The Home WaterBirth story of Our Fourth Child.

At 40 weeks and 3 days I felt huge. I walked and swayed those early contractions away for almost 23 hours. I couldn’t sleep through them, and they kept me on my feet. Although I was growing tired, it gave me time to mentally prepare.

For the last 2 months of the pregnancy we had lived in temporary housing, and 2 months after the birth we would be embracing a military move for our family, including 4 young ones under the age of 6, from England to Germany. A lot occupied my thoughts those 9 months other than the impending birth… which brought me to 3 days past due bouncing on a birth ball in early labor thinking, “I’m not ready, I’m not ready, I’m NOT ready!!” *grins.*

39 week Midwife appt with my 2 year old son,

who was also homeborn. 

Around 1am the day of the birth I finally bounced myself out of denial enough to call our midwife, Jo and have her come over. We were doing well coping, bouncing on the birth ball, listening to a Hillsong playlist I had made, and also playing with the TeNS machine Jo, our Midwife, had let us borrow. (TeNS stands for “Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.” It is a small, battery operated box with 2-4 small electrodes on sticky patches that you apply to the mid and lower part of your back. You can control small doses of electrical pulses to the nerves under the skin. It is safe for both mother and child, and a somewhat effective method of pain control with no side effects.) Although the TeNS did more for the pain in early labor than in active labor, it was a great distraction to play around with.

 40 weeks and still counting...

Not too long after Jo arrived the contractions grew intense enough to get into the birth pool. At first I hesitated, which surprised me! I hadn’t stopped singing the praises of laboring in water since my second daughter was born in 2003, and the praises of birthing in water since my son was born in 2006! But the TeN's offered a sense of control I knew i'd have to  give up once in the water.

 To buy time to decide, I asked Jo to check my dialation and found I was 5-6 cm’s and 75% effaced, baby still a bit high, -2 station. Since I already had the TeNS machine off for the check and I knew I only had 2-3 minutes at best before the next contraction hit I figured “What the hooey?” and made a mad dash for the pool!! I was so thankful I had. It was like a long awaited sigh.

I was relaxed against the side, engulfed by warm, comforting water. It shaved time off as I relaxed deeply in the water. My hormones were able to kick in, which resulted in a better rhythm to my contractions, which gave a more efficient labor. I progressed quickly and within 2 hours of being in the pool, our baby would be born.

Resting in between transition contractions

as Jo takes my blood pressure. 

Transition commenced very soon after getting in and lasted longer than with any of my previous 3 births, over an hour! I thought I had this birthing thing down pat having already done it 3 times in the last 6 years, but this one was different. Just as I had coined this pregnancy my "wild card" being completely different than my others, so this birth followed suit. This was my longest lasting birth, longest lasting transition phase, and the only natural birth I let labor “get to me.”

 Everyone in the room knew it was time to push before I did. I kept mentally comparing this birth with my previous ones, when I really just needed to trust God and trust my body's ability. Leaning on your own understanding doesn’t get you very far, and for me trying to “think things through” almost became a hindrance to my labor. I do not think my transition phase would have been the hour long it was, had I let go and trusted earlier on. (Baby having a chin tilted up may have had something to do with it too.)

At the time though, I couldn’t figure out why things were so magnified. My son’s birth was very peaceful, rhythmic, and fluid. I would think to myself, “Why is this one so intense? Is something wrong?” I would reach to feel for a head and not feel a thing, which confused me as I could feel Joey’s head at around my second knuckle at this point.

Debating the effectiveness of the gas and air

during a transition contraction. 

It took a long time to realize that waiting for the same things to happen now, that did during my son’s birth, just simply wasn't going too happen. This wasn't my son’s birth! It was a new baby, and a new birth. This baby deserved that respect. I had to let go and stop comparing. This was my epiphany moment and with it came the realization that I did have to push and everyone around me was right!

  After a "3 minute pushing phase," my husband delivered our 4th child gently into the water! I breathed a huge sigh of relief, and lifted the child to my chest, discovering and announcing for the first time, "It's a GIRL!!" It was one of the single most gratifying, emotionally charged moments of my life. A gift I can tuck into my pocket and relive again and again.

 After a few minutes of laughing that she had hair (all our babies have been baldies) and how chunky she seemed (My first child was 4.11, and my next two were 6 pounders) we retreated from the pool and introduced nursing while waiting for the placenta. After half an hour we cut the cord, delivered the placenta, and weighed our new daughter, 7 pounds and 1 ounce, our biggest baby yet!

Soon we made the phone call for our sitter to bring the older children over to meet their new sister. I dressed her in the same "Coming Home" Outfit my 2 older girls wore from the hospital, a white sleeper with pink bows from head to toe, and "Daddy's Little Girl" embroidered on the chest.

The happy family, 12 hours afterbirth.

 When the children arrived they rushed over, giggling to see the baby, asking "Is it a boy or a girl?!" to which I replied, "Is the baby in blue or in pink?" Our 5 year old daughter yelled "PINK!" and the 6 year old daughter replied, "A GIRL! a SISTER!!" Our 2 year old son was a little taken back. Seems he really believed mommy was going to give birth to a ball. (Which is his all time favorite toy in the whole world!)

Today she is the sweetest little thing with blue eyes, blond hair that sticks straight up like a cockatiel, and a slightly timid smile.

Charlotte "Charley" Rose

 7 pounds, 1 ounce

20 inches long

40 weeks and 3 days

November 18, 2008

after 26 hours total labor

As for the water births of both my son and Charlotte’s, the most common question I get is the concern of the baby being born into water instead of into air. The child has been in warm water for the duration of the pregnancy, so the transition into a warm pool of water at birth is much the same. If "drowning" is a concern, we should ask ourselves, why haven't babies drowned in the womb? They are receiving oxygen with their cord, as the cord is intact baby will continue to receive oxygen until the breathing reflex begins, which usually happens when their heads are stimulated by the introduction of cold air, or when the placenta seperates. I have seen and heard of babies beginning to breathe when only their head has been born on land births, but I have never heard of this happening with water born babies.

We do not stimulate the child's head anymore than necessary during the birth while they are under water, and we don't hesitate to bring their head up to air. Once they are brought to air we wait for them to breathe on their own. We don't suction, throw a cap on their head, or rub them down to "stimulate" them. We cradle them, kiss them, keep them well within the warm water so they don't chill, and wait for them begin to breathe on their own.

Water birth gives many great benefits for both mother and child, a greater sense of relaxation and pain relief, which aids labor to progress faster. The Birth Pool was also my comforting, "safe" place. The water was my own. No one was crowding me, no one in “my space" unless I invited them in. It was all mine to focus all my energy and prayer into bringing forth this sweet child.

The warm water also enables tissues to be softened and increases elasticity of the skin. I have never torn with any of my water born babies. I have greater ability to move and change positions as gravity is minimized, which saves energy. My body works harder, yet I work less. Baby is given a very gentle introduction to the world, body temperature is maintained easily, and one of my favorites is the easy cleanup. I immediately have a clean baby to cuddle! It doesn't take anything to siphon the water out, throw away the sterilized liner of the pool, deflate it, fold it up and put it in a closet!

With our Midwife Jo, Charlotte 4 weeks old

Here are some of my favorite sites regarding risks, benefits, and common myths of water birth:

 http://www.waterbirth.org/mc/page.do

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/waterbirth.html

http://www.bellybelly.com.au/articles/birth/waterbirth-birth-in-water

 The first site also sells the "Birth Pool in a Box" which is the pool we bought and used for both my son and daughter's home water births. We just used new liners for each birth. Now that the births are over, all the kids can use it as a paddling pool in the backyard! (Oh, by the way, here is a link to my son’s home water birth story, also with pictures, for those fellow "birth junkies" who can't get enough stories! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tinytoes/565746)

 Yours sincerely,

Kristy in England Germany.

Charlotte 4 months old