Natural home birth story!

Starting January 3rd I started having consistent but painless contractions. They steadily increased and got harder until JANUARY 18TH. I almost lost my mind waiting for true labor to kick in. I'm 20 and this is my first baby so I was never sure if today was gonna be the day or not.

The 18th the contractions started becoming painful. I slept that night waking up every ten minutes to have a contraction.

The 19th my midwife checked me at 7pm and I was pretty close to all the way effaced, but only 2cm dialated. She decided to stay the night to be safe, but figured I'd have to try to sleep through the night.

At 10:30 I had such a bad contraction I frantically asked my mom for a bucket to throw up in. I hurled and at the same time I felt a pop and my water broke all over me!

I had wanted to give birth on a birthing stool, but I didn't have any strength in my arms or legs so I couldn't hold myself up. Laying on my back, I endured the contractions. My mom helped me breathe through them the same way she helped me breathe through my anxiety attacks for years. The pain was REAL, but I never felt like I couldn't do it. I just kept telling myself that it would end, and I'd get to meet my baby when it was all over. Also I really zoned out and went to this other place in my head. I had studied hypnobirthing a little and I think the ideas helped me.

I started pushing at 12 and was making good progress until she got help up in my bones. I had to flip onto my hands and knees to get my bones to spread for my baby to fit through. I still couldn't hold myself up, but I had the strength to push! It felt so much better to get to work!

I flipped back over and my baby finally started crowning! Let me tell you, it's not exaggerating to call it the ring of fire! Finally her head got all the way out.

Next my midwife tried to reach in and grab the armpits to help pull the baby out the rest of the way but when she did one of the arms popped out on it's own 😂 I was so confused, I thought the body was the quick part! It took several more contractions to get her the rest of the way out, but finally my baby was born!

Instantly I felt so much better. The pain stopped and my energy came back! My sweet baby girl was born at 3:26am on Janurary 20th, 2019.