My home waterbirth

Well as most know we named our little girl Piper Jo Hanna. She's still absolutely perfect! 16 days after she was born she now weighs 8lb 2oz! So she's definitly growing!

The boys still love having her around! It's been so much fun watching them with her. They love her! She fits right in!

I'm doing very good! I think this has been my best recovery yet... well Tyee's recovery was perfect too, but it was nice to be home the whole time. I've written Piper's birth story so figured I would share it. So here it is.

I was having cramps starting on the Friday before she was born. They lasted all weekend and on Easter Sunday I actually thought I was going to have the baby by the next morning. Contractions were at one point 3 mins apart lasting at least a min long. But then they completely stopped. Still had cramping on Monday, some on Tuesday and Wed I had an appointment with Roxie, mostly just to check me to see if I had dilated and check the position of the baby because I was having alot of anxity about baby getting into position. I was 2 1/2cm, 50%, -2 station and she asked if I wanted her to strip my membranes. After a few days of cramping and on and off contractions I said yes. Boy did that hurt!! I had it done with Luke but it didn't hurt like this did and I told Roxie that too lol. So Thursday April 16th, Jason had to get up early for work because he had to drive to Fairview for some training (of course making me nervous that I would need to call him during that time and here he would be over an hour away) So he left for work and a couple hours later the boys climbed into bed with me. I got up to go to the bathroom and lost my plug. First time ever that I even noticed that I lost my plug! I was having contractions but were very mild, I could talk through them, walk, deal with the kids, yada, yada, yada. So I took all the boys to the dr so Jake could get his allergy shots. While there the pedi was asking if I was still having ahomebirth and that the hospital was a good place as well and asked if Roxie was going to be there and asked my due date. He's all for natural births, loves the idea of waterbirths and loves Roxie, but because homebirths are not very popular and he's had to rush in several times for emergencies of course he was skeptical and worried about homebirths. So after the dr's we went to my sisters, the kids played outside, we had lunch, and I was still having contractions so I decided to go home as my mil was coming up for dinner that evening with her sister and sister's husband (visiting from Tenn.). Got home cleaned the house (sorta), cleaned the bathroom, and still having contractions. They arrived and I told them right away I was having some mild contractions and apoligized for all the toys on the floor, I was not about to bend over and pick them up lol. Jason finally got home and I told him I thought we would be sending them home shortly after dinner and that's what happened. At 7pm they left, then called back to say there was a house fire down the street, Jason started getting the tub ready and I texted my midwives and my sister and they started heading up. My contractions were 3-5mins apart and 50 sec long but were turning into steady 3 mins apart 1 min long. I was nervous about them not making it so I didn't do much but sit on the couch. I didn't want to make my labor any shorter then it seemed like it was going to be. The boys were terrific while I was in labor. Jake and Tyee would come over and want a hug but if I was having a contraction they backed off and waited, then would ask if I was having the baby lol, I told them yes tonight she was coming! They were sooo excited! I wanted sooo bad to get in the tub but I was fearful of it making my labor progress rapidly, I declined. Jason had the boys put on jammies, then the back labor started, that was horrible! Jason rubbed my back for a good hour staight! At one point I got up to kneel on the floor and lean on the chair, I was feeling pressure but I tried my hardest not to push. Jason continued to rub my back and Jake came over with the flashlight and shown it down low and said "mom I'm making sure she comes head first for you." lol, very innocently. (that goes back to when she flipped breech, the boys thought it was fun to shine the flashlight on my lower belly ) So in the mean time they were all heading up. Of course they were all busy so they had to get their backups in order or get kids. So by the time they actually started showing up and were able to get through the house fire mess it was 8:30pm. Teresa was the first to show up with Mercedes, then Roxie 10 mins later, then Judy about 10 mins after Roxie. I was getting nervous because I could feel pressure before anyone was here. When they did arrive Roxie checked me, I was 10 cm!! I asked if I could get in the tub, but they wanted to make sure they could get the heplock in first so as soon as they saw blood they could start me up on pit. (as I'm prone to hemorraging) Finally got in the tub at 9pm. It felt soooo nice and relaxing, I wished I had gotten in sooner! Pretty much right away started pushing. I could feel her coming down, then go back up. And it seemed to keep happening with a few small pushes. During one contraction her head was right there, so I put my hand there and didn't feel a head, it was her membranes. That was such a weird feeling because I had expected to feel her hair. I pushed her head out and Roxie told me to just let it stretch, then the next contraction she told me to push, I said I can't but next thing you know I felt her body exit me and the water break as she slid out at 9:09pm. She was pretty blue and had the cord wrapped around her shoulder and I think because of that there may have been a little tug on the placenta that made a gush of blood come right away. So they shot me in the butt with pit. or that methajone stuff. I just sat and held her in the water, she definitly was a girl! and as much as I wanted to delay cord cutting alittle longer, they were concerned about the bleeding so I let them clamp (it was still at least 2 mins after so it was still somewhat delayed) Jake came over and cut the cord. You could tell he was sooo proud to get to do it! Judy took the baby while Roxie helped me out of the tub into my bed, I delivered the placenta and she massaged my uterus. Judy came in and gave me more methajone (sp?) and pit so I was cramping pretty bad with that, but no hemorraging!! I tried to nurse her but it was hard, she didn't want to latch right then and I was in so much pain, so after the massaging (which was at least 10-15mins) I nursed her and she latched right away. While I was being massaged, Jason weighed her, she was 7lb 2oz, 20 inches and just perfect! And I didn't tear!!The midwives and Jason cleaned the tub and everything and the house was back to normal in an hour. I just layed in bed holding and nursing my new little one. Who still didn't have a name lol. When everyone left by 1am, the house was quiet, the boys were sleeping, Jason was sleeping, the baby was sleeping and I was up almost all night cramping! I made sure to take motrin with the methwhatever pills after that! Later that day we decided to name her Piper Jo Hanna.
I couldn't have asked for it to go any better!! It was an amazing homebirth! The 2 reason's I'm glad I had my first 3 in the natural childbirth friendly hospital was because 1- Roxie didn't do homebirths then and 2- I hemorraged badly with Jake, with Tyee they were still trying to figure out what helped me to stop hemorraging and by Luke they had it down pat! I would have loved to be able to sit in the tub after giving birth and just hold her in the water for a few moments, but I guess that's where my situation is unique and even if we decide to have more, I'll probably have the same issues and will never get to experience that part of birth. But overall I was very happy about having my homebirth and feel completely blessed to have 4 beautiful children and 4 wonderful waterbirths! I couldn't ask for anything more! I am soooo blessed!