Peter's Birth Story - Our First Home Birth

With Peter, I finally got my dream birth! He was born at home and he was born quickly. Here's the story...

I had had contractions off and on throughout the night. I woke up at 5:30 AM with a “bloody show”. I decided to get up, go downstairs, and eat a little something: toast with grape jam and water. After eating, I labored some on the couch in my living room, but when my boys woke up earlier than normal and began to get rowdy and loud, I decided to move upstairs to the nursery and labor in the rocker. I sat in the rocker and rocked at first, but that became unbearable, so I got on my knees, laid my head in the rocker's seat and rocked back and forth as I worked through each contraction. I had consistent contractions from 5:30 to 6:40 about 7-10 min apart.

Maybe around 8am, I started to feel a lot of pressure, so, in my not wanting to make a mess on the nursery floor, I went to the toilet. I thought that maybe my water was breaking or I had a bowel movement. While there, I shut the door and the windows, because I live in a duplex. Little did I know that Peter was coming and very fast at that. Sitting over the toilet, I began to have very intense contractions. I was in transition but didn't know it until I reached down and felt Peter's head!

Oh boy! He was coming, and I was alone. I called out several times for Isaiah from the toilet, but he did not come. So I stood up, walked to the door, opened it, and called him again — still no answer. I walked out into the hallway and called again — still, he did not come. I finally gave up, walked back into the bathroom, sat on the toilet and gave birth to Peter on my own. He flew right out and landed in the toilet. I immediately scooped him out. It frightened me that he wasn't crying and appeared to be asleep, so I laid him on his belly over my arm and gently patted his back until he made a tiny wail. I stood up again, walked out into the hall, and called for Isaiah again — and he still didn't come. I sat on the toilet again and delivered the placenta. I then laid Peter against my chest and looked around for something to keep him warm. We had just washed the towels the day before, so there were no towels in the bathroom; the only thing within my reach was my hand towel, which didn't cover him all the way, but I figured it was better than nothing. I was in my nightgown, but it was so wet and kind of cold that I took it off and laid him against my body instead.

It was at this moment that I realized I had my phone beside me the whole time. I decided to call my midwife. She was in her car already on the way. I gave her the run down, and she said Peter sounded fine and assured me that everything was okay. She asked where Isaiah was, and I said that I didn't know. I told her it never occurred to me to call him, though I had my phone with me the whole time. I was so wrapped up in the moment. She instructed me to hang up with her, call Isaiah, and then to call her back. I called Isaiah.

He answered, “Hello”

I said, "Um, I need you, I have the baby in my arms".

He hung up, and I called my midwife again and put her on speaker phone.

Isaiah finally came!! And his mother was right behind him. He just stood at the door, I guess not knowing what to do next. The bathroom floor was wet with waters and some blood, and there I was on the toilet in my birthday suit with Peter in my arms. It was probably a bit of a shock for him. He said later that he felt disappointed with himself for not being there for me, but he was caring for our other children, so I don't hold it against him — it's just how it happened. Mom was ready to help in anyway she could. Paula instructed us on what we should do next. Mom started to clean up the floor, but Paula asked her to leave it all there so that she could see how much fluid/blood I had lost. Paula instructed us to get me into my bed. So Mom left for a moment to get Hannah so that she could hold Levi while Isaiah and she worked. When she came back, she and Isaiah covered my bed. Isaiah put on a pair of gloves, got the hospital basin that we had saved from Levi's birth, had me stand up so that he could put the placenta into it and carry it behind me as I made my way to the bed with Peter still in my arms. Once we got to the bed, I had Peter nurse, and we stayed there waiting for my midwife to come. At that point, Hannah and Mom left to take the boys, who had been waiting down in the car with their Pappy and the girl cousins to go to the Train Museum.

My midwife finally arrived; she looked over me and said that I had torn a bit. I had torn with my first 3 children and needed stitches, and I dreaded needing them again. I asked her if I needed stitches; begged of her not to give me them unless I absolutely needed them, and she decided that I didn't need them as long as I would rest and keep my legs uncrossed. That I could do. It was a victory to me to not need stitches. They have always been worse to me than the birth experience. Yay for no stitches!!! My midwife's helper showed up shortly and they began the work of cleaning up the bathroom and hallway mess. My midwife showed us the placenta, Peter got dressed, and we cuddled some more to keep him warm. I handed him off to Isaiah, so that I could get a shower. After that, Peter got his full check up. He weighed in at 11lbs and was 22 inches long. We didn't know the exact time he was born, so we went with 8:35 am on a Saturday morning in May 2017.

In case you are wondering where Isaiah was during Peter's birth, here's his perspective on the whole thing:

As I was calling for Isaiah, he was outside talking with the neighbors, and the boys were running back and forth on the porch. He didn't hear me over the cars and the boys. He sent Nehemiah and Valiant in to go potty, but none of them heard me calling. Then Isaiah's Parents, Hannah, and her girls showed up outside to take Nehemiah and Valiant to the Train Museum. So he went to help them get into the car. I was on the phone with Paula, and Isaiah heard that but still didn't come up. So I called Isaiah on his phone and told him "I need you, I have the baby in my arms" in which case he finally came and mom came behind him, and she helped clean up the blood and waters that were all over the floor. I was sitting on the toilet with baby in arms and Placenta in the toilet. Isaiah and mom put covers on the bed so Peter and I could be more comfortable until the midwife came. Mom went to get Hannah so that she could hold Levi while they worked. Midwife Paula was on her way but had no GPS so she was getting a bit lost and Isaiah had to give her directions. Mom and Hannah left before Midwife came. Paula came, and Mary Ellen came a bit later.