Birthing Stories

Home Birth
Submitted by Megan, mother to Isaac

I had a really amazing birth - a home birth. I carefully selected my birth team. The Universe gifted me with an amazing doula, Karen Kelly, a wonderfully supportive and professional midwife, Marcy Perlman Tardio, and my husband.

My contractions began as I was walking home from dinner at the restaurant where my husband works. I had a huge dinner, as I was ravenous. We think it was the Dominican soup!

On the way home I had a very strong contraction, and I knew this was it. I was alone, but comfortably so. I went home and began my little nesting ritual. I got out some comfy clothes, laid a blanket on our rug on the floor and did some stretching and just generally was entertaining myself and enjoying my little secret (I hadn't called anyone yet to let them know!).

After a few hours, I called my doula, and she recommended journaling during these precious few hours I had before this amazing event in my life. These notes I took in my journal are priceless. I chose to write to my baby. I put these notes in his baby book.

As my labor progressed, I called my husband so he could come home early from his shift. I also called my midwife and my mom. It was so great to have everyone thinking of me and sending me positive energy. I could feel their prayers. During my contractions, I did a variety of things. When I was by myself, I really enjoyed doing the cat/cow yoga poses and breathing from deep within myself.

My doula taught me this little song "I am an open bamboo. Open up and let the baby through" that gave me a good visual to let my body experience openess. Bending and stretching was good. As well as receiving loving touch and massage from my doula (she is a licensed massage therapist and certified MAYA practitioner).

Around 7am, I decided that I was ready to move on with the labor. My contractions had been holding steady through the night, but I was excited to see my new little guy. My doula applied some acupressure at very specific points and I noticed much more intense contractions almost immediately. We were thinking about whether or not to call my midwife and ask her to join us - then I reached inside myself and felt a little hairy head coming through. Hooray! We called the midwife and she hopped in her car.

In the meantime, I knelt on our bed with my hands around my husband's neck. My contractions were very, very intense at this time. I could really see how having sedation would be a viable option! But I had chose to have a homebirth to allow our experience to be as pure as possible.

Another thing that really helped at this point was inhaling as a good, deep breath and then letting out a long, low "moooooooo" like a cow. (I was raised in Iowa, so I've seen a cow birth or two in my time.) Somehow I could relate. My midwife came just in time.

My son slid into this world with eyes wide open as I was looking out of my bedroom window at the sun sparkling through the autumn leaves on the tree in our front yard. Time stopped. My husband and I nestled in to cuddle our brand new baby - umbilical cord still attached as my son and I explored our very first nursing session.

Next, I handed my new son to my husband, laying on the bed just to the left of me. They encouraged him to take off his shirt so the baby could have skin-to-skin contact with him while I was delivering the placenta. I've never seen my husband so tender and in touch with his soul as at that moment. My placenta delivered, and when the time was right, my husband clipped the cord and we cleaned up and hunkered down for about 24 hours of just cuddling, resting and staring at our new baby boy.

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Every woman's birth story is unique. Whether it’s your first cesarean or your third; whether you've tried a VBAC and failed, tried and succeeded or were never given the chance, your story can help inspire, prepare and inform other expectant moms. If you’re interested please email Kristine at info@vbaccommunity.com.