from Jaycie K. – Idaho, USA

Baby girl was born Thursday, Feb 20 at 10:12pm 41 + 2

Second wild pregnancy/freebirth, third homebirth.

I had a suspicion that morning that it was going to be my last day pregnant, I was feeling extra emotional. The previous few days had been difficult because I kept waking up not believing I STILL hadn’t gone into labor. I should have known better because my previous babies came at 41+5 and 40+6, but I had it in my head that each baby comes sooner than the last. I picked a fight with my husband that morning about nothing at all and as the day went on, I had the same cramping I’d felt the previous two weeks, but something just felt different that day. Around noon I asked my sister if she could come watch my older two while my husband and I went out for a couple hours. I hadn’t told him I felt like something was going on but felt the need to regroup with him.

By the time he came home and picked me up to go out I could definitely tell something was happening, but figured we had time because my last two labors were 24 and 48 hours. We went to a gas station and got decaf coffees while we played cribbage and made up. I had three strong contractions while we were there, but I didn’t say anything to him until the last one when we stood up to leave – I had to sit back down to get through it.

We left and started talking about how the evening was going to go since I was pretty sure I was headed into labor. We got home at 7pm, I hid from my sister during the contractions I had before she left, and then started helping get kids ready for bed and birth supplies out. By the time she left I was having near constant contractions that were bringing me to all fours and I had to vocalize through. My other kids in my space were bugging me and luckily my husband was able to get them to bed quickly.

I ran myself a bath around 8pm and I don’t think I left the bathroom after that. Mason came in to check on me after getting the kids to bed, but I just wanted to be alone. For the next hour I labored between the tub and the toilet, surprised at how intense everything was already and equally surprised at how much more manageable the sensations were when I was alone in the dark. I thought I was a vocal laborer, but I was completely silent unless someone was in my space.

I never got to a point where I felt like I couldn’t do it. Sure it was tough to get through some of the sensations, but it was so manageable. I felt very present and like I could have done that for a long time.

Around 9pm my body started pushing with each sensation, which surprised me, but I went with it. I was out of the tub and would stand and sway in between contractions and sit on the toilet during them.

I made a noise during a particularly strong pushing sensation and my water broke. Mason came to check on me. I told him baby would probably be here soon ish since the last one was born right after the water broke, but I still felt like it was really early to be that close to birthing. He went to go to the other bathroom to pee and I told him he could come back and be close as long as he was quiet.

The second he left the room I had the strongest pushing contraction I’ve ever had; I couldn’t say anything or call for him, just hopped off the toilet and into a lunge on the floor. All in the same contraction baby came out. I made sure the head didn’t hit the floor, but she just flopped out and I didn’t have time to catch her. She came out crying and I took a pause before picking her up. Mason came running back to find me with a new baby in my arms. From the first contraction that I was sure something was happening to when she was born was about 3 1/2 hours.

I never expected to birth in a room by myself and I’m bummed I don’t have a birth video for this baby. But it was amazing to be alone in the dark and work through everything completely by myself.

Mason cleaned up the bathroom and I took baby to go sit and nurse. So far, the last day and a half has been wonderful, and her older siblings are very excited to have her.