Our Birth Story

 Labor was NOT what I expected. First of all, being my first baby, I was told time and time again that labor would likely be long and the baby would likely be beyond his due date. Incorrect! I woke up the morning of June 22nd around 6:30 AM with bloody show after experiencing what I now know was contractions several times throughout the night. I couldn't remember how soon the blood indicated labor could start, so I googled it and the internet said it could still be days. I didn't want to wake my midwife so I waited until about 8 to text her. She replied, "Today's a great day for a birthday." I was shocked! I thought it could be days. I also thought no way was I having real contractions. I began having them after waking as well. I figured they were "practice" ones, since I hadn't had much cramping prior. I was on video with my Grandmother in Greece and was having steady contractions. She finally prompted me to time them, and when I did, I noticed they were consistently coming 3-4 minutes apart. I informed my midwife and my mom (who began heading my direction from VA), and my midwife sent her assistant and my friend, Leandra, over to assess the situation. I took a shower before she arrived and even put a little make-up on. By the end of labor, you could not tell either of these things had been done, haha! When Leandra arrived, I was laboring in my bathroom. Leandra had not been at my house long before my water broke like a rocket ship around 9:30 AM. Leandra called Lori, and she headed over shortly after.

Before I knew it, the contractions were increasing in intensity. Both my Mom and Grandma were on video call with me. The birthing pool was still filling, so they filled my bathtub as much as they could and I labored there for a while.

 

The tub was ready and they felt I was getting closer to meeting my baby already, so they moved me to Brooks' room and the birthing tub. Immediately, I felt more relaxed and enjoyed the water. Note my ability to still smile- which did not last long. Kristina arrived around 1:30 and I was glad to have another hand to squeeze and another person to rub my back and say nice things to me. All of my team was so kind throughout, so supportive, and kept me fed, hydrated, and cooled (as much as possible)! Brett provided humor by basically slapping me with the cold wash cloths. Again, I was at the point where I could still laugh.

The pain amped up even more with time, of course. My back was really starting to hurt in the pool. I began to push around 2/2:30 and they saw movement. My mom was minutes away and made it to me without even putting her shoes on! The midwives put their gloves on and I couldn't believe I was close to being done. It honestly seemed so quick. However, my hopes were dashed when I was informed it was not my baby's head coming through, but 5 perfect little toes instead. Brooks was breech! At this point, I was in so much pain that I didn't really process that him being breech would make my labor longer and more complicated. I just wanted it to be over.

Unfortunate for me, it was far from over. The back pain was excruciating and I was running out of positions in the tub. Lori directed me out of the water and on to the bed to try some other positions to create some more movement. I was on all fours, on my side, partially on the bed, off the bed squatting and lunging, and even on the floor at one point. I was pushing with every contraction. About 2 hours had gone by and still only one foot was out. I felt like I couldn't even push anymore, like I had no strength and was probably not even making progress. The pain was unrelenting. At times, I could not tell when a contraction stopped and started because the pain and pressure was so consistent. Brett was laboring right beside me, holding me up as I felt I truly could not hold my own body. Lori mentioned moving me to the toilet, and I wanted this so I could sit down. My legs felt so shaky and unstable from all the squatting. I headed to the toilet around 4:30. I did a few pushes on the toilet before Brooks' other foot made an appearance. Immediately, I was off the toilet and back to squatting. The rest of him finally entered this side of the world and he was born at 5:06 PM. The last contraction, to push out his head, seemed like FOREVER. But finally, it came, and so did our little boy into the world at long last! The bathroom floor was his landing place and he first laid in my arms on the toilet. I suppose we can only go up from here!

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6 weeks later, and it is not true that you forget the pain. That stuff hurt!! But it is true that the pain feels so much less serious. It feels like a small blip compared to the joy of your child. 

I would 100 percent choose home birth again, and will choose it again if we have more biological children. 

The care and attention is unmatched. I developed closeness and safety with my midwives. I knew exactly who would be at my birth. I could call or text any time throughout my pregnancy and 6 weeks after, including pictures and new mom fears and questions. They stayed for hours after delivery, cleaned, and made sure baby and I were content and safe. They kept up with me for 6 weeks, coming back to my home multiple times. I never felt stupid or silly for any question. I never felt like just a number, never felt rushed to hurry up and end an appointment. They accept my preferences and were never pushy. They explain the pros and cons to different choices. Additionally, the less medical intervention, the safer you and your baby are! Our bodies are made for this ❤️ Yes, there are exceptions to this rule- but overall for healthy mamas with “typical” pregnancies, less intervention is safer with less chance of complications. It made me feel peace to trust my body to do its job and to keep our process more simple. Being able to birth at home and climb right into my bed was awesome! I was able to create the experience I wanted, with who I wanted there. Brooks and my connection and attachment was prioritized above all else. 

Labor and birth was for sure the most physically painful experience of my life. But when I look on it, I am so blessed. I am honored to have carried and delivered a healthy baby surrounded by love.