“This is the story of Joyce’s 3rd baby. During her first pregnancy she developed pneumonia which landed her in the ICU where she gave birth at 34 weeks. Her second child was born at 35 weeks by cesarean when she went to the hospital with preterm labor. This was her first planned homebirth, first full-term baby, and first VBAC.”

Tuesday November 15, 2005 we went to our Midwife appointment. Everything looked great and she was finally able to strip my membranes and stretch me to 2cm. I went home thinking we still had a few days, since I'd had so many false starts I didn’t want to get my hopes up. Tuesday night, I cleaned the house and got things ready for the next day. Around midnight, I began to feel really crampy and had to go to the bathroom a lot. I finally got to bed at 1am. I was up every hour going to the bathroom, but only having very mild contractions. By 5:30am when I went to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, I couldn’t get up. Nathan, my husband, helped me into the bathroom and the contractions started about 10 minutes later.

They were VERY strong from the beginning. They were comingevery 2-3 min (I wasn’t timing them that is just what I assumed). Nathan got a warm bath started for me since we really weren’t sure if this was it or not. When I got in the tub (6am) the contractions got worse and I begged Nathan to call Christina, our Midwife, and tell her to come right away. I knew then that it was the real thing and that I was in Labor! I got out of the tub about 6:30am and could not get comfortable. The contractions kept getting stronger and more intense. It felt like I was never going to get a break. Christina arrived at 7am. She was very helpful and supportive. I asked her to check me at 7:40am; she told me I was a full 7cm and 100%. I was very happy to hear that! Around 8am I started to feel a little pushy, so Christina said if I felt I needed to push, then let my body push. So about every other contraction I pushed. By 8:30am I was pushing with every contraction. At 9:10am my water broke as I was pushing, she checked me again and confirmed that I was 10cm and he was right there. I pushed his head out at 9:18am and the rest of his body was out at 9:19am! I managed to push out a 7 pound 15 oz, 20 ½ inches long baby with only minor tears and no stitches. It was the most wonderful experience I have every had giving birth! I would defiantly recommend home birth to everyone!

Nathan called around 6:15 am to tell me Joyce was having contractions every few minutes. Being awoken from sleep, I asked him to repeat, “how far apart”? That’s when I heard Joyce’s next contraction start, having heard active labor before, I knew it was time for me to go. I told Nathan I was on my way. I arrived around 7am to find Joyce working well with very intense contractions only a few minutes apart. Both her boys, ages 2 & 4, were home and there was some debate as to where they were going, but one thing was for sure, Nathan couldn’t take them anywhere. Joyce needed him by her side and that’s where he stayed. The boys came in and out of the bedroom, the youngest laughing louder the louder mommy’s vocalizations were. Joyce’s vocalizations reminded me of my last birth, hearing the intensity in her voice of a quick labor.

Joyce pushed for about an hour, this being her first full term baby, he was considerably larger than her other two. Joyce changed positions several times before settling on her knees leaning over the birth ball. As Jacob began crowing, Joyce’s 2 year old joined me and pointed to his little brother’s emerging head, telling me there’s “baby Jacob”.

Within moments ‘baby Jacob’ was born into his mother’s arms. It is always amazing to see the relief-joy-excitement-love on a new mothers face as she holds her baby for the first time. And I guess this one was especially poignant since it was the first time Joyce had the opportunity to hold one of her baby’s fresh from the womb and still attached. I wish you could’ve seen the look on her face when she smelled her sweet baby and said ‘he smells so good’! For me, this makes all I do worth it. It is unfathomable to me how she would’ve been refused this beautiful experience to have it replaced with an operating room and major surgery. Thank you Joyce, for sharing your experience.

April 2, 2003....My water broke at 11:00 am, I hadn't had any contractions yet, but I knew he would be born today. I called my husband first, then my midwife, my doula, and my best friend. Within minutes my contractions were 2 minutes apart and very intense. My husband arrived in 20 minutes with our midwife only moments behind him.

I had just gotten out of the shower when she arrived. As I was kneeling on the floor comfortably leaning on my husband, she gently and quietly listened to our baby's heartbeat, reassuring us that everything was normal. Our doula arrived & began filling our tub. We knew this baby wasn't going to take long. Before I knew it I wanted to get in the birthtub, but more than anything I didn't want my husband to leave my side! With the help of our midwife & doula he didn't have to!

12 noon I was in the tub, very thankful for the relief the water gave me. I began to feel a bit overwhelmed with the intensity of my labor... this made me realized that I was going to push soon... that's how everyone feels just before their babies are born. Next thing I know I'm pushing, I glance at the clock... 12:20, then 12:30, I could feel my baby's head emerging from my body, it was amazing to be the one to touch him first! My husband was the 2nd.

12:48pm My 3rd child was born! What joy! My other two were born prematurely in the hospital, this was my 1st full term pregnancy & he was born safely & comfortably at home surrounded by his family! My children rushed inside (a friend picked them up at school) just as he began to cry, their faces alive with wonder & amazement at this new person, their new brother! No one takes him away from us... he's held by me, then my husband, my children, my friend, and our midwife.

I'm helped into bed with my new baby. Food is prepared as my husband & I cuddle in our bed together absorbing this miraculous moment in our lives, thankful for the gift of this child and for the blessing of being able to have our baby at home!