On November 17th (my due date), I had my 40 week appointment with my midwives. I was 2cm dilated that morning. Later that day, Jane and I stopped by the office (around 6pm) and I told Ryan I was feeling some tightness and some small contractions. I was sitting in one of the chairs and had to stop talking to breathe through a contraction. Ryan told Dara and Dr. Liz that he had a feeling baby was coming soon and he wouldn’t be in the next week. I drove home with Jane, made her and I some dinner, and we watched Encanto together before bed. Jane always sang “twinkle twinkle little star” to my belly before bed and I got a little teary eyed knowing that the next time she sang that song would be in person to her baby brother or baby sister.
After Jane went to bed (8pm), it was like my body knew it was go time. My contractions got stronger and I went into the shower. I stayed in there for about an hour working through contractions and letting the hot water hit my body. Ryan slid the shower door open and asked if he should call our midwives. I told him no because I thought it was way too early. I labored for 18 hours at home with Jane so I assumed I had much more time to go. Ryan made a judgment call and good thing he did because one of our midwives, Mary, came over around 10pm and I was 6cm dilated. I couldn’t believe it! The next couple hours were intense. I labored in the shower with my physio ball and then on the bed as well. We had a tub set up in our bedroom but I was progressing so fast that I never made it in there. Around 11:30pm, Mary slid the shower door open and said that my contractions and breathing sounded different. I had her check me and she told me I was good to go and I could start pushing. I was in shock and I’m pretty sure I asked her “are you kidding me?!” Carol, our other midwife, got to our house and they both helped me to my bed. I felt best laying on my side and pushing that way. Ryan and Mary helped hold my legs and after about 15 minutes of pushing, our Annie girl arrived! She came out crying and calmed down once she laid her on my chest and she started nursing right away.
I couldn’t believe how fast everything progressed compared to my labor and birth with Jane. We had two beautiful girls, Jane was a big sister, and Ryan was a girl dad (I think he was meant to be a girl dad 😉). Jane slept through the entire labor and birth and had quite the surprise waking up to her new sister. It was a wonderful experience, and I am so happy with everything. I am so thankful for my wonderful midwives, Ryan’s love and support, and definitely proud of myself. It’s a pretty incredible thing to experience.
A big reason I wanted a home birth is the familiarity of my home. The comfort of my home is where I wanted to be. I feel more relaxed at home surrounded by familiar and personal things. I could move around my house and labor in different areas and having that freedom was great. Being at home gave me a sense of control and I felt empowered. Carol and Mary, our amazing midwives, were there with us every step of the way. It was a very personal experience and a strong relationship we built with them and enhanced our home birth experience.
Just like Jane’s home birth, it is something we will always remember and look back upon and smile 😊
