With my previous labors, I always had something to indicate that baby would be here soon. With my first, my water broke, my second, the OB accidentally broke my water with a stretch and sweep, and with my third, we were admitted due to lack of heart variability and induced after 40 weeks. So, with this kiddo, with weeks of prodromal labor and nothing? I didn’t think I was actually in labor on Friday (9/11).

We had previously decided with our midwife that we’d attempt an herbal induction on Friday. I had been suffering through hyperemesis since 5 weeks of pregnancy and I knew if I had one more day where I vomited or felt nauseas, I was going to lose it and I needed my mental health to get through the home birth we had planned. Plus, all the pain I had in my hips and back. I couldn’t be pregnant another day. I was 39 weeks and 6 days. My midwife said that I could only do this the one day and if it didn’t work, we wouldn’t have this tool if I went to 42 weeks. My husband and I decided we were okay with that and wanted to move forward with the herbal induction.

So, Friday morning I took a castor oil smoothie and headed to acupuncture. I had contractions throughout, but they were like the ones I always had and I wasn’t impressed so far. Next, we started labor inducing tinctures and homeopaths and made our way to the chiropractor. I started having some slightly heavier contractions, but still was in denial. We got home around noon and had some lunch. I was done with the tincture and homeopath schedule and decided a walk would be good. So, my 7 year old and I started on a walk. My husband had stayed home to take a nap. We ended up walking to the local Target and I had some stronger contractions on the way that I couldn’t walk through, but could breathe and talk through fine. After we shopped a little, I called my husband and asked him to pick us up because I hadn’t anticipated how tired this would make me. He was a little peeved that I had walked there and “what if something had happened?”, but we got in the car and headed home. The contractions slowed down to almost nothing and I was annoyed. Our midwife had said the herbal induction was 100% so far and I knew that I was going to be the one to break her perfect streak.

When I got home, I texted my midwife that things had slowed down and I was upset. She told me to start the protocol over again and to try and relax as much as I could. I did the smoothie, we ate dinner and then started the tinctures and homeopaths again. Things started to pick up by the end of my second regimen. I had to work through the contractions more than I ever had, but could still talk okay through them. I decided to get in the tub and see if they’d slow or stop which would sometimes happen with my prodromal labor. Well, these did not and just started to get stronger. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. I texted my midwife and told her contractions were every 2-3 minutes and lasting 45-60 seconds and I was going to text my doula. I was worried that I was wasting people’s time if I asked them over and I wasn’t in labor (this had happened once before). My midwife said if I was in the tub for comfort (which I was), I should have my doula come. This was around 7pm. I called my doula and she started on her way and my midwife said she wanted to come in case things changed quickly. I agreed and continued to sit on my ball and bounce and rock. My husband put our kids to bed during this time as well.

They arrived around 8pm and things were definitely amped up. I could still kind of talk and breathe easily through my contractions, but I couldn’t walk. My midwife checked his position from the outside and he was still high up, so she and my doula decided to have my do welchers during 3 contractions. I still wasn’t convinced this was labor, but decided to do them still. After the third contraction (they were hell during the welchers), I felt something was different. I had blood in my pad and o hadn’t had that happen yet. This meant change was happening. Maybe I was in labor. I asked my midwife if she’d check me just so I could make sure I was doing something and I was 7cm. I was shocked because I didn’t feel like this was transition or close to it. Maybe I could do this! This was around 10pm.

Soon, the other midwife arrived and started taking notes. My midwife had started already along with my vitals. This is when I had my first high blood pressure reading. It was odd because my blood pressure is usually awesome and had been my entire pregnancy. We decided to start pounding the water harder and add electrolytes too. We took another and it lowered, but then they started rising again. I wasn’t too concerned because my contractions were getting so much harder to work through. They were painful and I hated them. My husband started to blow up the birth pool since I was needing to get in water again. During this time, I was alternating with standing and sitting on the toilet. I actually didn’t mind sitting on the toilet as much as I thought until my doula suggested I turn around on it and holy hell, no thanks.

Around 11:15, I texted the photographer to tell her that I was 7+cm and she said she was on her way. They were able to get the pool filled enough that I could get into it and it was great. I loved it. The contractions were still terrible and my doula was still pushing fluids into me. My midwife said that she was debating starting an IV to try and get even more fluids into me and I said that was fine. The photographer showed up and started taking photos and I sat in the pool and worked through the contractions which were getting even more intense than I thought was possible. I couldn’t move and I couldn’t comprehend what people were saying to me. I couldn’t open my eyes and I almost felt like I was losing consciousness between the contractions. It was terrible.

My midwife kept taking my BP and it wasn’t lowering. She finally said that she needed to transfer me to the hospital because of them. I had her check me once more before I decided to get up. I was 8cm, but he was still high. I agreed to go and was sad, but also, I was in so much pain that I didn’t care. I told her I would probably get the epidural since I failed at home birth. She assured me I hadn’t failed and I nodded and got dressed while my husband and doula packed a bag for me and my husband. I had enough sense to have packed the diaper bag, so that was good to go.

We got in the car and I laid the seat down to try and rest. That lasted all of two or three contractions before I sat up some. My husband was driving so fast, but he was also driving as careful as possible. The contractions were right on top of each other that by the time I got to the hospital, I was continuously moaning out and couldn’t talk or breathe through them. David double parked and grabbed a wheelchair and brought me inside and straight to L&D. The desk attendant followed us and opened the door for us since I think he knew that I was super close to delivering. Once inside, I immediately started asking for meds. I wanted anything and everything. I couldn’t do this anymore. This sucked. They got us into a room ASAP and got my clothes off of me. They said I needed to leave a urine sample and I thought they were crazy. I was having a baby and I couldn’t pee right then. I still had my bra on and got into bed and was still having the back to back contractions. My doula arrived around 2:20AM which was about maybe 10 minutes after we did. David said he was going to move the car and would be right back. The doctor started talking to me about my BP and they checked it and it was 171/111. Dangerously high, but I asked to not have meds for it yet and they said they’d wait, but if it was high again, we’d need to talk more. My nurse checked me (I was 9cm) and got my IV in quickly and fluids started to help with the BP and so I could have some sort of pain med. I felt like I just needed something so I could get my head on straight for even a moment.

They started talking about breaking the bed down. My doula whispered in my ear that they were going to break my bed down and have me push on my back and that if I didn’t want to, I needed to say something. Just at that moment, I had the most intense contraction and braced down as my water broke. “My water broke! HE’S COMING OUT!” Yes. My water broke and in about 10 seconds, the baby’s head came out followed by his body. As soon as I yelled that my water broke, they moved the blankets and my leg and he was flying out onto the bed. Thankfully they hadn’t broke it down yet because he wasn’t caught by anyone that’s how fast it was. I was in shock. I looked at my doula as they placed the baby on me and started sobbing. What the crap just happened?! He basically fell out at 2:31AM on his due date, September 12th. My doula told me to grab my baby, so I did and pulled him up onto my chest as he wailed. But wait...where was my husband?! David walked in a few minutes too late and was just as shocked as us, but with a smile and a chuckle. I cried and apologized that I didn’t wait for him, but that I couldn’t control it. I didn’t even realize what was happening. He said it was fine and he was glad he was here and healthy and that I wasn’t in pain anymore. It was so surreal. I had no meds either, so I had my unmedicated birth!

Baby had meconium in the sack, but he came out with APGARS of 9 and 9. Perfect little boy. I was still in shock of how fast everything went. Fetal ejection reflex sounds cool, but holy bruised vagina, Batman! No...you want that time to push your baby out. I luckily had no tearing at all, so I was really lucky. My BP went down almost immediately, so we’re thinking it was due to the high pain threshold I was having. All my bloodwork came back fine. Baby stayed with me for the golden hour, got weighed and measured (8lbs, 8oz and 20.75”), and then daddy took him for some skin to skin while I got in the shower and my doula helped rinse me off. She was amazing and I don’t think I would’ve been able to do what I did without her. Plus the care and comfort she showed me afterwards was something I’ll never forget. I got back into bed and baby came back to me to learn some nursing and we just were. We then advocated for ourselves to be able to leave the hospital at 12 hours instead of 36. I had my boys to get home to!

Even though I didn’t get my home birth, I did most all of the laboring there. I am grateful for my midwife’s knowledge and intuition to get me to the hospital before my BP was too high. She said if they’d got the reading the hospital had, she would’ve had to call 911 and it would’ve been a complete emergency. So, that’s good. It was still an awesome experience that I’m glad I had. Baby 4 just wanted to make sure we knew he was unique and ready to take this crew by storm. And he’s here and perfect. Our Zachariah Carver Louis.

Midwife: Britt Jackson of Metro Midwifery

Doula: Rhonda Fellows of The Oily Doula

Photography: Gina Dolski of Gather Birth