Click here to read Angela’s Birth Story and see some great pictures.
Angela’s Birth – Sheridan’s Version
I had the pleasure of meeting Angela at a park day. She was pregnant and new to the area, so I asked if she needed an OB referral. She said she did homebirth and needed midwife referrals. You can only imagine my joy! She had also used HypnoBirthing for her last birth, so I was even more excited.
It worked out that Angela took my Hypnobabies class with Shelly and Chris (who were sort of contemplating homebirth.) I think her presence in the class helped them to finally pursue and achieve that goal. Maybe it was the “I will NEVER birth in a hospital again” comment that convinced them to call and interview midwives?
I had a fellow doula that wanted to attend a homebirth and was happy to do it for free, so Angela came to the Hypnobabies Open House to meet her, but by then I really wanted to be her doula. So I asked if I could do it instead and she said YES! I was really excited. We both thought it would be a fast birth and we weren’t even sure if her midwife would make it. Well, as we see birth is unpredictable!
Angela called me Wednesday morning to say that she had started leaking water Tuesday night, but she just ignored it and had a good nights sleep. Wednesday her midwife Coley came and confirmed it was amniotic fluid and stayed in the area checking in with Angela throughout the day. Angela was having pressure waves off and on all day long. I was checking in now and then too.
I was supposed to host book club that night, but had warned the girls I might have to move it back a week if I had a birth. So by 5 I told them all I was postponing, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about people showing up right when Angela needed me.
Jake called me a little after 9 PM; Coley had broken Angela’s water. So I headed over getting there around 9:30. She was having pressure waves, but nothing too intense. We watched American Idol together. She went on a walk with Jake. She listened to Easy First Stage. The pressure waves would come regularly, we would get excite and then they would slow down.
We had filled the pool up (which took up half their bedroom!) and their bedroom was getting muggy and hot. So Jake, Angela and I went on a walk to get the fan. Angela would laugh after pressure waves and say, “They really do feel like a big hug!” She was managing her pressure waves beautifully relaxing through each one easily.
11:15 we talked about why maybe things were starting and stopping. Angela thought it was emotional. She was worried that it was taking too long, that things were too easy. We talked about it and then she listened to fear release and the rest of us rested.
12:45 Angela took another walk. We all took a nap from 1 – 2 AM. Angela was getting worn out and just needed a rest.
At 2 AM Angela came out in the living room and Coley and I listened while she talked about her fears. She mentions that all her other girls were born during rain storms. Jake was busy snoring away in the other room while we were talking. Then I started saying some affirmations and her pressure waves started up. They were going good, nice and strong and long. We got her on the toilet and still going good. We got the tub ready again. We thought, this is it!
Angela got into the tub around 3. Things soon slowed down again. At 4 Angela got out of the tub. She rested on the bed. Things pretty much stopped. Angela was frustrated and worried she might need a transfer. I wasn’t worried about that at all, but felt bad she felt frustrated. I was wondering if she was waiting for her girls to wake up. She had talked about how strong her bond between Maddie and Ashelyn because Maddie was there when she was born. I thought once she woke up, then Angela would have the baby.
Coley asks if Angela has a breast pump. She does, but it is packed away. I have one, so I run home at 5 am for mine.
Angela starts the pump and even after 30 minutes, not much happening. Coley says, “Keep going!” Finally her PW start again. This is really it, but when she stops pumping, then they slow down a bit, so Coley says pump a little more. Maddie is awake by this point.
6:30 Pressure waves are long and strong and close together, even with no pumping! Angela sat on the toilet while they finish prepping the tub again. She looks at me with a look that makes me know the baby is coming soon! THIS is really it.
7 – Angela gets in the tub, Jake joins her. I look out the window, it is all steamed up, I wipe some steam away and see that the ground it all wet outside. I tell her, “It is raining” That seems so right. Angela starts pushing at 7:15. 7:29 Irelyn is born! Mom and baby are doing great, Brooklyn wakes up right after the baby is born and wanders in to meet her sister!
It was an amazing birth. I am so glad that I was able to be there as Angela’s friend and doula.
I love this! I’m glad you mentioned how you felt she was waiting for her daughter to wake up. At one point in my home birth I was dillated to a 9 and we thought we’d have a baby within half an hour. I remember when I found out I was almost complete I felt disappointed that my kids were all asleep. Then my cervix got hard and thick and went backwards to a 7. I had really wanted my 2 oldest to be awake for the birth, and I think that emotional need contributed to my progress going backwards. We were able to wait and by the time I was completely dilated the kids were up and able to witness the birth. Our feelings really play a big part in labor and birth.