Gavin's Birth Story

When I found out that I was pregnant with my second, I knew that I wanted to go the home birth route. My first son was born naturally in the hospital, and it seemed so pointless to be there, as well as frustrating to have to deal with hospital procedures and policies. While I had a good experience, I knew I could have a better one. We were happy to find midwife Chris Duffy, who was so hands off and trusting of the experience, which is exactly what we wanted.
My first labor was not terribly wrong, but it was hard to know if that was natural or because my water had been broken. We all joked throughout the pregnancy that it would be fast, but we were all shocked at just how quickly it all happened.
 
I started feeling the contractions on Sunday, April 29th, evening, although there wasn't any regularity or intensity to them. Over the next few days, they ebbed and flowed, torturing me with thinking I was going to "go" at any moment. I knew things were happening, and it was looking to be a very similar experience to my first labor. Thursday, May 3rd, I woke up feeling off and pretty gross, and I had a clue that day would be different. The contractions were getting to be more intense, as well, but there was nothing to complain about. I took my son to our morning activity, as normal, and it was there that I convinced myself that this was happening. I was definitely noticing the contractions more and, when I went to the restroom, I noticed that I had some slight bleeding, just as I had with my first. I texted Jony to come home and called my parents so that my mom knew she was going to be expected over sometime later that day.
 
In a bizarre chance of circumstances, my husband’s job had kept him working from home that morning, so he was still there when I got to the house. I was certain that I still had quite a bit of time, so I casually ate lunch and started tallying the contractions. I could tell they were getting closer together and were very much picking up. I had 12 between 1 and 2, which is when my midwife said to contact her. I still wasn't sure it was going to be that soon since they weren't super intense, but Jony convinced me to let him call. She was going to head over after doing a blood draw on another client.
 
At about 3ish, I had to use the restroom. I labored there for a while and then asked Jony to to see if I could get in the birth pool. I had heard that getting in the water too early could prolong your labor, which is amusing to think back on. Without waiting for an answer, however, I just got in and started feeling the need to push pretty soon thereafter. Due to traffic, neither Chris nor Ashley, her apprentice had arrived yet. It had, after all, not even been an hour since we had called thinking that there was still plenty of time.  I tried to hold off, but he was coming. I got into a squat on the side of the pool, and he was out in two pushes. My mother, remembering her own labors, recognized the sounds I was making and called Jony to come in since I had previously just been by myself in the birth tub while he was getting everything else ready. He was there in time to catch him, all while on the phone with Chris, and then handed him to me after I turned back to sit down.
 
It was a total shock, as I can't pinpoint when I entered transition, which was a long and hard two hours with my first son. After a few minutes, we thought to look at the clock and estimated that he was born about 4:20pm. I had gone from walking around and talking through the contractions to having a baby in less than thirty minutes.
 
Since he came out so quickly, he wasn't able to have the squeeze to get all the mucous out of his throat. So, he was a bit blue. The cord was still pulsing, however, so it wasn't too urgent. With some bulb syringe squeezes, we finally heard that cry. Shortly thereafter, both Chris and Ashley arrived. Jony lifted me from the pool to the bed, cut the cord, and I delivered the placenta about twenty to thirty minutes after he was born.
 
At this point, I got a little shaky since I have such low blood pressure and was in shock at how quickly the birth had just happened. I was really dizzy, and it took a few hours to get me all regulated. I took some iron, drank some orange juice, and ate as much as I could of some spinach. During this time, I also had to get stitched up from a 1st degree tear and had to have a catheter since I couldn't go to the bathroom still after a few hours since delivery. After a few more hours, I was basically stabilized, and I was able to go to the bathroom, sit up on my own and even walk a bit without getting dizzy.
 
As for Jeffrey, he was right there. When he went down for his nap, I was still pretty normal so he had no idea what was going to happen. He woke up just before 4pm, so he got to witness the most exciting parts! He was somewhat concerned about me, but my mom reassured him that I was alright and just working hard. I had a special moment with him in between contractions just before his brother was born, which is something I would have never been able to do in the hospital. Once I was pushing, he was standing right behind me cheering me on! There's nothing more special to a mom than to hear her oldest yelling "That's my baby brother! My baby brother is coming!" when he saw his younger brother being born. Being able to have my son witness becoming a brother was worth the home birth experience alone.
 
It was an insane few hours, and I am forever grateful to Chris and Ashley for helping me achieve the experience that I knew that I could have. Even though they were not present for the actual birth, they were there when I needed them post-partum in a situation that could have been considered “critical” in a hospital. Instead, they were a calming presence, and I was able to fully recuperate with my newborn son laying/nursing right next to me.