Christy's Unassisted Homebirth Story

We just had our third son and it was by far my easiest and fastest labor.  My older boys were overdue, one by a week and one by 2 days.  I had a thought about this one coming a week early.  I must have forgotten that because I decided to replace my bathroom floor the week before he was due.  Our floor was rotted and we had a sewer smell at times.  The smell got really bad and I did not want to be in labor with that nasty odor.

I was planning a homebirth like I had with my last son.  Three days before his arrival we took out the sink and toilet and I spent the next couple of days ripping out the old floor and rotten wood.  We live in an old house and with each pregnancy I was doing lots of major renovations.

On Monday morning I went to Lowe's to buy new wood.  While there, I began to have back pains.  Although they were mild, I had not previously had back pains.  All my braxton-hicks contractions were always just in my belly.  I even cried a little, hoping I wasn't going into labor at Lowe's.  I was there about an hour and a half and had to ask questions of various salespeople.

I went home and carried my wood up my 36 steps and asked my husband if he thought he would have cell phone service where he would be working that day.  I told him I didn't think I was in labor, but I kept having these back pains.  I told him several times to go on to work as I didn't think it was labor.

Actually, I was in denial.  He knew I was in labor before I did.  He said he could see it in my eyes.  He stayed home and began urgently cutting boards for the floor which is what I had planned to do that day.  I remembered the acupressure points for labor I had found on the internet and decided to try them just in case I was really in labor.  The first points I saw were for hastening labor.  Since I did not want to be in labor, I passed on those and found some for pain relief.  I was not in much pain, but I began to press on those points every time I had a back pain.  The back pains kept coming, but I kept hoping I was not in labor.  I did really like those points though.  They made the back pains really short and they never got very painful.  I was way too busy to try and time them.

I cooked breakfast and helped my husband with the floor, even going under the house.  The whole time I just kept holding the points for the pains which kept coming.  I began to think maybe I was in labor and was not sure what to do.  We were so unprepared to have a baby that day.  We had no bathroom, the house was in shambles, the kids were sick, and I had not been to the store and was out of many basic food items.  There was so much to do.

I asked my husband if I should clean or work on the floor.  He said clean.  I wandered from room to room, not knowing what was more important, the kitchen, bedroom, laundry?  I decided to make my bed and sweep my floor as I was planning to fill a pool with water for labor.  I then got out the pool and began to fill it with air.  I kept thinking I wished it were filled with water as I'd like to get in.  I finally managed to get the thing blown up, and told my son to tell Dad to bring in the hose to fill the pool.

I felt like things were moving fast.  My husband took a break from the floor and got the hose and hooked it up and began filling the pool.  I had to throw up which I did in both my previous labors.  I went outside and threw up and came back in.  My husband asked if he should call our midwife and I said yes.  He had asked me earlier but I'd said no.  I managed to brush my teeth and felt like I had to poop.

I got our temporary toilet which was a five gallon bucket with our toilet lid on it and a garbage bag and newspapers in it.  I sat it down in my bedroom by the pool and sat on it.  My water broke and I had three contractions.  On the third one, the baby was born!

We were shocked.  I had only realized I was in labor maybe an hour or so prior, and there we are with a baby!  I never had any long contractions and they never got terribly painful.  I had natural childbirth with the other boys, so I know what those long, painful contractions are like.  I'm giving out copies of those acupressure points to every pregnant woman I know! I found them at www.chidbirthsolutions.com/articles/birth/acupressure/index.php

The midwives showed up about 45 minutes or so later.  I was glad it worked out the way it did as I was wanting it to just be us anyway.  My husband caught the baby wearing his work boots and covered in pressure treated sawdust.  We had not even washed our hands as we had no idea the baby would come so fast.

Our six year old went outside when I sat on the bucket, but our two year old stood there and watched the birth.  He got a little scared from all the blood, but we told him I was fine and he got in the pool and played.  After the baby came, I told my husband he could turn the water off!  I did get in the pool afterward with the baby to get cleaned up so that was nice.

After the placenta came out, my husband cut the cord with some scissors he boiled and tied it with a string.  The baby weighed 7 pounds and four ounces.  I only had a tiny tear and didn't need stitches.  I could feel the baby moving down when I was on the bucket, but labor was so quick and easy, I could hardly believe he came so fast.

We were so thankful it all happened the way it did.  Even though I wanted him to come later so I could get the bathroom done and go to the store and have the house nice and clean, I'm glad it all happened.  We're still working on the house, only with a new sweet little baby in it!

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Page Last Modified by Catherine Beier, MS, CBE