After 3 hospital deliveries, fully medicated and my last one ending with a 7 day Nicu stay… I wanted to fully weigh my options with our fourth. After finding several positive natural birth platforms, we decided to plan for a home birth. We interviewed 7 midwives and when we knew we knew! At that moment forward, the peace flooded my heart!
At my 37 week appt (Friday) I had a cervical check where I was 4cm and 80% effaced. Saturday I knew I wanted to keep moving to keep things progressing. We went for a 2 mile walk and I had a few Braxton hicks. Went to lunch, where I began to lose a lot more mucus and having a bloody show. Still not too much concern considering I was just checked less than 24 hours ago. Went home, took a nap and walked another 2 miles where again the Braxton Hicks kicked in. The rest of the day nothing aside from mucus plug every trip to the bathroom.
10pm I went to bed feeling “off” and my belly took an odd shape.
12:30 I woke up with 1 tight belly contraction. Nothing more. So I went back to sleep.
1:30 I was woken up again by that same tight belly contraction and what felt like period cramps I had an hour ago. So I got out of bed and began to pace to see if they would continuously come. I went to the bathroom and felt like I couldn’t get up. After several minutes, I made my way to the exercise ball where I began tracking my contractions. I was having more than a few. They were every 2.5-3min, but not uncomfortable just noticeable.
2:15 I went and got into my bath tub to see if they would stop before I woke my husband and my midwife.
3:00 still consistently receiving mild contractions and a heavier period cramp (I felt like a high school girl about to cycle). I felt like I needed to use the bathroom again, so I got out of the tub and had a small bowel movement. Before getting back into my tub I woke my husband up. He said, “you’re very calm”. I said, “I’m pretty certain this is it but I almost feel like it’s fake or I’m making it up because nothing about it is uncomfortable, but it’s consistent”.
3:15 we decided to call the midwife and she said “this is probably the start of it I’ll get dressed and head over”
4:00 my midwife arrived and I got out of my tub, got dressed and she did a cervical check. I was 4.5/5cm. She checked the strength of my contractions and they were lasting longer at my abdominal area than they were at my cervix. After she checked me something shifted. My hips began to feel a little bolder and I got on my hands and knees. I then decided to go back to my tub where I felt weightless the whole time. My husband and midwife began to set up my birthing pool, light my affirmation candles, started my Christian Hypnobirthing app, pulled out snacks, drinks, and started filming. I texted my “pregnancy” group and checked out of real life and into a quiet place with the Lord. I began praying thanking Him for a healthy pregnancy and praying over the delivery and the remainder of labor I was about to get to experience the way he designed it. I invited Him in to be my strength and fight off any fear that could arise over the next little bit.
5:15 they took the baby's heart rate, checked my cervix. The mood had shifted and I was feeling probably the max I had ever felt (when I’d typically order an epidural in the hospital) I was a 5.5. My cervix was flipped backwards so she tilted it forward and when she did my water broke. I began to sense fear creeping in “it’s going to get intense now your water has broken”! Fear had no place at my table as I proclaimed “your body and baby are doing exactly what they need to and I will continue to focus on a calm, peaceful, and easy birth welcoming our miracle child”! They didn’t get intense, but they began to grow lightly bolder in my pelvis. I swayed in the water where I’d bicycle my feet very slow and steady through the contractions with my eyes closed.
6:00 I got out of my tub thinking I would go socialise with some of my family and guests out in my living room, but before I exited the room my contractions kindly reminded me to remain in my peaceful environment. I rocked over the bed, did a few hip rotations on my med ball, laid down in bed, just couldn’t really get comfortable. I asked for back pressure but that really wasn’t for me. It caused a really awkward discomfort in my tailbone and pelvis. Shortly after I had another gush of amniotic fluid. I began sweating profusely but still talking between contractions and going inward during. “You can do anything for 60 seconds”. I began counting while breathing, fast deep inward breath for 4 seconds and slow and controlled outward breaths for 7 seconds until the surge was over.
6:30 I decided to get into my birthing pool because I was just so comfortable in the water as if I wasn’t in labor. That thing is so comfy. It’s like sitting or kneeling on a cloud, with a Cadillac seat, a cup holder, and handles for the fun ride! Almost instantly my contractions were bolder and heavy. I don’t remember much, but the sounds going on around me. My children would quietly walk in and out of the room, I’d look up at my husband and ask for water between surges then rest my head on the side. I caught myself almost falling asleep between.
6:50am I looked up asked my sister “what time is it” then looking out the window where the sun was coming up and the dew was covering the field and windows. In that moment Holy Spirit said, “you’re doing it, I’m proud of you”. I remember thinking “I don’t want to be checked again because I will be disappointed if I’m not close due to the boldness in my hips”. I asked my husband, “maybe try hip pressure again”. NOPE. That just wasn’t for me. My midwife's intern asked to take the heart rate and I shook my head no. I had a surge building up that pulled my body up and my chin down where I pulled on the side of the pool towards my hips. Like a hip thruster. My body took over and I told myself “relax or you’ll make it harder, your body was made for this. You’re about to be flooded with so much joy, be at peace as your body works”. Naturally my body did one 3 second push where his head flew out (fetal ejection reflux). I looked up shocked with big eyes. “His heads out”. That’s not what I expected… I figured I was just in “transition”. Then everyone came running.
They were unable to reach him for a cord check so I rolled over to sit. My body stopped contracting and so I had to push 1x myself and wiggle him. Shoulders, arms, butt, feet! There he was!! 7am Krew Bradford Wilborne was brought gracefully, speedy fast, and bruised into this world! He was 7.9 and 20 inches long!
Post labor:
Due to his bruising my midwife was unsure if he was getting proper oxygen. Listened to his lungs and because his cord was already white they cut it and pulled him over to the bed to run vitals. Due to him being in the water for so long (because I didn’t realize I was about to push) he began to get weightless where he wasn’t able to press out the fluids in his lungs properly for that first cry. So they had to pull fluid from his lungs. BUT GOD WAS STILL WITH US! He said to me, “you did it! now rest”. Right after that my midwife said “he’s fine. He’s bruised”! Where all glory was then given to God for not leaving me OR baby the entire time and continuously being my strength throughout! UNMEDICATED AND PAIN FREE IN THE COMFORT OF MY OWN HOME SURROUNDED BY ALL WHO LOVE US!
I never experienced “pain” or “ring of fire”! It was far more easy and pain free than I ever imagined or expected. Until I did it myself, I never believed in “child birth can be pain free”! Child birth isn’t a pain. It’s a bold movement that our bodies as women were built and created for!
I utilized my knowledge and wisdom I learned throughout my 38 weeks of pregnancy to get me through. What an incredible, empowering experience I got to go through! Thank you to “Pain Free Birth” by Karen Welton and Christian Hypnobirthing!
By Kelli Wilborne