Full Circle Midwifery

Charles George was born at home on March 18 at 4:17 am. 

I was 41 weeks pregnant on Tuesday (March 16th) and we reluctantly made an appointment with our midwives-overdue appointments are never fun :’)

We got dinner first, had our appointment, Barb reminded us that “no one is pregnant forever” and home we went. Logan’s mom had offered to keep Harper overnight, so we had a nice little date night. I started having some contractions that felt more real around 9pm. I had one every 20 minutes or so and I slept on and off between them from 11:30 til about 4am. At 4 on Wednesday morning I finally got out of bed because they were about 6-7 minutes apart and definitely getting stronger. They stayed consistent for several hours and I was hesitant to call Dorothy because she had just had her own baby a week earlier. Logan got pretty antsy and said he didn’t want to deliver this baby so I called her and she and mom both came around 7am. They stayed about the same for a couple hours and then spaced out. I took a shower and a nap and by about noon they were anywhere from 8-20 minutes apart again. Logan and I took a walk around the property at 2:20 and I didn’t have a single contraction so Dot and Mom both left around 3. I took another nap and they were still strong but very irregular- anywhere from 10-15 minutes apart. I was super discouraged and couldn’t seem to stop crying. We prayed a lot and just prayed that the contractions would either stop or pick up the pace. I took a bath and tried to watch funny videos to take my mind off of it. We attempted to go to bed around 9, with me hopping (or whatever the 9 month pregnant version of the word is) out of bed to lean against the wall or the dresser every 15 minutes because they were so intense. Around 11pm contractions were definitely getting closer so I started timing them again. They were super intense and ouchy and when I hurt I want my mom so I called her at 11:10 and said I needed her. I was super hesitant to call anyone else yet just in case they died down again, I didn’t want to have to send anyone home. 

Mom got here and they were 4-6 minutes apart and she said I should probably call the midwives. Dot came back at 12:15am and Barb arrived at 12:30am (Thursday). 

At this point, the contractions were very intense and the tub had been refilled and warmed up so I got in around 1am. 

For the next hour I rode the waves of contractions every couple of minutes and changed positions a lot, trying to get some relief. Leaning on the side of the tub on my knees helped a little because Logan could push on my back and I could hold my mom’s hands and yell incoherently in her ear 😂 (sorry mom) 

Around 2 they wrote down that I sounded almost pushy – I felt very nauseated after each contraction but never threw up, thankfully. 

At 2:27 Dot checked my cervix because I really wanted to push but really didn’t want to make my cervix swell like last time. I was 9cm so I breathed through contractions for maybe 45 mins. Around 3:30 Dot asked if I wanted to be checked again and I yelled “YES! PLEASE!” (sorry for yelling) 

She said it was almost back and that if she could hold it while I pushed, I could likely get this baby out pretty soon.  She pep-talked me for a little before I agreed to it because wow does it feel yucky. 

So she held it, I pushed, I cried, said “ithurtssobad” and Dot told me to push past the pain, that it was baby’s head moving down.  At 3:56 my cervix was back and his head was low! At 3:58 I felt his head – wow! I remember looking up in shock because I couldn’t believe how fast it was going compared to last time. Dot said “you’re not going to push for 7 hours this time!” And I looked at Logan and proceeded to sob the exact same words to him. At 4:03 lots of head was showing and I was blowing and blowing so I wouldn’t tear and listening to my body’s cues. At 4:11 – full crown! At 4:12 his head was born and he rotated. At 4:15 I pushed hard but still no shoulders. Dot told me to move to my hands and knees to help baby out so I not to gracefully changed positions. At 4:17 baby was born! So much relief and so much rejoicing that labor was over! 

And then he didn’t cry. No noise. My heart fell into my stomach as I heard them ask my mom for a cookie sheet (to resuscitate him on) and Dot told her to call 911 because our baby boy wasn’t breathing. Within 30 seconds, Patrice had begun PPV on him. The longest 15 minutes of my life, I watched 3 incredible angels (my midwives-my sister) breathe for my baby, rub him, check his heart tones, remain so calm. In the background, I heard my mom on the phone with the 911 dispatcher (2 minutes after he was born). I was in shock, not even able to cry as I looked at him and touched him and cried out to God to please give our sweet baby breath. Dot told me to talk to him so I started calling him by his name, our boy, our Charlie. Please God, please let him breathe. Please Charlie, take a breath. 

At some point Logan jumped in the tub with me to help hold the cookie sheet with his tiny body on it, so that they could all work as efficiently as possible. 

After a few minutes he took a few gasps, and we continued to talk to him and pray. At 4:26, they said he was getting a little more pink and added O2 to the PPV. At 4:28 he was taking quiet breaths – SPO2 was 85%. 

At 4:30 he was in my arms, thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus.  

At 4:30 the first deputy arrived followed by EMS at 4:32. They saw that the incredible birth team had it under control and stayed in the background in case they needed anything. 

At 4:36 his lungs were clearing, his SPO2 was 96%. 

My dad had woken up around 4, said a prayer for me, and then heard the 911 call on his scanner for a baby not breathing at our address. He tried to call my mom and couldn’t get ahold of her and came (flew!) to our house right away. He got there shortly after EMS and I cried when I saw him walk in and see that our baby was okay. 

I was clutching Charlie to my chest and felt totally like I was in a haze. I couldn’t stop shaking thanks to the shock and the cold water. 

At 4:40 I delivered the placenta and was finally able to get out of the now freezing cold tub and into a chair. 

I looked at Logan and said “we have a son!” 

I looked around my house, Patrice, Barb, Dorothy, my mom holding my week old niece, my dad, two EMTs, two deputies – and felt so incredibly thankful for these people who rallied around us – who all felt relief when Charlie cried for the first time. 

Not knowing whether your baby is going to live or die in the next few minutes is a feeling no one can prepare you for. A feeling that I am still processing daily. 

We are so thankful for the incredible, knowledgeable, professional team at Full Circle Midwifery. They immediately knew what was wrong, and immediately took control of the situation, and saved our baby. We will forever be thankful to them. 

We are thankful for the OCSO deputies and Life EMS and their awesome response time, for their willingness to let the birth team do their jobs, and so thankful we didn’t need transport. 
Most of all, thank you God, the giver of life, the giver of every breath, for the gift of our son. He is perfect in every way. ❤️