Home Water Birth, With A Break- But NO Forced Pushing!

(Photo courtesy of a FB mama- different birth)

I love that this birth has the "famous" as she calls it, BREAK between reaching full dilation and feeling the urge to push. So often women don't realize they get this, because they are medicated. I have talked to so many even natural birthing women who believe that they never get the urge to push and who are coached to push. This is an intervention- and can cause problems. How wonderful that this mother got that break and was allowed to have it!

Enjoy-

Kage's Home Water Birth

I choose a home water birth because birth is a natural part of life, not a medical event. The more I read about hospital births the more I was absolutely sure that is NOT what I wanted to bring my baby in to even years before I ever got pregnant. My body was made to bring life into this world and all I needed to do was trust it and it would be able to do everything on its own and safely.

And my birth was Beautiful. I don't know if words will ever quite do it justice but I will try...

I was so excited when I went into labor at 2am on July 3rd. "This was it" I thought, "I will be holding you very soon. Now to just get through labor and birth...". Admittedly, I was a little nervous about the pain because it was my first birth. MJ (my husband) was my source of strength and support and helped me realize I could do it.

I labored most of the day in our bedroom on a huge yoga ball listening to Native American music with nature sounds. It was so calming and relaxing and allowed me to be in a Zen like trance. The pain wasn't pain anymore and I was able to focus all the energy on my body opening. I just kept thinking "open" and picturing a lotus flower every time a contraction came on.

By around 9pm I was 6cm dilated. To help speed things up MJ and my midwife convinced me to walk from our 3rd floor apartment to the pool down the street to labor in for awhile. What felt like a hundred years and 3 contractions later we finally got to the pool. The cool water was so inviting to my huge, heavy, contracting belly. While in my trance (otherwise known as "laborland") I just stared at the stars. They were so hypnotic. Like I was dangling at the edge of the universe and everything else around me was a blur.

I heard the conversations around me but I didn't understand them. "OH, so this is 'laborland' " I thought. I don't really know how long we stayed at the swimming pool, but when we finally made it back to the apartment I kept asking April (my midwife) "can I have my hot pool yet?!" She said I had to wait until I was 7cm and when she checked me around midnight I was 8cm dilated. Then finally April spoke the words I had been waiting so long to hear, "MJ, its time to fill the pool."

An hour later I was able to step into the pool and I just melted. The hot water was so relieving on my tired body. It was like a warm protective blanket being wrapped all around me. I took the position of squatting in the water with the top half of my body hanging over the edge so it would open my pelvis and I would be working with gravity to allow the baby to descend better. I got the famous 20-30 minute break between the Transition and Pushing phase and the hot water allowed me to finally get sleep for some time.

When I was awaken by contractions, I felt this uncontrollable urge to push. I asked April, "My body wants to push! Can I push?!" she checked me and I was fully dilated and said "Ok Heather, I want you to give me 3 pushes with each contraction". "This is it" I thought, "here you come!". MJ held my hand and when I looked at him, he had tears of joy running down his face. He was my most loving and confident support while I was pushing. I don't know what I would have done with out him.

After what felt like 5 minutes (but really was 30 minutes) of pushing the head was out. April told me "One last push Heather!". And with that last push the baby was out! April pushed the baby underneath my legs and I lifted baby to my chest. "Its a boy!!" I exclaimed looking at MJ who was smiling tears of joy. I looked down at my beautiful baby boy for the first time and our eyes locked and our souls became entwined. "Welcome to the beautiful world Kage. I love you."

Kage John

Born: July 4th 2011 at 4:32am

6lbs 13oz, 20 1/2 inches