“My home birth experience was truly healing for me after stressful and traumatic hospital delivery with my first. I put all my trust in God, my body and in Quincy. On December 11th, 2021, At 8:30 pm, I decided to time contractions that had been coming regularly for 30 minutes. They were less than 5 minutes apart lasting 30 to 40 seconds. 30 minutes later, I let my doula and Quincy know that I thought it was “The” night and that I’d keep them posted on my progress. I went on to vacuum and do some cleaning in between contractions.
At 10:00 my contractions were 45 seconds to over a minute long and more intense. 30 minutes of that and I knew I needed my doula and I asked her to come over.
I decided to get in my tub to see if it would help with the intensity and maybe slow things. While the warm water was comforting, nothing slowed and my contractions only intensified.
My doula arrived after 11 to guide me in my breathing. I was not getting much of a break between contractions. It was hard to breathe, it was impossible to get comfortable. My husband got in the tub to give me hip squeezes, but by then nothing gave me relief. I wanted to get in deeper water so my doula began to fill my birth pool. She glanced at my contraction tracker and asked if Quincy knew how close and long my contractions were. I had been sending pictures to Quincy of my contractions, but couldn’t remember when the last update was.
I quickly became nauseated, my body began to shake and I was roaring! My doula called Quincy and with her on the phone, I leaned over the edge of the tub and I felt the sac bulge out, with the next contraction his head emerged, I finally felt relief and was able to catch my breath. His body came with the next contraction onto daddy’s arms at 12:05 am.
Daddy passed him under my legs and on my chest he went where he quickly cried. The most beautiful sound! We did it! I was a bit in shock. Did that really happen? I was lost in the moment. I could hear Quincy on the speaker asking my doula specific questions to ensure the baby and I were okay. With God’s grace, My son was born in our bath tub, not even an hour after my doula arrived with Quincy still on her way. Daddy shares our birth story every chance he gets. He was initially unsure about the idea of a homebirth but it is the highlight of our lives.
I truly had the best team. I remember Quincy had back to back births that day and she arrived ready to support me and baby. All was clean and we were comfortable in our bed by 4 am. Quincy said, “I happened just the way it was supposed to,” and I couldn’t agree more. A dream” .
~Anabel B
