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| Close to 40 weeks and still smiling! |
It's April 22, 2013. My baby's first birthday! So bittersweet for mommy... I really wanted to blog about my home birth experience last year but with three little ones ages 4 and under and a nursing infant, it wasn't going to happen. :)
So here I am, a whole year later, feeling quite nostalgic about all that I was experiencing last April. Let me rewind to early November 2011. I was about 15 weeks pregnant and doing great. I'd been seeing the same OB that I'd seen with my other pregnancies and all was well. Until the day that a friend asked for prayer for her husband's cousins family. Apparently she was 28 and had experienced complications from an epidural and had passed away from a brain stem stroke. Reading those words on my Facebook message that day stopped me in my tracks. I knew there were risks but to actually know someone who DIED from one was alarming. I began to do my research into natural labor. I messaged a friend who'd had a natural delivery in the hospital and was also planning for a home birth with her second child in December. I remember telling her that I was just interested - I wasn't committing to anything yet. :) She recommended the DVD documentary, The Business of Being Born. I put a hold on it at our local library and that afternoon I went to pick it up. My husband and I watched it that night after the kids were in bed and were shocked by what we saw. It wasn't too hard to tell that if we were wanting a natural labor in a hospital, it might be difficult. I still wasn't convinced that home birth was the way to go, although we have several dear friends who had experienced it and loved it. I then went back to the library and checked out everything I could get my hands on regarding natural labor. Some books were recently published and others were older ones, but all provided much insight. Upon completing 4 books in about 4 weeks, I was convinced that natural was the way to go and that I could (in the Lord's strength) do this!
The day before Thanksgiving I had my 20 week prenatal appointment with ultrasound. I also took that opportunity to ask my OB several questions regarding natural labor, which were met with obvious irritation on her part. She was not helpful at all and seemed to be rushed to get on to her next patient even though I had only asked a few general questions. I knew when I left that day that either I'd be transferring to a pro-natural OB or a midwife. I interviewed 2 midwives who practice in the Memphis area and really loved the second who worked with an apprentice midwife who lived in our town. I felt incredibly comfortable from the moment I met these sweet ladies and was definitely leaning toward the home birth. There was only one issue: insurance. Since midwifery care was an out-of-network coverage, we'd be paying into two deductibles. The other option was to file for an in-network exception through our insurance company. My husband and I agreed that if we were approved for the in-network exception, that would be our sign that home birth was the way to go. If not, we would search for a pro-natural OB and pray for the best with a hospital birth. I think we were a little shocked that our insurance company in fact did approved the exception and ended up paying much more than what we had originally thought, meaning we only paid roughly $600 for all prenatal, delivery, postpartum and lactation care. Our midwives are phenomenal! More on them later... :)
Fast forward to April 2012. Everything was going very smoothly with the pregnancy and since this was our third baby, I was certain that he would arrive either prior to my due date of April 12th or very shortly thereafter. Boy, was I wrong. Our little sweet man was happy and cozy inside his mommy's tummy and was content to stay there a week and 3 days past his due date! I was beyond miserable. Also, since we were having a home birth, well-meaning friends and family were "concerned" that he was "late" and told me so, which only added to my frustration that I wasn't going into labor. With no success using several natural labor starters, under the midwives supervision, we decided to go the Castor oil route. I know, you've heard the horror stories and I had too, but I was MIS.ER.AB.LE. and quickly approaching the 42 week mark. We didn't want a hospital delivery with drugs, especially after planning to be at home. So on Sunday morning, the 22nd I sent my family to church and stayed home to start drinking the Castor oil cocktail. (It wasn't as bad as it sounds, by the way.) I was already 3 cm dilated and about 50% effaced so we were sure my body was ready for labor. We had planned for my sweet in-laws to have our older children during the birth so they stayed with them after church. I began having regular contractions about 2pm. I called Missy, our midwife apprentice and she came by to check on me. She said she thought that yes, I was in early labor but I hadn't really progressed much as far as dilation so it might be awhile. She and my husband set up the birth tub in the bathroom, which I had planned to labor in as I'd heard it helps so much with pain. I wasn't necessarily planning to have a water birth, but wasn't opposed to one either. Missy recommended that I walk around the house for awhile and see if that would stimulate progression of labor. I did and was still having regular contractions, sometimes 2-3 minutes apart but the pain was still bearable.
About 6:30pm Missy suggested that I rest for a little while since it looked as though it might be a long night of labor. She was only about 7 minutes away and felt comfortable, if I did, to go home for awhile so I could rest. I did feel like a watched pot so I agreed and went to lie down. About an hour later I got up and could tell I was transitioning into active labor and told my mom and husband that Missy should come back. While she was on her way I sat in the den on my birth ball, listened to piano hymn music that I'd prepared for labor as my sweet husband coached me through my breathing. I remember thinking even through the pain that this felt so right to be in the comfort of my home with the ones I love most as I labor. I don't ever remember being fearful, just peaceful. I had prepared my heart for weeks and months beforehand - even posting encouraging Scripture on my bathroom mirrors and walls as reminders of where my strength originates.
When Missy returned she checked my progress and I was so encouraged when I heard, "5 cm and 80%." I remember saying, "Praise the Lord! Can I get in the tub now?" She said yes and called Martina, our midwife who lived in Midtown Memphis so she could make her way to our house. I went to use the restroom and then got into the tub full of warm water. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it felt and how much I felt my entire body relax under the weight of the water. My husband was still by my side encouraging my breathing when I had a pretty intense contraction. I worked my way through it and then almost immediately another one began. At it's peak I felt pressure building and I told Missy so. Almost as soon as I got the words out of my mouth, my water broke. I still felt intense pressure so I reached down and was shocked to feel the baby's head crowning! I grabbed the side of the tub and told Missy, "He's coming now! What do I do?" She very calmly asked, "Well, do you feel like you need to push?" I replied, "Not right now.." She said, "When you feel the need to push, go ahead and push.." I don't think I even pushed at all and upon the next contraction, our sweet baby boy entered the world. I instinctively pulled him up out of the water and moved the cord away from his head. He cried and began pinking up as I cried as well. He was born at 8:36pm with his daddy and Nana looking on, as well as our wonderful Missy, of course. Martina and Jaimie arrived shortly thereafter. We allowed the umbilical cord to stop pulsing before clamping the cord and then I was able to get up and take a shower. I remember thinking how wonderful it felt to be able to move after delivery, rather than waiting several hours for an epidural to wear off. This was BY FAR, the easiest labor and delivery out of my three. I sincerely hope to be able to do it again, if and when the Lord blesses us again.
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| 8lbs! (my smallest baby yet) |
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| Martina and Missy at our 6 week postpartum visit |
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| His face was a little bruised from his swift entry into the world :) |
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| 12 months! |
Happy first birthday to one of the sweetest, most cuddly, lovable babies in the world!
Until next time...
