Many people have been asking me about the story of my baby’s birth. This little angel is my fifth baby and was my second homebirth. Thankfully, there are many pictures and videos that will help me tell the tale this time!

Given my history for dilating and having fast labors, we decided to kick off labor as has been done with me in the past. I have always really liked the statement that we aren’t text books but individuals, and I appreciated that my midwife was willing to evaluate me as such and consider my feelings and instincts.

My midwife arrived around 11:30 on Wednesday, December 2nd, and broke my water during an exam shortly thereafter. After nearly an hour and a half of walking, good contractions began to come regularly. My five year old had chosen to stay home from school so the three kids walked outside with Hubby and I for a few circles around the block, me in my soaked pants! 

It started to rain so I just retreated to my bedroom once we got inside. Walking around my room felt better to me. I listened to my birth playlist I’d made, mostly consisting of worship music, while rocking, dancing, and doing circles on the birth ball until contractions picked up. So many moments throughout labor, I would focus on the lyrics to my favorite, most powerful Christian songs. My husband came in and offered me water with fresh fruit and my children came in periodically to sway with me, hug me, and ask if the baby would be here soon.

I was trying hard to “beat” my time with my son but the contractions were so much rougher, despite being so far apart. I thought I felt the urge to push or go to the bathroom within a couple of hours so I asked to be checked but to my, “So am I like a seven?” question, she said “Not quite..” so I imagine I wasn’t much further along. She kept asking me to tell her when I saw pink or blood so when I did, I let her know and then all of midwives came into my room. My four year old helped them set up the drop cloth and birth stool. Their relocation to my bedroom got me anxious because I thought that meant the midwives knew something I didn’t, like the end of labor was nearer than it felt to me. She kept reminding me that in the past I’ve gone from 5cms to baby within an hour and a half.

I did a better job breathing through contractions this time. I remember last time I did a lot of scrunching up, you could see it in my eyebrows. This time if it got really painful, I tried to keep my muscles calm but I pounded my fist on the birth stool or the wall.

At one point, I didn’t even realize that I rested my head on my kitty but he’s such a calm little guy and he just laid there while I pet his fluffy fur through a contraction. It was surprisingly calming! I moved all over the place because I really wanted to lay down but they hurt so much worse when I did (as they always have and that’s why I don’t miss natural hospital birthing, nobody ever let me move!).

I hit a point where I was ready to be done. I felt like I’d been in labor forever and I was adamant that this one was way more intense than my son’s birth and yet I felt like I wasn’t progressing fast enough. Every time I changed positions, it felt like it helped so I would stand, squat, sit on the birth stool, and get up to pee every several minutes.

With everyone in the room for what I think was about an hour, anticipating this birth that I felt wasn’t any time soon, I decided to retreat to my shower which was close to them but gave me a little more privacy. I realized as I leaned on the shower wall through a contraction that this labor, I really just preferred to be on my own. Hubby kept periodically telling me how amazing I was, which I thought was sweet each time and I will always remember that. Those moments were the only times I took myself out of my own little world, and they felt good.

I felt like standing and sitting was finally helping to get the head where it needed to be and I felt the pressure in my butt if I stood through a contraction so I asked for the birth stool in the shower. I wasn’t positive of what I was feeling so I asked my midwife to check. She said “Hi Baby! The baby’s head is right there, you can definitely push.” So with the next contraction I tried but it just felt so weak. She said she could move the lip of cervix while I pushed, same as had been done with my son, and I agreed. The midwives asked if my almost-eight and five year old could come watch since the other two were sleeping and I said it was okay.

All of a sudden I felt like I didn’t even have contractions to help me and then I was frustrated, complaining that they’d just disappeared and how was I going to push now. The baby’s head was getting far down and was still going further without the contractions so we decided I could push anyway.

Pushing with all of my power, without contractions.

As I pushed, it seemed to hurt so much more than last time. I yelled a bit because it was so intense and so much more difficult trying to push without my body doing it with contractions as it usually does. At some point, I informed the midwife that I’d like to try and catch my baby. The ring of fire has always stopped me from doing that and it was definitely worse this time but screw it, I waited nine months to see who was in there and I wanted to catch and see!

At 5:22pm, she came out and I grabbed her up to my chest, moved her cord out of the way, and saw that we had a baby girl!  

A video posted by Tiffany (@crunchymomnextdoor) on Dec 3, 2015 at 6:55pm PST

My hubby got that moment on video and asked me to tell what her name was too. Then my five year old announced her name too. It was an amazing moment.

A video posted by Tiffany (@crunchymomnextdoor) on Dec 3, 2015 at 7:17pm PST

The ring of fire pain stayed with me for quite a while, I probably spent the next half hour complaining about it. I pushed out the placenta a bit later and they put it in a bag so I could get out of the shower. Hubby held her for the first time and let the girls have a close peek at her while I cleaned up for a minute.

Then I got in bed while the exam and weighing began. My oldest got to cut her cord. Six pounds, twelve ounces, only second to her brother for biggest in size!

Midwives weighing the baby.

My five year old put on her baby sister’s first diaper and listened to her heart with the stethoscope. She latched almost right away and then didn’t unlatch for quite a while! All of the kids are loving up on her already, stroking and kissing the top of her head.

After about four or so hours of active labor, my beautiful baby girl was born peacefully at home. Her siblings got to help out and her biggest sisters got to see her come into the world. She was caught by Mommy and surrounded by her family. We got to snuggle in bed while I ate another delicious meal made by my husband. It was calm, it was amazing, and it was the perfect way to welcome our daughter into the world, finally truly completing our family.