Our [home] Birth Story | Charlotte Faye

I was beginning to think I might be pregnant forever.  According to the calendar I was one day shy of being 42 weeks... aka 2 weeks over-due.  I'm thinking our "due date" was a week off though.  Alright, this labor was a little different than last time...
     Friday afternoon I lost my mucous plug (a clear hair-gel like substance that has a really gross name) and later that evening I began having contractions.  I called our midwife to let her know that we had our 1st sign and that it wouldn't be much longer.  (meaning sometime in the next few days.)  She was excited for us and told me (jokingly, but seriously too though) to hold off just a little bit because she was at another birth in a town 2 hours away.  I told her I would be praying and asked several friends to pray too.
     That evening I dropped Jack off at my parents' and Corey and I went out for what we thought might be our last meal after he got off work.  :)  We had a date at Noodle's and then went to Cold Stone afterwards.  I could feel pressure with the contractions, but they weren't anything consistent.  I continued to have more throughout the evening.  I was a little nervous because I REALLY didn't want to labor all night long without any sleep.  We picked up Jack and headed home.  After putting Jack to bed we went ahead and set out everything we might need for the birth.  The midwife texted to let me know that the other lady had her baby!  Around 9:00pm I began to have "bloody show" aka just a little spotting.  I texted friends and asked them to pray that we could get some rest before labor picked up.
     Here are a few pics we took of us on the last evening as a family of 3:

 being an only child was short-lived

     I slept really well even though I woke up to a few contractions here and there throughout the night.  In the morning around 6:30 I felt several good contractions.  I wondered if maybe we might have a baby that afternoon.  We took it easy that morning and went on a walk at Wilson Park.  I had hoped that would get labor going... but to my shock, nothing.  Contractions actually stopped.  The day was creeping by.  I was bored and stir crazy.  We didn't make any plans because I felt like at any moment I might go into labor.  We got an awesome nap in the afternoon which was a wonderful blessing.  More of the same after the nap.  Jack was going crazy too, so we turned the empty birth pool into a ball-pit for him.   He thought it was great fun.

We were at a loss as to what to do with our lives, so we finally decided to go on another walk at Wilson Park.  Around 5:30 as we pulled out from the park I started having contractions.  Good ones, actually.  Corey's driving was making me really uncomfortable... or maybe it was just the bumpy roads.  I had considered going to dinner with some girlfriends, but by the time we got home I just wanted to lay on the couch.  Around 7:00 contractions had really picked up.  I managed to eat dinner and we made the call for my parents to come pick up Jack.  I started needing Corey to hold my hand during contractions.  I thought about getting in the birth pool, but I was afraid it was too soon and maybe I was just being a wimp.
     Here's what laboring on the couch looks like.  I think I'm complaining about how swollen my fingers are and I had no idea Corey took this pic:

     Around 8:30 I went ahead and texted for the midwife to come.  I wasn't quite there yet, but she lives 45 minutes away, and I figured by the time she got there I would be glad that I called ahead.  9:40 the midwife and my friend Melissa arrived within minutes of each other.  They were both giddy with excitement.  I was excited too, but in a little too much pain to be giddy about it.
     I was ready to be checked to see how far along we were in the progress.  With Jack's birth I had only dilated to 1cm at this point.  (super depressing)  Corey prepped me to just be excited to be dilated to anything past 1cm.  I felt like I had at least made some progress with how strong the contractions were feeling.  The midwife said, "OH, you're not going to believe this!  Good news.  Are you ready??  You're at an 8-9!"
[WHAT?!?!?!  REJOICE]
     Now I'm giddy with excitement.  Everyone else's excitement has doubled.  I immediately bee-lined it for the pool.  No need being tough anymore.  I am welcoming contractions at this point because I know they're working!  We called my mom and she rushed over.  Everyone was not sure what to do with themselves this was going a lot quicker than last time!  Corey is pacing the floor, he wasn't mentally prepared- ha!
     By 10:00 contractions were coming ever 2 minutes.  (I have no concept of time at this point, Melissa documented all of this for me.)  My mom told me that I was a little too happy to be at an 8/9.  I was just so thrilled to be more than 1 cm!  Around 10:40 I was starting to feel a lot of pressure during contractions.  At 11:00 we moved to the bed b/c I felt like I might need to push.  False alarm.  I labored through several painful contractions on dry land without the urge to push, so around midnight I asked if I could get back in the pool.
     At this point we have reached transition without a doubt.  The excitement had worn off (on my part at least, I can't speak for everyone else) and it was down to business time.  I ended up laboring on all 4's in the birth pool with my forehead resting on the edge of the pool through contractions.  I was trying to sing worship songs in my head as a distraction/coping mechanism.  The problem was I couldn't remember all of the words, so I had the few lines I knew on repeat.  I asked Corey if he could pull up some songs on youtube for me and play them in the background.  I wanted all of my favs:  "Come Thou Fount," "Be Thou My Vision," "In Christ Alone," and "Before the Throne of God Above."  A peace really did come over me.  It might sound crazy that I was worshipping God during transition, but I really was!  I needed His help.  I actually cried during "In Christ Alone."  That one gets me every time.  It was sung during our wedding.
     At this point I'm thinking, "why in the world am I not feeling the urge to push?!"  I was ready.  I'm thinking surely we're at a 10.  What's the hold up?  The suggestion was made for me to keep changing positions, but that's so hard to want to do!  You get in the most comfortable position you can possibly muster and you would hate to have a single contraction in any other position.  I finally obliged and tried a few things.  Corey came to the side of the pool and held my hand.  At last, I have a contraction and with it came all kinds of pressure.  I felt like I was about to have that baby in the pool.
    Wee!  I jumped back out of the pool and we all whisked back into the bedroom.  The first 3 contractions I didn't really feel like my body was helping me.  On the third push I gave it a lot of effort and my water finally broke!  (We had been hoping that it would.)  The midwife said that as soon as it did we would have a baby.  I pushed 3 more times and we had a baby!  Maybe TMI, but when I gave birth to Jack I never felt like my body was working with me during pushing.  In our birth class I had been told to "push to the point of comfort," and that "your body will work with you," and that "it feels good to finally get to push with contractions."  I found all of those statements to be false during Jack's birth.  This time was way different!  We prayed that I would actually have the urge to push this time, and that my body would work with me.  It is something crazy to experience.  At the beginning of a contraction I would start to push and by the end of it my body joined in with me and it was a mega push that I kinda couldn't even control.  The closest thing I can compare it to is throwing up.  There is a lot of force behind that, and you have no control over it... and although it isn't all that pleasant, in some strange way you feel better afterwards.
     Anyhoo, I was so relieved once the baby (Charlotte) was born.  It was nice not being 100% completely exhausted this time around.  I was so wiped out with Jack I could hardly enjoy the 1st few moments.  I immediately asked if it was a boy or girl and was SHOCKED when they said girl!  I asked 3 times for them to make sure, because I didn't want to get too excited and then be disappointed if it wasn't true- ha!  Charlotte Faye!!!!  I held her on my stomach all wrapped in blankets and marveled at the miracle.  She is perfect!  We couldn't believe all the dark hair.  :)
     Charlotte's stats:  born @ 1:57am,  8 lbs. 2 oz.  21 inches long
     Keeping it real here... This is just minutes after she was born.  I look a hot swollen mess, but Charlotte is waving to the camera.

     We rejoiced at what a wonderful birth the Lord blessed us with.  The whole atmosphere was a spirit of worship, peace, thankfulness, and joy.  We had been praying from the very beginning of my pregnancy for very specific things during the birth and God answered every single one of our prayers:  labor was smooth, it was quick!, it was in some ways easier (although still tough),  I felt the urge to push,  pushing didn't last as long (30 minutes vs. 2+ hours last time!),  and I didn't tear at all!!!!!  Praise the Lord!  God is so good.  He is the author of life.