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I have been meaning to post about my home birth but haven’t finished my version yet. Sheridan’s version of my birth (see below) is very accurate and I appreciate the time she took to educate me, comfort me, and just be with me through out this experience. I wouldn’t ever birth without her.
Here’s Jake and I chillin’ in the tub during some pressure waves. I was very comfortable and happy to be having a baby. I was probably 7cm dilated. Most of my birth was that way…relaxed, happy and CALM! It really did feel “too easy”.
Here’s Maddie opening up the window to see the rain. All of my babies were born when it is raining. August, March, January, and April. It rained EVERY time!
Here I am listening to one of my hypnosis CD’s with my awesome doula Sheridan, in the background.
Hypnobabies is truly amazing and I cant imagine anyone not wanting to use it. It works! It really works!!
Here I am working to push Irelyn out. This position in the water was so comfortable for me. Watching my brand new newborn come to me in the water was so AMAZING! I LOVE the tub for birth!
We are convinced Maddie is going to be a midwife. She already has 2 births under her belt! She loves to help , ask questions, encourage and just be there. She loves to watch babies come into the world. One of the many reasons we LOVE homebirthing!
Irelyn just minutes after she arrived. 8 pounds 2ounces 21 inches long. Born at 37 weeks. April 23rd
I love birth, especially homebirth!
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 night sleep. Wednesday her midwife Coley came and confirmed it was amniotic fluid. She 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. By 5:00 pm 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 9:00 pm; Coley had broken Angela’s water. 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, and we would get excited 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 pm – 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 am – Angela took another walk. We all took a nap from 1 – 2 am. Angela was getting worn out and just needed a rest.
At 2:00 am Angela came out in the living room and Coley and I listened while she talked about her fears. She mentioned 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 they were still going good. We got the tub ready again. We thought, “this is it!”
Angela got into the tub around 3:00 am. Things soon slowed down again. At 4:00 am 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 were because Maddie was there when Ashelyn was born. I thought once she woke up, then Angela would have the baby.
Coley asked if Angela had a breast pump. She did, but it was packed away. I had one, so I ran home at 5:00 am for mine.
Angela started the pump, and even after 30 minutes, not much was happening. Coley said, “Keep going!” Finally her PW started again. This was really it, but when she stopped pumping, then they slowed down a bit, so Coley said, “Pump a little more”. Maddie was awake by this point.
6:30 am – Pressure waves were long and strong and close together, even with no pumping! Angela sat on the toilet while they finished prepping the tub again. She looked at me with a look that made me know the baby was coming soon! THIS is really it.
7:00 am – Angela got in the tub, Jake joined her. I looked out the window, it was all steamed up. I wiped some steam away and saw that the ground is all wet outside. I tell her, “It is raining!” That seemed so right. Angela started pushing at 7:15 am. At 7:29 am Irelyn was born! Mom and baby did great, Brooklyn woke up right after the baby was born and wandered 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.
