Harper Mae's home birth story

questisthebest · February 2014

Hi everyone! Harper Mae was born on her due date last Saturday the 8th. I've had so much going on this past week though I just now have the opportunity to type out her birth story. I had been in prodromal labor for four days and was sore, stressed, and not sleeping well. My midwives suggested homeopathics to take Friday night and throughout Saturday which would help put me in labor if I was ready, but was also perfectly safe and do nothing if my body wasn't. If that didn't work they, offered to strip my membranes Sunday. I think the homeopathics helped me feel like I was in control of something which finally helped me relax, I think the stress is what had been stalling my labor. I started the homeopathics on Friday night and took them throughout the morning on Saturday. About a quarter to noon my water broke and I was pretty much in shock, I couldn't believe it was finally happening after such a long, miserable week! The first midwife arrived around two to check on me, expecting to leave and come back when things got more intense. My contractions finally started to regulate around 20 minutes before she arrived and had quickly started to become closer together and more intense. She checked me right after she arrived and I was already almost five centimeters and in active labor (I guess all that early labor did something) so she ended up staying. Not long after that I asked if we could fill up the birthing pool, she said they could but that I had to make sure they didn't slow down my contraction, so they filled it up and it was such a relief to get in. At this point it started snowing outside, which is such a rare thing in Seattle, and it made the day so much more beautiful! The birthing pool certainly didn't slow down the contractions because by the time the second midwife arrived around four I hardly noticed her- contractions were very intense, long, and 2-3 minutes apart. I was stuck at six centimeters for a while, and when one of the midwives checked, she realized I had a second bag of water, and once she broke that, babies head repositioned and everything felt slightly more managable. Although she had been in an anterior position for a while, a couple days before labor she had rotated, making things a little extra uncomfortable. The midwives at one point put me on a birthing stool to try to see if the gravity would help her progress, but it was so uncomfortable, so I got back in the pool. At some point it all became a bit of a blur, I know she was at a +3 station for a while so they had me move to the bed and lay on my side, to the birthing stool again, and back on the bed.again. It seemed every time I moved to a different spot I made a little bit of progress, but it felt so slow and at this time I felt like I had nothing left in me, but once I could actually see her head and they started reporting how much was visible at each push, I felt like I was finally progressing and had whole new motivation despite how exhausted and sore I was at this time, and how much I dreaded each contraction, I feel like I started pushing at a whole new level. When her head finally came through I was so relieved, but despite her encouragement and calm words, I could sense an urgency from the midwife to get the rest of her body out. The rest of her body was more painful than her head, but she finally came out. Turns out her umbilical cord was around her neck and because she had such a cone head, they couldn't get it off until she was completely out. Her shoulders were a bit stuck since they hadn't rotated with her head so her body was at an odd angle and she had a nuchal hand. That last part was stressing her out and getting her body out had been urgent. The midwives were absolutely amazing though, they were so calm and knew just what to do. My husband wasn't able to catch her like he had hoped, but he did get to cut the cord. She did have a little bruise on her head from them trying to get her out, but she recovered well and it was such an instant relief to get her out! She was born at 9:30pm on the dot on her due date after over 2 hours of pushing. Seven pounds, eleven ounces and 20.5 inches long. By the time she was born we had a couple of inches of snow on the ground and the night was absolutely beautiful. I did need a single stitch in three different spots which they believe was from when they had to maneuver her out of me, and I also needed a catheter to empty me out because when I sat on the toilet to pee afterwards I started pouring out blood. Recovery has been so much more difficult and painful than I thought it would be and i'm surprised at how crappy I still feel a full week out. Baby is doing very well, she is super healthy now and my husband and I are absolutely in love! I have to admit, night is super difficult, I get this feeling of dread after the sun comes down and last night I was getting a bit delirious whenever the alarm went off. Everytime I rolled on a pillow I freaked out thinking I rolled on the baby (even though she wasn't even in the bed, but in a cosleeper next to the bed) . I think things will be a bit easier when i'm a little more recovered and I can start getting out of the house to clear my mind. Our first outing is Monday to a midwife appointment and I am so looking forward to it! Of course, here are a few pictures of Harper Mae