The Real Story

This is the real story!  The morning of my due date I started leaking fluid, (found out later that my water had really broke but Jarrett's head was acting like a cork).  Cramps starts around 9-10ish but nothing I could keep track of. I knew somthing was up so I arranged for friends to come get my 3 kiddos.  Was not going to have them there!


A couple hours later and I could now time contractions but still easy.  When I was not in the middle of a contraction. I felt perfectly normal.  Nothing like labor with Pitocin.  Then at 12:15 I was having a relaxing Pedicure by my sister, Melanie
Contractions were finally coming enough to time them but easy. After about 20 minutes of this we had some lunch (Jersey Mikes) with my friend Amy who called earlier to check up on me. So she came at around 1:00 to eat.  We were having a great time eating but we all noticed that I would only get one bite of sandwich swallowed before another contraction would come. Things were changing....fast.  I called my midwife, told her the situation and she said I was way to happy to be anywhere close.  I told her that I would just like her to be a little closer than 1/2 hour away.  She heard the anxiousness in my voice and decided to come "hang out" and chat all afternoon because she thought I wasn't anywhere close and she didn't want to miss the birth. Ha- Ha- Ha
Contractions kept coming closer and harder.  Nothing was the same for more than 5 minutes it seemed. We just took contraction one at a time and kept in touch with my midwife saying "you better get here because things are changing fast!"  I used the bathroom and felt a baseball moving through me.  Uh-oh, i thought! Actually, the real word was oh, _______!   I got into the bathtub and tried not to push although that is what my body was doing. The midwife told me to keep panting because of coarse she wasn't at my house yet.  I told her on the speaker phone to "get here" and "hurry up" and everything elseI could think of!  Before I knew it, I was holding a healthy 8 lb. 9 oz baby boy. It was so fast from start to finish that I was truly in shock.  I was as white as a ghost while holding Jarrett in my arms realizing that it was all over.  Ten minutes later my midwife showed up.  Ya, a little late!!
While I had planned to do this at home, I didn't plan to do it without my midwife being there.  My sister Melanie and friend Amy and of course, Darin were there though and did an amazing job!

I was so glad to be at home in my own space.  I am one of those patients who has the textbook pregnancy where everything always checks out perfect and have had no problems or concerns with all of my last 3 children.  So this time around I chose a midwife.  I could have delivered at a birthing center but when I found out that my midwife has the same equipment there as she does your own home I said "okay, lets do it!" 

Born at 2:18

Some of the benefits from having Jarrett at home were:
-Was able to sleep with my husband in my own bed.
-Snuggle with my baby in my own bed with my own pillow.  Loved that!

-Was never woke up at 6:00 am with a stick in the arm for a blood draw.  Hate that!
-Having a midwife that catered to me and took her time in taking care of me and Jarrett. She came back to my house 2 days later and spent a couple of hours chatting and making sure I was all taken care of including Jarretts PKU stuff.  Loved that.
-Had home cooked meals by my awesome chef sister, Melanie.  Love you Mel!

-My kids got to come home and each took time
to get to know their new brother and wasn't rushed. 
- I didn't have to have any IV's, no constant blood pressure reading. No "checking" for dilation.  It was great!  The only hard part was waiting for my body to go into labor.  I had never done that before.  I had always been induced with the other three and this was a whole new experience.  Would I do it again...definately!

The real Midwives!