Home Birth

I don't know how many of my readers know that I have my babies at home. Yes, with a midwife. I had a friend ask me one time why I had them at home. In the moment I couldn't really think of a good reason other than because I wanted to.

Now, after Adam, my 4th child, I know why. I have four kids and all of them have been home births. I have had 3 different midwives and this last midwife is probably my favorite.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to write the details of the delivery and share them with the world, but I want a record and typing is much faster than writing in my journal, and gosh dangit, I worked hard to get little Adam here.

My husband and I were watching "The Dark Night" on Friday the 1st. It was about 11:30 and I was dozing in and out of the movie when a contraction happened. At first it seemed more like a period cramp but then quickly moved into contractions. I started silently timing them and by the end of the movie I told my husband that we might be having a baby soon. He smiled and we started talking and timing the contractions. They were about 5 mins apart and lasted about 1 min in length. It's been almost five years since my last baby so I didn't know if that was good or bad.

After about 20 mins of timing the contractions we decided that we were going to get some rest. My three other deliveries were very long in the labor part. Isaac, my 3rd child started a whole 24 hours before he was born so I was expecting the same, but by 2 in the morning the contractions came much harder and I told my husband to call the midwife. I was sitting on my bed and stood up to go to the bathroom and felt as though I might have broken my water (which is another something that never happens with my deliveries) I went to the bathroom to find a bit of blood. Um.... not good I thought... not good at all. Doesn't blood mean placenta previa? Or something scary? I called my midwife she asked some questions and determined the blood was not a bad thing. I hung up the phone, told my husband to call his mom and get her her quick just in case we had to go elsewhere, like to the hospital... After he called his mom I asked him to give me a blessing.

I am very aware of my body and what is going on inside my body. I talk to my hormones, my organs, my brain, my heart, even my emotions. I like to know what is going on inside my body and what I am feeling so I talk to it. During the blessing I began to ask my wonderful organs if it was my placenta that was trying to deliver first. I kept getting told no, so I stopped panicking. My midwife came looked at the blood and told me again she wasn't worried.

From that point everything went like clockwork. We filled up the birthing pool and I started contracting heavily. My husband kept telling me we were going to have the baby by 4. I kept thinking there's no way it probably won't be until 9 or 10 when the kids are up and there is more commotion, but to my wonderful surprise that isn't what happened. During the contractions my midwife was rubbing my back and I was wanting to push. She said the most beautiful thing to me. She reminded me that when I went through the veil in the temple I wasn't pushed, I was took the time I needed to walk through. From that point on I was so much more relaxed.

I'm not sure the time frame at this point, but my husband was sitting outside the pool and I was in it. I told him I wanted him to get in so he ran and got his shorts on. I start having a contraction and he grabs my leg with one leg in the pool and the other leg outside the pool... and then I yell.... "here he comes" (the baby). My husband didn't know if he should get in or stay out. Luckily he listened to the midwife. She told him to get in, during which time the baby is moving straight down my vagina and it hurts like hell. I kept yelling for help and couldn't figure out why no one was reaching in there to pull him out. Guess there are some things you have to do on your on, eh? A couple of pushes and there was his head.....ya... ya... hurts just thinking about it. Then the shoulders, another ouch... then the flop and he was here. My beautiful baby was here.

I found out after I delivered the placenta that the reason I was bleeding was because I had conceived twins and I was trying to deliver the first undeveloped placenta and parts associated with it. The crazy part was at the beginning of my pregnancy I kept thinking I was having twins and people kept asking me, or joking with me that I might have twins.

My midwife was amazing and she took great care of me. If I were to have another I would wish it would be similar to this pregnancy. Overall it was incredible and very relaxed....

Now... my beautiful baby is crying for some attention. Thanks for listening/reading!