My name is Ann and this is the birth of my son John. My husband, James, and I wanted a natural homebirth from the start. Well, I did, but husband did too after I talked about it with him.
It was July 18 and I was walking our dog at the park. I had been feeling uncomfortable all day and walking always made me happy. As I walking I got a pain in my stomach that made me stop. I stood there and closed my eyes and breathed and it went away. I kept walking and it came again. There were breaks but after a few came and went I thought that something was happening. I thought that it must be Braxton hicks because I was not due yet, and I was sure that I was not in labor. I kept walking convincing myself that mind over matter would get me through it. Since I was getting quite uncomfortable I decided to walk home. I had walked part way when I got one that made me weak at the knees. I came and squatted down and moaned. The moan just came from me as if I were not the one forming the sound.
I called my husband who was at the house and told him I wanted him to come to me since I did not want to do that alone again. His voice sounded worried so I told him that I just wanted him to walk to me so he would stay calm. He said he would walk to me. This turned out not to be the best idea because they were getting a bit stronger. I sat down on a bench and waited. When he got to me he could tell something was up. I said I was tired, but after walking a short distance, I fell into his arms as a pain came upon me. He told me I was in labor and asked why I didn't tell him. I told him that this couldn't be it. He was sure it was and helped me back. By the time we got back I couldn't walk with my legs together because it felt better to walk like a cowboy. I was very vocal each time one came which caused stares from others outside. It must have been all the walking because by time I got to my front yard a felt a huge pressure on my bottom.
I fell onto the grass of our front yard. The heat from the sun felt good. I told my husband to call our midwife. Kate was a great choice for a midwife because she totally supported our completely natural birth style. She was to stay out of the process and not say anything of how to push and when to. James and I were to do it together. I laid out in the grass breathing through the pain. There was a part of me that still thought I was not in labor. I asked James to help me up so I could go inside to the birthing ball we had bought. As I was getting up my water broke and I felt the baby drop. The pain and pressure were so intense I was convinced the baby was coming right then. James felt in my pants and said it was not.
I seemed to take a great deal of effort but we finally got in the house. Each step was hard because I could not walk normally. Kate came in about this time also. I was on the birthing ball for a long time. The ball seemed to take away some of the pain. After a while I felt the urgent need to have a bowel movement. I told James and he said it might be the baby. It did not feel like a baby so I had him help me to the bathroom. There was more pressure then I could believe was possible and I pushed but nothing came. I was getting frustrated and got up from the toilet. I was leaning against James as I walked. As we were walking back I felt a bulge and I felt my bottom and could feel the head. I went down to the ground. James tried to help me up but I told him the baby was coming.
I pushed and pushed but felt like nothing was happening. I cried out for help from Kate but she said I was doing fine. I screamed and cried through contraction on top of contraction. I turned to hand and knees and rocked back and forth. After what seemed like an hour I felt the ring of fire with all its fury. I screamed and rocked because it was all I could do. I kept yelling for James to pull it out. Finally the head came out, but the shoulders did not want to. I pushed and James tried to pop the shoulder out but it was not coming. Frustrated and hurting I got on hands and knees and rocked hard back and forth. When I would thrust forward I would push harder. Finally I went hard and really pushed and the shoulder came out. I maneuvered the other out and out came the baby into my arms. I sat there with the baby as the afterbirth came.
John weighed 11 pounds but it was amazing and I would not change a thing.
