The Mighty, Mighty Smiths

I wasn't really planning on having a home birth. Midwifery is illegal in Alabama and the few that do practice are rumored to not be very good. My neighbor and a few other people I know had unassisted home births, but that is just crazy and dangerous, in my opinion. I'm not educated. What if something went wrong? Of course, it was always an option, but not one I gave much consideration to.

ALL of my babies have been hospital births, one natural in the hospital, the other four induced with an epidural. ALL have been good experiences. I expected no less with this one.

And then I met natural Kate, my neighbor. She educated me about natural birth. I watched movies and read books and came to understand how doctors really don't know much about birth at all. To them it is a medical condition rather than something natural. All of those things they do to laboring women in the hospital: checking the cervix for dilation, not allowing me to eat or drink, being hooked up to a heart monitor, IV drip, being forced to labor in bed, delivering on your back, being told when and when not to push, not to mention unnecessary inductions and epidurals, all increase the risk for an emergency C-section and is not for the benefit of the woman or the child. It is all for convenience for the doctor or to cover themselves legally. Additionally, after the birth: cutting the cord immediately (instead of letting all the blood from the placenta drain into the baby for at least 2 min), not letting me nurse right away, giving baby a bath (taking off all of that natural oil that prevents baby's skin from cracking and bleeding), the eye drops and the Heb B shot are both for sexually transmitted disease from ME or for the baby when he's older (not necessary at all), the nurse who painfully rubs on my belly to get blood clots out (instead of letting nursing and my own ability to massage myself bring the clots out), being wakened every two hours to see if the baby is filling his diaper & checking his temperature, nasty hospital food, and being forced to stay there for 48 hours like a prisoner. Other hospitals are sometimes more lenient in some of these things, but not in Alabama. This is the regular protocol.

So I waited until I was 17 weeks along before I saw the OB. I wanted as few visits with a doctor as possible. I thought I would write up a wish list for my labor experience, but first I wanted to try out one little request of my OB. I asked her if I could refrain from having an internal exams before labor begins (checking the cervix for dilation). My reason being that it doesn't matter at all how far I am dilated. Labor does not coincide with dilation. We're told that over and over. So why check at all? All it does is gives the opportunity for the OB to "accidentally" swipe my membranes to get labor started for their convenience. It's uncomfortable and I don't like it.
"Sure! That's not a problem."
Next appointment my OB informs me that she wants to do an internal exam to make sure the baby's head is down.
WHAT? Baby is kicking at the top of my tummy. He feels just like all my other babies, in the exact same position. Good doctors can feel a woman's belly and tell which way the head is facing.
She still insists on doing an internal exam.
I gave in. I felt pressured by the one holding the medical degree. I requested not to be checked, I gave her my reasons, she pressured me anyway, and I gave in. I should have just walked out the door, but I didn't.
I knew then that my request sheet that I planned to have at my labor would not be honored either.
I cancelled the next appointment and switched OBs for the following appointment. I never ended up seeing the doctor anyway though.

I called Kate, who had since moved to Hawaii. She encouraged me to consider the home birth. She wanted me to talk to a mutual friend, Trisha, that had also had a home birth. It just so happened that I was going to her house on Monday for a birthday party anyway.

Monday I decided to walk 3 miles around our pasture. It took me 1.5 hours. I went to the Birthday party and talked to Trisha. I watched her own home birth video. I told her my fears and my desires. She volunteered to be my doula at the hospital.

Tuesday morning my mucus plug came out! I excitedly trudged another 3 miles around the pasture. I asked Isaac what he thought about an unassisted home birth. He agreed to it. It just suddenly felt right. I felt more peace about a home birth than going to the hospital. I called Trisha. She told me what do to prepare our bedroom for a birth. I went to Walmart and purchased my stuff. And then labor started that evening...

Isaac had a night flight. When he got home around 1 am I was unable to talk from pain. I threw a book at him, told him to read it (Emergency Childbirth: A Manual, by Gregory White). It had all the information in it for emergencies and what to do. I called Kate (who was in a different time zone) to see if I should wake up Trisha and have her come over. I couldn't say much and I started crying. She verified, YES, that I'm in labor, and should call my friend. I cried from fear, pain, and the realization that this was actually happening, while Isaac called Trisha.

Trisha came over and showed Isaac how to apply pressure on my back with hot, wet towels to relieve the pain. She waited in the living room while Isaac and I labored in the bedroom. It was a very sweet time for both of us. Isaac informed her that I was pushing. She called out for me to move to a different position. I had been laboring on my knees while leaning against a chair. So I sat on the edge of the chair and one big push brought the baby shooting out of me! Isaac barely caught him! Baby cried immediately, he was so beautiful and healthy! It was just me, Isaac, and our sweet baby boy. I've never experienced any moment more beautiful than that.
Trisha came in and helped deliver the placenta and Isaac cut the cord. Trisha went home. I went to bed with the baby, and Isaac made me a whole roast beef for me to eat when I woke up.