Annabelle Sue's Birthday
Why did you choose to have your baby at home?
I wanted to have a natural birth because I believe it is the best and safest for both the baby and Mom. The midwife I had for my first baby (in the hospital) retired. After doing research I felt it was safer to have a baby at home and through midwives than to have a baby in the hospital with a doctor.
Describe your labor and birth.
My labor started at around 5pm. I called and told Patrice I was having some consistent contractions. She said to call back in an hour and tell her how I was doing.
Patrice, Dorothy and Barb came over around 9pm and my contractions were still about 30 seconds long and 5 minutes apart. They started getting stronger but still stayed about 4-5 minutes apart. I got in the birth tub at 1:23 AM at the suggestion of Barb and the water really was very soothing. Around 2am they got even stronger and I started to transition probably around 2:45. I had Patrice check me and she said I was 9 cm.s dilated and I could push if I wanted while she massaged me so I wouldn’t tear. Well, it hurt bad and Patrice said I could wait until I wanted to push. I didn’t believe I would get the urge to push because with Noah (my first), I was told to push when I didn’t want to and had to push hard for an hour when I don’t remember ever feeling the urge too. I asked if I could get on my hands and knees and they said some women find this a lot more comfortable. I did! Then, at 3:38 I got the urge to push! I pushed and Patrice guided me so I wouldn’t tear like I did the first time and I didn’t tear. Annabelle came out 8 minutes later at 3:46! Patrice put her on my belly and I got to just hold her! It was wonderful!
What was your favorite part of your baby’s birth?
I did not think my hospital birth was that bad, but now comparing the home birth to the hospital birth makes it seem so much worse. My home birth was so much better. It was way more relaxed first of all. But I especially liked that I could turn over and I wasn’t pressured to push and get the baby out. The pushing/transition stage is the hardest for me and with Noah I felt this pressure to get him out as soon as possible and was told to push when I didn’t want too, which made it worse. I also didn’t feel I could move around if I wanted too. Then, at the end, Patrice guided me so I wouldn’t tear. That wasn’t done for me with Noah.
I also really liked how the baby was born. I wish I could give Noah the same experience. Annabelle was born and it was so peaceful. I was able to hold her and there wasn’t this anxious feeling of having to take the baby and do all sorts of stuff with it. When Noah was born I was able to hold him, but only for like 5 minutes, and I could feel the anxiety of the nurses hovering around me wanting to take him. He was also born into a bright loud atmosphere.
Finally, being able to recover at home verses the hospital was so much better. I got way more rest and much better food. At the hospital there was someone coming in to check the baby or me all the time. It was also noisy. I did not get any of my much needed rest.
What would you do differently if you had another baby?
I wouldn’t try to push until I felt the urge.
