We planned a homebirth, but we live too far from a hospital so we were birthing at my mom’s house. Because of my fast labors, I was worried I wouldn’t have enough “warning” as to when to head over. Well, at 5:45 am I was given the ‘sign’. My water spontaneously broke.
It wasn’t a huge flooding, and at first I wasn’t quite sure I hadn’t just peed myself, but I continued leaking and called my midwife to let her know. Because of being so far out, and testing positive for GBS- she suggested going ahead to my mom’s. This way we could get set up and start the IV antibiotic protocol. Hubby & I showered and got ready. My dad came and sat with the other 3 kids, and off we went.
My second most expressed fear for this delivery was that my insulin dependent husband’s sugar would drop when I needed him (stress/excitement can cause it to do wonky things.) Well, while he driving down the road into town that’s EXACTLY what it did. I noticed he seemed off and asked him to pull over. He didn’t respond. His hand started twitching & I got really scared. I yelled at him to pull over and he started to at least slow down. “Pull over! Pull over!” He did. I got him his glucose tablets and when he was able to function again, he moved out of the drivers seat and I took over.
We stopped at my Midwife Mary’s on the way in and went ahead and got the loading dose of ampicillin. Baby’s heart rate was pretty high- probably due to my adrenaline rush. We had nothing really to do after that, so we drove through Starbucks and went and set up the birth pool. Once my space was ready for birth we headed to Wal-Mart and then Home Depot for some last minute Christmas shopping. During this time I was having maybe 1-2 contractions an hour.
After that we met my midwives- Mary and Hailey- back at my mom’s and got my second dose of antibiotics. Baby’s heart rate was good & we discussed a timeline “encouraging” things to start, if they didn’t on their own. Mary told my husband she thought 6:15 would be the time- the light change and settling down usually does it. If not, we talked about a potential membrane sweep at 8 pm.
Hubby and I ate lunch (Jimmy John’s, mmmm) and headed back out for more walking. This time around Ross and Beals, where he bought a new pair of shorts because he left his at our house. I started having a few stronger contractions. We were getting excited!
My mom stopped by for a bit before heading to my house to help my dad with the kids, and while she was there everything completely stopped. My midwife also came and gave me round 3 of antibiotics. She suggested going for a walk and at 5:45 pm we all walked out the door- her to head for coffee and hubby and I to walk. I made it 3 houses down before I had a strong, painful contraction followed by a LOT of leaking. We rushed back into the house and I got cleaned up. After that the contractions were back to back. I couldn’t think, or get comfortable. Hubby texted my midwives and doula and everyone came.
We started to fill up the birth pool, but hot water ran out rather quick and we had to stop. I tried to help hubby in between contractions, but it was like they just never ended. My midwife checked me when she arrived and I was 10 cm and baby was right there. She asked if I felt like pushing. It was 6:45 pm. I got in the birth pool. My husband and doula helped by holding my hands, wiping me with cool cloths and praying with me through contractions. I was SO thirsty and my doula kept the gatorade coming. When I started pushing baby had several decelerations in heart rate. We changed position, no change. I was told to get out of the birth pool and into a hands and knees position. Added oxygen for me, which helped for a short time, but decels continued. The decision was made to call EMS and transfer to the hospital.
I remember feeling so alert through the pushing & events surrounding it. Very aware of my surroundings. I felt overwhelmed and like my baby would never come. But, not once did I feel the anxiety or fear I’ve felt with my other deliveries. During the wait to for EMS to get there I pushed and pushed trying to get baby out, but never descended farther than where baby had been at first check. My husband was on the bed with me holding me up as I pushed.
EMS got there and I moved from the bed to the stretcher and into the ambulance. One of my midwives rode with me and the other stayed back and gathered some of my things to bring me at the hospital. My husband rode with our doula. The ride to the hospital felt long and uncomfortable. I continued to push through contractions. The EMS workers monitored my vitals and started an IV then one held my hand as I pushed.
When we arrived at the hospital I was immediately brought to labor and delivery where I met 3 nurses and a CNM. The midwife (CNM) explained that we needed to do some aggressive pushing because baby needed out now. She coached me through it as the nurses held my legs to my chest. I pushed a few times and then my husband finally got there. I remember worrying he would miss the birth. My midwife Hailey had informed everyone before that to please not announce the sex of the baby. I was really grateful she thought of that.
The CNM told me she could see my baby’s head and that it was a little baldy. Turns out, baby isn’t bald at all but was coming in a “military OP” position (meaning forehead first, instead of the crown of the back of the head). Baby also had a “nuchal hand” meaning the hand was up over baby’s face with the elbow extended. Then, to add to the complexity- the cord was wrapped around the other shoulder, holding the baby in!
The hospital midwife manually moved the hand and cord and baby slid right out!
Onto my chest baby went and I was able to look down and see the sex and hubby announced it to the room. WE HAVE A BABY GIRL!
Nora Elaine Farley
7 lb 2 oz
20.5 inches long.
Born at 7:54 pm on December 22, 2018
14 hours after my water broke and 2 hours of the most intense labor I’ve ever experienced.