*Shared with permission*
'This was my 4th birth, but first homebirth. 41 weeks started like any other day, I visited my chiropractor, and had an appointment with my midwife, where we discussed some methods of encouraging labor. I said I wasn’t quite ready for that yet, but may be soon if things didn’t happen over the weekend.
My dad texted me and asked if he could come and get our other kids to take them to their house (they live about an hour away) for the night/weekend. I was having zero signs of labor, but I said sure. It would be nice to have some time to relax before the baby came 😉
He showed up around 5:30pm, we had dinner, and hung out. I had a contraction at about 6:45 that felt a little more crampy and painful than my normal Braxton Hicks, so I decided to start timing in case they turned into anything. They started about 8-10min apart, noticeable, but nothing I couldn’t go on about my life through.
My dad and kids left at 8. Contractions were picking up a bit, and we decided to set up the birth tub. I set up our birth space and just sat there in the peaceful space and enjoyed the quiet. At 11, I texted my midwife that things were getting a little more uncomfortable and contractions were consistently 4-5min apart and that I was pretty sure we were going to have a baby tonight.
My midwife and her assistant, and our photographer, all got there a little after midnight. At about 1am, my contractions spaced out a little, and I was worried I had called everyone out for a false alarm. My midwife encouraged my to go outside and walk a little. Worst walk of my life! 😂 I’m pretty sure I hit transition on that walk, with back to back contractions that were very painful.
When we came back inside, we filled up the pool, and I got in at about 1:45. The water was SO amazing! I worked through my contractions and the intense pressure I felt with every one. I remember feeling very “done” at one point, and super discouraged because I felt like this baby was never coming out. I made the comment out loud about how I was probably “only 4cm” (I had not had any cervical checks). My midwife was amazing and encouraged me and told me she was pretty sure that wasn’t true and that I would be meeting my baby soon. Sure enough, maybe 10 min after that conversation, I felt the familiar FER, and I pushed out baby’s head in one contraction, and her shoulders out in the next. My last baby was 7lbs4oz, and I could tell this baby was bigger!
Welcome to the world, Aliza Ruth! Born 8/15 at 2:24am. 8lbs15oz, 20in long, 14.25in head 😳’
Photo Credit to Jennifer Mason Photography