Home birth 😍 my VBAC

I can’t believe it has already been just about 4 weeks since my beautiful home birth!!!! It’s about time I update my blog with my birth story!!! 

3/4/17:

5pm: sitting in my recliner I began to feel waves of contractions…20 minutes apart! As I had been having start and stop contractions I thought for sure that’s what these were! I could feel a power in these that was different then before so I thought I should call and let my husband know that when he was off at 6pm he should head home because of the contractions (which I’ll call waves). They started getting pinchy and painful I honestly wasn’t relaxed or allowing them to happen cause I felt like I needed Chris (my husband) to be home to truly allow labor to go on it’s own. 

6:15pm

My husband got home, I turned on my music, hillsong united playlist on pandora, I stood and prayed that I would have strength throughout labor. During this time he started filling out birth pool (professional birth in a box) and making dinner. The waves began to come every 8 minutes, I found allowing myself to rock back and forth and low moaning made the waves feel less painful and more just like power. I would rock side to side with the waves moaning while my sweet toddler mimicked me making me laugh during the waves. Within 10 minutes my waves were only 4/5 minutes apart, after an hour my midwife was called and was heading over. My staple right now was the music which I focused on and coconut water. 

7:30pm

My sweet midwife and her assistant walked through the door. My waves continued, I found hanging off the wall rocking my hips side to side felt best. The waves were incredible, requiring constant focus and relaxation but once they stopped I was chatting and smiling, playing with mason and chugging my coconut water. At 7:45pm my midwife asked to check me, I decided it was a good idea because I had the start stop contractions for over 2 weeks so I wanted to make sure change was occurring. I was 5cm, active labor! I was so excited it meant it was the real deal…I focused on these contractions and allowed them to come and go naturally. I moaned through them, laughed through them, nursed mason through them, hugged our sweet boy, and hung off my husband. I was surrounded by love and support…it was the most incredible feeling. It was no longer me wondering if I could do it cause I was doing it. 

8:40pm 

My midwife asked to check me again, I was 7cm she suggested breaking my water as it was bulging right there, with only her fingers sliding together on the bag it popped. I knew this meant transition, I knew things would begin to intensify because transition was here and my water was broken. The pool sounded like a nice idea…I got in the warmth, not warm enough for me though, contractions would come I would focus and moan. These hurt more, which I honestly believe was due to me feeling exposed, I had 3 assistants staring at me along with my husband and midwife. Between contractions my 2 year old joined me in the pool giggling and splashing about, he helped me laugh and relax between these painful contractions. After a few of the waves they began to not have a break in between they were back to back, I could no longer have mason with me in the pool, if anyone touched me during a wave my focus was broke and it was changed from power to pain. At this point my husband decided he wanted to focus on my labor and birth and took mason over to our amazing neighbor. I focused hard Through these waves cause the power was very intense, but nothing I couldn’t handle.My last check was done in the pool, it was during a contraction and very painful I was 8cm. After this contraction I felt like unneeded out of this pool, I felt exposed, I felt like I couldn’t Relax and dilate. At this moment I had to pee, so I asked to move into the bathroom. My husband followed and sat on the tub, and my midwife in the doorway. I finally relaxed and contractions came hard and fast, but I was relaxed so dilation happened quickly, after only a few contractions on the toilet I had to throw up, and it was a lot! My midwife said it was a great sign because it meant the babies head was moving down and was pressing on the vagus nerve. My body began pushing, while still on the toilet, my midwife looked at me and said no baby on this toilet with your next break you need to move to the floor. I didn’t want to, but my husband reached under my arms and lifted me, as I stood a contraction hit and I pushed in a supported squat but it didn’t feel right, I moved to the floor on a towel, facing the tub between my husbands legs with my midwife behind me, I grabbed the towel and I pushed, it felt so natural and powerful, I roared with each push. This was my favorite part! I felt his head move into my hips, felt them open around his head then around his shoulders, this wasn’t painful it was just a cool sensation I knew exactly where he was. I felt the same sensations of his head and shoulders opening/passing through my pelvis. Next thing I knew I was feeling the ring of fire, the burning that occurs with crowning, at first it startled me and I stopped that push, then I felt empowered and excited cause I knew he was close, 3 pushes later our boy was out. My midwife guided him between my legs and said to pick him up, I was confused. I said it’s your job to pick him up why is he on the floor this is the funniest part of my birth!! She said you did it this is your son pick him up, I brought him to my belly and tried to put him on my chest but is cord was too short so it kinda yanked, I held him on my belly, and leaned back against the sink and just said “I did it” over and over and then “we did it” looking down at our beautiful son and looking over at my husband. Next I gushed some blood, it meant my placenta was coming, within 90 seconds of having my son I pushed out the placenta and the cord was done pulsating so it was clamped and cut by my husband. It was AMAZING! I did it! We did it! It’s a day I’ll never forget! It was the most empowering, beautiful experience I have ever had! I’m so proud of myself and my body!

Anders John was born at 10:34 pm on 3/4/17 yes 3 hour active labor! 6lbs 3oz 19inch long 36 week gestational age. 

Here he is now! Almost 4 weeks old! 

“The pain you’ve been feeling, can’t compare to the joy that’s coming” Romans 8:18

“She believed she could so she did”

“Breathing in I feel strong, breathing out I let go” 

“I birth my baby with waves, each one brings my baby closer to shore”