Vivienne's home birth

Joyfullnoise · May 2013

Please bear with me, I wrote this for our blog and the tense and names might be confusing for Bumpies!

On Tuesday I had a midwife appointment and, other than being tired of fielding the inquiry "no baby, yet?", everything was good and nothing had changed.

On Wednesday morning I just knew. I was having a little spotting and texted Daddy at about 8 a.m. to keep his phone handy at work. Then I took Benjamin to swimming lessons and went to the chiropractor. We had lunch and nap time as normal. After nap Benjamin and I dug worms in the backyard, played with big "diggers," and stomped puddles in our matching rubber rain boots. When Daddy got home at 6 I rushed to a hair appointment where I kind of felt sweaty and clammy. I got home in time to put Benjamin to bed and to mention that he was going to have a play date with Brianna and Charlotte the next day. I cried for him. I knew that this was about to change our family in a really big, and sometimes scary, way.

Then, I kicked Daddy off of his laptop because I knew that we needed to get things ready for our planned home water birth. We had had an unmedicated midwife assisted hospital birth with Benjamin and things went pretty smoothly. Besides Mommy's tearing, we thought that slowing things down and the intimacy of a home birth would only be positive changes. So we had picked out a midwife that we trusted to help bring baby #2 into the world in our own home.

Nate helped get the supplies out, a big pile that had been collecting in the bottom of our walk-in closet, and to set up the birth pool next to our bed. Mommy finished packing Benjamin's overnight bag and got things ready, too. At about 9 p.m. I called Brianna, our caregiver, and Maureen, our midwife and told them both it was tonight. Brianna came over and visited with us for about an hour while we chatted and had contractions in the family room. Then she went to bed in the guest room. Mommy retreated upstairs because she needed more quiet.

Maureen came a little after 10 and set her emergency gear up, oxygen, etc. She started doing regular checks of Mommy and baby, but mostly Daddy and I were left alone to labor. We could keep the lights dim and candles lit and I leaned over the edge of the bed or on the exercise ball. Things didn't move as quickly this time as the last because my water did not break as early on. Contractions were very regular, about 45 seconds every 2-3 minutes. By midnight I was getting tired and though allowed to get into the pool once I passed 5cm, it actually slowed the contractions to greater intervals. In the best interests of not being exhausted I got back out, much less pleasant. I didn't want to put my clothes back on.

Just about the time I told Daddy that I didn't know if I could do this anymore, I was checked at an 8 and thought I needed to use the bathroom. When I went to pee I felt the urge to push instead! I got back in the pool somehow during the next two contractions and pushing began. I was on my hands and knees but Viki, the back-up midwife, suggested that I turn over to keep the baby under the water. The next portion went a lot slower than Benjamin's delivery. My water broke and it felt like a "pop." I slowly pushed the baby's head out and stayed there for a few minutes. I had to regain my breath and it was easier to wait to push with a contraction rather than to do it without my body's help. Maureen helped rotate baby's shoulders and everyone urged me to push as baby's heartbeat dropped a bit; I wasn't worried. I pushed the shoulders out and then the rest kind of slipped out easily.

Baby was placed in my arms and I curled it to my chest. It was greasy feeling from the vernex and started screaming! We stayed that way for a few minutes until Daddy moved to my other side and peered between its legs to discover a Girl! Between delivery of our little girl and the placenta we were in the water for about 22 minutes. When the placenta was ready it was such a relief! Then the water got murky and Daddy cut the cord. We got out of the pool into the waiting bed and got warmed up.

Our little girl latched on a nursed with no difficulty. It was so beautiful to be able to bring her into the world without fluorescent lights and into her family. Benjamin had slept through it all one room away! From first contractions to delivery was about 5 hours.

I, unfortunately, did not avoid tearing again, possibly a residual from my first delivery? And had to be taken to the hospital for repairs. I'm trying to keep this very separate from our birth experience because I am glad that baby Vivienne didn't have to experience this portion along with me and could stay on her Daddy's warm chest.

8lbs 1 oz, 22", Vivienne Rose, born 5/23 at 2:11 a.m.