The Birth I Missed

Our client was a third time mom pregnant with her last baby. And she was completely laid back. When we found out the baby was transverse at 36 1/2 weeks, Christy and I were nervous, but the mom was very calm. Wasn't worried at all. Such a laid back person, which was sooo nice. She got into a chiropractor a couple times a week and baby flipped right to head down and occiput anterior (back of baby to the side of mom's belly button). She had never had a baby that wasn't posterior, so everything was new to her this time.

I got the call Saturday night that she was in labor, but nothing painful, so it was just the prep call. My husband worked til Midnight so I was trying to get babysitting set up, and luckily my brother was in town, so he said he didn't mind watching Glade if I got called.

Well, Blake got home at midnight, and I hadn't gotten the call, so I figured her labor sputtered out and I needed to get some sleep. Not that it happened haha. I was up until about one thirty am, and then finally was able to crash.

At about two thirty Christy (the midwife) called me and said that the mom's contractions were about five minutes apart, but she was calm and didn't sound in labor at all, but she was going to head down because the husband didn't want to be alone. So I got dressed, and drove the hour down to her house.

I walk into the bedroom at 3:37 am SECONDS after the baby was born. Seriously, SECONDS.

The baby was covered completely in vernix, and by completely I mean he was completely white. Which for being a baby born at 41 1/2 weeks is a lot. But no molding, and just beautiful.

(Christy filled me in on this when we were cleaning up)

Christy got there at 3 am, checked the baby, and she didn't look like she was in labor except a few contractions every few minutes. Did not look like baby would be coming anytime soon. So she went into the living room to read her magazine, and at about 3:20 am the husband came out and said her water had broken.

Christy went back in, and she was still very calm, didn't look like she was in transition or pushing, but she was supporting her own perineum, and was just completely calm. 3:35 the head was born, 3:37 the baby slid out into mom's hands and she pulled him to the surface. And that is when I walked in.

The baby was gurgling and making little baby noises and was working the mucous out on his own, which is better for them than being suctioned, and got his nose cleared out just before he started nursing. He pinked up right away, he just had to work out the excess and be on his way.

The baby started nursing on his own at 3:59 am, latched himself on, and nursed pretty much the entire three hours we were there.

A little later the placenta was born, and I held the placenta in a tupperware bowl on the side of the tub since it wasn't cut.

Baby didn't like the water much, so a bit later mom got out of the tub and moved to the bed, and he fell asleep cuddling skin to skin with mom.

The tub was barely red. She barely bled at all and only had a couple clots the size of my palm. Definitely an awesome birth.

We cleaned up, did a placenta print after the placenta exam (a print is where we completely dry off the placenta, put two colors of ink on it and print it onto paper. I just love it! And if you don't want to keep your placenta for anything, it is a great addition to the baby book).

She had a teeny tiny tear, maybe a little more than a papercut, which will heal itself probably by the 3 day visit.

We cleaned a little more, did the newborn exam (baby boy 8 pounds 12 ounces, 20 inches long and perfect), cleaned up the rest, put in a load of laundry, and left at about 6:30 am.

I so wish I had been there for the birth, but seeing how peaceful and glowing she was just seconds after the birth was beautiful. She didn't even look like she had a baby seconds before. It was beautiful.

And one of my favorite parts to this whole birth is Christy only wore gloves when she cleaned off the placenta to dry it for printing. Everything was done with hands and love and human contact. Another amazing part was this was their biggest baby by almost a pound and a half. And he didn't look his 8 pounds 12 ounce weight. We guessed closer to 8 pounds even.

I just wish we had another homebirth client lined up. They are my favorite, and no hospital birth, even the most beautiful, can compare. Every woman should be able to experience the peacefulness and the intimacy of a homebirth. Their other children came in for the birth, and were there for everything we did. Helped us clean out the tub, exam the placenta and baby, even helped us check mom for tears. It was wonderful how open and honest it was, and how the other children were one of the first people to meet their little brother.