from Mckayla Kennard – Ohio, USA

My contractions started at about 6:30 on January 6th, 2023. They were mild so I wasn’t timing them and was really in denial that I could even be in labor, but they quickly got stronger. I started timing my contractions around 8pm and they were already around 5-7 min apart, about a minute long but I could walk and talk through them. Throughout the night my contractions got stronger while also getting closer and closer together. At about 9:45-10pm I had my aunt come over because she lives the closest to me and the contractions were becoming a little harder to deal with. At this point they were about 5 minutes apart and a minute long with some shorter less intense contractions coming about 2 min in between. I was still in denial as the contractions still were not what I was expecting. At this point I called my mom over because she lives about 35 minutes away and I knew she’d take some time to get here, time that I thought she had at this point. The entire time I was able to breathe through my contractions without much noise, which made all of us think that I had plenty of time still…. We couldn’t have been any more wrong. I got in the shower the first time to deal with my contractions at about 11:45 and called my midwife to let her know they were about 2 min apart and a minute long and getting harder to deal with. We both assumed I still had some time and agreed that I would call her again in an hour if there were any changes. Well at about 12:20 my water broke while I was lying in bed to breathe through contractions. After this my contractions became extremely intense and I started to panic and say I wanted to go to the hospital (if you read books about natural childbirth, this is what’s called transition/self-doubt – and is the best way to know that you’re extremely close to giving birth). I got in the shower to try to handle the intense contractions, and about 3 minutes later my body started bearing down (pushing) on its own. Mark gave my aunt the phone to call an ambulance per my midwife’s instructions (obviously knowing what i know now, i wouldn’t do this). I stand/squatting in the shower, pushed maybe 3 times, and she was out. My mom and best friend, both sobbing, caught her. I suctioned her nose with my mouth (also knowing what I know, unnecessary) and she pretty much started crying instantly. Everyone helped me out of the shower and sat me down to rest for a second before I (placenta and cord still attached) walked from my bathroom to my basement, where I was met by the EMT’s. They evaluated both of us, we were both healthy. So they let my midwife sign off on the transport refusal. Kinsley nursed for a few hours after birth, and we snuggled in bed uninterrupted all night. The next morning we waited on the couch for Korah to wake up and meet her baby sister. No nurses poking us or nagging me not to fall asleep with her. No one taking my baby and cutting the cord prematurely. No cervical checks, heartbeat monitoring, or other monitoring of any kind. No drugs. Just BIRTH. This was by far the most amazing experience, even if it was nothing like I had imagined it being. And it is what has led me to the decision to plan a free birth for my third baby.