My Homebirth - The Birth of My Daughter - Lennon Katherine
Friday 12/17/21
39 weeks + 2 days
I woke up at 1:30am to my first contraction.
Ok before I get into more of my birth story…can I just say this was such a Dejavu moment for me. As soon as I woke up I looked at my phone and saw the time and couldn’t help but laugh a little. I’m pretty sure I whispered out loud “of course”! I woke up at exactly 1:30am to my first contraction with Charlotte’s labor/delivery, just 13 months before.
But this contraction was different then the one that woke me up with Charlotte. This contraction was LONG. I’m talking it lasted over 2 minutes long and man did it hurt. I just laid there, waiting for it to go away because I physically couldn’t move it was that painful. After it finally went away, I decided it had to be because my bladder was incredibly full, so I got the courage to get up and use the restroom.
I got back in bed, and although I thought there could be a chance that this was just a weird fluke because of the full bladder, I was 99% sure that this was it. I kept my phone on next to me with my contraction timer pulled up and closed my eyes to rest. The next wave came just about 15 minutes later, lasting about a minute long. The next two came 10 minutes apart, the next 9 minutes…then 8 minutes…then 5 minutes…then 4 minutes…. It was like each contraction I was having was creeping closer and closer together.
By 2:36am the contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes apart and pretty intense. I knew this was it and it was probably time to call in the team. I woke Adam up and he was excited. I told him what I had been feeling and he immediately hopped out of bed to get the birth pool blown up and the fireplace lit. I stayed in bed and called my doula, Maggie, first. She listened to me during a contraction and we knew it would be best for her to head this way. I texted my photographer, Lacey, and called my midwife, Cheryl. Everyone was in agreement, this was moving, and they were all coming right away.
I got up so I could change, brush my teeth, and freshen up before everyone arrived. Oh my gosh was that hard. As soon as I stood up I felt a shift and the intensity heightened. If you know me, you know I am a planner with slight OCD tendencies, and I like things a certain way…but things I had planned to do didn’t even cross my mind… I never even turned on the labor/delivery playlist I had put together… that’s how intense it felt. Cheryl had told me to get in bed and lay on my left side if I could handle that, so after I brushed my teeth, that’s what I did. But holy moly it felt like my hips were being ripped apart laying on my side.
I truly felt like this labor was going pretty fast. It definitely felt different then what I had experienced the year prior with Charlotte. So I was glad everyone was coming, but I was also a little worried that I was being crazy and that I called everyone too soon.
Cheryl, Maggie, Lacey, and Cheryl’s student midwife Maggie all arrived between 3:20-3:40am. (Shoutout to the ring doorbell and my labor chart sent to me from my midwife for helping out with the timeline since I had no concept of it lol)
It was about 3:45 now, and the waves were coming every 2-3 minutes and they felt so strong. I was still laboring in bed, laying on my left side, Adam holding me & talking me through some of the contractions, and Maggie behind me giving me some pressure on my lower back. I was feeling pretty nauseous and Maggie had some peppermint essential oil for me to smell to help alleviate that feeling a bit.
Soon after, I started to feel somewhat of a pressure, like I might have to poop..which if you’ve ever had a baby before, you know is one of the signs you’re getting close to the end…and I told my team that I really wanted to get into the birth pool, but that I also didn’t want to get in too soon just in case I wasn’t as far along as I thought I was… I didn’t want to risk potentially slowing down or stalling out my labor. I told my midwife I wanted a vaginal exam so that we could decide whether it was a good time to get in the water or not, but I didn’t want to be told how dilated I was (which I’m glad I didn’t want to know in that moment, because it turns out I was only 3-4 cm dilated with a bulging bag of waters, and if I knew that in the moment, it totally would have thrown me off mentally).
After Cheryl checked me, she suggested we do a few contractions on the toilet, rather than getting in the tub. It was around this time when I got so so hot. My whole body felt like it was on fire. As soon as I stood up to move to the bathroom, another wave hit. I remember ripping my glasses off of my face and throwing them on the bed, I couldn’t stand the way they felt for some reason.
3:51 now… I was sitting on the toilet backwards, Adam and Maggie behind me, taking turns squeezing my hips, and pressing ice packs and cold drinks against my lower back and neck.
Contractions definitely seemed to pick up at this point. They were now consistently 2 minutes apart, lasting about 1-1.5 minutes. I was barely getting a break, these suckers were on top of each other. I remember while I was on the toilet laboring, I started to feel slightly out of control. This was all happening so much faster and the contractions felt so much stronger than anything I had experienced with my previous deliveries. I didn’t feel like I had a grasp on how quick things were moving.
At some point I turned around to face forward and Maggie sat in front of me pushing on my knees for some counter-pressure. I honestly felt like I was on the toilet for an eternity… but in actuality it was only about 20-25 minutes.
At 4:14 AM I couldn’t sit on the toilet any longer.. I needed to move so I went back in our bedroom to trying some standing/swaying. At 4:20 I wanted to be checked again, but still didn’t want to know (I was 6 cm). Contractions still coming back to back.
I desperately needed to get into the birth pool for some sort of relief.
By 4:24 AM I was in the water, my happy place, with Adam and Maggie by my sides giving me love and support, pouring warm water down my back, holding me through the waves. I’ll be honest, I was pretty vocal during the contractions, so it was no surprise to me that Owen woke up shortly after I got in the tub and came into our room. I remember saying hi to him during one of my breaks and him saying hi back to me… I watched him climb into our bed, snuggle up, and start to read his book.
The contractions continued, so close together with hardly a break in between. I remember that despite only getting a 30-45 second rest in between the waves, the water felt so so good, and I was almost falling asleep during those short breaks. Maggie rubbed Valor essential oil on my neck and shoulders, and her & Adam held the vial in front of my nose to keep the smell close by, which truly helped keep me centered.
Cheryl suggested I talk to my baby… “Come on sweet baby, I want to see your face” I said softly.
A little after 5:00 AM, my water bags began to bulge and I started getting the feeling that I needed to push. My body began to spontaneously bear down every so often with contractions. This baby was so close to being here, my body knew it. At 5:23 my water finally broke in the tub. I remember feeling the pop of the membranes and now I knew that we were closing in on the end.
It’s so weird. During my active labor, I felt so out of control and felt almost a frantic feeling because of how quick everything was going. But now, during transition, I honestly felt more level headed and like I had more of a grasp on what was happening and what my body was doing. Now the closeness and powerful waves made more sense to me because we were so close to delivery.
Around 5:40 or so, I reached in and I still couldn’t feel the top of her head yet. With my last birth, I had an anterior lip that held me in transition for a couple hours and I was having some anxiety that it was happening again. So, I had Cheryl check me one last time to make sure I was complete… I didn’t want to push against any cervix left and potentially cause swelling. Sure enough there was a small lip that was keeping her head from descending. We decided to push with Cheryl holding back that little lip, and I’m so glad we did. I felt her lower into the birth canal and she quickly began to crown.
I listened to my body about how and when to push. I used my hand to guide her and I slowly pushed her head out. I quietly said “Oh her head is out her head is out”… and then waited, letting my perineum stretch and prepare for the body to be born. Owen jumped out of our bed and ran to Adam’s side next to the birth pool, to watch his new baby sister be born. I kneeled there in the tub, breathing, reaching down and touching the top of my daughters head as she was in between worlds, soaking in the miracle that was happening here. I waited for just about 30 seconds until the next contraction came, and then I pushed slightly one final time, Cheryl saying “Here she comes!”, and I caught my baby in between my legs and brought her to my chest. 5:46 AM
She was here! Covered in vernix, eyes wide open! Oh it was such an amazing relieving feeling to see her face for the first time. And she was so beautiful! She was finally here after such hard work.
I did it! I couldn’t believe I did it!
The greatest joy, most empowering feeling rushed over me. Every moment of pain and intensity was worth it. When she started to cry, I saw the sweet dimples on her cheeks, just like her daddy has. She looked so much like her brother and sister, with the same exact nose!
I am so thankful for another incredible birth experience.
Never in my life have I felt more empowered, more strong.
This will forever be one of my proudest moments… one of the best days of my life.
After I delivered the placenta, Adam scooped Lennon up from my arms, and we moved to the bed to snuggle up, nurse, and admire this beautiful new baby of ours - the very best feeling!
After Lennon’s newborn exam, Adam brought Charlotte in to meet her new little sister.
Sweet baby Lennon Katherine…
completing our family, perfect in every way.
My heart has never been fuller.
I had the absolute best birth team. Truly, each one of these ladies made our experience perfect. I chose each and every one of them for a reason, and it was so great to see how everyone melded together so effortlessly.
I am so beyond grateful for each and every one of them.
Cheryl, my incredible midwife, has been such an important part of my family’s life the last 2 years. She has been the greatest support, and has been by my side through 2 pregnancies, 2 births, and 2 4th trimesters. Not only has she given me AND my babies the absolute best care over the last 2 years, but she has believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and spoke the words I needed to hear to keep going and power through. Thank you will never feel like enough for all that she has done for me.
Cheryl L. Gilman, CPM - http://midwifekc.com
Maggie, my doula, has been such a confidant in the weeks and months leading up to our birth, and even now into postpartum. As a birth worker myself, I have had the privilege of working with Maggie, to see her in action first hand in the past, so when we decided hiring a doula for this birth was something we wanted to consider, there was no question who I wanted that doula to be. Maggie is incredible at what she does. She was such a blessing to not only myself, but to my husband as well. She is not only a great doula, but a she is a great friend. Maggie, you have a heart of gold. Thank you so much for the support you have given me.
Maggie Docking, Certified Birth Doula - https://www.mdbirthservices.com
Lacey, my talented birth photographer. Lacey was truly the final perfect piece to our birth team. Being a birth photographer myself, I’m sure you can imagine how important having my own birth documented is to me. Lacey captured such priceless moments perfectly for us. Lacey, thank you so much for providing these beautiful keepsakes for us, these photos/film are one of our most prized possessions, & we will truly cherish them for life.
Lacey Jinks, Birth Photographer - https://www.laceyjinksphotography.com
