Hannah's Stories

The Story of Eve's Birth, a wonderful labor at home, followed by a transport to the hospital and eventually a c-section. One that led this mother further down the road of passion for birth, her second child Willow made a powerful entrance, in a beautiful HBAC! Which was followed by another empowering homebirth!



Thank you Hannah for sharing your birth stories with us!

Her Own Birth Story

And now, for your reading pleasure, allow me to present the story of Xiola. She wanted her own story, and she made sure her Mama had one to tell. I hope you enjoy the story of Cat's second daughters birth. 

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Sunday, September 25 at around 5:30 am I woke up having mild contractions.  I had been having these off and on for weeks now, so didn't think much of them.  Still, I couldn't get in a comfortable position to sleep anymore as they were very crampy.  I got up and took a shower, thinking they'd slow down and I could go back to bed.  I was 2 days past my due date.  Well, they got closer together while I was in the shower and were lasting fairly long (45 seconds or longer), so I got out and decided to get a few things done before waking Jason.  I went into the kitchen and did the dishes and basically just puttered around trying to keep myself busy.  Jason came out to check on me and I told him what was going on.  He convinced me to try and lie down for awhile, but still I couldn't get comfortable.  So more puttering around…;)  Finally I needed some help through some of the more intense rushes and Jason got up with me.  I really wasn't in a lot of pain, but the pressure was becoming quite intense.  I called our midwife and told her what was going on, but also told her that I didn't need her just yet.  Our 2 year old, Lola,  had come so quickly once I crossed over into active labor that we wanted Toni to be prepared just in case the same thing happened.  At around 1 pm she called back to check in and I told her they were coming every 2 minutes, but hadn't really kicked over yet.  She decided to wait awhile, and then come over and check me.  She called her assistant, Nancy, who had a longer drive and they arrived around 3:00 p.m. – I was 5 cms, but still a bit thick.  I was getting tired by this time, but was determined to keep my labor going.  I got in the tub for awhile, which helped with the discomfort, but also started slowing down my contractions. We decided to walk around the property in hopes that they turned over into active labor soon.  They were getting stronger and the next time Toni checked me I was close to 7 cms.  We thought we were in the homestretch.  After awhile they started slowing down again, so I kept myself upright and walking.  By this time it was getting late.  I needed to lie down for a bit, but every time I stopped walking the contractions would slow down.  At midnight Toni convinced me that I needed some rest.  Jason and I laid down for awhile, but I was so scared that my contractions would stall out that I couldn't really sleep.  

At 3:30 am Toni checked me again and I was digressing.  I was back to a stretchy 5 cms.  I had hit a wall with exhaustion and we all decided that I needed sleep and rest.  My water was still intact, so there was no rush.  There wasn't going to be a baby that night.  It was very discouraging and I broke down sobbing, feeling like a failure.  Nancy came over to me as Jason helped Toni load her stuff back up in the van, and sat with me while I cried.  I had been working hard for close to 20 hours and was suffering from sheer exhaustion.  Nancy then made a statement that changed the course of my thoughts.  She told me to let go of how easy and quick Lola's birth was, that this wasn't going to be the same thing and that I just needed to allow it to happen the way it was going to.  It stopped me in my tracks.  I hadn't realized how much I was carrying around the thoughts that my homebirth with Lola was easy, quick and fairly painless.  I just assumed this baby would come the same way.

My mom had taken Lola while everything was going on, so I called her and asked her to come back.  I needed my family around me that day.  My sister had stayed throughout the night, so when my mom got there we made food and basically just hung out.  I went to the store with my mom as I really wanted to get out of the house.  We talked a lot about what was going on, why my labor had stalled, etc...  I was looking deep inside myself for an answer and Nancy's words kept coming back to me.  I realized I wasn't allowing my baby to have her own story.  I wanted the same kind of birth I'd had with Lola, so was unwilling to accept the fact that this was taking a lot longer.  I wasn't honoring Xiola or myself in the process.  I had also given up my power in the birth.  I allowed Lola to be taken out of the house, when I really wanted her home.  I wasn't letting my body do what it needed as I was afraid of stalling, which of course caused it to happen anyway.  And I wasn't making my own needs be heard.  I realized I just needed to let go of everything and allow what was coming to do so in its own time.  This was Xiola's and my birth experience and I needed to feel it that way both physically and spiritually. 

Once I came to these realizations, I began to feel less discouraged.  I nurtured my last few hours with my baby girl inside me.  I enjoyed the time I was spending with my family and realized that this could very well be the last day that Lola was still the baby.  So we showered her with attention.  By the time I went to bed that night I was feeling at peace with everything.

Early the next morning, I woke up at 3:30 am having to use the bathroom.  I felt some familiar twinges and decided once again, to get in the shower.  This time I felt more than mild contractions and my body began emptying itself in preparation.  I knew this had to be what I was waiting for.  I got out of the shower and decided that I wanted to take a bath instead.  These contractions were not slowing down, not even in the tub.  I got out and went into the kitchen to busy myself, but couldn't walk through the pains.  I woke up Jason and asked him to fill the birth tub for me as I really wanted to float.  After filling the tub he went back to bed to get some rest, but within 20 minutes I was moaning and needed his strength with me.  I had started timing my rushes and they were every 2 minutes like clockwork.  I asked Jason to call Toni and my mom.  When Toni got there she checked me and I was 6 cms and very thin.  This was it, finally!

I figured because I had gone so quickly with Lola, that at 6 cms I was almost in the homestretch with Xiola…was I ever wrong.  My contractions started becoming more intense and I was beginning to feel them in my back more.  Xiola had tried to stay posterior during the last few weeks, but Toni was picking up her heart tones low and in the front so we naturally assumed she was in the correct position.  I kept getting in and out of the tub as the water felt really good and helped me manage the contractions when I needed a break, but I couldn't stay in the water as I was very restless and wanted to walk around a lot as well.  I was beyond talking through the pains and would lean against Jason, feeling his strength run through my body.  We went outside to be alone for awhile and I found that with every contraction I wanted to squat.  I knew Xiola was still pretty high, so I wanted to bring her down and the squatting felt good.  Jason put my hair up for me and brought me water and cool washcloths.  It was hot outside, but I didn't mind.  He tried to keep me in the shade, but I needed to wander.  This went on for a couple hours, walking and squatting.  At one point Lola came out with my mom.  I didn't want her to see me in so much pain, but during one contraction I couldn't stop myself from moaning.  She ran over to me afterwards and hugged me and told me she loved me.  Then she took a towel from Jason and wanted to wipe off my face.  It was really sweet and she wasn't scared at all.  I felt good knowing that we had prepared her so well and that she as able to be there with us to experience her sister's arrival. 

I started leaking fluid and we thought maybe my water had broke.  I went over to the fence and hung on it during a particularly painful rush.  Fluid began pouring out of me and I kept saying I was peeing all over myself.  Jason kept telling me he didn't think it was urine.  After awhile Toni checked again and I was at 8 cms, but she still felt the bag intact.  She thought I might have a leak higher up as every time I would squat, more fluid would come out.   I was happy to be so close to seeing my baby girl.  Then Toni decided to check Xiola's heart along my side…she suspected she was too far to the side by this point as I had been laboring for a few hours and was feeling it all in my back.  My cervix was opening, but she didn't feel her head as far down as it should be if she was in the correct position.  Sure enough, there was a very loud, steady heartbeat.  She was trying to stay posterior and that was why I was feeling so much pain in my back.  That's when I realized the real work was about to begin.

I really wanted back in the tub, so Jason put more warm water in while I tried to find a comfortable position.  I did a lot of hands and knees in hopes that Xiola would rotate to the front.  It was during this that both Toni and Jason noticed with every contraction my lower back was bulging...no wonder it hurt so bad!  Toni started doing counter pressure in hopes that Xiola would move.  I really wanted to stay in the water, but she convinced me to get out for awhile and use the birthing ball.  So off to the bedroom we went where I laid across the ball while Toni massaged my lower back during each contraction.  Jason held my hand during it all and made sure I had plenty of water.  There came a point where I needed to lie down and that's when transition hit.  I started shaking; the contractions were coming one on top of the other.  I wasn't getting a break.  At one point I looked up at Jason and told him they hurt and just wouldn't stop.  Toni rubbed my legs and told me I was in transition and was 9 cms.  Even throughout all the pain however, I never felt like I couldn't manage them.  I started chanting, "Open open" with each one and visualizing my cervix opening up and allowing my baby to come through.  I willed myself to surrender to each rush.  I talked to Xiola, telling her not to be afraid, that we were together on this and would help each other through it.  I asked her to rotate forward so it would be easier on us both.  I sent all the love I was feeling to her and went inside myself to gather strength.  All of a sudden I wanted back in the water.  I knew I would not be leaving it without my baby in my arms.

I climbed into the tub again for the last time and was so thankful for the relief the water provided.  I was going through the most intense contractions and did a lot of moaning and yelling.  The water felt good against my skin and it made a huge difference in the intensity of my rushes when I could float through them.  Lola came over and put soothing water on my head and face.  Her little hands felt so good against my skin.  The rushes were not stopping and I began having trouble finding a position that was working for me.  I knew that opening my mouth and allowing the sounds to flow out of me would help; I also made a conscious effort to keep my face relaxed.  I knew that by doing this the rest of my body would follow suit as much as possible.  I stayed low in the water as it felt good against my skin.  My body started feeling like I needed to push, so I gave a few tentative pushes in hopes that she'd move down more.  I told Toni that I was beginning to feel like something was happening.  She told me to start pushing whenever I wanted to.  I was still moaning and chanting through my contractions, and trying to push at the same time.  It felt like it was going so slowly.  That's when Jason and Toni told me to use my breath and not to moan through the contractions anymore.  Jason coached me through it and I remember during one particularly good push hearing him say, "Breath Cat."  Right after this, I took a deep breath and pushed with everything I had in me.  I could immediately feel the shift in energy within my body.  After that contraction I sat back and all of a sudden went somewhere else.  I put my head down on a cool washcloth, sank down into the water and felt like I was leaving my body.  I became completely relaxed.  I didn't fall asleep; I just went somewhere that was so peaceful and so happy.  The warm water against my skin felt good, and I felt as if I was in a trance.  I have never been that relaxed before.  It was the most intensely spiritual feeling I had ever experienced.  Everything was right in the world and I felt both powerful and humble at the same time.  I felt apart of everything and yet on my own.  I was aware of everyone in the room, but was beyond their energy.  I was gathering up my Mama Bear strength and heard Toni say I was getting a nice long break.  I didn't move, I just let these waves of euphoria rush over me and I realized that it was going to take all my energy on the next contraction, but I felt good about it.  It was an intense moment of clarity that words can't even begin to describe.

The next wave started building in me and I got into position on my knees and held onto the side of the tub.  I looked up at Jason and told him I loved him.  Then it all hit me and I took a deep breath and pushed.  I realized that while I was pushing I had begun to growl like the Mama Bear strength I was feeling.  It was really intense and felt so right.  I felt Xiola move straight through the birth canal and begin crowning.  She retreated a bit as the contraction subsided, but I was ready for it.  I reached down and felt my sac bulging, and right behind it was her head.  I don't know if I smiled on the outside, but inside I was beaming.  Jason said he heard Toni saying a quiet prayer for me and he felt very touched by her selflessness and love she was sending me.  I was in my own world and the next rush was coming.  I knew I was going to push her out.  I felt the burning; I heard the excitement in everyone's voices as her head came out, all of them encouraging me.  I heard my own voice, deep and primal.   I reached down and there was my baby's head.  Toni asked if I was going to catch her myself and I immediately said no.  I had found a position that worked and didn't want to move from it.  Then the oddest sensation I'd ever felt in birth came.  While I felt her head outside my body, I could feel her feet kicking me and her squirming on the inside of me trying to find her way out.  I almost felt a little sad as I realized that would be the last time I would feel her inside me.  Then all of a sudden she was out and a huge wave of emotion settled over me.  Toni announced that she was born in the caul!  I could not believe it.  Both my girls were blessed with this at birth.  I didn't realize it at the time, but during those last intense contractions, my little Lola was being held in my mother's arms and she was chanting over and over, "I love you mommy, I love you mommy…"  She was giving me and her sister her strength and all that innocent love.  As soon as Xiola emerged I heard Lola's little voice start yelling to everyone, "A baby!  A baby came out of mommy's body!"  She was feeling the energy in the room and was ecstatic.

I turned over and Toni handed me my Xiola.  I immediately felt for her cord as I wanted to wait until it quit pulsing before cutting it.  I didn't vocalize this desire to anyone, but just allowed it to happen.  Xiola's cord was the biggest cord I had ever seen.  It was super fat!  At the base of her belly button it was almost the diameter of a half dollar!   Even Toni was shocked and said she wasn't sure the clamp would fit!  After a couple minutes I was ready for it to be clamped and Toni managed to get the clamp on, but just barely. Lola went over by Jason and watched as he cut the cord.  Xiola was very calm and peaceful in the water.  We wrapped towels around her as Toni checked out her cord and made sure she had clear air passages.  Our sweet little girl just looked around while I held her in my arms.  She seemed at peace with everything going on.  It was so amazing.  I wanted to deliver the placenta out of the water, so I handed Xiola to her daddy so I could get out of the tub.  Toni and Nancy helped me to the bedroom where I took off my wet bathing suit top and climbed into bed.  Lola hopped in next to me and snuggled up close.  They handed Xiola to me and she immediately started nursing.  About 15 minutes later I delivered the biggest placenta I'd ever seen.  Went well with her cord!!  I had a tiny nick that didn't require any attention.  I felt great.  All was right with the world.  Lola was on one side of me and my darling son, Jonathon was on the other side kneeling on the floor.  Jason was standing there as was my sister, my nephew and my mom, while Toni and Nancy were busy with me.  I felt so much love in that room at that moment.  I had all my children snuggled up with me and my family surrounding me.  It really doesn't get any better than that.

Jason and I had such an intense connection throughout everything.  We rarely spoke to each other but he always anticipated my needs before I even thought them.  During several particularly intense contractions, I gathered strength just by looking into his eyes.  He was with me through every step.  He spiritually felt every rush and held me up both physically and spiritually during the entire process.  It was like a cleansing for us, a primitive ritual that God sent us through.  I have never felt more in-love with my husband than during all this.  He was my rock, my guide, and my partner.  I am so grateful to have him by my side.  

Toni was beyond amazing.  Her love and strength were such a blessing to us during everything this labor had to offer.  She was constantly supportive and respectful of our needs.  I am so grateful to have been lead to her and am so blessed to have her in our lives.  She will forever be a part of our family.  We can only hope she realizes how important her role is in our lives as well as those other families she's supported in her midwifery practice.  She is a unique individual who has definitely found her calling in life.

My labor was about 9.5 hours long, with 34 minutes of pushing.  Xiola weighed in at 8 lbs, 9 oz and 21" long.  Both my girls were born in the birthing tub and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Giving birth in the water is such a beautiful and peaceful way for a new little soul to enter the world. 

Xiola gave us a bit of a scare at first when she lost more than a pound within 2 days, but she seemed to have retained a lot of fluid and once that was expelled and my milk came in she's been gaining weight at a steady pace.  She is such a good little baby, hardly ever cries and is very curious about her surroundings.  Her brother and sister love her so much, as do her daddy and I.  When Lola wakes up in the mornings, one of the first things out of her mouth is, "Where's my Xiola?"  She is eager to help me with the baby and kisses her and hugs her a lot.  I feel so blessed to have my children all healthy and happy.  And while Xiola's birth was harder than Lola's, it was just perfect for Xiola.  I wouldn't have wanted it to be any other way.  It is our own unique experience and that is a blessing in itself.

Welcome to the World, Lucas Eli!

~*~*~*~This story comes to us through an email submission! YAY! Keep 'em coming!~*~*~*~




I knew I wanted a natural birth about halfway into my pregnancy. When asked, I told people that I would "try" to breastfeed. I went to the library to check out some pregnancy books and the clerk told me about The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. I became completely absorbed after reading the first chapter. After reading it I was certain I needed to have a natural birth. Besides, my mom did it, my grandmas did it, women have been doing it since the beginning of time...how hard could it be? I rented the Business of Being Born and watched it twice. Right after watching that I changed my provider from Dr. P and Central Washington Hospital, to the Midwives at the Childbirth Center. I was so impressed with their model of care. They seemed so knowledgeable and EXCITED for me at the same time! Something my O.B. lacked. I always felt like just another pregnant patient after my O.B. appointments. After meeting with the midwives, I felt beautiful and powerful and that they truly cared about me as a person and my baby. My appointments were a whole hour! How nice it was to just get to sit and have every question answered and to be encouraged!By the time I was 5 months pregnant, I was dead set on a drug free birth and would ABSOLUTELY breastfeed my baby. No doubt about it.
 
Our little miracle finally arrived on September 13, 2010, 6 days "overdue." Here is my story!
 
Jake and I had tried everything, EVERYTHING to jump start labor but it just wasn't happening. Being almost a week past my due date I was starting to wonder if this baby was ever going to come out. I needed to take my mind off the suspense so we took a drive up to Leavenworth to walk around, browse the shops, etc. On the way up, the rear passenger tire blew out on the highway! I must have looked hilarious to traffic passing by with my giant belly, heaving myself over the guardrail, but I had seen too many cop shows about rubber-neckers slamming into vehicles sitting on the shoulder! I wasn't taking any chances...
 
Anyway, the tow truck came and we were rescued by my Dad and stepmom, Karen, who drove us the rest of the way to Leavenworth. I reached into my purse and was surprised to find that my hand lotion had exploded all over my wallet, keys, and cell phone. So that was fun. I started to think, "An exploding tire and exploding lotion...could these be signs? Could I be next?!" The day wore on and no such luck with labor. That night, Jake and I decided to try "the Costco speed bumps." I had heard through a friend of my brother that driving over them had caused her to go into labor. I thought, "Well, why not?" Not like I had anything better to do. So off we went in my rediculously uncomfortable piece of junk sports car, the Cougar. It was actually pretty fun driving in circles around the store and I actually started to feel a little cramping during the process! HOORAY! Or so I thought...The cramps went away soon as we left.
 
On the way home Jake made a hilarious comment about a crappy dinner I had made a few days back...I think "slop" was the technical term he used...this sent me into a fit of uncontrollable giggles which turned into deep belly laughs, the kind where you start crying...like actually crying. I literally couldn't stop laughing for a good hour! In hindsight it really wasn't even that funny, so I am SURE it was the hormones raging through my body..but voila! I went into labor that night! So now if anyone asks what the trick is to kick-starting labor, (I know, I know...none of the tricks work unless the baby is ready blah blah blah) I tell them: Have a tire blowout, take a bumpy ride, and laugh until your sides split.
 
The contractions woke me up at 2 a.m. on the dot and started out fairly strong. I stumbled to the bathroom and I "think" I heard my water break but I just couldn't be sure if that was it, or if I had just leaked urine, (a fairly common occurrence at almost 41 weeks). I tried to go lie back down but I was far more comfortable standing and walking around. I let my hubby sleep cause I still wasn't sure if this was the real thing. I timed the contractions for about 2 1/2 hours...they were 4-5 minutes apart and lasted 45 seconds-1 minute. They didn't really feel like I had expected them to. It was more of a dull, heavy pressure, kind of like a bowling ball was sitting on my cervix. Not necessarily sharp pains like I had imagined. I woke Jake up at about 4:30 and whispered "I think we are gonna have a baby today!" I remember his sleepy murmers and then sitting up wide-eyed with a huge smile after he realized what I had said. He wrote down the times of each of my contractions and how long they lasted, made sure the birth bag had all the last minute stuff in it, put the car seat in, all the while helping me to relax and breathe through the surges. Whatta man. ;)
 
I called the Midwife answer service and told the operator that I was sure I was in labor, and she immediately paged the midwife on call. It happened to be Kristin, a fill-in from Bellingham who I had only seen once, because Laurie (my main midwife) was on vacation. I knew there was a possibility that Laurie would not be delivering my baby, so I was mentally prepared. Laurie is an excellent and skilled midwife, but I considered myself lucky because Kristin was a better match for me personality-wise. So she called me back and had me wait to come to the birthing center until my contractions were less than 4 minutes apart and more than 1 minute long. I did pelvic rotations on my exercise ball (which really didn't feel good at all), had a hot shower, and paced my living room floor. I also sat in my recliner and tried to sleep a little, to no avail. Walking around was the only thing that felt good. Sure enough, by 8am they were about 3 minutes apart and growing quickly in strength. I guess I just didn't feel my Early labor because I was in alot of pain, throwing up, labor breathing, etc right from the start. I called my mom and she got the pleasure of hearing my lovely vomiting noises as I tried to tell her, in broken sentences, that I was indeed going to have the baby that day.
 
We left for the birthing center at 9:20 am in the rediculously uncomfortable piece of junk Cougar. I will just say it was interesting trying to get in and out of the thing! The bucket seats DID NOT feel good on my pelvis. I remember my legs feeling shaky because I was trying to hold myself up off my pelvis all the way to the Birthing center. Tracy, my dear birth assistant, greeted me and helped me get settled in. Everyone seemed surprised that I was having a daytime labor! i tried to lie on the bed but that seemed to make the contractions 10 times worse, so I continued my pacing. Kristin checked me about 30 minutes later and I was dilated to 6! I laughed because I was so proud that I had done all that at home. She asked if I would like to get in the tub..."UH, YEAH?!" was my gracious response. IMMEDIATELY all that pressure and gravity and pain was just lifted off! What an immense relief. It was almost like having an epidural. (Not that I would know, but I can guess.) I still felt the contractions and it was still pretty painful, but just a different kind of pain. More like tightening and pressure rather than dead weight and sharp cramping. Jake and Tracy fed me ice cubes and put cold wash cloths on my head and helped me to visualize by body being totally open and the baby coming out smoothly and quickly. They really helped me to just relax and trust myself that my body definitely knows what its doing and doesn't need any help! I lied back in the water, closed my eyes, listened to my music, and swayed my hips back and forth and just PRAYED for God to give me peace and comfort. I spend the next few hours in this quiet state of meditation and prayer. I just KNOW that God was there because I felt absolutely no fear. All I felt was excitement and calm at the same time.
 
Whenever Kristin went to check my blood pressure, the reading was the same or lower than it had been at all my prenatal appointments. (Which is fantastic because one of my biggest worries was being transferred to the hospital for high blood pressure...and after all the research I had done, the hospital was the LAST place I wanted to be. ) Laurie had been keeping a close eye on my moderately high blood pressure through out my pregnancy, and told me there was a real chance of transfer. But by the grace of God my b/p stayed right below the cutoff. Coincidence? No.
 
So, after about 1 1/2 hours of being in the tub I started feeling the urge to push. Kristin checked me again to make sure I was fully dilated and sure enough..I was ready. She was a dream of a midwife, staying absolutely silent except to sneak in every 20 minutes or so to re-check my b/p and the baby's heartbeat. She just let me go with my own instincts and push when I needed to, and rest when I needed to. A woman giving birth naturally really doesn't need anyone to tell her when to push or when not to! Amazing concept! Between urges I breathed deeply and made every effort to stay calm and collected. I tried different positions...lying back, kneeling, leaning against the tub...I just DID NOT want to get out of the water. And I wasn't made to.
 
When I felt the baby wiggle his way down through me was my moment when I just let go, gave in, and said to myself, "This baby knows exactly what he is doing and I just need to let him do it, there is nothing stopping him!" About five minutes later he was crowning. I don't remember the exact feeling of it, but Jake told me I screamed bloody murder as the baby's little head came out. (I prefer to call it a guttural groan.) I think all my fears crept up at that moment and I was afraid I was going to rip open...but the screaming wasn't necessarily from the pain. I just did whatever my body and senses told me to do to get the baby out, and out he came at 1:48 p.m.! Its true you just forget all about the pain the minute that perfect little baby is in your arms! And that's what Lucas was...perfect! He was immediately put on my chest, Jake stroked his back, and we told him what a great job he did. All I could do was stare at him! He "pinked up" right away with a little stimulation. We waited until the cord stopped pulsating to have Jake cut it. We weren't about to cut our baby's iron supply short!
 
We made our way to the bed and just bonded together as a new family of three for a while...then I started feeling more contractions and pushed out the placenta. (No, I did not look at it, keep it, or eat it!) Kristin was a bit concerned that I was losing a lot of blood and mentioned that I might need a little pitocin to slow it down. I was like "sure give me all the drugs you want now that the baby is out!" All was well though, and I didn't need any pitocin. I even came away with from the whole thing with just one "microtear" that didn't need any stitches or special attention. I couldn't believe it... my first baby, no pain medication, 10 pounds 6 ounces, and barely a tear! Clearly I was not the only one in charge of my birth! Granted, I was well prepared and had practiced my breathing, relaxation, and visualization every day...but it was truly by the grace of God that Lucas was born so smoothly and without incident. I think the visualization was the key for me...where your mind goes the body will follow.
 
Lucas latched on at 35 minutes and nursed beautifully from the start.  It wasn't until that moment the the tears just FLOODED. I had had the birth experience that I so desperately desired. My baby knew exactly how to breastfeed. He had received best possible start in life. We were a brand new family of 3. All was (is!) right in the world. Hello oxytocin!
 
We called all the family members and basked in their excitement and happiness. I was up and around after a couple of hours. My family came to meet Lucas at the center and we were able to take him home within 6 hours of his birth.
 
I understand that sometimes a natural birth just isn't possible and thank God we have surgeons to do the small percent of c-sections that are truly needed. But I now feel I need to make it my mission to open the eyes of our society to see what birth truly is...not the horror stories on TLC! There is just nothing to be afraid of and every woman deserves this empowering right of passage. So here's to new adventures!

Sarah's first hospital birth, and the hospitals first waterbith

After three home waterbirths, Sarah plans a hospital birth for her fourth child. After worry and anticipation, a baby boy was gently born into his mother's hands. And click here for the beautiful piece on YouTube, one that's been in my "favorites" for a few months ;)

The Spiritual Birth of Elijah

Once again, Sarah's lovely home waterbirth story, this time with big brother Isaiah acting as Mommy's doula.

An Intuitive Mother

Sarah's second child, a beautiful homebirth, and a very intuitive mama.

The Unassisted Homebirth of Grace

After her unmedicated hospital birth, Laura and husband decided to take their birth into their own hands. Read their calm and gentle unassisted homebirth story here.

Laura's Natural Hospital Birth

Baby Steps founder Laura shares her unmedicated hospital waterbirth story!

The Birth of Calla

Melissa, one of the founders of Baby Steps. Read here the story of the birth of Calla.

The Unassisted Homebirth of Addison

Again, my friend and fellow CBE, Crystal retells the story of her birth. Only this time, she has taken control of her pregnancy and her birth. Her story includes two clips of Crystal, one when her water breaks in late labor, and then shortly after that as her daughter crowns. Daddy was too busy to get any video of the the birth ;) 

http://escapadesinmamaland.blogspot.com/p/addisons-homebirth.html

A Surprise Unassisted Birth

My daughter's birth was so very different from my son's birth, which is exactly what I wanted it to be. My husband and I had chosen to have our second child at home long before she was due. I had decided near the end of my first pregnancy that homebirth was much more appealing. My husband was nervous about this idea, so we agreed to birth our first in the hospital. I don't know if that contributed to my pre-eclampsia, or if we were just where we needed to be for his birth. I can't say for certain that I would not have ended up birthing him in a hospital. 

Around 10 weeks pregnant we met with and hired our midwife, she came highly recommended from one of my best friends, who is also a doula, and homebirthing mom. I loved how gentle her demeanor was, and my husband liked the answers to our questions, and I had a decent list! I enjoyed my midwive visits so much, I quickly made arrangements to see her on Saturday's so I could leave my 3 yr old son with my husband and have the visit all to myself. Hubby came a few times, so he could "get to know" our midwife, but I loved her, so naturally he followed that sentiment.

At 37 weeks we had our home visit with the midwife and her apprentice. My doulas were both busy that day, but had already been to my house for a maternity photo shoot and belly casting. I was READY for this baby!! But I wasn't going to rush labor, I was enjoying being pregnant. Her pregnancy had been so much easier on me. I wasn't nearly as sick, and never threw up with her. My back was only sore if I did too much, and I only once had real contractions before 37 weeks. I had been running errands, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, put everything away and then started in on the laundry. It must have been the first wave of "nesting". I started contracting while bending over the washer "ut oh!" I got my husband and son to finish up with the laundry, grabbed a tall glass of water and parked it on the sofa for the rest of the day. The contractions stopped pretty quickly, and I promised to take it easy for a few days. 

September 6th, we headed out to a local fall festival of sorts, Pioneer Days. I admit I was hopeful that all that walking might do a bit to make me contract and maybe start labor. If nothing else it was a wonderful last outing for our family of 3. I slept GREAT that night, but woke up feeling a little icky. My husband felt sick too, for 2 days! I started to feel better around mid-day but my lower body was just achy. My hips, my back, my pelvic floor. I was visiting the toilet frequently from all the 'pressure' I was feeling. In order to make anything happen I had to spend a minute or two in knee chest position before getting on the toilet. 

I gave my midwife a call and let her know what was going on. We assumed the baby was very low, and I was constipated. Yay. Just what I was wanting in the last weeks of pregnancy. Because of all this new found pressure, laying on my side was much more comfortable, so I spent the next few days sitting on my birth ball when I needed to sit, and laying on my side on the sofa the rest of the time.

On the morning of September 10th I woke up with a nasty headache. I decided to eat some breakfast, drink a glass of water and go back to bed. I told my husband I had a big 'to do' list for this day, and asked him to wake me in an hour. He said when he came in an hour later I was so sweet, and looked so peaceful that he let me sleep. I woke up 3 hours after I went to sleep, headache free. Since I was so close to my due date I hadn't wanted to take any motrin, so I was very grateful for the extra time in bed. I got up and ate lunch and then started working on my list. I had quite a bit of energy. I chalked it up to the nap, and didn't give it another thought. 

Later that night after putting my son to bed I headed out for small shopping trip. I was looking for a few things to help ease what I thought was constipation complicated by a very low, engaged baby. I called my midwife while I was at the store, she gave me a few suggestions, and we hung up, and I headed to check out. Now, if you've ever been in a grocery store you know how the check out lanes look, and where they bag the groceries. My lower back was achy again, so I leaned against the check out counter behind me to put some pressure on my sacrum. Once again, ignoring my doula knowledge. 

After I got home, I had dinner, again. I was so hungry! Husband and I watched Sgt. York, and then went to bed. It was around midnight, and when my head hit the pillow I was out! 

39 weeks 6 days, I woke first at 2:05, used the bathroom and went back to bed. I spent the next 10 minutes or so trying to get comfortable, and figured the pressure I was feeling meant I still needed to use the toilet. I got up and went into the larger bathroom, so I could get into a knee chest position and then read a bit while I sat there. Nothing happened, and I gave up. Rather than go right back to bed, I went out to the living room, turned on the computer and the tv. Luckily The West Wing was on, so I got on Fertility Friend and Mothering.com and checked my due date clubs for any action. No new labor or birth announcements. I don't recall posting anything about why I was awake, but I think I remember responding to a thread or two. And then, oh boy, what a contraction. I shut down the computer and tried to take note of the time, 3:03. 

I decided to move to the sofa because I was't *sure* it was a contraction, so I wanted to lay down and time them a bit before I woke anyone up. It didn't take long and before I had even sat down, 3:05, I had another whopper. I got on the sofa and crammed a pillow between my knees, and waited. Again, I didn't need to wait long, 3:07 brought another contraction. (I was using the 'TV' button on the remote to make the time appear on the screen.) The pattern continued, but I didn't wake my husband first. 3:09, 3:11, and then a break. 3:15 (a short break) and I felt a pop, and a very small warm gush. I jumped off the sofa and leapt like some kind of animal to the bathroom hoping not to gush more fluid all over. Stripping off my underwear my panty liner reveled that I had not just peed myself. My water had broken!! (ROM- Rupture of Membranes) Crap! I really was in labor!! I called my midwife first, told her I'd been having contractions only 2 minutes apart, ROM and, the fluid was meconium stained. She asked for color and consistency, and then told me that she thought it sounded like it was fresh, she would be on her way shortly. I had another contraction, and since I was still very present in my brain, it caught me a bit off guard. I vocalized quite a bit, and the midwife asked if it was a contraction. I guess I sounded like I'd seriously stubbed my toe or something lol. I told her it was, and she suddenly sounded like she was rushing out of the house "Call my cell if you need anything else, I am on my way!" I hung up with her and dialed my doula. N was going to call H, my other doula, and they were going to carpool over. When I contracted with N on the phone I grunted deeply, and involuntarily at the peak of the contraction. "Oh God, I hope I didn't just push, I can't sit down, this hurts!" N assured me that I was ok, and likely not pushing yet. She and H would be on their way soon. 

Now I turned to my husband. I had mobilized the rest of my birth team, it was time for some labor support. Unfortunately for him, I had a contraction as soon as I opened the bedroom door. How he'd been sleeping through all my noise you ask? An injury at work had lead to him being home for the previous week on muscle relaxers. He was very asleep, until I threw open the door, and stumbled forward in the dark to lean on the foot of the bed. My husband just about shot out of bed when I announced "Water Broke, In Labor" as another monster contraction rolled over me. He thrust a towel between my feet to catch the drops of meconium stained water that leaked from me with every contraction. 

When it was over I started to make my way back to the bathroom. He asked if I wanted to sit down, or lay down. I said "No, that hurts too much" and I turned on the water for the bathtub. He asked me if I wanted him to start filling our pool. The pool wasn't even blown up!! We didn't have the space for it to be set up and ready for water, and had thought we'd have the time to blow it up in early labor, and then start filling it as labor progressed. I told him we didn't have enough time for the pool, and handed him the phone to call the midwife. I couldn't hear much of what went on after that, the water was loud, and I was in a mad rush to get naked and lay down in the water. I wanted to slow my contractions down and space them out just a little. I wanted to buy enough time for my birth team to get there. Everyone was 45 minutes away when I woke them up. (And that's drive time, not get ready, be packed, and then drive)

I couldn't lay down, the contrast in water to air temperature was too great to be comfortable, and my bathtub is small. The water was just starting to pool around my knees, and another contraction overcame me. I landed on my hands, and immediately started to bellow "OOOOoooooooOOOH SHIT" and I would quietly grunt at the peak. I heard my husband say "I don't know" to the midwife, and then he called to me "D wants to know if  you're pushing" .... "Uh, *pant, pant* Um, yeah a little"

He came into the bathroom, and turned off the water, set the phone on speaker and offered his arm over the edge of the tub. My eyes were mostly closed, it was bright, and had been loud. I was thankful the water was off, it was very annoying to listen to while trying to get out of my mind and into my body for labor. Another contraction, more moaning, and some yelling. I'm sure I was still cursing. When the contraction ended, the midwife reminded us that if the baby was coming this quickly everything was ok. I was thankful we discussed this kind of birth during our prenatal visits. Another contraction, I clutched hubby's hand and pushed down on his arm, and let out almost a shriek. "Keep it low!" D reminded me over the phone. I tore my hand away from my husbands and flung it over my now crowing baby's head. "I have her head!" I shouted, hubby moved quickly to the other end of the tub, and I felt his warm hands over mine. I put my hands back on the bottom of the tub, took a deep breath and pushed, her head was born! The next contraction came quickly, almost no rest in between, I pushed again, and heard my husband announce that a lot of cord had been born. I pushed again, and the baby practically flew out into her father's hands. "SHE'S HERE! I have her!" He shouted. I sat up on my knees and turned around just in time to see my baby girl newly born, startled by her entrance to the world. She already looked pink, and was taking her first breath! 

It took a little maneuvering to sit down, and take my baby, she settled in near my breast incase she wanted to nurse. The midwife asked a few questions about how she looked and sounded before getting off the phone to complete her drive. After getting a towel or two over us to keep us warm, and getting her latched on, I made one more phone call to let N and H know that she had arrived. N answered her cell and I said "She's here" .... at first she thought I meant the midwife had arrived. I asked if they would still come out anyway, and they said they would. The nursing so soon after birth was amazing I didn't feel my placenta detach, but I could tell when I was ready to push it out. I passed the baby to my husband and squatted over a bowl. I must not have been squatting quite right, it took a few pushes and a little bit of traction to get it out. Somewhere before that my son had come in to meet his baby sister, and then decided it was more interesting to go play in his room while we waited for the birth team. 40 minutes after the baby the placenta was birthed, and 5 minutes after that the midwife was coming through the door. My doulas were right behind her! I once again passed the baby to my husband, only this time the midwife had the bowl with the placenta, and they went into the bedroom. H was also there to take some pictures for me, since I didn't get any birth pictures, she went with the baby and took a few while N stayed with me and I took a shower. I was so excited to get back into my bed with my new baby I washed my hair and got right back out. Now I wish I'd taken a little more time, used some conditioner and washed the rest of my body. 

I climbed into my bed and got comfortable, and then latched the little girl on for her second meal. The midwife was asking questions about the birth, and how the baby looked in the first minute, and 5 minutes. She checked my bottom, and said that I had re-opened my episiotomy scar, and had a few little skid marks, but it didn't look like anything required new stitches. That was fine with me!! The newborn exam was fun to watch, and so much more gentle than it had been in the hospital with my son. Around 2 hours after she was born I noticed that her cord was thin looking, and cold. It was ready to be cut, and I got to cut it! 

Kate was 8 lbs 8 oz. Her birth wasn't exactly how I pictured having a homebirth would be, but I wouldn't change it for a second.