Two Hour Accidental Unassisted Homebirth

July 5, 2012

The birth story is a little unconventional, but it was an unconventional birth!

*Note: I had been having contractions since 32 weeks. At 38 weeks, my midwife did a vaginal exam at my request, and found my cervix was low, soft, and anterior, and baby’s head was engaged at 0 to -1 station. I was 11 days over my EDD when she was born. In my state, a midwife is required by law to to turn you over to an OB once you hit 42 weeks. If these hadn’t been factors, I would not have bothered with natural induction methods.*

Friday, April 13, 10 days over EDD

7:23 p.m. — Take first dose of the “midwife cocktail”, containing 2 tablespoons of castor oil.

7:45-8:45 p.m. –Become BFF’s with my toilet and box of baby wipes.

8:45 p.m. — Text midwife to ask if the second and third doses are necessary. since first dose has been so successful. She replies that it’s up to me, but if I want to have a baby tonight, I should probably do at least one more dose.

8:50 p.m. — Make many horrible faces ingesting another 2 tablespoons of castor oil.

9:00-10:00 — Run a bath. Wonder at the miraculous way the body insists on emptying itself out even when you stopped having anything to empty out like, five poops ago. Get in bath. Read a book. Have handful of contractions.

10:30 p.m. — Lie down with magazine and seven year old son. Seven year old promptly falls asleep with feet shoved in back. Experience a couple of strong contractions, then a couple more. Think, “No way that castor oil worked THAT quickly”. Followed by, “Huh, maybe I should start timing these.”

10:50 p.m. — Start timing contractions. Every 4-5 minutes, anywhere from 1-2 minutes long. Have to sit up through them. Tell husband there’s no way this is real labor, and promptly have to stand up to vocalize through particularly harsh contraction. Lather, rinse, repeat.

11:43 p.m. — Contracting on a toilet is not fun. Call midwife. She is immediately on her way, but lives 45 minutes away. I expect her in about an hour.

11:45 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. — Call my mom. Call best friend. Contractions are excruciating and feel like baby is trying to explode Alien-style through my pubic bone.

12:00 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. — WTF IS THIS?! Sit on toilet a lot. Husband is filling pool with three buckets. Groan. Ask WTF I was thinking?

12:30 a.m. – 12:38 a.m. — Still on toilet. Husband still filling pool. Body goes, “Screw you, guys, I can do what I want!” and starts pushing. Hear myself roaring and try to relax, but pretty sure I am literally splitting in half. Also maybe still pooping.

12:39 a.m. — Husband informs me pool almost done. Water slightly cooler than needed, but eff that noise, I’m getting in. Hobble from bathroom to bedroom and practically dive in.

12:41 a.m. — As soon as butt hits water, my body produces one gigantic, involuntary push. Feels like taking biggest poop EVER in history of pooping. Baby’s head emerges halfway, still in caul. Tell husband, “Um, the head is there.” Husband says, “I can see the head.” He thinks he has time to turn around and do something, then get in water with me and catch her. He turns around.

12:42 a.m. — Another involuntary push and head and body all whoosh out of me with speed and approximate force of a freight train. Husband turns back around at noise of splash to see me pull baby from water.

12:43 a.m.- ish — Midwife arrives. Mirren is perfect. The end!

Mirren Renea, born at 12:42 a.m. on April 14th, 2012, weighing 8.5 lbs, 21 inches long.

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28 Comments

  • Sami

    July 5, 2012 at 10:23 pm Reply

    *LOVE* this birth story!!! Congratulations mama! Mirren is perfect! My sweet boy was born on the 15th – not quite so fast though! 😉

  • Amanda Iden Howell

    July 5, 2012 at 10:51 pm Reply

    Love it! Congratulations!!!! Mirren is beautiful!
    I almost had an unassisted birth, well pretty much did. Arrived at hospital and baby flew out as I hit the bed. I should have stayed home like you did!
    Awesome story!!!!

  • Audrey Egan

    July 5, 2012 at 11:01 pm Reply

    Fun, fun birth story! I dream vicariously about my own births through stories like these….maybe in my next life :)! Well done, Mama! Mirren is just so sweet!

  • christina brunson

    July 5, 2012 at 11:10 pm Reply

    such a great story and thats also when my sone was born 🙂 he was 8lbs 4oz and 21.5 in long at 1:15am on april 14th 2012

  • Julie

    July 6, 2012 at 4:17 am Reply

    LOVE this!
    My #6 came nearly that fast, yet was a week early.
    I TOTALLY feel the expressions of “nah- not real labor yet” while unable to breathe through contraction, and barely getting tub filled before jumping in.

    However, my #7 came *on* the 42 week day, and I also live in a state where my midwife would have to transfer care beyond 42 weeks. Sadly, that labor was much more, um, laborious.

    CONGRATS, Mama! You done GOOD!

  • Rene

    July 6, 2012 at 1:59 pm Reply

    I loved your story, and humor! Our daughter was born 2.12.12. We had a doula, with plans to go as natural as possible, even reserved a room with a tub at our hospital. My much longer time of contractions at home only to go to hospital at the last minute, and our inexperience -hid the back labor that left me completely exhausted, but it all worked out and it was a vaginal birth. When people say ‘whens your next one’ I say: ‘um, its only been 4 mos, give me time to forget the pain!’

  • Dani

    July 6, 2012 at 5:15 pm Reply

    Great story. I hope honestly mine goes so quickly. And in the CAUL! I just want to see it and take a pic to show water does not have to break!

  • Kendra Mitchell

    July 6, 2012 at 5:40 pm Reply

    Love this story! Very similar to my 2nd except that the midwife made it because she lived 5 mins away. I delivered my 9 pounder in 3 pushes. I told the MW “I think I have to push.” She told me to try and see how it felt. I pushed and yelled, “Oh, I think that was wrong!” Her reply, “NO, that was a head!” Freight train is right!!

  • Kelley

    July 6, 2012 at 9:43 pm Reply

    Oh my! At least you made it into the pool. A friend of mine was trying to make it down the stairs to birth in the pool before the midwife arrived and yep, had the baby on the stairs.

  • Julie

    July 6, 2012 at 11:01 pm Reply

    Just had my less than 2 hour accidental home birth exactly a week ago!!!! It was amazing and our little guy was 8.5 lbs and 21 in too! It’s crazy because we were taking belly pictures at 11:00 pm and I’m smiling and relaxed and NOT in labor! We took our next pictures at 1:18 am holding our son, sitting on the kitchen floor! Best experience ever!

  • Sarah B.

    July 6, 2012 at 11:20 pm Reply

    Lol. It sounds just like my last birth only that i never made it to the pool and i almost had my baby on the toilet! I had enough time to get on the bed but the pool wasnt even full yet! The nurse told me i had 4cm to go and i was grunting, i thought “i dont think so!”. Congrats! He is just gorgeous!

  • Rachael

    July 7, 2012 at 1:25 am Reply

    I love this, especially this: “Body goes, “Screw you, guys, I can do what I want!” and starts pushing.” YES! I had a 3 hour long unassisted homebirth w/my 2nd and that is so exactly true. Congratulations!

  • erin

    July 10, 2012 at 6:30 pm Reply

    cassie, what an incredible, intense birth!
    and what a mighty powerful little woman Mirren is.. i imagine that her personality is just as incredible and intense as she decided her birth to be
    <3

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