Ella's Birth Diary

Ella's birth was the opposite of Ethan's birth: I was induced in the hospital after dealing with PUP*** for a month.

*** PUP means Puerperal Urticaria of Pregnancy. It is a rash that you get while pregnant.

After doing a lot of reading, research, talking with friends and meeting with Linda, we knew that having a homebirth with a midwife was the right birth option for us.

We were excited to have the freedom to do what felt right for us during the birth and to be in the comfort of our own home, with family and a midwife that we could trust. We also decided to enroll in Bradley classes as well. Which educated us further and gave me the confidence I needed to trust that I had the tools, knowledge, strength and ability to do this.

I initially started having easy mild contractions around midnight on 9/19. We started timing them and they were about 5 minutes apart.

At 2:30 am, Ethan woke up with a wet bed - don't give you child a huge sippy before bed. So we were all up getting him taken care of when I started feeling like I might have either lost my mucous plug or was having bloody show. I went to the bathroom and checked - yup definitely bloody show.

After that we went back to bed and I woke up around 5 feeling like things were starting to progress so we called our family and Linda. My mom, sister, and Rob's mom got there around 6:30 am. We had told Linda to take her time and she got here around 8 am.

Then things pretty much petered out.

We had breakfast, I hung out on my birth ball and nothing happened.

I had officially stalled out.

I felt so bad that Linda had driven all the way out and here I was just sitting around. So at 11 am, Linda decided to head home telling us to call when things started back up again.

Our family left to go get supplies for making lasagna and ended up taking Ethan over to my parents so that we could nap and have some alone time. So we napped, hung out, watched movies, and enjoyed ourselves. None of which we could have done in the hospital - I would have definitely been on Pitocin at this point.

Everyone came back for dinner - which was awesome! Thanks mom! Then we went on a walk to see if we could get things going again around 7 pm. Which totally worked. I started having more intense contractions almost immediately and we all just hung out - watched a lame Georgia O'keefe movie on Lifetime, and then our moms and Rob had Kahlua and creme.

Again what hospital would let your moms get tipsy while you're in labor?

At around 11 pm, things got a lot more intense. I was really having to work through my contractions with Rob, on my ball, leaning over the couch, standing up and rocking. It felt so good to be in control of the situation though, really trusting that I could do this.

We called Linda around midnight and got my family back - they had left to get some sleep. Everyone was there by 1:30 am and Rob had the birth tub inflated and filled by then as well. Which at that point I really needed. The tub ROCKED! I felt so much better once I was in the water and I could move so much more easily.

I think I started pushing around 1:45 am thinking it would go like Ethan and I would have her almost immediately. Well that didn't happen.

Around 2 am, I had my "I don't think I can do this," moment which Rob and Linda got me through. Then the only bad part of the whole thing happened - I still had a little bit of cervix left and it was starting to swell. So I had to not push through 2 contractions. There is nothing worse than going against everything your body is naturally trying to do. I just remember Rob holding and encouraging me and me slapping the side of the Tub - I had to do something to keep from pushing.

Then I knelt on my knees and pushed with my next contraction. I felt my pelvis open and Ella was born at 2:28 am.

The entire experience couldn't have been more perfect.

I leaned back in the tub holding Ella in my arms - what a serene moment. Ethan then came out of his room saying "baby" and patted my shoulder. I get tears in my eyes when I think about it. I don't think Rob or I have ever felt so complete as a family.

After I passed my placenta and I got out of the tub, Rob, Ella, and I snuggled in our bed. Ethan lost interest and played as everyone got everything cleaned up.

We woke up the next morning to the sound of Ethan and Grandma playing in the living room. What could be better? I was sore but not hobbled like I was with Ethan and in the next couple of days I felt completely recovered. I think the big difference was that I could feel what my body was doing so I didn't push beyond what my muscles were supposed to do. I had a little tear just like with Ethan but Linda didn't feel like I needed to be stitched and I haven't had any problems since.

To Sum Up

I am so glad we made the decisions that we did for each of our births. It allowed us to experience both sides. I just wish every woman could experience a homebirth. I have never felt so empowered.