Maamawaabangi's Home Birth Story

maamawaabangi · January 2017

January 2nd (almost 41 weeks overdue) I woke up at about 5:45 to go to the bathroom, getting back into bed I felt a small gush of liquid and realized my waters had broken... slow leak. The night prior I had lost my mucus plug, it had actually fallen on the floor when I stood up front the toilet with a flop! It was huge!

I tried going back to bed but fluid kept slowly coming out so I made my bed for delivery (with layered sheets and water proof pads) since we planned a home birth, our 3rd one.

At 7 I got up Tim because I was starting contracting every 7 min... told him he might want to shower and get us breakfast before I would presumably naturally transition into active labor... ha!

At 9 am every thing stopped. I called our midwife who said she'd come over at noon to sweep/check my progress and talk "herbal induction". I was a "stretchy 3, almost a 4" and we thought I just needed to be pushed a little over the hump into active labor. I started an herbal tincture and labor seemed to resume... after my last dose at about 4 pm everything slowly ground to a halt again. I was so disappointed. With my 3rd my water had broken and I entered labor with no problem... I was so confused why my body wasn't cooperating! I tried to rest. Tim and I did the "sidelying release" on spinning babies and then at about 8 pm my labor started on its own as long as I was active... I kept it going until 10 pm but we were both getting tired. At our midwives encouragement we went to bed... I'd have a contraction every half hour or so. At 1 am I had a sort of stronger one, another at 1:30 am and then at 1:45 am I felt like a freight train hit me! It was probably the most painful contraction I've ever had... Tim came to my aid and My muscles immediately started shaking uncontrollably and my jaw chattering! It was intense! He thought I might be in transition (or feared that) so he immediately called our midwife who lives just around the corner from us. She said she'd be on her way and to get me in a hot bath to relax until she arrived. Our secondary midwife was also called and she got on her way at about 2 am.

I got in the bath but was SO fearful that labor would stall... yet again. It didn't thankfully. The waves were so incredibly intense it was like getting pounded by a tidal wave. I was trying so hard to find focus and meditate on my planned thoughts of perspective and even just control my breathing. It was a struggle and took my all. Before Beka arrived Tim took my vitals and my BP was crazy high... we both just looked at each other like "for real?" It had been just below or at a mildly concerning place for the last month of my pregnancy and had slowly inched up the days before my water broke. I had NO other signs or symptoms of pre-e, but we kept an eye on it. Any how, it was crazy high through the whole delivery... and is slowly going down postpartum. But it was concerning and scary. Perhaps that crazy jump into active labor made it shoot up.

I labored in my tub from 2-5 am, the entire delivery. We had to refill it once because it was getting cold, but it was a great help to me yet again. I'd labor in varying positions... reclined, sitting up, sort of squatting, fours and back again... moving helped position our baby who was engaged but high and moving positions too during the whole thing, which didn't feel great. During my tidal wave contractions I would moan, remind myself "open", "out", "down into my arms" and try to visualize my opening relaxing cervix. Tim would give me sips of water, I drank 3 glasses during labor, and cool my head with a cloth. He kept telling me "it's only been an hour, you're doing amazing, that one did so much work, you know you're good at this, you've done this before..." At one point I asked to be checked as I really wanted to know when we could move on to pushing... I was 8cm, almost 9... but given the clear to "follow my body" as little pushes with a multipara (mama of many) can push the cervix out of the way... I did. After about 45 min I felt strong bearing down instincts and pushed quite aggressively several times. I checked myself and baby was NO where to be felt... I nearly cried! Beka checked again and found a cervical lip on one edge. She suggested laboring through 3 contractions on hands and knees to remove it... I did and amazingly they were very gentle contractions! After that I went back to pushing and my new labor mediation became "it's ok if you split in two... you won't, you'll just feel like it"! The first few pushes did nothing and I looked at my team and said "What is going on? It's not coming down!" I was so mad! I've literally pushed twice with some of my children! Tim suggested I try a modified hands and knees (with my tail more down in the water)... I was skeptical... but trusted (my word for my labor). After that the baby got over the speed bump in it's way and over my pubic bone and came barrelling down in one MASSIVE and long contraction! I was able to push from public bone/pelvis to head fully out in that one contraction (several pushes). I was seriously screaming/crazy grunting during this whole thing... it was crazy intense and also I was just surprised and unprepared for it, but soooo badly wanted to be done and have the baby out that I went with it! I was totally embarrassed however that I was so loud! Thank goodness our kids weren't around.

After the head was out I got a rest and asked Beka who was assisting with the baby's head behind me if the baby was ok if I waited, she said yes. It took several pushes to release the rest of the body (which was odd for me, it usually just sort of slips out with a hearty push... but it soon did. Beka caught the baby and as I started to sit back the baby was passed between my legs to my waiting arms! I grabbed it up and said "I'm so glad you came out!!! We sure had a rough journey!" Then looked to see what it was... a girl! Our 5th daughter! I was happily surprised! Totally thought the was a boy, but I feelings of gladness to welcome just her as the person she is coming to me! Della Jane was covered in vernix from head to toe, I was given a shot of pitocin to help me not bleed too much and I got out of the tub... which I had totaled out in my massive push... it was SO gross!

They got me settled in bed, I delivered a massive placenta I'm affectionately calling "Della's twin"... (remember early on I thought I might be carrying twins?) it was the size of a dinner plate and almost 2 inches thick! The midwifes jokingly said it's why Della was so happy and unwilling to be born on time. I lost a fair amount of blood when it came and they have me resting in bed for a week due to that and my BP, which is coming down, but still high.

We did skin to skin, had an uninterrupted hour as mama, daddy, baby, got Della nursing while the Midwives got us food, swirched rhe laundry, did dishes and picked up... as well as cleaned the "poop tub!"

They did the newborn screen and their paperwork. They hung out and observed mostly me until 11 am. Beka came back the next day to check on us.

Oh! And Della had a 14 1/4 head! That said, due to pushing on hands and knees I didn't tear a bit... I've torn with all my others... I'm very pleased about that. My booty feels awesome! Kind of my reward.

When all was said and done this mama who's use to fairly typical 4-5 hour labors ended up with a 24 hour long early or sporadic labor and had a 3 hour active and crazy intense labor... basically, a tiringly long labor and a short labor all in one! It was NOT what I expected, but it was still good, I got to be at home and we have a healthy baby and I'm doing pretty good with amazing care! Very thankful!

yellingbanana · January 2017

Wow! You are awesome

way to go! That makes me feel better that every baby and labor really are different (coming from the girl who labored in 2 out of 3 pregnancies, the 2 were insanely different). But it sounds like you had a great team working with you, congratulations on your amazing daughter!
Funny side note, while all my babies ended as c-sections, my first DD had a head that was 16", DD2 13.5", and DS 14.5". I wish I could have gotten them out as smoothly as you, you are like my birthing idol! Lol

and that you had her at home, in the tub, just awesome.

leksiL · January 2017

Congrats so happy for you!!

tinattt23 · January 2017

Congrats, you did it! I love just how different every labor can be. You rocked it. Now get your rest mama.

PharmDMom · January 2017

Well @maamawaabangi you are one amazing momma. You certainly didn't have an easy time but you pushed through and persevered. Wow. I'm so glad you finally have your precious outside baby- Della is so sweet! Prayers for a smooth recovery. Take care of yourself!!

cjt121413 · January 2017

Congrats! You're a rockstar!!!!

slartybartfast · January 2017

great work! Great story! Relax and enjoy. It sounds like you were thrown for a loop but ended up with a healthy gorgeous girl and minimal injury!!! Can't ask for more!

penelope4612 · January 2017

Congrats!

BabyRobbinsAdventure · January 2017

You're amazing! Sorry to hear your labor was so long (the starting and stopping is very frustrating!) but glad she arrived safe and sound. Bonus that you didn't tear!! Congrats mama!