Fae’s Birth Story in NEPA-July 2021

I am loving the fact that my two most recent birth clients have wanted to share their birth experiences in their own words <3 It’s amazing to see the whole picture from their point of view, and get to match it up with the images that I am able to provide for them of their birth story.

“For weeks I was going through the motions of prodromal labor. I had finished up my home visits. Attended my last birth about two weeks or so prior. Was fully in my birthing time. I was making affirmations, decorating my birth space and altar. Charging her cord tie on my crystals. Fully ready for my labor to start. My best friend came for a visit to help with homebirth prep and to shower me in love and fantastic food before my labor began. 

I was becoming frustrated. Day in and day out I would contract and I still was not holding my girl in my arms. I was losing mucus plug, having some show. We were on the cusp. It was only going to take just a little more for her to come. 

As the days went on the contractions grew stronger, longer, and at times as close as 3 mins apart for hours. I was giving up hope and just telling myself that I would have to take her to kindergarten in my womb. I hurt. My pelvis felt like it was going to crack in half, my stomach muscles were sore, and eating was making me so sick. I spent a lot of time in my bathtub soaking in Epsom salt, meditation, and talking with my baby telling her it was okay to come earth side. On top of the physical aspects, I wasn't sleeping well, just like with my three other babies I was up all hours of the night. 

On Wednesday July 7th around 10pm, what I thought was another round or prodromal labor, started to intensify and I had bloody show.. After some hard emotional upset, I was hoping it wasn't labor. Begged it not to be time. Not now, I needed time to process, I couldn't labor like this. I showered, I took magnesium, I took homeopathic sleep spray, everything I knew how to try to end what I was hoping was prodromal labor so I could rest and breathe for a little bit. 

The universe had other plans for me and by July 8th, when the contractions hadn't let up, around 4am I knew I needed to surrender and let my body take over. I had to stop fighting and let my labor happen. While my husband was getting up for work I was contracting on the couch. I hadn't slept at all and was working through contractions as we talked. I told him it was time and we were having our baby. He called work and let them know he probably wouldn't be in. 

He then made me a bed on the couch and tried to have me rest as much as possible till our other babies woke up. He held me through my stronger contractions. 

Around 9am I message my best friend Ashley. I told her it was go time and to start heading my way. She was about 3 hours away so I wanted to make sure she would make it. Contractions were still coming and I had more bloody show. I started puking due to hormonal shifts. It happens in all of my labors so I knew it was time. 

As this was going on I started setting up my birth supplies, my doppler, gel, stethoscope. All the tools I use and set up when attending birth as well as my paper chart I was using. I was listening in on Fae and making sure she was tolerating the labor well. She sounded beautiful and the rhythmic beat of her heart was a soothing sound. 

When Ashley arrived Dave left to go to the grocery store. He wanted to make a good carb loaded meal for lunch while I could still eat to try and keep up my strength. By this point we knew it was going to be a long one. I was feeling the contraction spread my hips and try to bring her down. Thankfully I wasn't having back labor and was still able to hold conversation through contractions. I decided to see if I was progressing and did a cervical exam, I was 4cm at the start, I was now 6cm almost fully effaced, and my cervix was more anterior and baby was just a little lower in my pelvis.

I was bummed it wasn't more, but progress is progress. I told everyone to buckle up and be ready for the long haul with me. 

Ashley helped with our other kiddos as I labored down and did some things to get Fae deeper in my pelvis. After Dave came back from the store he made a late lunch and then planned out dinner. Contractions were getting stronger and closer, they were about 3 mins apart, so we decided it was time to set up the birth pool. Come to find out, there was a defect in the birth pool but Dave was able to make it work, just took some extra finesse. It was all blown up and just needed water when I was ready. 

Things continued to progress slowly, but Fae was tolerating it beautifully. During a cervical check I noticed more wetness than normal, I decided I wanted to know if I was leaking amniotic fluid. I swabbed myself and it turned from yellow to blue immediately. I knew I must have a very slow leak as I wasn't even having small trickles, just more wetness. 

I continued to labor on through dinner. We had a carb loaded meal and I ate a good bit. I was also drinking and hydrating often with Ashley's reminders. I wanted to see if water helped my contractions and the pressure I was feeling so I went to take a bath in my own bathtub before deciding to add water to the pool. 

Dave spent some time with me in the bathroom and scrubbed my back for me while I worked through contractions and we talked more. He was attentive and there to help and support. The water felt so relaxing and contractions were continuing to increase in intensity. 

After I came down from the bath I decided we should start filling the birth tub so I could try some different positions to help bring her deeper into my pelvis to apply more pressure on my cervix. Contractions were still every 3 mins but were staying the same in intensity. 

I labored down more and we sent the kids off to bed telling them that hopefully they would wake up to a new baby sister. Ashley was helping with the kids as Dave labored down with me. 

By 11pm things were picking up and we called our birth photographer. She was about an hour away and we didn't want her to miss it. During this point we were still cracking jokes, listening to music, I was hanging birth affirmations between contractions, and I was just starting to feel them in my back which I was not so happy about. I absolutely hate back labor and have had it with the last 3 babies. It's the bane of my existence. 

By midnight I was really starting to work through them. I needed counter pressure and was changing positions a lot. Still checking in with Fae and listening to how good she was doing. It was to my pleasant surprise that she was now much lower in my pelvis. I checked to see if I could feel her well yet and I couldn't. I still had progress though so I continued on.

Around 2am my contractions were strong and long. I was really having to focus to get through them. I was trying some different positions and was getting in and out of the pool often to try to help things along. I also was trying my tens unit when I was out of the water. I decided that maybe I needed to try to rest. My birth team helped me onto the couch with a heating pad on my back and pillows between my legs to help Fae descend even more. My youngest was asleep on the couch so I got all set up and cuddled with him for a bit. 

Around 4am I woke up and went to the bathroom. I was very nauseous and was really feeling the contractions in my back. I wanted to get back in the pool. Dave took out some buckets of water and added more hot water to it. He asked if I wanted to feel if she was any lower. I was able to feel her head, a buldging bag of waters, and I was completely effaced and around 8cms around 4:50am. 

I talked with my birth team and decided that I was going to break my waters if I could reach them to do so. We got the tools and I was able to break it and bring her down hard on my cervix. My waters were clear and the specs of vernix made the birth pool look like a snow globe. At this point things got heavy. My contractions were on top of one another and lasting a really long time. At around 5:20am Dave got in the pool with me to help me through contractions with counter pressure and to hold me when I needed it. 

By 5:24am my contractions were two mins apart and coming on heavy.

I was starting to spiral, I was saying I couldn't handle the back labor, that I was struggling, and that I needed my baby out. Ashley kept reminding me that I was going to meet my baby soon and that I was near the end. She was my rational voice pulling me through the cloud of transition. Like a lighthouse in a really heavy storm. Things were so intense and my back hurt so bad. I was growling and groaning through every contraction. They were so close together they just seemed to be never ending. It made me feel rage. The water seemed to be making it worse at this point. I decided I was getting out of the pool and going to sit on my birth ball and my chair in the living room. 

I was sitting on my chair with the tens unit on my back trying to find the strength to continue on. The contractions were right on top of each other and I tried to stand up twice and said no. It was so much, I felt like I wasn't getting a break at all. I was having so much back pain at this point and I just wanted it over. 

Ashley noticed the change in pressure and gently said that if we got me up and walked a little bit I would probably have my baby. So I finally agreed and Ashley and Dave stood me up. It was so intense that I leaned on Ashley and cried a little once I was up. She held me through the contraction and once it was over with her on my left and Dave at my right we walked toward the front windows of my living room. My best friends by my side and walking me through one of the hardest walks I've taken in a long time. Supporting me as I was trying to bring my baby earth side.

We got about a third of the way back and I felt the urge to push. I learned over the one pillar in my entry way area and braced myself. It hurt but it felt so good. I knew I was going to meet my baby soon. I then said, "Dave catch," and I had my next contraction and my body was bearing down without my help. There was a small scramble, Ashley ran for a chux, Dave thought I was dropping my tens unit controller, and my photographer quickly pointed out thats NOT what was happening. Next contraction came quickly and she crowned. Ashley said that I could feel my baby, but I couldn't move, I was absolutely frozen in place as my body was taken over by the fetal ejection reflex. Next contraction her head was out, 6:25am. Another contraction and she surfed right into Daves arms with Ashley right there to help since I was standing. By surfed I mean she came out with a bunch of amniotic fluid behind her and I covered my birth team!

I was in awe. I couldn't believe I just had my baby in my living room. They passed her up to me between my legs and made sure to brace me in case my legs got weak. They prepped a chair and helped me sit and look at my baby. 

Fae was here. She pinked up quickly and I did some postural drainage to help her move some of the fluid that didn't get squeezed out of her due to the fast birth. I put her against my chest and kissed her sweet head. We did it. She was here and healthy.

My youngest son who was asleep on the couch the whole time finally woke up. He realized his sister was here and came over to say the first hello out of all the siblings. He was in love immediately. 

From there we moved to the floor. She had passed mec twice since coming earthside so Ashley was helping me clean up her and I while we waited for the cord to stop pulsing. Once the cord was done pulsing I tied her cord off with a cord tie I had made her and Dave cut the cord with our ceremonial axe to officially welcome her earthside. She was here, I had stepped into my power, and I was absolutely amazed. 

She was my biggest baby weighing in at 9lbs 14oz and she was 19 inches long.”