A Fast {Unexpected} Home Birth

My home birth I always wanted…

She’s dropped. Its 3 1/2 weeks till my due date; I’m a little disappointed because I’m pretty tuned in with my body. I wanted her to come full term – a nice 7pounds she would be, the doctor said. I knew she wouldn’t last in there any longer than a week, this pregnancy was exactly the same as my first, except this little miss felt lower!

I rang my family, told them if they wanted to be here when she was born, it would be best to come ASAP.

My sisters were there the next day, my eldest (Trudie) flew from another state. I researched home birthing and self-examinations, I had a feeling I was going to need it. We spent our days plotting around my island and my home. We even went to the mainland to do shopping (bit of a mission sometimes).

My Braxton Hicks were progressing into my back; they weren’t painful, just very uncomfortable.

It’s just before 8pm, two days before Trudie is flying home. Bless her heart; she has a way of making things happen! I’m on the toilet for the 100^th time that day, she tells me, “You better have this baby before I go home miss. I flew all the way up here”.  Her magic words! “I know, I’m telling you she’s going to come before you go!”, I replied.

I exit the toilet and make my way to the couch (3 meters max), briefly converse with my younger sister. I’m feeling light headed, so I put my foot on the couch and proceed to sit down on my folded leg.

Pop!!!

Well I thought I heard pop, I definitely felt it. I look at my sister in shock,

“Did you hear that??”

“Hear what??” she said.

That’s when I feel the flow… I quickly get off my recliner to stand on the white tiles, drop my pants and there it is – dark green fluid.

My eldest sister stops washing dishes, I remember her saying, “I’ll call the ambulance”, as I went to sit on the toilet.

As soon as my waters broke, my contractions were STRONG, HARD AND FAST.

We rang the ambulance at 8:05pm. I was told to make my way to the bed as I couldn’t sit on the toilet anymore, so I waited for my contraction to ease before moving. It never did. I got off very slowly, and then I got relief. I quickly waddled to my bed, and laid down on my side, tried to rest and breathe deeply.

Trudie came in still on the phone to 000, informs me she needs to do an examination. I’m in labour, but that’s still weird!!!

I say no, I can do it myself.

I remember reading about dilation and what it would feel like, that part I completely forgot. I felt something round, and hard. “I can feel her head”. Not sure if anyone believed me in that moment, but hold on, this where it all gets very fast!!!

Here comes a big contraction, back onto my side I go. I’m informed the ambulance has arrived. I didn’t really care; I just wanted to slow things down, it all happened so fast I missed it.

I’m not going to move, as contractions are sending my mind into a storm, I can’t think straight.

I’m under my bedroom lights which radiate heat (its Christmas summer in Australia), so the heat is making me vomit. My 3 year old is by my head, but I’m struggling to keep my cool. She ends up in the lounge room engrossed in cartoons with ice cream, where it’s nice n calm. The ambulance officer enters my bedroom; I’m relieved I’ve met the man before. Especially when I’m dropping my pants for another examination, this time the pants stay off but I get a towel to cover my butt which is baring all!!! No time for embarrassment.

He instructs me we have to get downstairs and onto the stretcher. I think he’s crazy. I could barely talk but I managed. “You will have to carry me,” I said. This baby would not stay in there if I’d gone vertical. I knew this. He agreed and went downstairs to set up his stretcher, etc. While he was down there, I was still having contractions on top of each other. Next minute I’m on my back, with a head in view. Kelly, my youngest sister, runs outside and yells down to the ambo, “We can see a head!!!” Hope my neighbours enjoyed that bit, hahahaha!

He changes tactics and grabs the birthing kit, and runs back upstairs, forgot a valuable tool, had to do the trip again. He was getting a great workout! Meanwhile, everything is happening so fast, no one hears my calls for water, or pain relief. So instead, I yell, I had water within seconds and a green stick shoved in my mouth (by the time that took effect, it was too late). A big contraction comes and the need to push. Then the need stops as I’m crowning.

My first birth went a lot differently, I pushed her out in one push; I didn’t know better. This birth was complete opposite, very fast labour and slow birthing process.

Now I am back to crowning, no contraction but I’m still pushing. I just want to push her head out for some relief (once again I didn’t know better).

“Do you need to push???” the ambulance officer asked.

“No” I answered, defeated.

“Then don’t push or you will tear,” he said.

“It’s a bit hard when there’s a head there,” was my reply.

“I know”, was his answer.

Do you really Mr.Ambulance man??

I feel a contraction straight after, one more big push and she was out… RELIEF.

I keep asking if she is OK, and finally my sister says, “Yes, she’s fine, you can hold her.”  I lift my head, open my eyes and take my tiny, 5pound, 8ounces baby girl in my hands. She fits perfectly there. She’s so little. So precious. So perfect. SO MUCH LOVE.

I put her against my breast, but she didn’t want to feed yet, she wanted to look at me.

Hello Rubii-Rayne. She can’t see me, but she knows I’m there, she can feel our bodies still touching. She can hear my voice saying how much I love her and I’m so glad that she is here. She was born around 8:30pm but we’re not exactly sure on the minute. My placenta came an hour and half later.

Unfortunately we ended up in hospital that night as safety protocol. I’m one of those people who won’t complain, but I was cold, hungry, in pain and very alone with a new baby. I was so emotional and needed a hug so bad.

She had some jaundice that left her in a few weeks due to me constantly feeding her and flushing her system out.

I’ve breastfed for 6 months now and I’m so proud. I don’t know about everyone else, but it was hard those first 4 months. Now it’s the best part of my day! I love birthing and being a mum 🙂

She was born December 18, 2012. My name is Rebekka-Rae Gooley and I birthed without fear. Except I feared I would need a new bed after it all.