I had an awesome homebirth back in February and would love to share it with you ladies...Tyler is my 4th child-first homebirth, I'm a labor doula and knew that the hospital was no longer the optimal place for me to birth.

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Around 1:30am, on February 1st, my 3yo came climbing into bed with me. After a half an hour I was feeling claustrophobic so I moved her to a sleeping bag on the floor-had this urge to straighten up a little, was still feeling FINE-no contractions, NOTHING. At 2:30 I decided to watch some tv-hate insomnia. At 2:45am I was watching comedy central when I had my first "real" contraction. Felt like a PULL-and thought I was going to pee my pants. Got up, peed a tablespoon and went back to bed. Every 5min I'd get another PULL so I decided to get up-well spent the next half an hour having diarrhea (TMI-sorry), couldn't time a thing at that point, so I came down and posted to you gals-was sitting on my birth ball-they were coming every 3-4min. When I got up to wake dh they started coming every 2-3min and it was then that I definitely KNEW this was it and I decided I wasn't going freak out, nor was I going to complain and it wasn't going to be "painful"-yep I actually told myself this-and it worked!!!

Like something in a movie I woke dh "HOney, Phil, HOney, Phil HONEY!!!-This is it, I'm in labor." He got up, picked our daughter up off the floor and put her in her bed. That was the only time I felt the need to raise my voice. Next I called my doula, my midwife and my mom who happend to be awake and said "Ok, I'll bring cookies"-silly woman. It's now 4:00am and I"m sitting in my room on my birth ball timing my contraction with the preview channel. They're coming exactly every 2min and lasting exactly 70sec. I focus on not tensing, and think of them as "expansions" bc that's exactly what it feels like-I can feel myself opening, but they no longer hurt-just intense pressure and pulling. So long as it's quiet, I am fine.

My doula, and mom arrive. They can't "tell" when I'm having one-I feel my doula touch my belly every now and then to "check"-lol. I sip cranberry juice, listen to music, we light some lavendar scented candles-it's all very quiet and peaceful and relaxed. My midwife arrives a little after 5-I ask if she wants to check me, she says it's not necessary, that we'll just wait.Dh makes coffee and gets a hot pack for my back which feels great. My doula puts a wet waschloth on my neck and we all just wait-everyone is very respectful, no one talks once I start breathing deeply. And we laugh and joke in between. I can hear my mom's stomach growling and then I hear my midwife weighing herself in my bathroom.

I get up to pee, notice a tiny bit of bloody show-hate standing, too much pressure so I sit back down on my ball. Am so happy that my water hadn't broken, I was nice and dry-though it felt like an oven in my room. My midwife was exhausted-she had just walked in from a birth when I called. At around 6:00am I start getting an urge to bear down at the peak of every contraction but when I give in to it, it makes my stomach tense up which then creates a painful cramp so I try very hard to blow through it. At 6:18 I ask her to examine me-just hoping to be more than 5cm. She smiles at me and tells me I'm a very stretchy 9cm and can push whenever I want. I'm so surprised-this was transition?!?! Heck I could definitely handle this. But I HATE the idea of pushing, pushing always felt awful to me. I told her I could push while laying on my side, but 3 contractions later I realized I did NOT want to be on the bed.

I NEEDED to be on the ground, felt out of control and helpless stretched out on the bed. So they put a shower curtain liner on the floor. I stood up-hugged and danced with dh through the next contraction and got on my knees with my forearms on my bed (like a child saying a bedtime prayer) It was 6:30 at this point. She warned me that I had a tomato-sized tense bag of fluid and that it would probably burst when I pushed. Well with that first push I felt something shoot out of me and heard a SMACK! as a gush of water exploded onto the liner-it was so loud that the dogs began to bark. At first I thought it was the baby-lol! Midwife said "Well that was quite dramatic!-Tons of clear fluid." Next contraction I felt his head surge down-no pain just unbearable rectal pressure as I felt him crowning. Dh was laying across the bed holding my hands and my doula was kneeling behind me ready to catch. I just wanted to stop-knew it was going to get worse before it got better so during that same contraction I pushed again and felt his head ooze out-no time for massage or compresses. His cord was around his neck (as were my previous 3) my midwife instructed my doula how to lift it and to flex his head. One push later and I felt his rush out of me on a tidal wave of fluid-it was 6:40am.

He gave a loud SHOUT, and they passed him to me between my legs. I got up, turned around and sat with him against me-all wet and slippery. He then fell asleep! Apgars of 9 and 9-but sooo mellow-lol. A few minutes later I pushed out the placenta, she examined me and though his head was a full 14in (an inch bigger than my last) and he came out so quick I didn't tear at all-YAY! Dh then went and woke up Tabby "Mommy, you pushed out Baby Son?" she said. My mom went to pick up our eldest children and Tabby helped the midwife weigh and dress him. He was 7lbs 6 oz, 20 1/4in.

I am thrilled with how well everything went-and what a difference it can make being in your own home, with no intrusions, no fear, no interventions. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Jessica Mommy to:

Emily Arden 7/21/95

Philip Henry 3/21/97

Tabbitha Eve 10/04/00

Tyler Anthony born at home on 2/01/04-7lbs 6oz, 20 1/4in

Michael Augustus

Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 11:20pm
Natural, water, homebirth
6 lb. 11 oz., 20 inches
Apgar 5, 8

On Wednesday, May 26, I went to bed around 10:30pm as normal. I was waiting for dh to come to bed and was reading a book. At 11:00pm, I felt a small kick and a pop, then a small gush of fluid. My membranes had ruptured! I timed contractions - 6 minutes apart, lasting 45 seconds - and called my midwife at 11:30pm. She was assisting another birth, so I was to lay flat in bed and not encourage progress. She called at 1:30am, and at that point my contractions were at 10 minutes, lasting 45-60 seconds. She finally got here at 3:30am. She did an internal - I was at 0cm dilated, 0% effaced, baby's head was still ballotable and not engaged. She recommended that I get some more sleep.

At 6:00am, I got up - I was too excited to sleep and wanted things to get going. So I got some breakfast and started a long day. I was concerned about the clock ticking - I know that you really should only go so long with your membranes ruptured, so I asked my midwife. Her answer was that as long as the fluids were clear, the baby not showing any signs of stress and I wasn't running a fever, she'd let me go a day or so. What a relief! My contractions were intermittant, and not very strong - they were just on the surface of my belly, and I wasn't feeling them do anything effective. At 8:00am, we started inducing. I had 10 minutes on the breast pump, followed by 10 minutes of fast walking, repeated for an hour. Dh and Lillian went with me. Pumping really made my breasts sore, but they also started the flow of colostrum, and would help my milk come in that much faster. After all this, contractions were still intermittant, and not very painful. So we waited. And waited. Finally we all went to take naps around 11:00am. At 2:00pm, another round of induction. This time it worked. Almost immediately my contractions were at 3 minutes apart and pretty strong. This time, my daughter opted not to walk as it was starting to get rather warm outside. Starting at 3:00pm, I just labored quietly in the house. I was on the bouncy ball for a while, then the rocker, then I finally moved to my bedroom to get a little more secluded. Dh was a total rock! He was right where I needed him to be every time, and really helped me get through the contractions. While all this is going on, Lillian is right by my side, playing and keeping me company. We had gotten some new toys for her so she could entertain herself some, and was being very cute playacting birthing her baby doll. At 5pm, I get another internal. I'm a good 3cm dilated, and 80% effaced, and baby's head is now engaged. At 6pm, we eat dinner (chicken, stuffing and green beans). At 8pm, my contractions are good and hard, coming about every 8 minutes.

By 9pm, Lillian is in bed, and my contractions are now becoming very intense, and only 4-5 minutes apart. As soon as Lillian is in bed, I opt for the tub. The tub was nice, but not really in a pain relief sort of way. Contractions are getting very intense, and I'm holding on to dh's hand with all my might, trying to breath and relax and not tense up my legs. Marilyn, my midwife, was just a rock through the whole thing - offering me tips on staying relaxed, giving me encouragement, and letting me know how well I was doing. I never really intended a water birth, but I never left the tub because I just couldn't think of any place that would feel any better to be in. Around 10:30pm, I can definitely feel baby's head moving down through the birth canal. Around 11:00pm, I'm checked again - a good 9cm, with just a lip of cervix on 1 side. I wait a few minutes longer, then was ready to start pushing. Talk about the most terrifying thing I've ever done!!! Baby's head comes out finally, and I take a few deep breaths. Then Marilyn tells me that I need to push again and get the shoulders out. Funny - they don't slide out like you're told - you really have to push them out. So I push again, and Michael Augustus was born at 11:20pm - 24 hours, 20 minutes after labor started. I got to reach down and pull him up onto my chest. While I did that, Marilyn slipped a loop of umbilical cord off his neck, and another one off his shoulder. He was pretty purple when he came out, and didn't cry. Marilyn gave him free 02 until he pinked up. What I didn't know until later, was that the cord was wrapped twice around his neck, and once around his shoulders!!! After he was nice and pink and all dryed off, we were helped to bed. I got to hold him on my chest until he wanted to nurse, and got to nurse him as long as he wanted. He took to nursing like a duck to water. Then dh got to cut the cord, and all the post-natal care took place right on the bed, with dh, grandma, the baby and me all right there. He was weighed - 6 lb. 11oz, which was a surprise since Lillian was 8lb. 2oz, and they were both early (Lillian was 17 days early, Michael 18 days early). Around 2am, Lillian woke up, so she got to meet her baby brother almost right away. She was entranced! Marilyn wanted me to get up and shower, but I felt really faint. So I just stayed in bed. I was so exhausted!!

We've been taking the past few days easy. We are so thrilled that we did a homebirth instead of a hospital birth. I know in the hospital I would have been induced again, and we wouldn't have had such an excellent postnatal experience. I also loved being just among family and my midwife, whom I totally adore.

Kristin
Shawn
Lillian (7/5/01)
Michael (5/27/04)

Scarlett Liberty's Birth Story...

On the morning of the 30th August 2003 I woke in the morning to go to the toilet then went back to bed. Whilst lying in bed I felt a little wet between my legs and thought (I was tired) that maybe I hadn't wiped properly. I went back to the toilet and this time when I wiped there was more wetness and it was tinged with pink. I wasn't sure if my waters were leaking or if I was having a show, but it was the day before my due date and I just had the feeling that today was the day.

At 9am I rang my midwife unit to say that I may be leaking water and/or had a show and was it alright to have a bath. Thankfully they said I could so I did some housework then rested in the bath. I could feel very mild contractions (like BH but constant) and could see my whole tummy narrow and rise whilst I lay in the water during each one. At this point my husband got up but I didn't tell him yet, I made him breakfast and coffee first, then said that I thought it was all ready to go.

By 10:30am my contractions were uncomfortable and I would stand still and sway through them (my last baby was a two hour labour so I expected speed!). Fortunately my midwife turned up at the house to check how I was. We went to the bedroom and she took my blood pressure and checked my sanitary towel as I was now bleeding like a light period constantly with the odd clot. She said to keep an eye on the bleeding and to ring when I was finding it hard.

By midday we called for her to return and I was now finding the contractions hard. She checked me for dilation and I was 6cm, then we all sat in the bedroom with the french doors open onto the garden and relaxed to some music. At about 2pm she reminded me that I could have gas & air if I wished, which I decided to do. The gas was brilliant and I giggled my way through the next few hours.

6pm - By now I was struggling a little and was leaning propped on the beanbag on top of the bed. I could no longer move around and refused to let go of the gas mouthpiece. The midwife was a little concerned that I was still bleeding and that my contractions seemed very short. She said that she would like to break my water's to try and help things along but left the choice to us. We said to go ahead (I just wanted it over with) and I remember feeling the warm flood between my legs and then hearing the midwife exclaim "Well, I am really glad we did that." There were huge amounts of meconium and lots of blood. She put an ambulance on standby and called for her assistant midwife. The hospital was less than five minutes away so we still felt safe at home.

At 7pm she checked my cervix, fully dilated and ready to push the fun could begin. But, I found pushing frustrating as I just didn't seem to be making progress. After 25 minutes they had me stand leaning over my husband and push, I remember that the meconium was still dripping out of me as I pushed. The midwife wanted baby out now! An ambulance was requested as the midwife said that baby was not descending and that the baby felt big. I remember the ambulance men coming and I was put in a wheelchair. They told me not to push but I couldn't stop it now.

7:40pm They wheel me out in the street and I am pushing in full view of the neighbours and my middle child who is waving at me out of the neighbour's window (bless him). I get in the ambulance and they put me on the bed. More of the meconium/amniotic fluid liquid sloshed out of me and flooded the bottom of the ambulance (my husband said that every time we turned a corner everyone had to lift their feet up). I started pushing again and the midwife screamed for the ambulance to stop as I pushed out the head. We pulled into a layby and I gave one final push and out she came. I remember thinking she felt huge. When we got to hospital they weighed her and she came in at 10lb 12oz - Almost 11 pounds!!! I had no tears and needed no stitching and baby was fine. We had to stay in for 24 hours so that they could check she was alright, but I have to say that despite the trauma it was the best birth that I have had. I felt that we were really well looked after and that even when it went pear-shaped that neither of us were at risk. No wonder it took so long to push her out!

Love Claire xxx

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iPregnant
Due on January 27th

Here are the stories from my first 2 homebirths:

1st homebirth, 3rd baby

2nd homebirth, 4th baby, Unassisted

We all had homebirth waterbirths with a midwife. There was a total of 6 caesareans among us and we had a strong desire for a FAIR CHANCE at a vaginal birth after caesarean or VBAC. We loved our VBACs!
Our birth stories: http://www.edmontonvbac.netfirms.com...oriespage.html

Lauren Elizabeth's birth story--born 07-02-00

This was my first (full term) pregnancy. I chose a homebirth for my first baby for a number of reasons. I had had a miscarriage with my first pregnancy, and had a horrible experience with an OB/GYN. And my sister in law who lived very near had one and we decided it would be best to do it at home. So we chose a CNM to deliver. We heard the heartbeat at 14 weeks and I was measuring just a little bit behind. But nothing drastic. As I reached 40 weeks the anticipation of my first baby grew near and we tried to wait patiently. 40 weeks came and went, as well as 41, and 42 weeks. Each week seeing our midwife and her reassuring us that our baby was just fine. The morning I was exactly 2 weeks late, I woke up at about 4 am to go to the bathroom and my water was leaking and I had some bloody show. Of course, so excited that this was it, I could not go back to sleep. We called the midwife at 7:30 am to let her know that my water was leaking and she instructed us on the usual to prevent an infection in the case of a long labor. The contrax started then at about 9:30 am and were anywhere from 15 mins to 30 mins apart. We walked, we napped, we cooked. We went about our day. Midwife was calling and checking in every so often. This went on through the night and into the next day and not really progressing anywhere. The next day was the same thing. I labored the entire day and the contrax were painful, but manageable. My midwife came that night and began a herbal routine. I took a shot of blue and black cohosh tinctures every hour. As the night progressed the contractions became stronger and stronger. At about 5 am I began to grunt with every contraction. My midwife was sleeping and my husband and mom were helping me through these contractions that seemed completely unbearable. I began to lose it and I cried and said when will it be over? I had been in labor for nearly 48 hours now. My midwife woke at 6:30 and asked how long I had been grunting through the contractions. She checked me for the very first time and I was 10! I couldn't believe it.I was so ready to push. I began to push on my side with my mom holding my leg up. I did so for a few hours and the rest of my water broke but I felt that I still was not working with my pushing contractions. My midwife suggested pushing on the toilet a while to see if that worked better. IT DID. I pushed for only 15 minutes on the toilet and all at once my baby's head came down and was crowning (I did not even know). My midwife informed me that I was gonna have to decide WHERE it was that I wanted to have this baby. I said NOW? She said feel your baby's head. I felt it, what a feeling! So I said---I AM NOT MOVING! So the other midwife got a birthing stool and I moved to that with my husband supporting my back, I delivered within minutes. IT was a girl, but she was blue and having trouble coughing up some of the fluid. It seemed like hours before she cried, however it was a matter of seconds I was told. the cord was cut and I delivered the placenta with some work. In a matter or minutes I was in my bed holding my beautiful baby. She weighed 7lbs 10oz and was in perfect health. My mom made me some eggs and toast for breakfast. How could I not chose to do the same with my next delivery?

Elizabeth Ann's birth story----02-14-02

Well it wasn't long before I got the baby itch. So there I found myself pregnant and due February 6, 2002. I chose the same midwife and my pregnancy was fairly uneventful. Well as before 40 weeks came and went, but I wasn't as impatient this time as I was prepared for another "late" baby. One week late and I woke up at 3 am with contractions and bloody show. I was glad there was no water broken this time because I planned to labor in the bathtub most of my labor. I waited until 8 am to call my midwife and let her know that I was in labor. She said to keep her posted and let her know when I thought I needed her there. And to not wait too long because second labors can go much faster than firsts. I sent my dh to work and went about my day. A few hours later his co-workers sent him home. I was happy to have the company. We went on a walk, and things seemed to be getting stronger but when I stopped walking the contractions spaced out. My mom came over in sheer excitement even though we told her it would be a while. We spent the rest of the day with irregular contractions so we cooked a pot of soup to feed everyone and watched movies. Our midwife came at 4 pm to check heartrate and my blood pressure, everything was fine and I didn't feel as if I needed her to stay yet. But things were starting to progress. So she said she'd go home and feed her family and come back after that. She came back at 9 pm and things were definitely much harder to handle. I had to breath through my contractions and get on all fours and rest on the couch. My midwife checked me and I was only 3--after all that work I got a bit discouraged and decided I needed to get in the tub. I labored in there for quite a while. It was awesome! I labored like this for hours, midwife then checked me and I was 7 and baby's head was high and baby was posterior. My midwife then suggested that I labor on all fours laying over a birthing ball. I did so for about a half hour and then began to lose it. I layed on the floor crying saying I just want to go to sleep. (recognize what I do during transition?) Not a contrax or two later I started grunting and we knew it was about time. So back to the tub I went for some relief not realizing that I was alredy 10, I got in before the tub was even half full and midwife said she'd better check me. To all of our suprise I was 10 but baby's head was still high and posterior. I lay on my side in the tub and with my very first push baby spun around came down and my water broke with a huge POP sound. I pushed once more and she was crowning. Once more and her head about came out but got stuck at her cheeks (later we found them to be quite pleasantly plump). ONe more push her head was out, and I paused as I know I should and the rest of her just slid out. She was great and healthy. They cut the cord, I delivered the placenta, but decided I needed a shower since I was laying in a pool of blood in the bathtub. My dh was holding our 2nd daughter skin to skin waiting for me. As soon as I got into bed she began to nurse, and did so for 45 mins!! Everyone was waiting around laughing at how chubby she looked and making bets at how much she weighed. She was a whopping 9 lbs (I couldn't believe it!) That's a rather big baby for me ( I am pretty small). She is perfect in everyway. What a blessing.

Joshua Arden---08-25-04

Well this being my third homebirth I feel as comfortable as I can and relaxed as I can. Same midwife, new house, bigger tub. I was excited for the bigger tub to labor in and planned on laboring in that tub for most of my labor. Well once AGAIN 40 weeks came and went, and this time so did 41 weeks. Now after a 49 hour labor and a 26 hour labor I was really really hoping for a shorter labor. For two weeks we walked, and walked and walked and did all the other things to try to get this baby out. Of course, in their own time is all you have to wait for. So the morning of 13 days after my EDD, I woke again at 3 am (what is it with my kids and waking me up at 3 am?) with contrax that were patterned and enough to wake me. I decided it was way too early that I probably wasn't going to have a short labor and i'd better get back to sleep. so I went back to sleep until 6 am awakened again by the pains. I told dh it was finally time. and neither of us could sleep and then our girls came in to join us. I sent dh to work and began to keep myself busy. I baked all morning and chatted a bit online to keep myself busy and my mind off how long it was gonna take. they were regularly between 4-8 minutes apart from the get go but very manageable. Dh came home around noon we ate lunch and decided to go to the grocery store to stock up. All the while I was having contrax I could barely walk through. when we got home I phoned the midwife and she suggested that I take a nap if I could and call her when I woke up. I slept for about 45 mins and felt great when I got up. My contrax were spaced then about 15 mins apart but began to get closer. Dh and I grilled out chicken and had chicken caesar salads for dinner. Sat outside enjoyed the weather. My mom and her husband came round 6 pm and ordered themselves pizza. I then called my midwife and told her she should come soon but not to rush. At about 7 pm I lost my plug and had my bloody show and things were progressing. Got the girls in bed and midwife came at about 9 pm. That's when my active labor pattern began. I had to breath through them and decided it was time for the tub! I spent most of my time in the tub excpet when I had to get out to got to the potty. I got out to be checked at about 12 am and was 9! 9!!! How great was that. I then labored on the toilet again and got grunty and we knew it was time. I decided to get back in the tub to push but that wasn't working for me. I then got out and sat on a birthing stool to try to push but I HAD to be foreward. so I leaped off the stool and got down on all fours and pushed with all my might. That worked great and within a few pushes he was crowning. His head was then out but the rest of his body did not slide out! He was so big that I had to push ever inch of him out with all my might. I turned around awkwardly to see what it was. I thought I had seen boy parts but had to double check just to be sure. It was. He was so big. We were laughing again and guessing at the weight. Within minutes he was nursing. when he was done, they weighed him and he was 9 lbs 8 oz! even bigger than my last. His shoulders were bigger than his head which explained why I had to be on all fours. Listen to your body and it does wonders. He is healthy and happy. And I am looking forward to my next homebirth.