Savannah Grace’s Unplanned Homebirth

As I began to put one of the most empowering experiences ever on to paper I can’t think of one bad moment during my birthing time. My last day at work was December 24^th and I was so excited because the following Monday my wonderful husband had a spa day arranged for me. If you asked anyone at work, all I talked about was making it to my spa day. So I made it and got pampered for a couple of hours and felt renewed and ready for Miss Savannah’s arrival once it was over.  Monday was a great day; had some much needed me time and was able to squeeze in some time for the hubby (wink). Tuesday morning I awoke at 6:00 and noticed that I was losing my mucous plug. I immediately smiled as I knew that our birthing time was imminent. I got back in bed, told my husband the news and just laid there and envisioned our birth.

At around 6:30 I had my first pressure wave. I was a little hesitant that this was indeed our birthing time but deep down I had a feeling that Savannah would be born some time that day. I texted our HypnoDoula, Caryn Fontaine, to make her aware that things had started. She told me to keep her informed on how I was feeling. As my husband got ready for work and got Madelyn ready for the sitter, I decided to get out of bed and pack Madelyn an overnight bag so that she could stay at my sister’s in case Savannah showed up late that night. Madelyn was so excited about her overnight bag (Minnie Mouse backpack, a gift from her soon-to-be baby sister)!

As she and daddy left home, I got dressed and ran to Walmart to get a few things and returned home and did a little bit of touch up cleaning. By this time my pressure waves were anywhere from 20-40 minutes apart and still mild. After cleaning, around 10:30 I decided to listen to my fear clearing track and then my birthing day affirmations. I texted Tony around 11:45 to see what his plans were at work for the remainder of the day because the pressure waves were picking up in intensity and I just wanted him there. He finished up at the office and came home around 2:00. We sat on the couch and watched a little TV together. I texted Caryn around 4:45 to let her know that I was for sure in early labor and that my pressure waves were approximately 7 to 10 minutes apart. She told me to let her know when they were 5 minutes apart or they were feeling super serious in between. My sister brought Madelyn by around 5 so that we could give her some loving before she would spend her first night away from us.

After they left pressure waves were definitely 7 minutes apart so at 5:45 I decided to get in a hot bath to begin to relax and prepare my mind for what was ahead. I listened to my relaxation music. After about 30 minutes in the bath, I ate some fruit and sipped on some coconut water for energy. I put on my easy first stage track and rested on our bed on my side with a pillow in between my legs and used my peace cue as each pressure wave came. Tony applied counter pressure to my lower back which was very helpful. Caryn texted me around 6:45 to check on me and I told her I was trying to get in the zone and she said to just let it happen. I texted Caryn back around 7:30 to let her know that my pressure waves went from 7 to 2 minutes apart and had been for approximately 30 minutes.  She called me to hear how I sounded during them and by this time my sounds were low tone moans. We decided I would go ahead and give the midwife-on-call which was Sam, a call to give her a heads up and Caryn would join us at home in about an hour.

After talking with Sam she recommended that I stay at home for a while longer for things to intensify as I could still talk through them. I made Caryn aware of her recommendation. Not even 5 minutes after texting back and forth with Caryn, I told her that I didn’t think I was going to make it an hour as my pressure waves had changed drastically. She said that she was on her way. She got there after 8:30 and I was still lying on my side. She immediately relieved Tony from back rubbing which I’m sure he was very thankful for.  She timed a few pressure waves and they were still 2 minutes apart. As I moaned through them, she spoke words of encouragement to me. A little while later Caryn suggested that I change positions. I went down on my hands and knees and lowered my upper body onto a pillow, still on the bed.  Not long after switching to this new position, my sounds changed from low tone moans to open mouth ah’s as things intensified. I was so focused, I couldn’t tell you how long my pressure waves were or how far apart they were. All I did know is that I welcomed them as they came. Caryn was kneeling in front of me on the floor holding my hands which were completely relaxed during pressure waves and spoke affirmations to me.

We decided that I would have a few more pressure waves in that position and then we would head to the birthing center. One came on and this one was different, I felt pressure and pushy feeling and I recall squeezing Caryn’s hands which was the only time I lost control. Caryn sent Tony to start the vehicle as we needed to leave immediately and as I eased to the car and out the garage door, I had a pressure wave. I bared down on the back of our SUV and again felt lots of pressure and told Caryn and Tony that I felt her coming. Things get a little fuzzy after this. We then turned around and went into the guest bathroom. Caryn had me sit on the toilet to see if she was really coming, which I knew she was. In this moment I felt overwhelmed by my body. She told Tony to call EMS and he stayed on the phone with them until they arrived. She told me to start pushing as I felt the need and before I knew it I was pulled down to all fours and after another push she was with us. Savannah came out kicking and screaming. Caryn snatched our hand towel down and wrapped Savannah in it. I was still on all fours and Caryn laid Savannah right next to me as the cord had not lengthened yet. I stared at her but not really at her as my mind was in shock of what had just happened. In that moment I couldn’t grasp what I had just accomplished.

Approximately 5 minutes later I delivered her placenta as I sat on the floor holding her. A few minutes later I ask Caryn and my husband if anyone caught the time of her delivery and no one had. When I asked it was around 9:45ish and so we decided that we had her around 9:30 pm and that’s what we went with.

Gazing at her in awe and feeling so empowered in that moment was the best feeling ever. I had done the thing that our society tells women they can’t do, have an unmedicated birth. Not only did I have an unmedicated birth, I had a comfortable birth. What I can 100 percent say without a doubt is that Hypnobabies completely got rid of my fear of birth and because of that I was able to relax and have a comfortable birth. We may not have had the birth center, water birth that we envisioned but it was the birth intended for us and I can’t say one bad thing about it except the fact that things happened so extremely fast and we didn’t get to take any pictures. God willing we are looking forward to have a home, water birth for our next!