On the morning of December 12,2013, our wedding anniversary, I had been having timeable, repeating contractions quite regularly. I went into my midwife's office covered in sweat and hair a mess from driving with my windows down (I remind you, it was December)....
The appointment began as it always did...
Pee in cup, blood pressure, chit chat about the week.... Then blood pressure again. It was abnormally high. It had been on an upward slope but I had managed it with a good diet and exercise. My midwife, the wonderful Debi Church CPM, was concerned and wanted to check out dilation to see if the birth of our boy was nearing. I was at what Debi called "almost 4" so she felt it would be best to sweep the membranes and try to bring on heavier contractions to prevent having to go to the hospital with high blood pressure.
We did the procedure and I went about my day as planned, celebratory anniversary lunch with husband, chiropractor visit, shopping with husband for our dear sons wardrobe (because until 2 weeks prior we had been told our dear son was a dear daughter)! All while having intense and labor like contractions.
This went on for 3 long and intense days...
All the while, my midwives came back and forth unloading and loading gear for the impending birth!
Finally...
Sunday night around 5pm dear husband and I decided to get out of the house and get this ball rolling! We went out to dinner and I had a nice salad and a nice long fart in the local Zaxbys during a contraction ;) you're welcome, for that insight, it is my husband's favorite moment of our birth story! We then went to kmart and walmart to walk around and buy wrapping paper for the Christmas gifts I had been working on. During this trip multiple people told me to go to the hospital. I, of course, refused that advice. :)
Around 10 that evening the contractions were close together and STRONG. I labored quietly in my recliner in our living room all through the night, while dear husband was irritated that I wasn't sleeping, let's face it, he was tired from all of my fake outs :)
Around 4am I decided to go downstairs into the baby's nursery and rock in my rocking chair. I sat there for a while talking to my baby, contracting, and crying out to God that he would bring down my baby and allow him to be born, because I could no longer take the waiting game. Within the hour I began to climb the stairs and suddenly there was a shift in my labor. With each contraction my body naturally tensed, as I resisted the urge to tighten every muscle in my body, I took deep breaths in and breathed them out with loud cries of agony. My dear husband awoke from his clueless slumber to find a sweaty wife that was very much in active labor. He began to time the contractions and found them to be 1 minute apart and nearly 2 minutes long at times. He insisted on calling our doula and midwives. After about another hour of contractions I agreed that it was time and the doula arrived at almost 6am. We then began some relief exercises and prepared to move downstairs to the birthing tub.
I took a few moments to catch my breath and lie down for some relaxation before we really started the rotation of labor. My midwives and doula lovingly massaged and whispered encouragement to me to let me know that I was going to meet my baby, I was about to bring him into the world!
Over the next several hours we rotated between sitting on the birth ball, to sitting in the birthing tub, to sitting on the
toilet. Below is a moment that my mom caught on camera of me and my husband in the bathroom while I was laboring. To me this photo represents all that our family strives to be. Love. Support. Kindness. Encouragement.
At around 12 o'clock that afternoon, my husband and I were in the birthing tub laboring and I felt a gush of water. I insisted that my water had broken and we got out of the tub to move to the toilet. As I sat in the toilet insisting that my water had broken, There was another gush and we confirmed that it was my water breaking! I was so relieved! The end was near :)
I began to enter into transition shortly after this, while sitting on the toilet with an audience of 3 midwives, a doula, my husband, and my mother! I began to let out deep breathy growls as I pushed down on my tummy with my muscles! Everyone shouted and cheered, knowing that this meant things had picked up and were moving fast now! We moved back to the tub to begin active labor! We were so close!
After holding my pushes long enough to dilate fully and allow my body to catch up to my urges, I began to push! I groaned and growled, I even sang melodies up and down with each push and contraction! I cried out to the Lord and asked him to give me strength and to stay with me, I cried out to my "little bird" to come down for his mama and come out and meet me! And after just 20 minutes of pushing and praying, groaning and singing, believing and trusting....
My beautiful, magnificent, loved, wanted, prayed for child... Came into the world.
I reached down with my own two hands and felt his head, touched his shoulders, and pulled him up to my chest. I caught my baby and decided in that moment, that I would catch him forever. I would always be right there to lift him up. To pray for him. To cry out to him when he needed the encouragement. To love him more passionately than words can express.
My sweet boy. Finally in my arms!
12/15/2013
2:06pm
Jeremiah Oliver Kersey
Born at Home!
