Ashley's Birth of a Daughter

Mommy and daddy were beginning to think that you weren’t ever going to make your big debut! I kept telling myself as long as you arrived before January 11th I wouldn’t begin to get TOO impatient! Mommy calculated your due date being December 31st by the day mommy and daddy ‘made you’ but the doctors said otherwise with my first ultrasound, they were going by January 11th… I’m glad I stuck to my gut and I'm also glad I decided to switch to a midwife!

 

So I lied, I was beginning to get impatient and uncomfortable. Daddy had a week off of work for the Holidays so on the 28th I decided I wanted to try and get labor started. I knew you were sitting very low so I thought walking the mall would help things along. After walking we decided we’d try spicy foods so we stopped at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Cancun! It was just me, daddy and your big sister. We came home and relaxed for the rest of the night and I began to have mild contractions but of course after an hour they disappeared like they had on previous occasions. 

 

The 29th was a normal day, I woke up in pain from you putting so much pressure on my hips and back, played with your sister all day and ended the night relaxing with daddy on the couch watching True Blood (You won’t be able to watch this until you’re 18!). I started having contractions every 6-7 minutes apart but by the time I started actually paying attention to them I felt like they were just “cramps” so off to bed we went.

 

I woke up a few times to pee during the night and early morning since you loved to put pressure on my bladder! Let me tell you, those stairs from the bedroom to bathroom were not fun! At my 6:20ish bathroom stop I felt really crampy and noticed I was losing more mucus (the mucus helped keep you safe while you were in mommy’s belly!) I laid back down but just couldn’t sleep so I decided to grab my phone, go upstairs and see if these cramps were coming in a pattern… THEY WERE! I didn’t get too excited at this point since they weren’t anywhere near painful and I was used to having contractions that completely stopped after an hour or so. I had called one of the amazing woman who helped deliver you, Kate to let her know I was indeed having contractions that had been going on for at least an hour but they weren’t painful so I’d call her when and if the time came. Not even 5 minutes after hanging up the phone with her the contractions became very intense to where I needed to focus on them. An hour after calling Kate I had text her to tell her to head on over because it wasn’t going to be much longer. You were ready to make your appearance ANYTIME.

I sat on the edge of the couch with my exercise ball not moving a muscle because I was scared you would be born right there without help. As soon as Kate arrived (an hour before you were born) I had a sigh of relief, I could birth you when the time came! I labored on the couch with a pillow and exercise ball behind my back for the next few minutes after Kate and Connie (my other midwife) had arrived until they said I should make a bathroom trip. Up I went to the bathroom as fast as I could before another contraction started… as soon as I sat down Kate informed me that the contractions were going to be more intense on the toilet and BAM was she right… I tried to pee but I just couldn’t get myself to do anything with the pain. Mommy went to stand up and I started having another contraction so I sat right back down and POP my water broke, your little head was on the verge of coming out. Off to the birthing pool we went…

I leaned over the pool until I was comfortable enough to plop my leg over which I needed help doing. I must add that your daddy got so excited and frantic that he jumped in the pool FULLY clothed to help me in… Don’t worry he got right out and changed into his shorts before rejoining us.

 

Mommy wishes she would of gotten in the pool sooner because the warm water was so comforting! Daddy rubbed my back until I was ready to push which was only a few minutes later. I pushed, I wanted you out, I wanted the pain to just stop. I kept telling myself in my head that the sooner and harder I push the sooner the pain will be gone and there you were, laying on my chest! Your big beautiful blue eyes, your dark brown hair and your two tiny hands. You were perfect. I DID IT! I birthed you in our own home!

 

Born December 30, 2011

at 11:05am

9lbs 4oz & 20.5in

 

 

 

The pregnancy picture is from the night before she was born! 39.5 weeks.

 tags: birth, birth story, birth stories on demand, natural birth, home birth stories, birth stories with pictures, positive birth stories, midwife stories, midwife, birth pictures, water birth