Maddie’s Precipitous Home Birth

I planned to have my second child at a birth center, but it ended up being a precipitous, accidental, home birth.

Adalyn Jane

I woke up around 5am on my daughters due date, January 26th, to a strong stomach ache, but I was able to fall back asleep for another hour. At 6am I woke up from a dream about having contractions to actually being in the middle of a strong contraction that I had to focus on breathing through.

I stayed in bed through a few more contractions trying to decide if I was actually in labor. The contractions were all intense and I decided to get up and sit on my yoga ball. I was bouncing on the ball for maybe 10 minutes when I realized I was bleeding.

I called my mom and told her about how I was feeling and she told me that I sounded like I needed to head to the birthing center, but I had only been awake for maybe 20 minutes and thought it was ridiculous.

The contractions were picking up in intensity and I could hear myself starting to breathe heavily between each contaction. I wasnt getting a break. I decided to call my midwife around 6:50am and told her I was having strong contractions and trouble breathing through them and she told me I was likely in early labor and to call back when the contractions were 3 min apart.

Just 10 minutes later I remember saying out loud, “if this is early labor, im definitely going to need an epidural!” I was quickly able to talk myself down thinking maybe I was being dramatic because I was starting to get scared of the upcoming labor and birth that I thought was going to continue for another day or so.

Another contraction hit and I could barely talk or breathe through it. I suddenly felt an urgent need to use the bathroom. I told myself that after I went to the bathroom, I would head to the birthing center since I felt like I couldn’t handle this “early” labor.

When I sat down on the toilet to go, I felt a sudden drop within and my baby’s head popped right out! I reached down and felt my baby’s head inside the aminotic sac.

All contractions felt as if they stopped as soon as her head was out. I started panicking and yelling for my husband (who was still trying to wake up) to call 911 because her head was out.. I didnt know if he was calling or not, since he was still in the other room.

Luckily my phone was right next to me on the counter, and I was able to call my midwife with one hand. She instructed me to move to the floor and get on my hands and knees, and deliver the rest of my baby.

I gave just a little push and I could feel the amniotic sac rupture as she came out. I brought her straight to my chest and It took only a minute to get her to cry after rubbing her back.

As soon as I heard the cry, I felt a wave of calmness, something I’ve never felt before. Maybe it was shock, maybe it was relief. I didn’t want to move, I just wanted to stay there in that moment- just me and my baby.

That feeling didn’t last long though, because my husband finally came into the bathroom to check on me and his eyes went wide (he was on the phone with 911). All I kept saying to him was, “please hang up and take a picture!” My calmness turned into a little frustration because he wouldn’t hang up the phone to take pictures or a video.

He did end up taking only one photo that I am forever grateful for. From the time I woke up from my first contraction to the time my baby was born was only 1 hour and 15 minutes. I never expected to have such a fast labor!