I’m sitting here almost 2 years after Alora was born & her birth story is still one of my favorite stories to tell. I can put myself right back into the moment I first held her in my arms. It truly feels like it was yesterday.
Our decision to have a home birth
When I found out I was pregnant, I had just about every question possible under the sun: is the prenatal I’m on sufficient, when can we find out the gender, and more often than not, how will I prep for labor? I had always heard labor is a marathon, not a sprint, & thankfully I knew the resources I wanted to invest in to learn more (this one was my favorite birth prep program!). We had a small scare at around 5 weeks pregnant so we were able to get an early ultrasound to check in. Too early to see a baby but all looked as it should the OBGYN said.
Upon going in for the pregnancy confirmation appointment a few weeks later, we saw baby and I asked all of my many questions. The particular practice I was a patient at had 4 practitioners so throughout my time with them, I would rotate between the providers. I asked about all of the things in the labor and delivery room, including the possibility of a water tub for a water birth. This is something I’d strongly considered as I knew my goal was to have an unmedicated birth. I remember the provider sharing that they did not offer that through this practice and she was really happy I asked that this early on because most patients ask a few weeks before birth. She suggested that if that was a high priority, I consider another practice to have that experience.
It had been on my heart for a while that I would love a home birth but I had no idea what that entailed, and truthfully, what that looked like financially as I’d heard they can be more expensive than a hospital birth. After this particular appointment, I searched for providers that were in network with my insurance. After searching specifically for a midwife, I found one in network!! Which is truly unheard of! I scheduled an appointment and was able to find someone in network with my insurance who offered the option to birth in her birth center or at home. The Lord had a plan all along! From my 12 week appointment on, I planned for a home birth and my experience leading up to birth was a great one. I loved my pregnancy, I felt supported from the medical side, and never had to worry about the care I received!
Part of the prep for a home birth included making the bed in a specific way to protect the mattress & quick turnaround after birth, providing a hose and connector to fill up the birthing pool, and a handful of medical supplies. I was surprised that we really didn’t need all that much! And the best part was that I had everything within a few feet if I needed it.
Tuesday August 13, 2024
The morning everything started! My due date was August 15th and the midwife was convinced I would go past the due date. But I was certain she would come before!! At 1am, I went to the restroom and had what I believe was to be losing my mucus plug (sorry TMI but hey it’s part of the process). I was so excited that labor might be near, I woke up my husband to nudge him that this might be happening but tried to lay back down. Around 1:20, I started to have contractions and with my Type A brain, I began timing them to catch a feel for what was happening.
The contractions would come about every 10 minutes and I couldn’t believe this was all happening this fast. At 2:30, the contractions started to get closer, between 6-9 minutes, for the majority of contractions. My mom was staying in our guest room so I woke her up to tell her the news and later found myself in baby girl’s room just imagining what life would look like so soon with her in my arms. I called my dad to tell him how excited I was but to wait until the morning to drive down (about a 13 hour drive) but he insisted he would leave right then! Sorry dad!
The contractions would hold fairly close to one another for 4 or 5 contractions and then hold off for 15, 20, or 30 minutes for the next contraction. This continued all throughout the day, pinging between 4-5 contractions rather close together and then 1-2 contractions much further apart. I called the midwife at 7am and she recommended taking a shower and resting as much as possible. Unfortunately with the contractions so close together for the majority of the time, resting was nearly impossible on top of the excitement that baby girl was coming soon!
This back & forth continued all day – I could only find comfort on the exercise ball to take pressure off of my pelvis. I was feeling the contractions almost exclusively in my lower back. My dad ended up bringing us food later that night when he arrived and I vividly remember having to get up multiple times during dinner to take a pause during the contractions. This continued all night and I started to get really uncomfortable (& tired to be honest). Around 3am the following morning, I wasn’t able to sleep at all and the intensity was starting to pick up.
Wednesday August 14, 2024 | Morning
We called the midwife again around 3:30am to share that the intensity was picking up. I could no longer even attempt to rest with how uncomfortable I was. She once again recommended a shower to try to calm down the contractions. The shower helped tremendously but only while in it. I felt like she was in the wrong position, call it mother’s intuition. So I started attempting the spinning babies program to see if I could get baby girl into a better position. I just felt like the reason labor was stalling was due to a positioning problem.
I called the midwife again at 6:53am sharing the stretches I was attempting to do – she encouraged me to do the Miles circuit instead. The Miles circuit consists of 3 rounds of movements/positions to try to help position baby better for birth. Well it worked!!! At 7:30, my water broke and it felt just as dramatic as the movies try to make it! It felt as though a water balloon exploded and I remember laughing so hard because I was not prepared for that type of experience! It broke in the position that was most painful to hold a contraction through (more on this later!). But now this meant it was officially go time and baby would be coming within the next day!
The midwife arrived to my house and set up the tub by 11am. My contractions were still very inconsistent, with some happening under 10 minutes and 1 or 2 a bit further apart. The midwife did her 1 and only cervical check. She shared that I was very far along and baby would surely be here very soon. At my 6 week check up, I found out I was already in transition and she was convinced baby girl would make her arrival within the next 1-2 hours.
When I got into the tub, my contractions slowed down significantly. It was a nice break for me to focus on eating more – my sweet husband had all of the snacks available. Watermelon, electrolyte gummies (thank you Clif Bloks & Stinger Chews), water always ready to go. The tub was so soothing that it stalled my labor so my midwife suggested I get out around 1pm to help pick the contractions back up. I did all of the things: lateral steps on stairs & once again, the Miles circuit. The midwife specifically mentioned the position that hurt the most as that was an indicator that there was probably a restriction and I needed to focus on that position. We ultimately had to progress to using my breast pumps to help kickstart my contractions again and that definitely got things moving again. I begged to get back into the tub at this point because the contractions were so intense. The water had to be warmed up before I could get back in.
Wednesday August 14, 2024 | Afternoon
The midwife noted that our water heater seemed to have tapped out – she and my mom were boiling water over the stove. One by one, they would bring the boiling water to fill the tub. I was rather frustrated having to wait for warmer water but finally got back in the tub around 7pm. I remember feeling distracted every time they would bring water in & I even mentioned that I didn’t care too much for the water to be warm if it meant being distracted. The midwife shared with me that it was more for the baby as she is born so the water is closer to my body temperature – that’s why it’s important the water be at a specific temperature. I noticed I began to sit up out of the water to wait for a contraction and then slowly sink back into the water to try to begin pushing. Not that I was trying to force anything, but was definitely ready for her to be here. I hadn’t slept in over 36 hours and I was really starting to fatigue at this point, wondering if she was actually coming.
At this point, I felt stuck – I was frustrated that I’ve been doing all of this work and she still wasn’t here. I shared my thoughts with the midwife about where I was at mentally because I was feeling defeated. She offered to help with some tailbone manipulations and that was the trick! Every time I would have a contract, she would manipulate my tailbone/sacrum & I felt baby girl move! That was the confidence boost I needed! Plus it helped to minimize the back pain I had which was a win in my book.
Baby Girl Is Born
I tried many different birthing positions – mainly a low squat but due to chronic hip tightness, I felt like it was actively working against me. We did try some of the more traditional positions and after almost an hour and 1/2 of pushing, we had one final place to try – yes, the toilet. I had heard the toilet is well known to be a dilation station because the pelvic floor muscles relax similar to when using the restroom. Wow did this work quick.
I labored here for about 30 minutes & when she was crowning, my midwife said we could try to move to the pool if we wanted to. Walking to the birthing tub was not really all that possible in that position (HA) and I noticed some bleeding so I started to panic that something was wrong. I opted to give birth right then and there and baby girl made her way into the world! We moved to the bed and the midwife did all of her checks on me, delivered the placenta, and allowed us our skin to skin time.
When we brought Alora into the room, we noticed my favorite worship song was on: The Goodness of God by Bethel Music. I had worship music on the entire time and this was the one that always spoke the most to me – the one I felt closest to God singing. What a special moment to hold my baby girl in my arms, worshipping the Lord for his goodness, something that I had an opportunity to experience in that very moment as Heaven and Earth came together. What a surreal moment to experience Heaven on this side of life – I am so honored to have experienced God’s goodness in this way! This moment will be etched in my brain forever. There is nothing quite like laying down in your comfy bed & holding your newborn in the comfort of your own home.
We had not finalized baby girl’s name until she was born but I just knew she would be named Alora. When we agreed on her name, it felt perfect instantly. And to this day, it’s the most perfect name for our spunky little girl. She is kind, she is caring, she is gentle, she is sweet, she is fun, she is goofy, she loves to smile, and she is a pure gem. Alora means “God is light” and I prayed consistently over her life that she would be a light to all who meet her. She is my little ray of sunshine & I pray the Lord will use her to further his kingdom!
Is She Really Ours?
It didn’t quite feel real – even after the almost 2 day long labor & delivery, it was crazy to think that she was now here! Our daughter, sleeping right next to us! & now I can’t believe that little baby has just turned 2. I’m honored to be her mama & while I certainly hit a hard spot during the 2 days of labor, I’m so grateful for her & the opportunity to witness and experience God’s goodness in my life. Happy Birthday Alora girl – I know this will be the best year yet!
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