Thought I would share, for those of you who haven't already heard it.


Teagan was born at home March 29, 2005 at 11:15 pm. Big brothers Tanner and Travis, big sister Tatum, Aunt Krista, and Grandma were there with Mommy and Daddy to welcome him. Teagan weighed in at 6 lbs 5 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long.My water broke at 9 pm, contractions started shortly after that. I was home alone with the kids. I had to wait for my sister and husband to get here. They found me in the bathtub. (I had initially thought I'd throw the kids in for a quick bath, but changed my mind when I couldn't figure out what to do about the fluid leaking down my leg). By 10:30 I was in transition and not wanting to get out of the bathtub. At 11 pm, as Bobby, my sister and my mom were trying to urge me into getting dressed, I knew that we wouldn't make it to the hospital and didn't really want to try. Up to that point, I was somewhere between thinking if I'm only 5 cm, I need an epidural because I'm dying, and I'm scared to get in the van because this has got to be close to the end. It was the shortest, most intense labor I've experienced.I had just enough time to pull off my bra, panties, and the one sock that they had gotten on me, and get back into the tub. That's all I could focus on. I need to get in the tub. Got in and barely kneeled down before I felt the most awesome feeling of him barreling down the birth canal. I was afraid he would come flying out and I would tear. That's how fast he seemed to be coming. I tried to slow down and breathe his head out, but felt him crowning and then his head was there in my hand, as I kneeled in the tub at the faucet end. I had a few seconds of worrying about pushing the shoulders out, not feeling the urge to push, when the rest of him slid out. Luckily, my sister came around behind me and caught the rest of him before he landed in the water, since I couldn't reach him in the position I was in (After I told her to "Go the other way", as she stood there and tried to figure out how to get in front of me). The most awkward part was trying to stand up to get my leg over the cord so I could take him back. Somewhere in the midst of all that, my husband had called the EMT's. They arrived after delivery. And since baby was nice and pink, with no problems, I refused treatment and sent them away. He nursed for 40 minutes not long after delivery, still connected to his cord. After two hours and tremendous cramping, I was worried we would have to go to the hospital for the placenta. But after calling my CNM, she suggested getting up to the bathroom. It did finally deliver, into the toilet. LOL And I felt so much better. Then noticed the first degree tear and thought we might have to go for that. Another call to the midwife, she said it would probably heal on it's own if it wasn't bleeding. Just stay off my feet and keep my legs together.

Despite that it wasn't "completely" planned, it was the most empowering experience of my life. Having just my family there, settling into our own bed, eating my husband's home cooked food, made it all the more intimate and memorable.