It was the early hours of Friday morning and I was all dressed and ready to go to work. I was 6 days away from my due date, so I figured I had at least a week before I’d be going into labor. My first two kids came after my due date. Although my belly dropped and I was feeling immense pressure on my cervix that morning, I was still in denial that I could be close to labor. I remember walking down the hall and the pressure felt so intense that I had to go on my hands and knees to get some relief. My husband saw me and said, “you’re not going to work.” Still in denial, I told him I was and I was fine!
Another hour goes by and I was sitting on the couch with the kids and the pressure was getting worse. I made the decision to work from home. Shortly after, I got a contraction - I assumed it was Braxton hicks, but it hurt more than usual. I started tracking them at 8:38am. They were getting uncomfortable. I texted Alex, my midwife, and told her I “might” be in labor. She told me to hop in the shower and get some hot water running down my back. That’s what I did and it provided some relief on the increasingly intense contractions. I did not realize was in store for me.
As I was laboring alone in the shower, my husband takes over my phone — he let my supervisor know I y be working, he let my midwife know I was in active labor, and he called my dad to help him setup the birthing pool and watch our two toddler boys. Meanwhile, I’m in the shower with my knees on the floor and arms resting on a foldable plastic chair. The time between contractions were shortening and I was screaming to God to help me get through each painful contraction. One painful contraction came and my water broke. At this moment, I knew my baby was going to come fast. My husband would check on me occasionally but I’d tell him to stop talking to me - sorry Eddie! I much preferred being alone and untouched.
The shower eventually started running out of warm water and I started to feel a pushing sensation that my body was doing all on its own. Pain aside, I was amazed by how my body knew what to do and so quickly! On top of that, I had the realization that I might be pushing the baby out alone because my midwife wasn’t there (she lived over 40 minutes away and we had a huge snowstorm) and my husband was tending to the kids. I screamed, “EDDIE! IM PUSHING!” He finally made it in the bathroom and I was on the floor, on my hands and knees with a bath towel underneath me. The only one I could manage to grab on my own.
This was it. My husband was going to have to catch this baby. He called Alex and had her on speakerphone at this point. I remember him saying, “WHAT DO I DO?!” She was so calm and reassured him that he could do it. I felt the ring of fire and he saw my baby’s head. He panicked and said, “her head is blue! She isn’t breathing!” Alex again reassured him that it was okay. The most incredible feeling was when I could feel my baby reposition her shoulders to come out. I had no fear; I knew my body could do it. In just minutes, I pushed her out and my husband caught her. She was beautiful and chunky with a full head of dark hair. I felt overwhelming relief; it was indescribable. The cord was short, so we struggled to get Ivy on my stomach from behind me, but we eventually did it. WE DID IT! It was 10:44am. Only 2 hours and 6 minutes from start to finish.
My mom then pops open the door to see our status and sees me holding the baby — she was shocked! My midwife got there shortly after and helped me deliver the placenta. She took vitals and weighed our baby, Ivy, who was 8lbs 6oz and 20 in. My body was shaking uncontrollably from the hormones but I was so incredibly happy. My boys came in shortly after to meet their new baby sister. A moment I’ll cherish forever.
Ivy Belle was in a hurry to meet us that day. Birthing her at home was the best decision I could have made. I would not have it any other way!
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