 15 mins of contracting, I woke DH up at 3:10 or so and he started helping me time the contractions with the Contraction Master iPod application. Sometimes they were closer to 4 mins, but they were certainly intense. I felt ridiculous calling Deb (the midwife) after only a half hour of contracting, but she and I had discussed my previous (fairly fast: 6h20 mins and 3 hours) labors and she had mentioned before she’d rather I call sooner vs. later. I called, and she asked if I could talk through them. I could, but I have always been able to through most of DS and DD's labors, so I reminded her that wasn’t a good gauge in my case based on previous experience.
She said she’d be on her way to check me.
We decided to wait to call my parents until Deb arrived and checked me. She pulled up an hour or so later. With a quick check she said 5-6 cm and there was some bloody show after she checked me. This was it. She called her assistant, Jane, who lives nearby. DH called my parents.
All along I hadn’t been sure I’d want to labor or birth in the water. With my DS's CNM-attended hospital birth I labored a bit in the water, but was ready to get out a short time later. With DD things went quickly and with hypnosis, I just really never felt the need to get in the tub at the birth center. When we decided on a homebirth I was really not sure I wanted to invest the money and effort into a pool for labor. I eventually came around to the thought that the option would be nice.
Deb asked if I wanted to fill the pool. In our practice run earlier DH found it took about an hour and a half. I was hoping we’d have time. DH was worried the pump to inflate the pool would wake the kids, but thankfully they slept right through the noise. Then the filling began. I was getting antsy to get in the pool. Hypnosis worked so well with my previous two labors, and with this one it was helping tremendously, but I was really wanting to see if the water would help ease the surges even more. They were more intense than I remembered with my other two labors.
I worked on prepping some chicken salad for the team as a little labor project. During the peak of my surges I found myself heading outside onto the deck and into the quiet, peaceful and cool night air. Then I’d return back inside to keep working on the chicken salad. Jane, the midwife’s assistant, arrived.
As the intensity built I went upstairs to labor in the solitude of our master bedroom. I folded the laundry that ran through earlier. I swayed. I waited. Deb came to check on me and shared that she labored much the same way with her three children.
The pool was continuing to fill. I changed into an old, too small bikini top and climbed in. DH put the iPod into a plastic bag and I continued listening to my hypnosis tracks. The surges felt like they were spacing out and maybe shortening, but they remained fairly intense as they peaked. Deb estimated they were coming about every 4 mins. I remember joking with her that I guess it wasn’t going to matter much at this point...labor wasn’t stopping even if the contractions were spacing out and getting a little shorter.
We weren’t sure when to get the kids up. Surges were demanding more of my attention and I was finding it more difficult to talk through them. We added some extra water to give me some additional belly coverage but that cooled things down a bit, so DH started heating some water on the stove to raise the temperature. I was using an ice pack on my neck periodically to cool down.
DH woke DS around 7. It was still dark. He told DS I was in labor and DS started jumping up and down. DS came downstairs and was all smiles as he walked over to see me laboring in the pool. About ten minutes later DH woke DD up. I was so surprised she had slept through everything as she often wakes 1-3x per night. In the weeks leading up to my estimated due date I was wondering how things would work if she awoke in the middle of the night. Nursing her through surges didn’t seem appealing, and I didn’t want to have DH go in in case I needed him. Thankfully she slept like a rock after our busy day on Saturday and it was a non-issue. Apparently DD was still sleepy and not eager to get up when DH went in to get her. DH brought her downstairs and she was very quiet but was taking it all in. The people, the pool, the fact that I was in labor.
A short while later I could feel things building and suggested getting the kids into their swim suits as they had expresse an interest in “catching” or at least being in the pool when we'd talk about it throughout my pregnancy They got changed and eagerly climbed in. All along (in the months/weeks leading up to labor) I kind of thought they would likely change their minds about wanting to be in with me, but when it came down to it they were very, very excited to just get in there. With my surges I found myself flipping into sidelying to get maximal belly coverage. The kids were fantastic about giving me space when I was having a surge. DH continued bringing warm water in to try to raise the pool temperature, as it was still running a bit cooler than optimal for baby.
I had DH switch the iPod over to my mellow birth playlist...I was feeling done with my hypnosis tracks but was still using the techniques. I was feeling a bit grunty, wondering at this point how dilated I was. With my daughter's birth, I was 10cm dilated for quite some time before I had any urge to push. I decided to trust my body and didn't ask for any checks.
The sun was starting to rise. Our back yard backs up to a state park and is very private as a result. The pool was set up in front of the glass sliding door that leads to the deck. The sky was becoming pink, welcoming the first day of spring. DS got his digital camera out to take a pic of the sunrise since he rarely sees it. I watched a squirrel climbing the branches of one of the huge trees in our back yard. I could feel more pressure, and my membranes ruptured. I told the midwife and assistant. They checked baby with the doppler and he was still doing well. The amniotic fluid was clear. There were small bits of vernix in the pool and the midwife showed them to the kids. They were so familiar with vernix from the books we’ve read and videos we watched that they were curious and were touching pieces of it and looking at it.
I felt myself getting increasingly grunty. Just small little urges to bear down, just a bit. I remember listening to the Dixie Chicks Lullabye and a few other favorite mellow songs. The sky was getting brighter and pinker. Suddenly I could really feel Jack moving down. I gave a big involuntary push and announced his head was coming. I could feel his soft hair. With the same contraction I followed my body and pushed once more and his shoulders were out. It was all so fast that no one was ready with a camera and the midwife was still donning her gloves. Jack had a loose nuchal cord that the midwife gently unlooped. The kids were still in the tub, right there as their brother was born. He was on my chest, and someone brought over a blanket. The kids came over and just stared and smiled and were so, so happy. Jack cried, and then after a few minutes nursed. It was 7:51 am when he was born, just as the sun was coming up over the horizon and the sky was still pink. It was amazing.
DH got the kids out of the pool and back into clothes. I stood up and there was finally a bit of blood that drained into the pool. We moved me to a little nest on the couch and I birthed the placenta there. Deb showed it to me and gave the kids a little tour, which they were obviously interested in. They did some uterine massage and I passed a few clots. Jack was nursing like a champ.
They took Jack and weighed him. I swear I have amnesia between babies because he didn’t look all that big to me. My other two children were both 8lbs 4 oz and 20.5 inches long. The midwife and her assistant felt he was probably bigger, and probably 9lbs. When they weighed him they came up with 9lbs even.
Deb examined my perineum. No tears, no damage at all. I felt fantastic. I held Jack and then after a bit walked to the bathroom to pee. I didn’t even need a peri bottle. No pain whatsoever. They measured Jack’s length on the kitchen table. He was 20.5 inches long. The kids took turns holding him in their arms and Daddy finally got a chance to hold him as well. My dad was so teary-eyed and seemed so touched by the entire homebirth experience. He talked about it for days afterward...how our kids were right there to welcome their baby brother, and how beautiful and natural the entire experience was. My mom and dad each held Jack. We took some photos.
Later in the day Jack was so sleepy we really had a tough time getting him to nurse. Finally by bedtime we were resorting to cool cloths to keep him nursing long enough to at least get some colostrum in him. That night he nursed a bit in sidelying which was nice. The next day he really was much more interested in nursing and basically stayed latched on all day and all night long. My milk started coming in and he seemed very, very content.
Recovery has been unbelievably easy so far. I have not had any pain with using the bathroom. No noticeable swelling. I’ve been doing belly binding and finding the support great. Bleeding has been light. I've had pretty easy recoveries with my other kids but this has (so far) been the easiest yet. I didn't even get a chance to use the frozen pads I had in the freezer...no swelling or any desire/need.
Welcoming Jack on the first day of spring at sunrise, at home, surrounded by the people I love the most was something I could never, ever have imagined. I’m so thankful that Deb opened her practice, and that we followed our hearts and pursued a homebirth, even though it involved switching care at 35 weeks!. I know it is a memory our family will cherish forever. I'm thankful to our great team for making a fantastic memory for our entire family.
Homebirth is really something so, so special. Looking forward to your birth story!
