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11886352 tn?1439436334

Homebirth Story (long)

In the wee morning hours on Sunday, October 4th, 2015 at 4:05am I gave birth to a son, Ellis Maxwell Golem.  He was safely born at home, delivered by our amazing and talented midwife Jen.  Around 7pm on Sat night I went to the bathroom, trying to have a bowel movement. I was uncomfortable and feeling pretty constipated and discouraged that I couldn't just go.  I decided to take a hot shower/bath to hopefully make me less uncomfortable.  My 20month old daughter wanted to come in the tub with me, so I let her in, and after some time I started to have some cramping contractions, and they seemed to be coming at a pretty close interval.  So when I got out of the tub I started timing them, and was suprised to find they were only 2ish minutes apart, lasting about 45 seconds.  This went on for about an hour, and I started to get more focused on the contractions, more irritable with lights, sounds and sensations. I got scared bc of the intense pressure and urge to have a bm, and didnt want to wait too long to tell midwife and my mom and doula I was in labor, and end up having an unassisted delivery. So i had my fiance call everyone, and kept trying new ways to move through the contractions. The midwife arrived about an hour and a half later, and i was kneeling beside my bed moaning thru contractions, trying to keep my sounds low. She checked babys heartbeat, all was ok, my doula arrived, she encouragd my fiance to set up birth tub,thinking I was pretty close, and I got in the tub around 11:30 at night.  After several hours laboring in the birthing tub, Jen checked me and found I was 10cm, but had a fully entact bag of water.  I had so much pressure, was struggling through contractions, but had no urge to push.  I let Jen break my water around 3am and was pushing baby down within an hour.  Crowning was really intense, babys head got stuck, and slowly came out as my skin stretched around his head. Once his head was born his shoulders got stuck and I experienced an intense finale due to a case of shoulder distocia.  Jen made me keep babys head under water and tried a couple positions, but when it didnt work she had me get out of the tub, with babys head dangling between my legs. It was bizarre. Lifting my leg up and out of the tub seemed to do the trick as baby was born outside the tub a minute later as I pushed with everything I had in me. At that point I think a bit of adrenaline was taking over.  I got back in tub to deliver placenta, and cut my baby boys cord once it stipped pulsating.  Jen assured me Ellis was ok, and some babys who endure a difficult labor take some time to come to, but he started breathing right away.  His head was coned up and bruised and he was pretty smushed looking like most newborns.  He weighed 9lbs even which suprized us bc I am small (4ft 9) and was measuring small, and had only gained 18lbs total. His father held him and bonded with him as the ladies helped me to bed, they watched my bleeding to make sure it wasnt too heavy and within a couple hours we all went to sleep in our own bed.  My doula and midwife cleaned everything up and we woke up the next morning at home with a new family member! Recovery has been amazingly easy, my vagina feels almost normal just a week later. I didnt tear or anything, which i owe to the slow birth and water birth. Im sure if i was in hospital things wouldve been handled differently, and i surely wouldve been cut. So happy to have had this amazing experience.
4 Responses
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Avatar universal
Congratulations!
I'm planning my first homebirth with baby #3, I'm nervous yet excited!
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11886352 tn?1439436334
Thanks! Such an amazing journey!
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12788993 tn?1427512059
Congrats!! Sounds intense but great job mom! Hope u have a wonderful life with little ellis♡
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11886352 tn?1439436334
Baby was a week late too.
Helpful - 0

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