Naomi's Homebirth Story
(written by Tami on 1/10/2002)

My labor started Sunday, just before 3PM as we drove to Eagle's Nest (an indoor park) to have an afternoon of fun for Micah. While there I had contractions 3-5 minutes apart, lasting about a minute, but I could walk and talk through the without effort. After a couple of hours we left Eagle's Nest and headed off to Old Country Buffet. I had decided that I wanted to fill up my reserves in anticipation of a night of laboring.

When we arrived home I gave our midwife, Jeanne, my doula-friend, Carrie, and Rachel Cohen, who was going to be Micah's support, each a "heads-up" phone call. The contractions continued as Joel and I did some housework and by 10PM I had my first bloody show. We went to bed as normal -- I even nursed Micah a little -- and tried to sleep but by 3:30AM I needed to get out of bed. I woke Joel and told him I thought it was time to fill the birthing pool. I called Jeanne and Carrie, asked Carrie to come over and had lot of nice, timeable contractions which took my full attention. Micah started stirring upstairs alone in bed, so we decided to call Rachel over. Carrie arrived and supported, mostly by affirmations, me through the contractions. Rachel arrived and we sent her upstairs to sleep next to Micah.

By 8:30 or 9AM I was moaning through the contractions and hanging off the corner of our refrigerator. I was rocking my hips and Carrie was massaging my back at times too. I found that to bring on the contractions I needed to be upright and/or walking. The birth ball was comfy, but my contractions spaced out when I sat on it. I was continuing to have plenty of bloody show. My midwives, both of whom attended Micah's birth, Jan and Jeanne, arrived mid morning. After a few contractions with them here, I asked for my first internal and was told I was at 5cm, but possibly stretchy to 8cm, and zero station. This was decent news.

I had continued eating and drinking throughout the experience. We had scrambled eggs and turkey sausage patties for breakfast with Carrie, and mango-chutney-curry chicken with basmati rice for an early afternoon lunch with everyone.

Throughout the late morning and early afternoon, I still had contractions and show, but the contractions became less and less frequent. We tried to encourage their regularity with some cohosh-spiked RRL/nettle tea but to no real avail. My labor had lulled. I was still at about 6cm and the baby's head had not moved down further. It was suggested that Joel and I get some rest while Jan, Jeanne, and Carrie left to do some postpartum visits and/or errands and Rachel watched Micah for us. I fell asleep quickly and woke a little while later to find that Joel was still up after having to unclog our toilet. I encouraged him to go to bed and then returned to bed myself. A couple of hours later Jeanne called. It must have been around 3:30 or 4PM and we decided she did not need to return to our house, so she went home. I went downstairs and found Carrie reading in the dining room, she and I discussed my options and I decided to go out for a walk. Carrie and I went for a walk in the cold evening air, but I had no contractions (just pressure) and when we returned home I decided it was time to let go of the labor and send those folks home. Carrie left and then I told Rachel that I was calling it a night and would watch Micah myself until Joel awoke. It must have been around 5PM at this point because Micah's favorite TV show, "Supermarket Sweep" was about to be on and I knew that would keep him mostly occupied. It did. Rachel left and I had more chicken and rice for supper and posted an update for my on-line friends and family.

Shortly after Joel awoke, I went upstairs and went to bed. As I slept I had about one good, moaning, contraction per hour. After Joel and Micah came up and fell asleep (with Micah just barely nursing) I decided I wanted to sleep in the guest room. With the exception of awaking hourly to moan through a contraction and get up and pee, I slept all night in a Bradley Method (TM) type relaxation position. At 7AM I got up for an hour, ate some oatmeal, checked my e-mail, and found that my contractions were about 15 minutes apart (and still best only when I was upright). By 9AM I decided to return to bed. I prayed for a little while and then fell asleep. By 11AM I was up again. Joel was preparing a lunch of hot dogs and beans (with some coaching) at around 12 noon when I decided that I was too tense and that regardless of whether it stalled the contractions altogether, I was going to hop into the pool and relax. I climbed into and it felt great!! The contractions lost their edge immediately. The feeling I had had earlier of overwhelming fear that I couldn't continue this way for hours and hours began to melt away. I had several contractions, but they did not hurt like before.

I got out of the pool at 12:30PM to eat the hot dogs and beans and had the contractions return to their former intensity but stay close together. Joel timed a couple of contractions and got up to call Jeanne to tell her that things were changing. I left Micah in his high chair and went to pee. A contraction on the toilet progressed into 2 or 3 contractions without end and I heard Joel struggling to convey the details to Jeanne.

At this point I decided to check myself internally. I stuck my finger into my vagina and barely 2 knuckles in I found a bulging bag of waters and right behind it the top of the baby's head. I yelled this information to Joel, who told Jeanne, and then I got up and got back in the pool. Joel called Carrie and Rachel and told them to COME NOW! I blew through the contractions hoping not to deliver unassisted. Jan was not able to return as she was flying to an alternative cancer treatment center, but everyone else arrived. Then the contractions spaced out again... With Jeanne's encouragement I decided to get upright on dry land again. The baby's heart rate was fine, but it seemed like it was time to get this birth thing done. Even while standing the contractions stayed spaced, so I asked Jeanne for some cohosh. She gave me 1 dropperful under my tongue and I chased it down with tea. I then had a few standing contractions and then moved out to the kitchen. I needed energy so I decided to breath vapor from a compress of ginger water. As I stood squatting through a few contractions at the kitchen counter I placed my face on a cool ginger compress.

Jeanne was massaging my hips and trying to encourage me to relax and let the birth happen. I gave some small pushes (and a shout) and the water broke. There was light meconium. The waters were mopped up with underpads and Jeanne checked the baby's heart tones. After a couple of contractions in the kitchen I decided I did not want to give birth near a pile of dirty dishes and we moved quickly to the guest room, which was where Micah had been born. After a couple more contractions in a standing squat in the guest room during which I struggled to relax my legs and pelvic muscles and to coordinate my pushing and breathing, Jeanne suggested I try side lying on the bed. I had already said the inevitable "I can't do this" -- and my midwife said, "you have to -- this baby needs to come out!" She was calm, but expressed clearly that I needed to focus and push. (The baby had passed some fresh meconium.) Jeanne told my husband to be ready to catch the baby. Carrie was supporting my upper leg and I had my arm around her waist. Rachel was nearby with Micah. I was still scared but I knew the end was near. I pushed and then Jeanne told me to "Pah." The baby was crowning. "pah-pah-pah," I pahed very quickly and with the next contraction a little push brought the head out. Jeanne suctioned the baby and the baby was trying to cry, but the contraction was gone and I had no urge to push out the body. Jeanne used the time to suction more -- then with the next contraction Joel caught the baby with Jeanne's support and put the baby on my belly. I was so relieved! Labor was over. The baby was out and crying! I put my hand under the towel onto the baby's crotch. "I don't feel a penis!!" A girl, we had a girl! Naomi Caldwell Breazeale was born at 3:57PM on January 8, 2002. Joel and Jeanne checked visually and confirmed that the baby was indeed a girl. The very healthy placenta was delivered at 4:20PM and I had no tears at all and no swelling to speak of either. Naomi began nursing quickly and my milk came in less than 48 hours later. Big brother Micah was happy and brave through the whole event. After a few minutes initial phone calls were made while I continued to hold Naomi. Then Joel cut the cord and Jeanne took the measurements and did a newborn exam. Naomi was 9 pounds, nine ounces, and 21 inches long. She was born exactly three weeks after her due date.

We have been blessed!